[Editor’s notes: This transcript was prepared by Heather Shannon. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)
[The transcripts of these affidavits retain their original spelling throughout, corrected only where the meaning is unclear. In addition, the misspellings of names have been corrected.]
FF-4-A-37
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-43 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Melanie Briedenbach
I, Melanie Briedenbach, being duly sworn, declare:
I resided with the Stoens for one year. One afternoon after napping I remade Grace’s bed, I discovered under her mattress a white envelope full of money. I never saw so much money in my life and counted out five thousand dollars, I put it back under the mattress. One week later Grace Stoen left home to go with her boyfriend Walter Jones.
/s/ Melanie Briedenbach
Dated: August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[blank signature line]
[Handwriting: Guyana Revenue stamp and signature]
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FF-4-A-59
(Editor’s note: This affidavit was duplicated on this section at FF-4-A-136. It also appears at B-5-c(7) on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF DON BECK
I, Don Beck, being duly sworn, declare:
That I remember that Grace Stoen’s whole reaction to Guyana when she visited was very hostile. She spoke of the backwardness of the country. She felt that they had no doubt been better off under [t]he British rule; at least they had experience in planning and running an economy. That was why now there was a scarcity of so much — “not even refined white sugar and cooking oil”.
Her attitude was condescending towards everything about Guyana. She thought the houses were crude and dirty, the people were backward, that they could do much more for their country but no one really wanted to. She thought the trouble was that people were “lazy and shiftless”. Like along the roads where the people were walking. “They deserved to get hit if they wouldn’t move faster out of the way”. She incessantly ran down what she called “crazy drivers” and said it showed they were uncivilized as a society.
Several times after I had spoken to our congregation of the. many beautiful aspects of Guyana–her people, the country itself, the spirit of cooperative living–she would approach me asking how I could be so positive about Guyana. She said that Burnham was not really a socialist; he had no intention of helping anyone but himself there. She said that he knew and she knew for
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sure that the United States was not going to let him do any such thing. She thought we ought to be realistic and use the Mission as an angle to our advantage. The Mertles were even more intent upon using the Mission as a way to get money from people here. They were very upset each time monies kept going out to equipment there to actually build an agricultural program.
Grace always said that she had no intention of sharing what she had with others. She said she had worked hard to get where she was and wasn’t about to have anyone put her where she couldn’t have the benefits and material things that she deserved. She wanted to be able to get all the things and foods that she was accustomed to. She said she didn’t want her child growing up in such a “barbaric” place. She said the schools were backward and she would have to send him outside the country to be educated. Besides she asked me once, what kind of identify would he get in a black third world culture? She wanted him to be somewhere where he could see more people of his own background and color.
She approached me once with a book about Burnham, The West on Trial and asked if I had read about what Burnham really was about. She seemed to take great pride to try and prove that the socialistic trend in Guyana was very much phony and the popular enthusiasm was only Burnham’s plot to become a ruler of the
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economy and a stepping stone in his ambition to Third World leadership. She accused the Prime Minister of not having the interest of his people at heart. She was totally unwilling to relate to the refinement of socialistic cooperative living that pervades Guyana.
Dated this 17th day of August 1977.
/s/ Don Beck
Don Beck
Subscribed and sworn to
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of
California
/s/ Lisa P. Layton
NOTARY PUBLIC
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-62
(Editor’s note: This affidavit was duplicated on this section at FF-4-A-132. It also appears at B-5-c(6) on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF SHARON AMOS
I, Sharon Amos, being duly sworn, declare:
That I knew Grace Stoen for a period of at least seven years. When she first came to Peoples Temple she was very uninterested and indifferent to politics. She had come from a middle class family and was very insensitive to seniors and to people who were black. She expected special treatment at all times and wanted the best of everything for herself.
She often made fun of socialism and said that she didn’t want to have to share with other people.
As time went on she would try to influence people against socialism and would exploit people for her own gain. She was sexually seductive toa young teenage boy who lived at her home and constatnly talked against socialist teachings to him.
When she talked to black people she was judgmental and showed n9 awareness of the pain they have been through in their lives – the persecution they have experienced in the South.
Grace was very vindictive to socialism. She spoke often of her preference to the capitalistic system.
She was sexually promiscous and approached several young teenagers under 17 years old and made advances to them. She said she was so hostile to this integrated socialist group that she would like to go to agencies like the FBI and the CIA and tell them this group stands for socialism. She took relish in bragging about destroying socialism in the United States and said she like to be able to have money and she didn’t care if people starved or not because if they don’t have money, it
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is because they are lazy and don’t want to work.
