Elli Perkins
Encyclopedia
Elli Perkins née Present (1949 – March 13, 2003) was a mother of two, a professional glass artist
, and a Scientologist
who lived in Western New York
. She was a senior auditor
at the Church of Scientology
in Buffalo, New York
.
When her son, Jeremy, began to show strange and disturbing behavior, she tried to correct this with treatment in accordance with Scientology
. She did not seek out psychiatric care for him. Jeremy's schizophrenia
progressed to the point where he felt Elli was poisoning him, prompting a suicide
attempt. When this failed, Jeremy instead killed his mother.
The crime received substantial news coverage including The Amherst Bee, The Buffalo News
, the New York Post
, and an installment of the investigative news
program 48 Hours
. Issues included an implication that her refusal to allow Jeremy to be treated by a psychiatrist
caused his eventual outburst, and her death.
, and married Don Perkins, who was brought up with a Christian
background. Elli had met Don shortly after taking a Scientology course. Before coming to Buffalo, Perkins had lived in Rochester
, where she attended the Rochester Institute of Technology
. Elli Perkins crafted handmade glass art
, and traveled to an annual Renaissance fair
in upstate New York
to sell her wares. She had been a member of the Sterling Renaissance Festival for twenty-three years, and had helped to run the Niagara Craft Association. She had been unsuccessful selling paintings, and was inspired to start glass painting by a friend. When her friend left town, the market was left open for Elli to set up shop and begin selling her painted glass works.
In 1979, both Don and Elli Perkins reached the Scientology state of "Clear
", after taking Scientology courses and receiving "Auditing
" processes. The Perkins family then moved to California and lived there during the 1980s, where Elli worked at the Celebrity Centre
. In the late 1980s, the family moved back to Buffalo. Elli and Don had a daughter, and a son named Jeremy, who lived at home and worked for Don's contracting company. In addition to contracting work, Don Perkins is a cabinetmaker and carpenter.
in California, which they hoped would help resolve his troubling behavior. Jeremy's treatment did not succeed with the Sea Org, so he returned to his parents within a few months, resuming his job at his father's business.
A family friend said "Elli strongly believed that psychiatry was an evil", so she would not consult a psychiatrist about her son's mental illness. Scientologists believe
that psychiatry "doesn't work". Court-ordered psychiatric evaluations of Jeremy Perkins showed that he was displaying symptoms of schizophrenia
in 2001. Jeremy's defense attorney John Nuchereno said that his condition declined over the summer of 2002, and that his father had to terminate his employment. His deterioration exhausted the Church of Scientology's efforts to cure him. They classified Jeremy Perkins as a level III "Potential Trouble Source", and banned him from further Scientology courses.
Elli Perkins fed Jeremy the recommended vitamins, but Jeremy became highly suspicious of his mother. In a recorded interview, after being asked what concerns he had about taking these vitamins, Jeremy stated: "Well, concerns just that maybe she's trying to poison me or something." In February 2003, Elli Perkins took Jeremy to see Albert Brown, a self-taught "natural healer". Jeremy told Brown in a session: "Sometimes I think I'm Jesus Christ." Elli Perkins' wanted to send Jeremy to live with Brown for treatment, but days beforehand Jeremy began to act more aggressive. After consulting with her son-in-law Jeff Carlson, the executive director of the Buffalo Church of Scientology, Elli was told to give Jeremy "MEST
", or busy-work around the house in order to get him tired.
Jeremy was 28 years old when his parents agreed that he should stay with Albert Brown, whose treatment regimen was acceptable to Scientology doctrines. Jeremy had agreed that Brown might be able to help him, and was to leave in the afternoon of March 13, 2003. That morning Don Perkins had to return from work briefly in order to settle an argument between Jeremy and his mother. Later Elli told Jeremy to take a shower, which he did. When he finished his shower, Jeremy found his mother in the kitchen talking on the phone. He retrieved a steak knife and attacked Elli as she spoke to her friend. According to a statement given to the police, Jeremy Perkins stated:
He said he attempted to cut out her right eye because he thought it was evil. The attempt was unsuccessful, and this along with statements like "She gets mad at me when I play my drums in my room and she makes me take these vitamins everyday. When she made me take the shower this morning this was the last straw." Jeremy's Police Statement led to a court-ordered psychiatric examination.
