WHERE WE ARE: A TWO-YEAR ASSESSMENT
From President Ellen Johnson
From President Ellen Johnson
November 1997
This past October marked the second anniversary of the disappearance of the Murray-O'Hair family. While we are no closer to solving the mystery surrounding this disappearance, there are new developments to report in our efforts to recover funds missing from the organization.
Since last January, American Atheists has been working with an Austin, Texas, legal firm in an attempt to recover funds from the personal assets of Mr. Jon Murray. This is a key fiduciary responsibility and goal of the Board of Directors and officers of this organization. At this time, we do not yet have a precise total for the amount of money which Jon Murray left behind. It is that money, plus his share of a house which he co-owned with Robin Murray-O'Hair, which we hope to acquire.
The disappearance of the Murray-O'Hairs has been a rather unusual one for the courts. As a consequence, our efforts to recover funds have taken quite a while to wind their way through the system. We must operate on a timetable established by the legal system, one which unfortunately is often slow and cumbersome. It is only now that we are able to file our claim against Jon Murray's estate. That process began in probate court and is now in the venue of a bankruptcy court.
In the probate court, guardians were appointed to look after the "best interests" of the Murray-O'Hairs. Madalyn O'Hair's estranged son, evangelist Bill Murray, attempted to intervene and convince the court that he should be the custodian of her estate. He has withdrawn that claim, for reasons known only to him.
The IRS moved against the Murray-O'Hair house and seized it, along with personal property belonging to Mr. Spike Tyson, the director of American Atheists GHQ. Mr. Tyson was house-sitting at the Murray-O'Hair home, at the request of the Board of Directors, to discourage vandalism after the identity and location of the house had been publicized by the media. Spike has yet to have any of his belongings returned by the Internal Revenue Service. We have heard that some of his more valuable possessions, after being appropriated by IRS agents, have now "disappeared."
After the seizure, the IRS arranged a quick auction of the Murray-O'Hair belongings; but guardians for the O'Hairs filed bankruptcy claims on their behalf and the auction was stopped. In bankruptcy court, receivers were appointed for the family members. It is their legal task to protect the financial interests of the family members.
We have reached the stage where we have now filed a formal claim against the estate of Mr. Jon Murray to recover our assets. In order to prove our claim, we are providing the court-appointed receiver with a copy of a wire transfer of funds Jon Murray made to a jewelry store in Texas, presumably to purchase gold with the money. Jon Murray was unaccompanied while in the store, and he has been identified by the owner. We do not know what became of him after he left the store. We don't even know if he and his family are alive. This is a sensitive legal area, and to avoid any possible lawsuits we cannot publish the name of the store or the owner - although that information is contained in the material being provided to the court receiver. To the best of our knowledge, the individual operating the store has done nothing illegal.
The order of priority or "position" in paying out claims against his estate are as follows: (1) administrative costs (lawyers); (2) Internal Revenue Service claims (which they are required to prove); (3) the claim of American Atheists and any other creditors. Obviously, we cannot hold our breath until this grinds to a finish. We have to operate with moneys obtained from whatever other sources are available. Mostly, of course, that means the membership of American Atheists.
Where We Are Today
All of this has taken longer than we had hoped and expected, but I want to thank all of you who have supported us through this difficult period. We're very happy to have you as part of the American Atheist team. We've come a long, long way in our effort to "reinvent" American Atheists. This has not been easy, but we can look back over those months since December of 1995 when we assumed control of the organization and we can point to a number of achievements. Among these are:
• Over 100 programs of THE ATHEIST VIEWPOINT have been produced. This cable TV outreach now airs on over 45 cable systems throughout the nation, with more being added every month.
• Over 42 press releases have been issued, generating hundreds of articles and interviews in the nation's press and other news media.
• We have fourteen state directors generating grass-roots support for Atheism and state-church separation.
• We have issued six issues of the AMERICAN ATHEIST magazine and fifteen issues of the AMERICAN ATHEIST NEWSLETTER. Subscriber numbers for both of these publications continue to grow.
• We have issued over 350 AANEWS online reports.
• We have over 100 participants on AACHAT, our on-line e-mail discussion forum for members.
• We have established sites on the World-Wide Web for the organization and for the American Atheist magazine.
• The organization held a major state-church separation symposium in Washington, D.C., and carried out a fruitful picketing of the Promise Keepers.
• We have just filed a lawsuit to prevent the sham sale of the Mt. Davidson cross in San Francisco and 0.38 acres of land. It is our contention that this sale is an attempt to circumvent a judicial ruling which found the cross an unconstitutional entanglement of government and religion.
• Our efforts were instrumental in having a religious plaque dedicated to Hindu cult leader Sri Chinmoy removed from the Statue of Liberty. And this is just the beginning.
What Do You Think?
So, how are we doing? We want to know what you think. Please send us your suggestions and ideas for and about American Atheists' policies and activities so that we can make 1998 an even better year for all of us. Let us know what you think! Send your ideas and comments to RICHARD ANDREWS, c/o American Atheists, P.O. Box 140195, Austin, TX, 78714-0195. For more rapid response you may communicate with Richard by e-mail at: richl23@aol.com.
Finally, let me thank each of you for the great support and enthusiasm you've shown in your commitment to American Atheists. On behalf of all of us at the national office, I wish each of you a Happy Solstice and a very healthy, prosperous New Year!
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