Dated this 17th day of August 1977.
/s/ Sharon Amos
Sharon Amos
Subscribed and sworn to
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of
California
/s/ James R Randolph
NOTARY PUBLIC
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-113
(Editor’s note: A variation of this affidavit appears at A-169. It also appears at FF-7-cc, 1-3 on this page.)
Georgetown, )
Guyana, South America ) ss
Affidavit /s of Patty Cartmell
I, Patty Cartmell, being duly sworn declare:
I have observed how one Grace Stoen pressured Rev. Jim Jones repeatedly for sex. Grace would call me on the phone and cry, and then come over to my house where I lived close to Rev. Jones’ parsonage home. She would ask Jim over and over for sex.
She was aware Jim did not want her in a sexual encounter. Jim was very kind and always compassionate. Grace would still continue on this insane issue of sex. She threatened
suicide on numerous occassions. She appeared to be obsessed with wanting sex with Jim Jones.
And then I heard Tim Stoen ask Rev. Jones in the parking lot to have sex with Grace, because he (Tim) was afraid she would leave him and try to hurt the Peoples Temple cause and bring public embarrassment to Jim Jones. So then Jim agreed, and in February or March, 1971, he did have sex with Grace at my house. She got more demanding after that and more threats came from her. Suicide and threats of hurting the cause. Numerous threats to kill her husband were made, Jim had sex with her again, and I helped Grace use a diaphragm. She also took my contraceptive cream, and she used two of them as Jim did everything to prevent any pregnancies. He used prophylactics, too. Grace swore she was taking birth control pills, but later laughed and said she wasn’t.
I later heard Tim Stoen say he wanted Grace to have a child by Jim Jones, as he thought that might settle her down. I don’t know just what he meant, but Tim seemed to want to help people, though I wasn’t around him enough to know for sure.
When Grace got pregnant that began a nightmare.
/s/ Mrs. Patty Cartmell
Dated: 13, August, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before the
Commissioner of Oaths of the 13th
Republic of Guyana
[Notary signature and Guyana revenue stamp]
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FF-4-A-115
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at B-5-d(7) on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
Affidavit of Sandra L. Bradshaw
I live at 2544 Sutter Street, Sacramento, California. I have worked as a Deputy Probation Officer for the County of Mendocino for over seven years. I have been a member of Peoples Temple for nearly eight years.
I met with Timothy O. Stoen on approximately March 30, 1977 in London, England. At that time he had left the Peoples Temple agricultural project in Guyana, South America, and had gone to London to seek a career in law. As we were talking, Tim had little good to say about the Guyanese people or the country of Guyana. (He even complained about the climate.) He blatantly stated that Guyana people lacked “culture” and sophistication. He referred to Guyana as culturally “barren.” Tim Stoen was extremely upset by the fact that he could not practice law in Guyana. He stated to me in London that he did not want to practice law in a Socialist country because he enjoyed the “competition” of the courtroom in the capitalist system. He openly admitted that he was an “elitist” and his lack of participation in physical labor made that very apparent.
Tim Stoen felt that the Guyanese people lacked creative, aggressive leadership and that Guyana would never be able to achieve real independence from previous British domination.
He felt that the nation was better served under British rule and that the break to achieve independence had been a foolhardy venture. Specifically, another remark of his was that the people of Guyana were essentially “submissive,” “simplistic” people and the country itself was “backward.” Tim Stoen said Guyana would never achieve any degree of significance in the Third world.
Tim Stoen, on numerous occasions, those several days we met in London in March of 1977, made derogatory and racist remarks against the country and people of Guyana.
Dated this 15th day of August 1977
/s/ Sandra L. Bradshaw
Sandra L. Bradshaw
DO NOT USE UNLESS specifically instructed. SA [Sharon Amos]
—–
Subscribed and sworn to before
me, a Notary Public in and for
the State of California.
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-153
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-45, A-B on this page.]
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF SHARON AMOS
I, Sharon Amos, being duly sworn, declare:
I was a witness on countless occasions of Grace Stoen stating that Jim Jones was the true father of John Victor Stoen. On one occasion when I was visiting Grace at her home, she said that she had given John a bath and had not properly tested the bath water in John’s bathinet. She had immersed his foot in the water that was too hot and had burned his foot. She said she had received a phone call from Jim and he had felt very bad that John had this experience as John might associate pain with taking a bath. She said that she often talked to Jim about incidents that happen with John because Jim was John’s real father and understood John better than anyone else did.
