Q650 Summary

Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee, III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.

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FBI Catalogue: Unidentified Individuals Speaking

FBI preliminary tape identification note: One Kmart 90/ “Jack”

Date cues on tape:  None (takes place in Jonestown)

People named:

Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

In this short tape, Jack Beam relates a couple of biographical snippets of Jim Jones’ life in Indiana. The context of both the conversation and of the stories that Beam recounts is abbreviated so that it is hard to discern whether all of his remembrances are of Jones. He does, however, talk about Jones using his radio program one night to “confess to … the radio audience that I don’t have all the answers,” and inviting those who do to come and “reason together.” Beam adds that that program was the hook that brought in Archie Ijames, who never left, despite periodic difficulties with Jones.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 3/7/79

In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.

On March 2, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B47 #95. This tape was found to contain the following:

A brief telephone conversation, music, and predominantly blank tape.

This tape was reviewed, and nothing was contained thereon which was considered to be of evidentiary nature or beneficial to the investigation of Congressman RYAN.

Differences with FBI Summary:

The quality of the sound on the tape and the music competing with the voices make it difficult to understand voices other than that of the main speaker, but the tape nevertheless is of a short conversation rather than a telephone call.

Tape originally posted June 2006