Scientology Critic Calls Out LAPD For Shelly Miscavige Missing Persons Case
Nov. 13 2022, Published 6:19 p.m. ET
Last week, Leah Remini called for the LAPD to investigate the detective who took the missing person's report she filed in 2013 after the leader of the Church of Scientology David Miscavige's wife vanished.
The LAPD later responded to the allegations, insisting neither the department nor the employee involved handled the situation inappropriately. Now, blogger and Scientology critic Tony Ortega is accusing the Los Angeles authorities of not handling the investigation properly.
The critic claimed that a month after the King of Queens actress defected from the controversial religious group, she filed the missing-person reported on Monday, August 5. A few days later, Tony's blog, The Underground Bunker, was able to get a copy and break the news.
As the story ran rampant through the media, the police later told outlets that the missing-person report was "unfounded," and gave no other information at the time about the department allegedly contacting Shelly and her legal team — as they later stated in this weekend's press release.
Tony noted that he asked to be connected with the officer in charge of the case and spoke with Lieutenant Andre Dawson, who informed him that two detectives had gone to "Shelly [Miscavige]'s location" and that she had refused to make a public comment on the situation.
However, when asked if other Scientology leaders had been present when the woman was allegedly questioned by police, Dawson said that information was "classified."
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Despite informing the outlet that the Scientologist leader's wife had allegedly been found alive and well, the detectives never responded to Leah herself to follow up on her missing-person report.
The actress filed a legal request for information on the investigation in 2016, but the LAPD insisted they had no other information to share.
As for where Shelly could have been at the time, Tony added that it's possible the detectives potentially met with her outside of their jurisdiction somewhere in the San Bernardino Mountains, stating sources have told them she had "been kept since late August or early September 2005."
The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department has since also reportedly failed to do welfare checks when requested, according to Ortega.
"Concerning the welfare of someone within the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s department, any call for service we receive will be appropriately addressed and handled accordingly," Deputy Sheriff Adam Cervantes wrote in response to Tony's request. "We encourage anyone with information regarding a crime, or potential crime, to contact Sheriff’s Dispatch or their local Sheriffs station to report it so the matter can be investigated and resolved."
Shelly has not been seen publicly since 2007 at her father's funeral.