Death of Elli Perkins

Who is Death of Elli Perkins?

Elli Perkins née Present was a mother of two, a professional glass artist, and a Scientologist who lived in Western New York. She was a senior auditor at the Church of Scientology in Buffalo, New York.

When her son, Jeremy, began to show strange and disturbing behavior, she did not seek out psychiatric care for him. She instead tried to correct this with treatment in accordance with Scientology. Jeremy's schizophrenia progressed to the point where he felt Elli was poisoning him. After a failed suicide attempt, Jeremy murdered his mother.

The crime received substantial news coverage including The Amherst Bee, The Buffalo News, the New York Post, and an installment of the investigative news program 48 Hours. Issues included an implication that her refusal to allow Jeremy to be treated by a psychiatrist caused his eventual outburst, and her death.