Became Disenchanted With ‘Guru Ma’ Church : Architect Who Won Lawsuit Against Sect Dies

A Westlake Village architect who won a $1.5-million judgment in April against a religious sect he accused of ruining his health and personal life has died of heart and lung failure.

The architect, Gregory Mull, 64, died Friday at a Simi Valley hospital. He had been hospitalized for a month, suffering from the effects of multiple sclerosis.

Mull had been a successful architect in San Francisco before joining the Church Universal and Triumphant for six years and becoming designer of its Calabasas headquarters, known as Camelot to its members.

He left the church in 1980 after he became disenchanted with its doctrine and embroiled in a disagreement over money. When the church sued him a year later over a disputed $32,000 loan, Mull countersued and asked for $253 million.

Mull accused the sect’s leaders of fraud, extortion and involuntary servitude. He charged that the church was a dangerous cult and became a vocal critic of the head of the church, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, known as “Guru Ma” to her followers.

‘God Incarnate’

Mull testified during a seven-week jury trial in Los Angeles Superior Court that he had believed Prophet to be “God incarnate” and followed her advice to leave the wife he loved.

He also testified that Prophet--who claims to have been given authority by Pope John XXIII and to have received dictated messages from “ascended masters,” ranging from Jesus to Merlin the Magician--violated his confidence by publicizing spiritual confessions he made to her.

The jury deliberated more than 40 hours before awarding Mull $1,563,300, including $521,100 in punitive damages from Prophet.

The church, which is appealing the judgment, sold its 218-acre Calabasas compound 2 1/2 weeks ago to Soka University of Tokyo for $15.5 million in cash. Sect officials said their new headquarters will be at an isolated Montana ranch.

Death Blamed on Fight

Friends of Mull on Monday attributed his death to stress caused by his fight with Church Universal and Triumphant.

“I feel he has been martyred,” said Marilyn Malek, a longtime sect critic from Duarte whose son is a Church Universal member. “I believe the church pushed him to a closer grave.”

Mull’s lawyer, Lawrence Levy of Sherman Oaks, said the “strain and trauma” of Mull’s sect membership and subsequent dispute “played a part in his untimely demise.”

“Knowing how ill he was, he still wanted to go on with the trial. Gregory went through it not for the dollars but to help other people if he could,” Levy said.

Levy said that, if the church loses the appeal, the money will go to Mull’s estate.

Mull’s daughter, Linda Witt of Thousand Oaks, said a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary Chapel, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village. She said her father’s ashes will be scattered at sea.