Full autopsy released on woman who died at Narconon Arrowhead
BY JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
State officials released the full autopsy of a woman who died at Narconon Arrowhead one day after preliminary reports indicated that she died of an accidental overdose.
The full report identifies the cause of death as an overdose of the prescription pain reliever oxymorphone and shows no other apparently significant abnormalities in the woman's death.
Stacy Dawn Murphy, 20, of Owasso died July 19 at Narconon Arrowhead, a drug rehabilitation facility northeast of McAlester on Lake Eufaula, after returning to the facility from a short leave of absence.
Murphy's death spurred an ongoing, multi-agency investigation in the facility's practices.
Officials with the Department of Mental Health have said the official autopsy report is one of several things they have been waiting on to complete their investigation, said Jeff Dismukes, spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Narconon Arrowhead is the flagship branch of an international drug-rehabilitation organization rooted in the teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Murphy's family has a lawsuit pending against the Narconon program alleging a wrongful death and negligence.
Oxymorphone is an opiate used to relieve moderate to severe pain, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine website. The drug works by changing how the body responds to pain.
Other recent deaths at the facility include those of Gabriel Graves, 32, of Claremore and Hillary Holten, 21, of Carrollton, Texas.
Graves died Oct. 26, 2011, and Holten died April 11.
Graves' and Holten's full autopsy reports have been released, but their cause and manner of death were undetermined, according to the state medical examiner reports.
The families of Graves and Holten have also filed civil lawsuits against Narconon alleging negligence.
Associated Images:
Stacy Dawn Murphy
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