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Sheriff criticized for seeking state Senate post following Narconon investigation

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Sheriff criticized for seeking state Senate post following handling of Narconon investigation.

Tulsa World: Sheriff criticized for seeking state Senate post following handling of Narconon investigation

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/cour...cle_29e644aa-3751-5ddc-91b8-53ee8c313172.html

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Two men connected to the embattled Narconon Arrowhead say they consider Pittsburg County Sheriff and state Senate candidate Joel Kerns unqualified, saying he didn't do enough to investigate the drug rehab center, where a string of deaths drew national attention.

When asked for comment, Kerns said he couldn't see the link between his role in the investigation at Narconon Arrowhead and their experiences with the facility, saying his department carried the investigation as far as they could before it was handed over to different agencies.

Robert Murphy, whose daughter was the third patient to die at Narconon Arrowhead between 2011 and 2012, and former patient at the center, Colin Henderson, held a news conference Tuesday in which they challenged Kern’s fitness for District 7’s state Senate seat.

Both said they were "appalled" that someone who failed to prevent the Narconon deaths was seeking government office.

Murphy's daughter, 20-year-old Stacy Dawn Murphy, died at the center in July 2012. Her death followed those of patients Gabriel Graves in 2011 and Hillary Holten in 2012.

Murphy and his wife sued the rehab facility in 2013 over his daughter's death. He said if Kerns' department had properly investigated the previous deaths or complaints, she might still be alive.

[SNIP]

"As far as I know, we did everything feasibly possible that we had our means to,” Kerns said about the investigation.

Murphy and Henderson's criticism hinged in part on newly discovered information revealed in a deposition with Kerns.

In the deposition, Kerns reportedly said he did not speak with anyone from Narconon Arrowhead during the investigation, did not review surveillance footage from the facility and never read the OSBI's final report into the deaths.

These statements coupled with a 2013 TV news interview Kerns gave, in which he says his department's investigation found nothing out of order at the facility, prove he's unqualified, Murphy and Henderson said.

The deposition will be made public when Murphy's case goes to trial, Henderson said.

When asked about the apparent contradiction between his on-air statements and the deposition, Kerns said he couldn't comment because of ongoing court proceedings.

"I really can't even comment on what I did say," Kerns said.

[SNIP]

Paighten Harkins

918-581-8455

[email protected]

Twitter: @PaightenHarkins


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dchoiceisalwaysrs

Gold Meritorious Patron
I like this for a number of reasons.
Perhaps primarily because it addresses the issue of transparency of those who strive for or hold positions of public trust and community responsibilities.
Second it shows the value of the internet in facilitating education and helps towards leveling the playing fields in many different aspects of life.
Plus, there might be a component of 'if the was trouble in which there was some involvement of Scientology then that trouble area needs to be carefully scrutinized because Scientology has now become well recognized in society as a very bad influence promoting and dealing in malfeasance and unethical activities.
They even point to such in their own charitable public relations advertising attacks of goodwill. Contradiction !? Hell no, it IS hubbardology metastasis.
Sheriff criticized for seeking state Senate post following handling of Narconon investigation.

Tulsa World: Sheriff criticized for seeking state Senate post following handling of Narconon investigation

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/cour...cle_29e644aa-3751-5ddc-91b8-53ee8c313172.html

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Two men connected to the embattled Narconon Arrowhead say they consider Pittsburg County Sheriff and state Senate candidate Joel Kerns unqualified, saying he didn't do enough to investigate the drug rehab center, where a string of deaths drew national attention.

When asked for comment, Kerns said he couldn't see the link between his role in the investigation at Narconon Arrowhead and their experiences with the facility, saying his department carried the investigation as far as they could before it was handed over to different agencies.

Robert Murphy, whose daughter was the third patient to die at Narconon Arrowhead between 2011 and 2012, and former patient at the center, Colin Henderson, held a news conference Tuesday in which they challenged Kern’s fitness for District 7’s state Senate seat.

Both said they were "appalled" that someone who failed to prevent the Narconon deaths was seeking government office.

Murphy's daughter, 20-year-old Stacy Dawn Murphy, died at the center in July 2012. Her death followed those of patients Gabriel Graves in 2011 and Hillary Holten in 2012.

Murphy and his wife sued the rehab facility in 2013 over his daughter's death. He said if Kerns' department had properly investigated the previous deaths or complaints, she might still be alive.

[SNIP]

"As far as I know, we did everything feasibly possible that we had our means to,” Kerns said about the investigation.

Murphy and Henderson's criticism hinged in part on newly discovered information revealed in a deposition with Kerns.

In the deposition, Kerns reportedly said he did not speak with anyone from Narconon Arrowhead during the investigation, did not review surveillance footage from the facility and never read the OSBI's final report into the deaths.

These statements coupled with a 2013 TV news interview Kerns gave, in which he says his department's investigation found nothing out of order at the facility, prove he's unqualified, Murphy and Henderson said.

The deposition will be made public when Murphy's case goes to trial, Henderson said.

When asked about the apparent contradiction between his on-air statements and the deposition, Kerns said he couldn't comment because of ongoing court proceedings.

"I really can't even comment on what I did say," Kerns said.

[SNIP]

Paighten Harkins

918-581-8455

[email protected]

Twitter: @PaightenHarkins


* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Tony Ortega now has the story:

On the ballot tomorrow: The former lawman who let Scientology’s drug horror clinic off the hook

http://tonyortega.org/2016/11/07/on...scientologys-drug-horror-clinic-off-the-hook/

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We are so glad this election season is finally almost over. But before you go to the polls tomorrow, we wanted to bring up one local race that has a connection to stories we’ve done in the past.

In 2013, we were paying a lot of attention to Scientology’s flagship drug rehab center in Oklahoma known as Narconon Arrowhead. Three patients died at the facility in a nine month period, including 20-year-old Stacy Dawn Murphy, who died of an overdose on July 19, 2012.

Those deaths sparked numerous investigations at the local and state level, and by 2013 we were getting pretty impatient for some results from those probes. On the state level, an investigation that resulted in recommendations that Narconon Arrowhead should be shut down instead turned into a major debacle as state officials allegedly admitted that they were too afraid to take on Scientology and fired the investigators who had recommended closing the center.

And criminal investigations of the deaths by the local sheriff, Joel Kerns, and local district attorney also seemed to go nowhere.

Three deaths in nine months at a quack anti-science clinic? What the heck were these local clowns doing?

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