According to Rich Dunning, a former deputy director of the Buffalo Church of Scientology, there "was a panic" among the Church of Scientology's international leadership after the killing of Elli Perkins. Dunning said that the goal was "to distance the church as far away as they could from Jeremy Perkins." He also said that the killing was a public relations fiasco as it exposed the dangers of Scientology's ban against consulting psychiatrists, and the belief that members who attain high Operating Thetan levels achieve special powers. Jeremy Perkins was later placed on psychiatric medications, which court psychiatrists state have stabilized his condition. Jeremy Perkins' defense attorney said "Jeremy himself told me that he firmly believes that if he had been taking these medications that it would not have happened." After attorney Nuchereno spoke with "48 Hours", Jeremy was visited by a senior Church of Scientology staff member, and Nuchereno was replaced by an attorney whose law firm had worked previously for Scientology.