Heber Jentzsch

Last updated

Heber Carl Jentzsch
Born (1935-11-30) November 30, 1935 (age 87)
Occupation(s)President, Church of Scientology International
Spouse(s)Yvonne Gillham
Karen de la Carriere
Website Scientology Bio at the Wayback Machine (archive index)

Heber Carl Jentzsch (born November 30, 1935) [1] is an American Scientologist who served as the president of the Church of Scientology International from 1982 to around 2010. Jentzsch is listed as missing, and the Church of Scientology International will not disclose any other information regarding him.

Contents

Early life

Heber Jentzsch was born in 1935 in Salt Lake City [1] [2] and grew up in a Mormon family and named after Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball. [3] Though he was never baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he identified himself as a "believing Mormon". [4]

He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch and Pauline, Carl's third of eight wives; Heber has 42 siblings. [5] In 1955, Carl was arrested, and excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [3]

Heber Jentzsch was educated at Weber College in Ogden, Utah, and the University of Utah, where he graduated in 1959 with a degree in communications. [3] [6] He also studied Eastern religions. [7]

Before 1967, Jentzsch worked as a journalist for the Los Angeles Free Press [8] and as an actor, having a bit part in the film Paint Your Wagon . [9] [10] He played a small part in an episode of the 1960s television series Combat! and an uncredited role in the film 1776 . [11]

Scientology

Jentzsch joined the Church of Scientology in 1967 after allegedly being cured by the Scientology Purification Rundown of radiation burns he had suffered since he was 15. [3]

During the 1970s, Jentzsch became the public relations director of the later-notorious Guardian's Office, serving as the Church of Scientology's chief press spokesman. [12] He continued in this role after his promotion to the post of President of the Church of Scientology International in 1982. In January 1986, Jentzsch faced the press on behalf of the Church to announce the death of L. Ron Hubbard. [13] He has often appeared in newspaper interviews, aggressively defending the church on several occasions. [14] Despite his media prominence, Jentzsch has been called a titular president. [15] He is sometimes described as "the leading spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International" in church publications. [16]

Arrest and trial in Spain

In 1988, Heber Jentzsch was arrested in Spain along with 69 other members of Scientology. [17] [18] Jentzsch was incarcerated in a Spanish jail for about three weeks. [19] He was released and fled to the United States after Scientology paid a bail bond of approximately $1 million. Sixteen people, including Jentzsch, were charged with "illegal association" and various other crimes including tax fraud and endangering public health. The trial of the indictees began in February 2001, but Jentzsch himself did not appear; the prosecution called for him to be given a 56-year prison sentence. [20] However, the Madrid Provincial Court dismissed all but the conspiracy charge and eventually ruled (in absentia) that the prosecution had presented insufficient evidence to prove this charge as well, [21] and in April 2002, the last charge was formally dropped. [22]

Marriage and children

Heber Jentzsch was married to Australian Scientologist Yvonne Gillham (née Harding-Wilson) from 1972 until her death from cancer in 1978. [23] From 1978 to 1988, he was married to then-Scientologist Karen de la Carriere (b. 1944); according to her, Jentzsch was pressured by David Miscavige to divorce her. [24] In September 2010, de la Carriere left the church and became an anti-Scientology activist. A son, Alexander Jentzsch, from his marriage to de la Carriere, passed away from untreated pneumonia in July 2012 at age 27 while staying with in-laws. [25]

Disappearance

After serving as a main spokesperson for Scientology throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Heber Jentzsch stopped making public appearances in the early 2000s. According to multiple sources, he was taken to The Hole at Gold Base around that time as part of a purge of senior executives within Scientology ordered by Miscavige. There, he and other inmates had to live in cramped conditions in a small office bungalow without beds or proper sanitary facilities. [26]

According to Karen de la Carriere, Jentzsch was able to visit their son Alexander for one day in 2010 and gave him a cellphone number to keep contact. Later that year Alexander found the cellphone number disconnected. This was supposedly the last time Alexander and Heber saw each other before Alexander's death in 2012. [27]

Over the years, there have been several instances of relatives trying to reach Heber Jentzsch and to verify his wellbeing. His brother, David Jentzsch, recalled speaking to Heber around 2002 and again in 2005 or 2006 where he revealed that he had been threatened with his life by Scientology and that he wouldn't be allowed to leave. By 2012, he hadn't been able to contact Heber for a while. However, he had learned that his brother attended a memorial service for Alexander that year. [28] In 2018, Heber's niece Tammy Clark received a letter in response to a birthday card supposedly written by him personally. Clark however questioned its authenticity. [29] She then requested support by the local police at Gold Base to be able to verify her uncle's wellbeing. According to her account, the police first agreed but then went into Gold Base without her being present. A police report subsequently confirmed Heber Jentzsch to be present at Gold Base, seemingly being well but being supervised by a "full-time nurse" throughout the meeting. [30]

Scientology removed Jentzsch's biography from its website between 2009 and 2010 and now doesn't mention his name on any of their websites. [31]

Articles

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disconnection (Scientology)</span> Severance of all ties from someone deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology

Disconnection is the severance of all ties between a Scientologist and a friend, colleague, or family member deemed to be antagonistic towards Scientology. The practice of disconnection is a form of shunning. Among Scientologists, disconnection is viewed as an important method of removing obstacles to one's spiritual growth. In some circumstances, disconnection has ended marriages and separated children from their parents. The Church of Scientology has repeatedly denied that such a policy exists, though as of February 2012 its website acknowledged the practice and described it as a human right. In the United States, the Church has tried to argue in court that disconnection is a constitutionally protected religious practice. However, this argument was rejected because the pressure put on individual Scientologists to disconnect means it is not voluntary.

