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 Radio transmissions
FBI preliminary tape identification note: None
Date cues on tape: None
People named:
People named as single names, most likely in code. Codes from Peoples Temple code book, included in brackets. Number of times each name is mentioned is in parentheses
Dr. Baker (3)
David [Paula Adams] (3)
Dexter (8)
Ed (2)
Ellen [could be Marceline Jones] (2)
Ellie [Norman Ijames] (9)
George (5)
Grace (1)
Harry [Patty Cartmell] (2)
Hopalong (2)
Jane [Harriet Sarah Tropp] (3)
Karl (2)
Laura (1)
Mildred (4)
Margaret (6)
Nettie (2)
Nick [Albert Kahn, according to FBI] (2)
Oscar (1)
Rachel (1)
Rex (5)
Shirley [Channel 7] (2)
Stanley (1)
Theresa (2)
Bible verses cited: None
Summary:
(Note: This tape was one of the 53 tapes initially withheld from public disclosure.)
This half-hour tape consists of a three-way conversation among four people. The recording takes place at the central location – in that two of the four people are there – with an unidentified woman at the recording end passing along messages from Jim Jones to a second unidentified woman. Jones is at the other end of the radio connection; a second male sits alongside the main radio operator, helping her with words she can’t understand; and the second woman is on a telephone, and virtually all of her contribution to the conversation is unintelligible.
In fact, because of the many gaps in conversation, the overall quality of the radio communications audio, and – most especially – the many codes used by the speakers, the conversation is difficult to follow. Several codes appear in the Peoples Temple code book, but many are not. The Temple changed codes on a regular basis, meaning some of the identifications included in this summary and accompanying transcript may be suspect.
FBI Summary:
Date of transcription: 6/29/79
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 9, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B102-C3. This tape was found to contain the following:
Side A of the tape is blank.
Side B of the tape contains radio transmissions between an unidentified female and an unidentified male, possibly JIM JONES.
The radio transmissions appear to have been coded messages with reference to names such as ELI, LAURA, MILDRED, and NICK. ELI is mentioned more frequently than any other name.
The computerized code book reflects the following meanings for the aforementioned names:
1) ELI — Treasury Department
2) LAURA — CARTMELL, PATTY
3) MILDRED — BUFORD, TERRI
4) NICK — KAHN, ALBERT McCOY
Differences with FBI Summary:
The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.
Tape originally posted January 2018.