From braintree!news.sprintlink.net!in1.uu.net!panix!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!news.mit.edu!raoul Thu Oct 19 10:04:14 1995
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From: raoul@carbonara.mit.edu (Nico Garcia)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: Flo Barnett's "suicide"
Date: 19 Oct 1995 03:52:58 GMT
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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In-reply-to: anon4a6f@nyx10.cs.du.edu's message of 18 Oct 1995 11:22:03 -0600

In article <463d3r$fq3@nyx10.cs.du.edu> anon4a6f@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Hoyos) writes:

   Here's an apology.  I apologize for implying that David Miscavige had 
   anything to do with Flo Barnett's suicide.  I have read the autopsy 
   report etc and also read reports that Flo Barnett was very upset with 
   Scientology and that she had threatened to sue Scientology shortly before 
   she died.  Although I never said Miscavige was to blame for her death, by 
   asking him to explain how she died with 4 bullet holes in her, I implied 
   that he might know something.  This was wrong.  I've since been informed 
   by a number of people who I respect on this newsgroup that they are 
   convinced that Flo Barnett was very depressed and did try to commit 
   suicide and when her husband walked in on her after the first shot, he 
   put her out of her agony.

   So I apologize to this group and to Scientologists for implying that 
   their leader knew anything about the death of Flo Barnett.

I actually don't agree. He had motive, because of her disenchantment
with her cult. He had method and opportunity, as did others, because her
body was not found for some time afterwards. While medical illness can
cause suicidal depression, we've seen no separate evidence that
she was depressed or suicidal. And guns are *extremely* unsual for
a woman committing suicide. Especially, the multiple shots with
a rifle used on her is extremely awkward to do to yourself. Frankly,
anyone with a clue about suicide would put the barrel in their *mouth*.
Being able to place the rifle against, she should have been able to
put it in her mouth.

The thing is, the claim of "suicide attempt, followed by mercy killing
by her husband" is extremely easy to conclude at the time by the
investigating officers. And without other evidence or knowledge of the
situation, they could let it drop, especially when somebody pushing
the legal "dogs of war" available to David Miscavige wants the case
dropped.

So the evidence is not that he killed her, based on the coroner's
report Rogue Agent described, but it disproves nothing. It's less
likely, but I'd actually give it a 40% chance being true, based on
Mr. Miscavige's cult's other criminal activities and its tendency to
isolate its leaders from outside censure or internal censure.

				Nico Garcia
				raoul@mit.edu
My opinions are my own, not MIT's or my employer's or my cat's
(Well, maybe my cat's....)


ÿ