75 years ago today: A murder, a lawsuit, and the first death of Dianetics

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We often say 1950 was a miracle year for Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, followed by the worst year of his life. A researcher pointed out that between the success of 1950 and the debacles of 1951, there was a definite turning point, and it included a grisly murder. Wild! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“BLOWY STUDENTS: Students who are blowy or who have blown must be recovered and handled. They must first be checked for BPC in their sessions and out tech on their cases and then checked over for MUs and overts and withholds as co-auditors. Since they are engaged in both receiving and giving auditing, both aspects must be thoroughly checked. When the session BPC is found or the out-Int handled or the O/Ws pulled such blowy feelings will cease.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1980

 
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Source Code

“If I walked into an org at any given instant, I would look the place over, I would probably move all the executives out of the service space. And that’s usually my first action in an org. I’m not kidding you. I move all the executives out of the service space, and that’s my first day. And work with their creditor set up so that there won’t be foreclosed on the second day. And by that time I have looked over enough of the situation, and I get a big idea as to what we can offer right now, and we offer it very promptly on any open communication line that is. And you have a special project number one, which you will be given, which is, that’s a special project. That doesn’t include with the FEBC pack; it’s with your pack, but it’s the big idea that you can do right now. And it’s already under a bit of flight, this particular one, and we haven’t got the full results on this yet. But apparently it’s producing people, and they walk in and they actually do start moving through the org lines. So you’ve got a special dissem project number one, which is a good idea.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 3, 1971

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“Planning is to organize the Greek University of Philosophy for Corfu. They had one and in the war it was bombed out, then taken over to and by Athens. Greek VIPs of Corfu would be the Trustees. It would teach all philosophies, use Greek professors. It would have a Scn Dept. We would put an OA here and leave the UK one running. No Class VIII in this AO. Operation and Transport Services would run the AO and also procure students from Universities over the world, like professors and instructors from other universities to take courses in Corfu. The University would publish a Journal where other university professors couuld publish papers. The Greek Trustees would organize it, incorporate it. OTS would pay a % of the Scn Dept. The university would pay a percent to OTS for procuring students. Students will come to Corfu and live ashore, register and get courses on ATHENA. This is until our own Greek incorporation comes through and we could then use offices ashore, 2 of which are already rented and waiting but can’t be used until we are registered in Greece.” — The Commodore, February 3, 1969

