Examine individual changes

'{{Infobox person | name = Heber Carl Jentzsch | image = | imagesize = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1935|11|30}} | birth_place = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]] | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = President, [[Church of Scientology International]] | networth = [[USD|US$]]Unknown | spouse = Yvonne Gillham<br/>Karen de la Carriere | website = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |date=* |title=Scientology Bio }} }} '''Heber Carl Jentzsch''' (born November 30, 1935)<ref name="villagevoice">{{Cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/10-000-scientologists-got-this-e-mail-today-about-disconnection-their-church-president-and-a-mysterious-death-6723502|title=10,000 Scientologists Got This E-Mail Today About "Disconnection," their Church President, and a Mysterious Death|last=Ortega|first=Tony|date=2012-07-09|website=Village Voice|access-date=2016-05-15}}</ref> has served as president of the [[Church of Scientology International]] since 1982. ==Early life== Heber Jentzsch was born in 1935 in Salt Lake City<ref name="villagevoice"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybE9AQAAIAAJ&q=Heber+Jentzsch+1935|title=Who's who in California|first1=Alice Catt|last1=Armstrong|first2=Sarah Alice|last2=Vitale|publisher=Who's Who Historical Society|via=Google Books}}</ref> and grew up in a [[Mormon]] family and named after Latter-day Saint apostle [[Heber C. Kimball]].<ref name="slctrib921209"/> Though he was never baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he identified himself as a "believing Mormon".<ref>{{cite episode | title = Inside the Church of Scientology | series = Larry King Live | series-link = Larry King Live | airdate = 1993-12-20}}</ref> He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch and Carl's third wife Pauline; Heber has 42 siblings.<ref>"Scientologists march on courthouse", UPI 20.5.1985</ref> In 1955 Carl was arrested, and excommunicated from [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].<ref name="slctrib921209"/> Heber Jentzsch was educated at [[Weber College]] in [[Ogden, Utah|Ogden]], [[Utah]] and the [[University of Utah]], where he graduated in 1959 with a degree in communications.<ref name="slctrib921209">"Utah-Born Scientology President Says the Religion Saved His Life", ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', 9.12.1992</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://alumni.utah.edu/u-news/april04/postit.htm|title=University of Utah Alumni Association e-newsletter, U-News & Views, April 2004|website=alumni.utah.edu}}</ref> He also studied Eastern religions.<ref name="naisbitt">Jentzsch biography in John Naisbitt, ''High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Accelerated Search for Meaning'', p. 253. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2004.</ref> Before 1967, Jentzsch worked as a journalist for the ''[[Los Angeles Free Press]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://losangelesfreepress.com/about-2/|title=ABOUT|date=January 28, 2016|website=Los Angeles Free Press}}</ref>'' and an actor, having a bit part in the film ''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | journal=LA Weekly| first=Ron|last=Curran|date=April 4, 1986 |volume=9 |issue=19|title=Scientology: The other side of the looking glass}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Scientology - The Road to Total Freedom? |series=Panorama |series-link=Panorama_(TV_series) |network=[[BBC]] |station=BBC1 |airdate=27 April 1987 }}</ref> He played a small part in an episode of the 1960s television series ''[[Combat!]]'', and an uncredited role in the film ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]''.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0421803|name=Heber Jentzsch}}</ref> ==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.<ref name="slctrib921209"/> 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.<ref>Omar V. Garrison, ''Playing Dirty'', p. 142. Ralston-Pilot, 1980. {{ISBN|0-931116-04-X}}</ref> He has continued in this role since 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]].<ref>Jon Atack, ''A Piece of Blue Sky'', p. 354. Lyle Stuart, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8184-0499-X}}</ref> He has often appeared in newspaper interviews, aggressively defending the church on several occasions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xenutv.com/us/geraldo-heber.htm |title=Jentzsch appears on talk show Geraldo in 1991 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228092004/http://www.xenutv.com/us/geraldo-heber.htm |archive-date=2009-12-28 }} (available at as of 8 Feb 2016)</ref> Despite his media prominence, Jentzsch has been called a [[titular head|titular]] president.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951938-6,00.html Mystery of the Vanished Ruler], TIME, January 31, 1983</ref> He is sometimes described as "the leading spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International" in church publications.