The Fishman Affidavit is a set of court documents submitted by self-professed ex-Scientologist Steven Fishman in 1993 in the federal case, Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz (Case No. CV 91-6426.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miscavige</span> Leader of the Church of Scientology (born 1960)

David Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology. He is also referred to within the Scientology organization as "Captain of the Sea Org".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fair game (Scientology)</span> Actions of the Church of Scientology towards perceived enemies

The term fair game is used to describe policies and practices carried out by the Church of Scientology towards people and groups it perceives as its enemies. Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, established the policy in the 1950s, in response to criticism both from within and outside his organization. Individuals or groups who are "fair game" are judged to be a threat to the Church and, according to the policy, can be punished and harassed using any and all means possible. In 1968, Hubbard officially canceled use of the term "fair game" because of negative public relations it caused, although the Church's aggressive response to criticism continued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power</span> 1991 newsmagazine article on Scientology

"The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" is an article, written in 1991 by U.S. investigative journalist Richard Behar, which is highly critical of Scientology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Rathbun</span> American whistleblower

Mark C. "Marty" Rathbun is a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology who last held the post of Inspector General of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), the organization that is responsible for the protection and enforcement of all Dianetics and Scientology copyrights and trademarks.

The Commodore's Messenger Organization (CMO) is an elite organization within the Sea Org, an unincorporated paramilitary wing of the Church of Scientology, described by the Church as a "fraternal religious order" comprising the most dedicated Scientologists. Its members communicate and enforce policies of the Religious Technology Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebrity Centre</span> Scientology church branch for celebrities, politicians, artists & leaders

Church of Scientology Celebrity Centres are Churches of Scientology that are open to the general public but are intended for "artists, politicians, leaders of industry, and sports figures".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Rinder</span> Australian-American former Scientologist

Michael John Rinder is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of directors of CSI and also held the post of executive director of its Office of Special Affairs, overseeing the corporate, legal and public relations matters of Scientology at the international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Scientology</span>

This is a Timeline of Scientology, particularly its foundation and development by author L. Ron Hubbard as well as general publications, articles, books and other milestones.

OT VIII or OT 8 is the highest current auditing level in Scientology. OT VIII is known as "The Truth Revealed" and was first released to select high-ranking public Scientologists in 1988, two years after the death of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. OT VIII is only delivered to members of the Church of Scientology in one place—aboard the organization's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, and is additionally available from independent Scientology groups. There are a few advanced auditors that are able to deliver the level to those who meet the prerequisites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Davis (Scientology)</span> American financial executive

Thomas William Davis is an American financial executive. From 2005 to 2011, Davis was head of external affairs and the chief spokesperson of the Church of Scientology International and Senior Vice President at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International from the early 1990s. Between 2011 and 2013, Davis did not make any public appearances in the media. In June 2013, it was revealed that Davis and his wife had relocated from Gold Base in Riverside County, California, to Austin, Texas. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Jenna Miscavige Hill is an American former Scientologist. After leaving the Church of Scientology in 2005, she has become an outspoken critic of the organization. She had been a third-generation Scientologist, the granddaughter of Ron Miscavige Sr., the daughter of Elizabeth and Ron Miscavige Jr. and the niece of current Scientology leader David Miscavige. Her book Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape, recounting her experience growing up and living within the Scientology movement, was published by HarperCollins in 2013. She now runs a website which she co-founded with other ex-Scientologists which provides support and discussion for people either in the church or who have left.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karin Pouw</span> Scientology official

Karin Pouw is a French-born American official of the Church of Scientology International. Since 1993, she has been the director of public affairs, representing the Church as its international spokesperson. In 2000 the Los Angeles Times reported that she was a member of the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs (OSA).

Kurt Weiland is a native of Austria and an executive in the Church of Scientology International. He is director of external affairs for the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, and Scientology's vice president of communications. He is a member of the organization's board of directors, and handles government, legal and public affairs for Scientology. He has often represented Scientology to the press as a media spokesman. Weiland works out of the Church of Scientology's offices in Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hole (Scientology)</span> Scientology prison

"The Hole" is the unofficial nickname of a facility—also known as the SP Hole, the A to E Room, or the CMO Int trailers—operated by the Church of Scientology on Gold Base, its compound near the town of Hemet in Riverside County, California, United States. Dozens of its senior executives have been confined within the building for months or years. It consists of a set of double-wide trailers within a Scientology compound, joined together to form a suite of offices which were formerly used by the Church's international management team. According to former members of Scientology and media reports, from 2004, the Church's leader David Miscavige sent dozens of senior Scientology executives to the Hole. The Tampa Bay Times described it in a January 2013 article as:

a place of confinement and humiliation where Scientology's management culture—always demanding—grew extreme. Inside, a who's who of Scientology leadership went at each other with brutal tongue lashings, and even hands and fists. They intimidated each other into crawling on their knees and standing in trash cans and confessing to things they hadn't done. They lived in degrading conditions, eating and sleeping in cramped spaces designed for office use.

