Who Knew?

Scientology's Secrets, Revealed

Top defector spills details on mysterious death.

Is Scientology’s cat finally out of the bag? The St. Petersburg Times is running a long investigative series on the religion that includes interviews with some of its top defectors. Part one alleged that Scientology’s leader—and Tom Cruise’s best man—David Miscavige routinely beat up the Church’s board members and forced them to brawl to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Part two, published on Monday, looks at the mysterious death of Lisa McPherson, who died in 1995. The man who directed the church’s handling of the case, which was investigated for nine years, tells the Times that it was a “perfect storm of incompetence and irresponsibility” within the church, and,“You couldn’t justify it.’’ He also reveals that Miscavige was personally involved in McPherson’s counseling, saying that she was “clear” just weeks before she suffered a mental breakdown.