List of deaths related to Scientology

This list of deaths related to Scientology covers deaths described in secondary sources as related to the Church of Scientology or one of its affiliate organizations.

The 1995 death of Lisa McPherson is one of the most controversial of these. McPherson died under the care of Scientologists in Clearwater, Florida, after being released from a hospital because the Scientologists objected to the possibility that she would receive a psychiatric evaluation. In a 1997 article for the St. Petersburg Times, an investigative journalist analyzed a series of controversial deaths relating to Scientology, and the paper published an editorial saying that law enforcement had not thoroughly investigated these suspicious deaths.

In November 2009, Australian Senator Nick Xenophon criticized Scientology, including the handling of information by the organization relating to suspicious deaths of its members. The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, commented that Senator Xenophon had raised serious concerns. In May 2010, the Australian Senate opened an inquiry into the status of Scientology and other tax exempt groups in the country, prompted by concerns of abuse within the organization.

Background
One of the most noteworthy cases of Scientology-related deaths is that of Lisa McPherson in 1995. McPherson was a Scientologist who was found naked in Florida, and mentally distressed. She requested help after a relatively non-serious vehicle accident. McPherson was taken to the hospital; she died two weeks after being discharged into the care of Scientologists who did not want her to receive a psychiatric evaluation.

The issue of controversial deaths related to Scientology was analyzed by investigative journalist Lucy Morgan, in a 1997 article for the St. Petersburg Times titled: "For some Scientologists, Pilgrimage has been Fatal". An editorial by the St. Petersburg Times commented, "By their own admission, law enforcement authorities did not investigate the suspicious deaths of members of the Church of Scientology as thoroughly as they might have. ... A disturbing pattern now has been established of apparently healthy Scientologists who die suddenly after arriving in Clearwater for training or counseling. An investigation by the Times '  Lucy Morgan found at least eight Scientology members, including McPherson, have died under circumstances that are not easily explained." The piece concluded, "In hindsight, the deaths of Scientologists were not as aggressively investigated as they should have been. ... This community cannot shrug its shoulders and accept Scientology's unchallenged explanations every time a Scientologist turns up dead." In an article for the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review, Michael Browne of the Indiana University School of Law recommended the St. Petersburg Times article, "For another discussion of the McPherson case and other cases in which people drawn to Clearwater, Florida (site of a major Scientology center) by their involvement in the Church have turned up dead, allegedly under suspicious circumstances".

In November 2009, the matter of how Scientology management handles controversial deaths of its members was brought to the forefront, in a speech in the Australian Senate by Senator Nick Xenophon. Senator Xenophon stated, "It is alleged that information about suspicious deaths and child abuse has been destroyed, and one follower has admitted he was coerced by the organisation into perjuring himself during investigations into the deaths of his two daughters." The Church of Scientology released a prepared statement calling Senator Xenophon's speech an "outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege". The Church of Scientology asserted, "Senator Xenophon is obviously being pressured by disgruntled former members who use hate speech and distorted accounts of their experiences in the church". The Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, described the issues raised by Senator Xenophon as "grave allegations". The Prime Minister commented, "Many people in Australia have real concerns about Scientology. I share some of those concerns. Let us proceed carefully and look carefully at the material he has provided before we make a decision on further parliamentary action." In May 2010, subsequent to the concerns raised by Senator Xenophon about abuse within the Church of Scientology, the Australian Senate agreed to open an investigation into the tax exempt status of religions and charities in the country.