going-clear-scientology-hollywood-and-the-prison-of-belief-by-lawrence-wright-2

chaplain that John had threatened her, saying that if he couldn’t have Scientology, then
neither could she.
Rathbun—a big man, a former college basketball player—knew nothing of this as he
rode back to the berthing with Diane in her Fiat. She was uncommunicative. She drove
north on Rampart Boulevard, where the Pubs Org was located, to Sunset, and then left
on Santa Monica Boulevard. It was mid-August, but there was a breeze from the ocean
and the night air was unseasonably cool. As soon as Diane turned the corner from North
Edgemont Street onto Fountain Avenue, in front of the Scientology complex, a pair of
headlights on high beam blinded them, then a car rammed into them, pinning Diane’s
vehicle against the curb.
Rathbun was in shock, but he managed to get out of the passenger side of the car.
They had come to a stop in front of a small house with a picket fence. He saw the man
in the other car get out and run toward Diane, who was still in the driver’s seat.
Rathbun came around the front of the car, just in time to hear a popping noise and the
sound of glass shattering. It was the rst time in his life he had ever heard a gunshot.
Jesse Prince, who was in RPF on the seventh oor, heard the sound and rushed to the
windows. People were shouting, “John Colletto!” Everyone knew immediately what was
happening.
Rathbun grabbed Colletto, and they spun around in the street. He got Colletto in a
headlock, but Colletto pistol-whipped him and Rathbun momentarily lost consciousness.
Both of them tumbled to the ground.
When Rathbun recovered, he saw Diane on all fours, crawling on the sidewalk, and
Colletto running toward her with the gun. Rathbun says he got up and tackled John.
They crashed through the picket fence and wrestled on the lawn. More shots were red.
At one point, according to Rathbun, the barrel of the revolver was pressed against the
nape of his neck and Colletto pulled the trigger. The gun didn’t re, but Rathbun went
exterior, viewing the scene from twelve feet above his body.
Colletto broke free and caught up to his wife. He stuck the gun in her ear. Rathbun
says he saw what was happening and did a “ying sidekick,” but at that fatal moment
the gun fired.
Colletto was knocked to the ground by Rathbun’s blow and the gun skittered across
the pavement. Rathbun picked it up and tried to re it at Colletto, but the chambers
were all empty. Colletto got in his car and screeched away.
Rathbun went back to Diane. Blood was gurgling and spewing from her mouth. He
thought she was drowning in her own blood. Rathbun took o his shirt and put it under
her head. As he heard the sirens screaming, she died in his arms. 6
Three days later, John Colletto’s decomposing body was found. He had slashed his
wrists and bled to death on the shoulder of the Ventura Freeway.
Because of this incident, Rathbun was singled out for his fearlessness, or what
Scientology terms his “high level of confront.” Soon after that, he was sent to La Quinta,
Hubbard’s winter headquarters, where the old man was just then building up his
moviemaking enterprise. Miscavige had appointed Rathbun head of what was known as
the “All Clear” unit. The object was to resolve the dozens of lawsuits around the country