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The lead story on the 6:00 broadcast of Channel 28 news 14 October, 1997 focused on a new issue in the Lisa McPherson case. The transcript is below.

Channel 28 News has a website at www.wfts.com , and it includes a form to submit tips to the newsroom.

[BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:

Ch. 28 News, Tampa, Tuesday, October 14, 1997, 6:00 pm]

[pics of Lisa, Lisa w/her family, autopsy photos]

ANCHOR:

But first, we have more on the probe into a Scientologist's mysterious death. This is information you'll see only on 28 Tampa Bay News.

Dozens of questions still surround Lisa McPherson's death in Clearwater.

She's the Scientologist who died in 1995 while in the care of other "church" members. Tonight, 28 Investigates reporter Dawn Witt has gotten a hold of the taped deposition of McPherson's roomate at the time of her death.

Dawn is here to tell us exactly what's on that tape. Dawn...

WITT:

Brendan, the deposition of Lisa McPherson's roomate lasted nearly an hour, but it was not so much what she said as what she refused to say that raises some questions.

[Footage of the deposition - "Gloria Cruz, Lisa McPherson's roomate".

Cruz is on camera, and someone off-camera is asking her questions.]

VOICE:

Why did you move out?

CRUZ:

Well, first of all, the apartment wasn't mine, it was under Lisa's name.

Um, her, it was her lease, she was dead, and I didn't, y'know, I wasn't going to stay there by myself... [fade out]

[Pics of Lisa, & the Ft. Harrison Hotel]

WITT:

Gloria Cruz lived with Lisa McPherson for three months. McPherson is the Scientologist who died in the care of other Scientologists while staying in the Ft. Harrison Hotel. And now the McPherson family is suing the "church" in a wrongful death lawsuit. In her deposition, Gloria Cruz says she and McPherson were not close friends. And she refused to answer five questions concerning McPherson's checking account.

[back to the deposition]

VOICE (sounds like Ken Dandar):

Did you ever write any checks out of Lisa McPherson's checking account?

CRUZ:

On the advice of counsel, and relying on my fifth amendment privelege against self-incrimination, I respectfully decline to answer.

[Dandar on camera, in an office]

DANDAR:

There are checks written to Gloria Cruz, while Lisa McPherson is in isolation near death. And there are checks written to Lisa McPherson and SIGNED by Lisa McPherson after she's dead.

[shots of the Ft. Harrison, and copies of checks, brief cut to the deposition, more check copies, and a pic or two of Lisa]

WITT:

28 Investigates has learned, that on the day before Lisa died, while she was in the Ft. Harrison Hotel, somehow, a deposit of $1600 was made into Lisa's account with Lisa's signature. Lisa died December 5. But on the day after she died, Lisa's boyfriend, Kurt Paine, wrote a check on Lisa's account to Gloria Cruz for $2500.

After Lisa had been dead 8 days, another deposit was made to her account, again bearing her name. That same day, Gloria Cruz wrote a check to Lisa for $2500, but again, Lisa had been dead for 8 days, and Gloria knew it.

Then, 10 days after Lisa's death, Kurt Paine signed another check to another Scientologist, for more than $2000.

[back to the deposition]

VOICE:

Do know if Kurt Paine ever wrote any checks out of Lisa McPherson's checking account?

CRUZ:

On the advice of counsel, and relying on my fifth amendment privelege against self-incrimination, I respectfully decline to answer.

WITT:

The finances are significant in this case because Lisa was making well over $100,000 a year, working for a Scientology-owned company. And when her family took over her account, there was only a couple hundred dollars left in that account. Cruz is a Scientologist, and also testified that Kurt Paine is a member of the "Church" of Scientology as well.

ANCHOR:

Well Dawn, what does Gloria Cruz' attorney have to say about why Gloria had this kind of access to Lisa's account?

WITT:

Actually, Brendan, he would not answer any questions. He says he does not try his cases in the media, and therefore he has no comment.

ANCHOR:

Well, an attorney for the "Church" of Scientology said this afternoon this is not a "church" matter, but rather a personal matter between Lisa McPherson and her roomate Gloria Cruz.

[END TRANSCRIPT]

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