TheSneakster
More Skeptical Than You
My good friend, Ginger Sugerman asked me to post the following (which has been posted by her to Facebook and other venues) to ESMB because she has forgotten her ESMB login information and wishes to get this information out broadly.
It is difficult reading and some may likely be offended, I suppose. However, I believe this information is necessary for the historical record.
The prior thread announcing Arnie Lerma's passing has been locked by Emma or I would post this there. Emma: if posting this is against your wishes, I will remove it promptly.
Michael A. Hobson
Independent Scientologist
Ex-Sea Org Member and Declared SP
It is difficult reading and some may likely be offended, I suppose. However, I believe this information is necessary for the historical record.
The prior thread announcing Arnie Lerma's passing has been locked by Emma or I would post this there. Emma: if posting this is against your wishes, I will remove it promptly.
Michael A. Hobson
Independent Scientologist
Ex-Sea Org Member and Declared SP
Ginger Sugerman said:More about my husbands passing.
This is more information regarding Arnie Lerma, my husband’s death. There are some evil intended people that have conspired together to promote conspiracy theories, on how my husband died. That has caused me to write this letter.
My husband and I had four fights total in almost four years. All of them were over money. Otherwise our marriage was fine and we got along and loved each other plus we were friends..
Arnie and I both were battling constant pain. I have two metal rods and 6 metal screws in my spine. And some other issues I won’t go into here. It’s not important.
I also want it known that mainly I financially supported my husband. He paid one bill for 48.00 and kept the rest of his funds. His Social Security was 564.00 a month. He did whatever he wanted to with the rest of it. Our finances were separate not a joint account. We agreed that each would tell the other we needed something so no trust was broken between us. Arnie took money on four occasions without telling me and each time he promised not to do it again. Even the night the police were at our home the first time. He did it again the very next day again.
I told him he needed to have a plan written in 72 hours how he was going to pay back the last amount he took. His reply was “ take me to court”. I went to the Courthouse and got the paperwork. I showed him I obtained it and emailed him if we had to face off in Court we are being enemies at that point and I want a divorce. He never responded.
My husband battled with Paranoia from the day I met him. I blame OSA ( Scientology ) for that part which lead to his demise and death. After he was put on Oxycodone for his back pain it began to get worse and worse. He wanted it increased but his physician said no. He was Suicidal at times over dealing with the pain day in and day out.
Arnie was addicted. I was in the Hospital in January and he took all of my medicine. I’m on pain medication too. At one point he called Marissa Sigmond and was asking her to buy Fentanyl off the street ( a major pain reliever) and she declined him because a friend of hers had an accidental overdose on it. He was saying he was going to save 500 dollars and buy some heroin off the street. Meanwhile he would crush his Oxycodone and snort it so it would go straight to his brain.
One of the side effects of Oxy are paranoia. This drug I blame for increasing his paranoia. To the point where he thought I was an OSA Spy from Scientology. He always thought I was talking about him when I was on the phone so I had to put it on speaker so he could hear the conversation and be soothed. Also had to show him my texts.
My poor husband had foil on his office and bedroom walls. He said the Government was putting rays out and it would hurt his brain. I tried to get him to seek help he refused and no one can make Arnie do anything he doesn’t want to do.
His son Joe Lerma noticed a change in his dad and sent him a Facebook message about taking too much pain medication then blocked Arnie on Facebook. It stayed like that more than 3 years. Arnie showed me the Private Message. Arnie would send Joseph letters in the mail and drive by his house. I held Arnie when he would cry about the loss of Joe. To no avail his son didn’t respond to his father. Two other long time very good friends of Arnies saw the change as well over a year ago seeing his posts on Facebook.
Back to the night before he passed. We agreed to stay away from each other. On March 16th I sent a couple more emails to him but no response. We did our upsets in writing notes to each other when it got heated up. I was still very angry as he had called me a Cunt and threw a glass breaking it on the ground. He had NEVER called me a name in our entire marriage or showed any hostility towards me at all. Arnie was into Peace and being mellow. Unless you argued with him on a subject he knew more than you did and you were wrong he would take you to the mat on it or say fuck you and unfriend etc. LOL
March 15th. He requested to talk to the Pastor of the Church I attend. Arnie said I need to talk to a man and see if my head is thinking right ? I called the Pastor and he made an appointment for 4 P.M. the following day for March 16th . He was lucid and aware enough or I would have called 911 and done a well check. He seemed concerned but not in trouble. He gave no real outward signs that day he was going to do what he did.
