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

Tape Number : Q 587

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FBI Catalogue: Tapes Not Summarized

FBI preliminary tape identification note: One Concertape C-90/ JJ Message 1/5/75 re successorship

Date cues on tape: January 5, 1975 (explicitly stated)

People named:

Temple members:

Bible verses cited: None

Summary:

In the early morning hours of January 5, 1975, Jim Jones prepares a last will and testament in the event of his incapacitation or removal from office. It directs followers of Peoples Temple to give all allegiance to his wife, Marceline, who has “strategies” for survival of the movement. Marceline is not present, although six other women are. Jones is periodically confused on dates, and speaks slowly and deliberately, as if he is in pain, in a state of exhaustion, or otherwise semi-incapacitated.

Note: This tape is a duplicate of Q 587.

FBI Summary:

Date of transcription: 3/13/79

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 13, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B47-28. This tape was found to contain the following:

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:

There is nothing to compare between the two summaries, since the FBI did not write anything for this, or 64 other tapes which bear the notation “Tapes Not Summarized.” These tapes seems to have little on them which the FBI could use for its purposes of investigating crimes arising from the Jonestown tragedy, but then again, that describes many other tapes as well. The difference seems to be that one or two FBI agents catalogued this set of tapes – as evidenced by the typewriter used in writing the reports – and that generally, the transcriptions were made early in the process, before someone may have asked for greater detail in the reports.