Autopsy
reports showed that Elli Perkins was stabbed 77 times. In June 2003, Jeremy Perkins pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal weapons and second degree murder in a court in Erie County
. The District Attorney in the case stated that death by stabbing is not unusual in homicides, but 77 stab wounds is "really rare." The court ordered another psychiatric examination for Jeremy.
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 [earlier] 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."
Glass art
Studio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
, and a Scientologist
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
who lived in Western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. She was a senior auditor
Auditing (Scientology)
Auditing was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, and is described by the Church of Scientology as "spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics and Scientology".-Description:...
at the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.
When her son, Jeremy, began to show strange and disturbing behavior, she tried to correct this with treatment in accordance with Scientology
Scientology and psychiatry
Scientology and psychiatry have come into conflict since the foundation of Scientology in 1952. Scientology is publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to both psychiatry and psychology. Scientologists view psychiatry as a barbaric and corrupt profession and encourage alternative care based on...
. She did not seek out psychiatric care for him. Jeremy's schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
progressed to the point where he felt Elli was poisoning him, prompting a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempt. When this failed, Jeremy instead killed his mother.
The crime received substantial news coverage including The Amherst Bee, The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, and an installment of the investigative news
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
program 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
. Issues included an implication that her refusal to allow Jeremy to be treated by a psychiatrist
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
caused his eventual outburst, and her death.
Early life
Born Elli Present, she was raised JewishJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, and married Don Perkins, who was brought up with a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
background. Elli had met Don shortly after taking a Scientology course. Before coming to Buffalo, Perkins had lived in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, where she attended the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
. Elli Perkins crafted handmade glass art
Glass art
Studio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
, and traveled to an annual Renaissance fair
Renaissance Fair
A Renaissance fair, Renaissance faire, or Renaissance festival is an outdoor weekend gathering, usually held in the United States, open to the public and typically commercial in nature, which emulates a historic period for the amusement of its guests. Some are permanent theme parks, others are...
in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
to sell her wares. She had been a member of the Sterling Renaissance Festival for twenty-three years, and had helped to run the Niagara Craft Association. She had been unsuccessful selling paintings, and was inspired to start glass painting by a friend. When her friend left town, the market was left open for Elli to set up shop and begin selling her painted glass works.
In 1979, both Don and Elli Perkins reached the Scientology state of "Clear
Clear (Scientology)
Clear in Dianetics and Scientology is one of two levels a practitioner can achieve on the way to personal salvation. A state of Clear is reached when a person becomes free of the influence of engrams, unwanted emotions or painful traumas not readily available to the conscious mind...
", after taking Scientology courses and receiving "Auditing
Auditing (Scientology)
Auditing was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, and is described by the Church of Scientology as "spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics and Scientology".-Description:...
" processes. The Perkins family then moved to California and lived there during the 1980s, where Elli worked at the Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centre
Celebrity Centres are Church of Scientology facilities that are open to the public but serve mostly artists and celebrities and other "professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government", as "those are the people who are sculpting the...
. In the late 1980s, the family moved back to Buffalo. Elli and Don had a daughter, and a son named Jeremy, who lived at home and worked for Don's contracting company. In addition to contracting work, Don Perkins is a cabinetmaker and carpenter.
Declining mental health of her son
Perkins' son Jeremy, at age 24, began to show changes in behavior. Jeremy told his father that he was hearing voices in his mind. At that time, the Perkins sent Jeremy to join Scientology's Sea OrgSea Org
The Sea Organization or Sea Org is an association of Scientologists established in 1968 by L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer and founder of Scientology. Its members are found in the central management organizations of the Church of Scientology as well as in individual churches...
in California, which they hoped would help resolve his troubling behavior. Jeremy's treatment did not succeed with the Sea Org, so he returned to his parents within a few months, resuming his job at his father's business.
