Q891 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: None

Date cues on tape:     April 1978 (after Concerned Relatives demonstration in San Francisco

People named:

Public figures/National and international names:
Cyrus Vance, Secretary of State

Temple adversaries; members of Concerned Relatives:
Steven Katsaris (speaks)

Temple members not in Jonestown:
Sandy Bradshaw (speaks)

 Bible verses cited:     None

 Summary:

This tape consists of a short news item broadcast after the Concerned Relatives held a demonstration at the federal building in San Francisco in April 1978, in conjunction with the group’s publication of a flyer and its list of grievances against Jim Jones. This is followed by a telephone conversation between Sandy Bradshaw, a Temple leader in San Francisco who handled PR for the group, and an unknown reporter, likely in L.A. Bradshaw criticizes the amount of press coverage given to their opponents’ “piddly demonstration” and the lack of coverage given to the larger counter-demonstration by Temple members. She also asserts that Embassy personnel in Guyana often visited the Jonestown facility to check up its residents (which was true) and that “at the very same time” of the demonstrations in San Francisco, U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance was visiting – and praising – Jonestown (which was not true).

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 6/25/79

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 June 10, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B102-C25. This tape was found to contain the following: Side A contained a short news item regarding anti-Jonestown sentiment and a call from a Temple female regarding anti-Jonestown news coverage. The rest of Side A and all of Side B is blank.

Differences with FBI Summary:

The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.       

 Tape originally posted March 2017.