Michele "Shelly" Diane Miscavige is a member of the Church of Scientology's Sea Org who married Scientology leader David Miscavige, and a notable missing person; she was last seen in public in August 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Ortega</span> American author and journalist monitoring Scientology

Anthony "Tony" Ortega is an American journalist and editor who is best known for his coverage of the Church of Scientology and his blog The Underground Bunker. He was executive editor of Raw Story from 2013 until 2015. Previously, he had been a journalist at the New Times LA, the editor-in-chief of the Broward-Palm Beach New Times from 2005 to 2007, and the editor-in-chief of The Village Voice from 2007 to 2012. In 2015, he was executive editor of the YouTube channel TheLipTV. He is author of the non-fiction book The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, about journalist Paulette Cooper and the Church of Scientology's attempts to silence her after her own book was published.

We Stand Tall is a 1990 music video produced by the Church of Scientology. It features many individuals, including current Scientology leader, David Miscavige. Many of the participants have either come to publicly criticize the practices of the Church or have disappeared.

References

  1. 1 2 Ortega, Tony (July 9, 2012). "10,000 Scientologists Got This E-Mail Today About "Disconnection," their Church President, and a Mysterious Death". Village Voice. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  2. Armstrong, Alice Catt; Vitale, Sarah Alice (1988). Who's who in California. Who's Who Historical Society. ISBN   9780960316663 via Google Books.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Utah-Born Scientology President Says the Religion Saved His Life", The Salt Lake Tribune, December 9, 1992
  4. "Inside the Church of Scientology". Larry King Live. December 20, 1993.
  5. "Scientologists march on courthouse", UPI May 20, 1985
  6. "University of Utah Alumni Association e-newsletter, U-News & Views, April 2004". alumni.utah.edu.
  7. Jentzsch biography in John Naisbitt, High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Accelerated Search for Meaning, p. 253. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2004.
  8. "ABOUT". Los Angeles Free Press. January 28, 2016.
  9. Curran, Ron (April 4, 1986). "Scientology: The other side of the looking glass". LA Weekly. 9 (19).
  10. "Scientology - The Road to Total Freedom?". Panorama. April 27, 1987. BBC. BBC1.
  11. Heber Jentzsch at IMDb
  12. Omar V. Garrison, Playing Dirty, p. 142. Ralston-Pilot, 1980. ISBN   0-931116-04-X
  13. Jon Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky, p. 354. Lyle Stuart, 1990. ISBN   0-8184-0499-X
  14. "Jentzsch appears on talk show Geraldo in 1991". Archived from the original on December 28, 2009. (available at as of February 8, 2016)
  15. Mystery of the Vanished Ruler, TIME, January 31, 1983
  16. "Heber C. Jentzsch, official biography". Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2006.
  17. UPI (November 22, 1988). "51 Scientology leaders charged". The Ottawa Citizen. pp. A13.
  18. Koff, Stephen (November 24, 1988). "Judge orders Scientology leader jailed". St. Petersburg Times . Retrieved December 24, 2007.
  19. FOLLOW-UPS: SHAMED IN SPAIN, Fortune, January 16, 1989
  20. Agence France-Presse (February 8, 2001). "15 Scientologists on Trial". The New York Times . p. 13.
  21. "Spanish Court Acquits Scientologists", Associated Press, December 3, 2001
  22. "Spanish court drops charges against Scientology chief after 14 years", Agence France Presse, April 11, 2002
  23. "Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch". scientolipedia.org. May 2021.
  24. Jim Edwards (July 10, 2012). This Email From An Ex-Scientologist On The Death Of Her Son Describes Miserable Life Inside The Church. Business Insider. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  25. "DOX: Autopsy Report of Scientology President's Son, Alexander Jentzsch". tonyortega.org.
  26. Jefferson Hawkins (June 14, 2010). Heber Jentzsch. Leaving Scientology. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  27. Mike Rinder (June 30, 2010). LRH-trained Class XII C/S Karen De La Carriere/Jentzsch. Mark Rathbun's Place. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  28. Tony Ortega (July 20, 2012). Scientology President Heber Jentzsch Told His Brother: “I’ll Never Get Out of Here Alive” ALSO: Alex Jentzsch’s Last Phone Call? Village Voice. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  29. Tony Ortega (May 14, 2018). Scientology’s reclusive ‘president,’ 82-year-old Heber Jentzsch, tells a niece he’s doing fine. tonyortega.org. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  30. Mike Rinder (August 3, 2020). Heber Jentzsch’s Niece Welfare Check on Her Uncle, Mike Rinder's Blog. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  31. www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm. Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 22, 2022.