Death of Elli Perkins - Aftermath

Aftermath

Jeremy Perkins was found not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect on July 29, 2003, and was placed on probation. Six months later, on January 29, 2004, a commitment order was issued which assessed him as "Dangerously Mentally Ill" authorizing him to be committed in a "secure facility of your choosing" by the NY State Office of Mental Health.

According to Rich Dunning, a former deputy director of the Buffalo Church of Scientology, there "was a panic" among the Church of Scientology's international leadership after the killing of Elli Perkins. Dunning said that the goal was "to distance the church as far away as they could from Jeremy Perkins." He also said that the killing was a public relations fiasco as it exposed the dangers of Scientology's ban against consulting psychiatrists, and the belief that members who attain high Operating Thetan levels achieve special powers. Jeremy Perkins was later placed on psychotropic medications, which court psychiatrists state have not cured him, but stabilized his condition. Jeremy Perkins' defense attorney said "Jeremy himself told me that he firmly believes that if he had been taking these medications that it would not have happened." After attorney Nuchereno spoke with 48 Hours, Jeremy was visited by a senior Church of Scientology staff member, and Nuchereno was replaced by an attorney whose law firm had worked previously for Scientology.

In March 2006, an advertisement in LA Weekly blamed Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology for Perkins' violent death. The ad stated: "Thanks, Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, for your expert advice on mental health." The ad recounted the story of Elli's death, saying she was killed "by the schizophrenic son she was told to treat with vitamins instead of psychiatric care." The advertisement also cited the Web site "PerkinsTragedy.org", as did Salon.

On October 28, 2006, the CBS program 48 Hours aired a segment on Perkins' death. CBS later reported on the background behind the production of the program, and wrote that they had received complaints from Scientologists: "The Scientology community was not happy with the story, which raised the possibility that Elli Perkins might not have been murdered had her son been given psychiatric treatment." According to CBS, the Church of Scientology did not provide the 48 Hours production staff with an official spokesman, and attempted to influence the broadcast itself. Scientologists said that CBS had a conflict of interest because pharmaceutical companies advertise on the network's television programming. However, CBS News Senior Vice President, Standards and Special Projects Linda Mason stated: "Nothing could be further from the truth...At CBS the sales department and the news department – there is a Chinese wall between them. And we just don't cross. And we've done numerous stories on the ill effects of drugs of various sponsors that are on CBS." When questioned about the litigious nature of the Church of Scientology, Mason said that this history of litigation did not influence the show's production, saying: "We do stories that we feel stand on their own grounds in the court of law."