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“The 1.1 handling in Science of Survival is a handling mainly for people on that tone band. That it also includes communists and sexually perverted people is coincidental. And I don’t think LRH would have been worried that a suppressive puppet would expose him (LRH) in a bad light just because he said that 1.1s should be banned from public office.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1997: Gerald Armstrong filed a packet with Judge Whyte this week, asking that he be allowed to provide testimony for Grady Ward, Keith Henson and Dennis Erlich. He argues that the order requiring him to remain silent is illegal, and was coerced by Scientology’s threats. Some excerpts: “I am a writer, artist and philosopher. Theologically speaking I am a prophet. Speaking religiously, I am a Christian. I have been sued by the Scientology organization five times since 1982 in its continuing effort to prevent me from speaking the truth and to destroy me financially. I have been throughout this time a world-wide target of Scientology’s character assassination campaign or ‘black propaganda,’ which it also calls ‘dead agenting.’ Grady Ward, defendant herein, posted a request for declarations concerning knowledge of fair game operations, and specifically ops involving organization private investigator Eugene M. Ingram. Mr. Ward stated that the declarations are needed fairly urgently. I have such knowledge, some of which I will provide below. I am submitting this declaration directly to the Court because of an order filed October 17, 1995. By that order, I am prohibited from: ‘Voluntarily assisting any person (not a government organ or entity) arbitrating, or litigating adversely to any of the Beneficiaries’. The ‘Beneficiaries’ are: The Church of Scientology International, its officers, directors, agents, representatives, employees, volunteers, successors, assigns and legal counsel. I believe the order and judgment are illegal on their faces, and obtained by Scientology through illegal tactics. The ‘contract’ which the ‘order’ enforces was obtained by Scientology through threat, fraud, related criminal activities, and the vitiation of my lawyers. In August and September 1982 the organization employed a number of private investigators to spy on and harass my wife and me. During that period one of these investigators assaulted me bodily, and another struck my body with a car, and attempted to involve me in a freeway accident by getting in front of my car and slamming on his brakes and pulling alongside my car and swerving into my lane. [T]he organization’s campaign against me included at least these acts: attempted entrapment; illegal videotaping; breaking into my car and theft of personal writings and art; filing false criminal charges against me with the Los Angeles District Attorney; filing false criminal charges against me with the Boston office of the FBI; filing false declarations to bring contempt of court proceedings against me on three occasions; obtaining perjured affidavits from English private investigators, who had harassed me in London in 1984, which falsely accused me of distributing ‘sealed’ documents; international dissemination of Scientology publications falsely accusing me of crimes, including crimes against humanity; culling and disseminating information from my supposedly confidential ‘auditing’ (psychotherapy) file. I know that the attempted entrapment, illegal videotaping, and filing false charges with the LA DA all involved Eugene Ingram. In the fall of 1984 Mr. Ingram called me and threatened to ‘put a bullet between [my] eyes.’ I worked with attorney Greene from August, 1991 through December, 1995. Throughout that period Scientology attempted overtly through misuse of the courts and covertly through its Office of Special Affairs, the organization’s intelligence arm to prevent me from working with Mr. Greene and from defending myself. Scientology employed a covert operative, Garry Scarff, whom it had infiltrated into Mr. Greene’s office, to develop a black PR ‘attack line’ that Mr. Greene and I were involved in a homosexual relationship. Scientology has subjected Mr. Greene to years of fair game, which included having Scarff steal his office records; concocting a plot with Scarff to have him killed; having Scarff execute false declarations about Mr. Greene. That Scientology will also subvert our courts’ power to prosecute ‘contempt’ is shown in its ‘application for order to show cause why Gerald Armstrong should not be held in contempt,’ Scientology filed another application for an OSC re contempt shortly after this one, charging that my providing a declaration to Lawrence Wollersheim was a violation of its ‘injunction.’ Scientology’s charges were either misrepresentations of my actions or completely manufactured. Ultimately Judge Diane Wayne discharged all of Scientology’s contempt charges in a ruling dated July 28, 1994. In my observation, Mr. Ward, Mr. Wollersheim, Mr. Henson, Mr. Erlich, Mr. Lerma and Mr. Penny (hereinafter, ‘WWHELP’) are in general agreement that Scientology is not a sincere, and hence real, religion but is a criminal cult engaged in harmful practices. In my opinion, if WWHELP are correct in their assessment, and if they did expose or publish Scientology’s secret documents, they were and are completely justified in having done so. Each of the WWHELP cases is being prosecuted by Scientology entity RTC, which claims to own the ‘religion’s’ marks, trade secrets and copyrighted materials. It is my understanding that David Miscavige notarized the signature of L. Ron Hubbard near the time of his alleged death in 1986 on a document which transferred Mr. Hubbard’s ownership of certain rights and/or marks from himself to RTC. While on board the ‘Apollo’ during 1972 through 1974 I was required on a number of occasions to have Mr. Hubbard’s signature notarized on various documents. There were a couple of notaries in Portugal I got to know who would verify the signature by comparison with a signature in their signature book. There were times when I took documents to these notaries which were not signed by Mr. Hubbard, but by Joyce Popham, who could sign his signature extremely well. Two of the documents signed by Ms. Popham were for the registration of the marks ‘Dianetics’ and ‘Scientology.’ Mr. Ward, and indeed all of WWHELP, should be able to freely obtain the testimony of anyone willing to testify on their behalf, or by subpoena anyone unwilling. They should be able to obtain the assistance of any expert witness they believe can help. If it is within this Court’s power, and I believe it is, I ask that it issue an order prohibiting Scientology from interfering with Mr. Ward’s, Mr. Henson’s and Mr. Erlich’s witnesses, including me, and an order to Scientology to release me from its ‘contract’ and the Thomas order so that I am free to assist these defendants in their cases.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Scientology/Dianetics was originally intended to END with going Clear. And then LRH realized the short con of that was going to run dry, so he came up with the LONG CON of the OT levels. It’s that simple.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal now fully briefed, waiting for 2nd Appellate District court to set a hearing date. Masterson has also submitted a habeas corpus petition.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Pleaded guilty on Nov 10 to a 17-year prison sentence (eligible for parole in two to three more years). Awaiting transfer to state prison.
— Aaron Matthes charged for SA of child under 12 years old: OT Scientologist facing multiple mandatory life sentences. Next pretrial court hearing set for Feb 2.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal. Leah’s respondent’s brief is due February 11.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ 15 days of arbitration completed, Val waiting for further word from the IJC.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal. Appeal fully briefed. Motion to replace Jane Does’ AI-tainted brief denied by court. Awaiting a court hearing date.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.

 
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Other links: The prosecution of Danny Masterson. Leah Remini’s Fair Game Podcast. Leah Remini’s A&E Series. Scientology’s Celebrities, from A to Z. Bryan Seymour’s suppressed series, Scientology Black Ops: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society. Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in a weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Joy Villa at the Grammys, Scientology at Saint Hill: Music as a racket
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: Emails show which local politician was trying to stop IAS protest for Scientology
[THREE years ago] VIDEO: Finally, mathematical proof that Scientology’s body thetans can’t exist!
[FOUR years ago] Scientology may be struggling, but the push for your cash is still on, thetans!
[FIVE years ago] Is ‘Balance of Nature’ actually Scientology? Well, they have a Hubbard College in their HQ.
[SIX years ago] Scientology builds tiny new drug rehab, marking Narconon’s dwindling US fortunes
[SEVEN years ago] Xenu’s ghost! This year’s Scientology Super Bowl ad looks a lot like the others
[EIGHT years ago] What L. Ron Hubbard said about religion — before Scientology became a ‘church’
[NINE years ago] Leah Remini books the Bill Maher show, gets swung at by Giovanni Ribisi
[TEN years ago] Ray Jeffrey fends off Scientology’s attempt to get him in hot water with the California Bar
[ELEVEN years ago] When Richard Nixon ordered the Secret Service to investigate Scientology
[TWELVE years ago] Monique Rathbun tries to slap down Scientology’s ‘anti-SLAPP’ motion in court today
[THIRTEEN years ago] Super Sunday Funnies: Live-Blogging Scientology’s Super Bowl Ad!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 3, 2026 at 07:00

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