Oct. 28, 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elli Perkins (CBS)
Quote
"I tried to slit my wrists...but I wouldn't die,
so I decided to do my mom instead."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
 |
Jeremy Perkins, speaking to police after he murdered his
mother.
(CBS) Why would a 28-year-old man, described as sweet,
kind and gentle, take a knife to his mother one morning
in 2003 and stab her over 70 times?
Jeremy Perkins, who had been diagnosed as a paranoid
schizophrenic, came to believe that his mother, Elli,
was evil and out to get him. Experts say the brutal
murder might never have occurred, had he received proper
treatment to control his psychotic delusions. But
Jeremy’s parents were devout Scientologists and their
religion strongly opposes psychiatric treatment.
Did Elli Perkins' faith contribute to her death? 48
Hours correspondent Peter Van Sant explores the issue.
"I tried to slit my wrists...but I wouldn't die, so I
decided to do my mom instead," Jeremy Perkins told
police after the murder.
Jeremy’s chilling words describe his actions on March
13, 2003, while he was in an active psychotic state.
The Perkins family cared deeply for their son and sought
treatment within the principles of their faith. A lawyer
for Jeremy's father told 48 Hours that Jeremy was seen
by both physicians and mental health practitioners,
including a psychiatrist. But court records unsealed by
48 Hours indicate that Jeremy’s treatment was limited to
mostly vitamins and other holistic healing methods. The
family filled prescriptions for an anti-anxiety drug and
a sleeping aid. Medical experts and a doctor who treated
Jeremy after the murder dismiss these methods as
ineffective for an individual with paranoid
schizophrenia.
Today the Church of Scientology claims more than
10 million members worldwide. Its religious
opposition to psychiatry is well-known. In June
of 2005, the issue was brought to national
attention when actor Tom Cruise took a very
public stance on NBC’s "Today" show. "I know
that psychiatry is a pseudo-science," he told
Matt Lauer. "You don’t know the history of
psychiatry. I do."
Van Sant examines the roots of Scientology’s
opposition to psychiatry and the tragic death of
a caring mother who desperately wanted to help
her beloved son. |
 |
|