March 16th During that day he walked by me and said “ I love you “ four times. Three days prior he asked me to make sure his son got something if anything happened to him I agreed to do that. He also said take care of yourself too. At one point I hugged him explained I was too mad to say I love you back to him right now but that I did. I also informed him I was going to be speaking to his doctor about him being addicted and snorting his medicine. He said “ fuck you “ walked up the stairs to the bedroom saying “ I hope the Church paid you enough”. Meaning Scientology paid me to harm him in some way.
I was watching television on the couch. He came into the living room and pulled out the gun and didn’t say a word to me just began to fire. Two bullets hit the wall. I tripped and fell onto my back in the kitchen and was crossing my arms over my brain area had my knees to my chest. I said three times “ I’m sorry so sorry for whatever I did to you. He responded “ no your not “ pulled the trigger again and it hit me in the face that time. I got up and ran to a nearby house for help.
I stayed in the Hospital for a day and returned home. I called the Police fist before I would go near my home thinking Arnie might be there ? Or around there ? This is when I found out I lost my husband forever. My neighbor said it was 10 minutes after she heard his last shot at me she heard the final one when Arnie took his life. And she heard his body hit the wall.
I immediately went to Joe Lerma’s home and let him know what happened. When I said the fight was over money Joe said “ Arnie sent me some encrypted letter that made no sense and had his passwords in it “ and “ Arnie used to walk around here and take 20’s that didn’t belong to him”.
I invited him into my home to gather things of his father’s belongings. They had three trucks filled to the brim. I finally had to say no more when they began carrying furniture out of the house. I regret doing that now. I found his mother in our bedroom on the bed flipping through Arnie’s books looking for something inside of them. I then asked them to leave. They took every vitamin bottle, piece of paper, Arnie’s wedding ring was taken from his drawer where I put it that day. The mother actually went and had me give her something out of the trashcan she wanted. It didn’t work.
The following morning I got a call from Evelyn Hubbard an attorney saying she had a paper for me to sign. I went down and it was a paper signing over all my rights to anything making Joseph in charge of anything having to do with Arnie’s money and personal property. I refused. Then obtained and attorney of my own. This shocked me and I needed to protect myself with an attorney.
Since Arnie’s death there was also speculation I went out a window after shooting him in the bathroom. There is no window and no exit or entry except the hallway. Also that I poisoned him, Toxicology report will show no poison in his system. Hopefully by the Autopsy and Toxicology Report it puts to bed these [speculations ?].
In Georgia there is a law called “Years Support”. Basically I would have ended up with everything Arnie left behind. Joseph sent an offer over to my attorney asking for every single thing. I declined it. He had no intention of thinking of me at all. Or the situations I have clean up like debts Arnie owes, my face and teeth, hip and the bathroom repairs which total over a thousand dollars. It was difficult for me to decide what to give and what not to give. I did the best I could and feel I took care of both of us fairly. When, I could have taken it all and left him nothing. We have come to an agreement now.
My conclusion on why my husband did what he did:
1. He had horrible PTSD and paranoia from the things Scientology did to him over the years. We-or he would leave the house each time and put a hair in the door to know if someone came in.
2. Drugs he was abusing increased his paranoia as they are some of the side effects of Oxycodone.
3. He had a Psychotic break on March 16th and believed I was an OSA spy planted to get him. This may or may not have been fueled by others he was talking too ? I can’t prove that but I believe it happened and others are to blame for contributing to his paranoia.
I miss him terribly and cry a lot over that with certain people I can feel comfortable enough to cry with. Thank God for Tory Christman and Nancy Many who have been there for me. Also Reggie Spires and his wife Cheryl along with their daughter too.
I love my husband and never would harm him as some have suggested.
Note : The Autopsy and Toxicology report will be back in 2 ½ months. When I have them I will post them as well as the bathroom photo’s. I feel hurt that bringing me to justice has been commented on as if I murdered my husband or poisoned him etc. Just like many of you I can’t believe he did it or ever would do such a thing.