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: Music
FBI preliminary tape identification note: One TDK-90/ “10/26/75 Martha Wade legal papers” 2-3×5 cards
Date cues on tape: 10/26/75 (specified)
People named:
People Temple members:
Paul Flowers
Martha Wade (speaks)
Bible verses cited: None
Summary:
People Temple member Martha Wade has given money to the church, but the gift has apparently resulted in some difficulty with her relatives. Because of that, several Temple leaders – most of them unnamed – ask her to sign a statement of acknowledgement, that the money was given of her own free will, no matter what her relatives might claim. Because the woman is illiterate and cannot read or sign the document, the group reads the statement to her and asks for verbal responses affirming her intent, which she gives.
FBI Summary:
Date of transcription: 3/29/79
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 March 20, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B62#86. This tape was found to contain the following:
Side A:
Blank interspersed with unintelligible conversations.
Small sections has a recording of a discussion of a donor of a gift to People’s Temple.
Side B:
Contains recorded music.
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:
Aside from the category under which the FBI filed this tape – it has music on it, but starts with a short conversation among members of Peoples Temple – the summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.
Tape originally posted June 2023.