A family friend said "Elli strongly believed that psychiatry was an evil", so she would not consult a psychiatrist about her son's mental illness. Scientologists believe
Scientology and psychiatry
Scientology and psychiatry have come into conflict since the foundation of Scientology in 1952. Scientology is publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to both psychiatry and psychology. Scientologists view psychiatry as a barbaric and corrupt profession and encourage alternative care based on...
that psychiatry "doesn't work". Court-ordered psychiatric evaluations of Jeremy Perkins showed that he was displaying symptoms of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
in 2001. Jeremy's defense attorney John Nuchereno said that his condition declined over the summer of 2002, and that his father had to terminate his employment. His deterioration exhausted the Church of Scientology's efforts to cure him. They classified Jeremy Perkins as a level III "Potential Trouble Source", and banned him from further Scientology courses.
Search for alternatives to psychiatry
After being found trespassing outside of the University of Buffalo on August 14, 2001, Jeremy was arrested and remanded to a local hospital after a court-ordered psychiatric exam confirmed that he was schizophrenic. Elli Perkins later convinced the court to release her son into her custody, and she began to seek out alternative methods of treatment to psychiatry, and refused to allow her son to be treated with anti-psychotic medications. In the fall of 2002, the Perkins family consulted with Dr. Conrad Maulfair, an osteopathic physician and Scientologist. According to Jeremy's defense attorney, Dr. Maulfair concluded that "he was suffering from certain digestive problems, that he had certain chemical toxins in his body, and he needed to be purged of it." Maulfair said he needed to be "energized" through vitamin therapy.Elli Perkins fed Jeremy the recommended vitamins, but Jeremy became highly suspicious of his mother. In a recorded interview, after being asked what concerns he had about taking these vitamins, Jeremy stated: "Well, concerns just that maybe she's trying to poison me or something." In February 2003, Elli Perkins took Jeremy to see Albert Brown, a self-taught "natural healer". Jeremy told Brown in a session: "Sometimes I think I'm Jesus Christ." Elli Perkins' wanted to send Jeremy to live with Brown for treatment, but days beforehand Jeremy began to act more aggressive. After consulting with her son-in-law Jeff Carlson, the executive director of the Buffalo Church of Scientology, Elli was told to give Jeremy "MEST
MEST (Scientology)
MEST is an acronym used in Scientology and coined by author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard used the first letters of the words matter, energy, space and time, the component parts of the physical universe. The term MEST is frequently used in writings and lectures by Scientology founder L...
", or busy-work around the house in order to get him tired.
Killing
He said he attempted to cut out her right eye because he thought it was evil. The attempt was unsuccessful, and this along with statements like "She gets mad at me when I play my drums in my room and she makes me take these vitamins everyday. When she made me take the shower this morning this was the last straw." Jeremy's Police Statement led to a court-ordered psychiatric examination.
Autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
reports showed that Elli Perkins was stabbed 77 times. In June 2003, Jeremy Perkins pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal weapons and second degree murder in a court in Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. The District Attorney in the case stated that death by stabbing is not unusual in homicides, but 77 stab wounds is "really rare." The court ordered another psychiatric examination for Jeremy.
Aftermath
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. 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
Operating Thetan
In Scientology, the state of Operating Thetan is a spiritual state above Clear. L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, defined it as "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time ". According to religious scholar J...
levels achieve special powers. Jeremy Perkins was later placed on psychotropic medications
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
, 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 [earlier] 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
LA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
blamed Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
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
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
.
On October 28, 2006, the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
program 48 Hours
48 Hours (TV series)
48 Hours is a documentary and news program broadcast on the CBS television network since January 19, 1988. The program originally presented documentaries of various events related to a particular subject occurring within a 48-hour period, and is credited as one of the first to air a "reality show"...
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
Chinese wall
In business, a Chinese wall or firewall is an information barrier implemented within a firm to separate and isolate persons who make investment decisions from persons who are privy to undisclosed material information which may influence those decisions...
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
Scientology and the legal system
The Church of Scientology has been involved in court disputes in several countries. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, question has been raised as to its motives. The Church says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right...
, 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."
External links
- Scientology - A Question of Faith: Did A Mother's Faith Contribute To Her Murder?, CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
- PerkinsTragedy.org - Web site cited in the LA WeeklyLA WeeklyLA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
ad and by SalonSalon.comSalon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...