Scientology critic Shawn Lonsdale dies
His protests against Scientology had declined last year, when he didn't renew the domain registration for his critical website and stopped posting much on his blog. His conflict with Scientology began and peaked in 2006, when Scientology-hired PI's dug up and publicized his two misdemeanor convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct, and subpoenaed him for a deposition regarding their claim that he was an agent of a group prohibited from protesting in downtown Clearwater. I would guess that the group in question was the Lisa McPherson Trust, and that the prohibition was the result of a legal settlement.
Lonsdale appeared in the BBC Panorama episode on Scientology, which can be found on YouTube in its entirety.
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WOW! Call me a conspiracy theorist but I doubt it was suicide! Why is it that all the deaths surrounding Scientology are so dramatic and 'stagey'.... Like their own video productions! Hmmm.. Just sayin'!
I'm inclined to believe this is a suicide unless some contrary evidence appears. There's a suicide note, he'd already withdrawn from his anti-Scientology activities, and he clearly had problems in his life.
I also think suicide is the best explanation for the deaths of Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake, who claimed to be harrassed by Scientology--their story is told in the January 2008 issue of Vanity Fair. They also clearly had some problems with paranoia and alcohol and/or drug abuse.
BTW, New York magazine casts some doubt on Beck's claim to have never met Theresa Duncan to discuss being in her movie.
More on Shawn Lonsdale at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawn_lonsdale and http://www.xenu-directory.net/critics/lonsdale1.html
Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake's story got the "Law & Order" treatment (in which the cult was called "Systemotics") in episode 15 of season 18, which aired on April 30, 2008.
There's a YouTube clip here.
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