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |title=Heber C. Jentzsch, official biography |access-date=2006-10-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090113165445/http://www.scientology.org/scnnews/jentzsch.htm |archive-date=January 13, 2009 }}</ref> ==Arrest and trial in Spain== In 1988 Heber Jentzsch was arrested in [[Spain]] along with 69 other members of Scientology.<ref>{{Cite news | last = UPI | title = 51 Scientology leaders charged | newspaper = The Ottawa Citizen | pages = A13 | date = 1988-11-22 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | first = Stephen | last = Koff | title = Judge orders Scientology leader jailed | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/51428680.html?FMT=FT&dids=51428680:51428680&FMTS=ABS:FT | publisher = [[St. Petersburg Times]] | date = 1988-11-24 | access-date = 2007-12-24 }}</ref> Jentzsch was incarcerated in a Spanish jail for about three weeks.<ref>[https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1989/01/16/71535/index.htm FOLLOW-UPS: SHAMED IN SPAIN], Fortune, January 16, 1989</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=15 Scientologists on Trial|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 8, 2001|author=Agence France-Presse|author-link=Agence France-Presse|page=13}}</ref> However, the Madrid Provincial Court dismissed all but the conspiracy charge and eventually ruled ([[Trial in absentia|in absentia]]) that the prosecution had presented insufficient evidence to prove this charge as well,<ref>"Spanish Court Acquits Scientologists", Associated Press, December 3, 2001</ref> and in April 2002, the last charge was formally dropped. The court ordered the bail bond be returned to Scientology with interest, nearly doubling the original 1988 bond amount.<ref>"Spanish court drops charges against Scientology chief after 14 years", Agence France Presse, April 11, 2002</ref> ==Marriage and children== Heber Jentzsch was married to Australian Scientologist Yvonne Gillham (née Harding-Wilson) from 1972 until her death in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://scientolipedia.org/info/Yvonne_Gillham_Jentzsch|title=Yvonne Gillham Jentzsch|website=scientolipedia.org}}</ref> 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<ref>https://www.businessinsider.com/this-email-from-an-ex-scientologist-on-the-death-of-her-son-describes-miserable-life-inside-the-church-2012-7</ref>. In September 2010 de la Carriere left the church and became an anti-Scientology activist. ==Disappearance== After serving as a main spokesperson for Scientology throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Heber Jentzsch stopped making public appearances in the early 2000s. Sources cite 2004 as the last time he was verifiably seen in public.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170405/Scientology-Son-Church-president-Heber-Jentzsch-troubled-life.html</ref> According to multiple sources he was taken to [[The Hole]] and [[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 under unworthy conditions in a small office bungalow without beds or proper sanitary facilities<ref>https://leavingscientology.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/heber-jentzsch/.</ref> 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<ref>https://markrathbun.blog/2010/06/30/lrh-trained-class-xii-cs-karen-de-la-carrierejentzsch/#comments</ref>. 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 be 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.<ref>https://www.villagevoice.com/2012/07/20/scientology-president-heber-jentzsch-told-his-brother-ill-never-get-out-of-here-alive-also-alex-jentzschs-last-phone-call/</ref> In 2018 Heber's niece Tammy Clark received a letter in response to a birthday card supposedly written by him personally. Clark however questioned the authenticity.<ref>https://tonyortega.org/2018/05/14/scientologys-reclusive-president-82-year-old-heber-jentzsch-tells-a-niece-hes-doing-fine/</ref> 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 Goldbase 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.<ref>https://www.mikerindersblog.org/heber-jentzschs-niece-welfare-check-on-her-uncle/</ref> ==Articles== * Jentzsch, Heber (2000-04-21). [http://articles.latimes.com/2000/apr/21/local/me-22017 "Liberty, Equality, Intolerance"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. * Jentzsch, Heber (1998-02-25). [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB153EF936A15751C0A96E958260 "German Scientologists" (letter to the Editor)], ''[[New York Times]]''. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Portal|United States|Biography}} *{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/biographies/jentzsch.html |date=* |title=Scientology Biography }} {{Scientology}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jentzsch, Heber}} [[Category:American Scientologists]] [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:Former Latter Day Saints]] [[Category:Converts from Mormonism]] [[Category:Converts to new religious movements from Christianity]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Scientology officials]] [[Category:University of Utah alumni]] [[Category:Weber State University alumni]]'