She told me that John and Jim were very alike in their personalities, that John had the same type of energy and said she felt a tremendous responsibility that she felt she couldn’t live up to in being the mother of John. She said it was overwhelming and she felt like a failure being John’s mother and she wished she had never had John.
She told me that she hated Tim Stoen and didn’t want him to have anything to do with raising John. She said she couldn’t
—–
stand Tim and whenever she listened to him talk she felt embarrassed at him and couldn’t stand to hear his voice.
She also told me that she had realized that she wasn’t the type of person to be a mother and that she just couldn’t be satisfied to be home all day with a child.
Dated this 20th day of August,1977
/s/ Sharon Amos
Subscribed and sworn to
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of
California
/s/ James R Randolph
NOTARY PUBLIC
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-154
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-44, A-B on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of California )
Affidavit of Eugene B. Chaikin
I, Eugene B. Chaikin, being duly sworn, declare:
I have known both Tim Stoen and Grace Gretch Stoen since early in 1972. I have spent hundreds of hours speaking with each of them, often about very intimate details of their lives. It has been the custom in Peoples Temple to have counselling sessions to discuss personal problems, but each of them, on occasion, apart and aside from such occasions and not in a setting of any lawyer-client relationship or of professional activity, has spoken to me about their lives. Each has said to me on several occasions that John Victor Stoen is the child of Grace and Jim Jones. I was told that the relationship was one that was demanded of Jim by Grace, that she had insisted on Jim as a lover and Tim as a husband because Grace was extremely concerned with social status, which Tim’s profession allowed. Jim had gone along with the demand by Grace because she insisted at the point of suicide and of doing all manner of harm to his church and its members if he did not comply. Tim knew about it before it started, and had in fact prevailed upon Jim initially to relate to Grace sexually as the only way he could keep his wife. I heard, too, that Grace had threatened Tim with disclosure of something of which I am not familiar.
When Grace became pregnant, Jim was terribly upset. Many encouraged her to have an abortion, but she refused. When the child came, she either neglected it or gave it to others to care
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for. Often she treated the child with indifference that bordered on cruelty — so that others were eager to assume care of the boy in order to save him from his own mother’s maltreatment. She often ridiculed Tim with the fact that the child was Jim’s and not his. She would treat John either with utter contempt and indifference, or be wildly emotional and smother the child with superficial attention, more sexual in nature than affectionate. I never saw John happy in Grace’s care. Not until he spent time with Maria Katsaris who took good care of him and gave him consistent, positive support — together with the kindness and genuine care Jim Jones has given him — have I seen John happy. When I last saw him in Guyana, he was more happy and relaxed than I have seen him in all his life.
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977.
/s/ Eugene B. Chaikin
Eugene B. Chaikin
Subscribed and sworn before me,
a Notary Public in and for the
State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
Notary Public
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-155
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-7-s, 1-2 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF DEBORAH BLAKEY
I, Deborah Blakey, being duly sworn, declare:
I was a close friend of Grace Gretch Stoen. She would often confide and talk with me especially when I was newer into the Temple organization and I didn’t know too many people. Her son, she told me, was Bishop Jim Jones’ child. I was not shocked, as the child John has black hair as does Bishop Jones. Grace had always died hers black to hide the vast difference between her child John and his supposed father who also had brown hair. Often people would remark that John was the “spitting image” of Bishop Jones and she would never say a word to the contrary. She was always very forward and tried to act much more familiar with Jim than did any other person that would come forward and talk with him. It was evident from the beginning that John was Jim’s child. Jim would spend long hours with the child and they were such sensitive and warm moments. The acclaimed father, Timothy Stoen, was never that warm to the child although he pretended to be. There was always doubt in everyone’s mind about the way that Tim treated little John. Grace would often point to Jim and say to John, “Go and see daddy.” John would often climb the stairs to the Bishop’s apartment and say that he was going to see his daddy.
There was never any question about Jim being the true
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father of John. There was always doubt though about Tim being the dad. They don’t have anything that is similar in their features. Jim has always had trouble with his kidneys and ears. So has his other known natural son Steve and so has John. The physical health problems have been transmitted to both his sons, which is even additional proof that John is the natural blood son to Bishop Jones.
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977
/s/ Deborah Blakey
Subscribed and sworn
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
Notary Public
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-156
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-39 on this page.)
AFFIDAVIT OF CHRISTINE LUCIENTES
- Grace spoke freely to Chrstine about Jim Jones being the father of her child John.
- Grace referred to Jim as “your dad” to John.
—–
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Christine R. Lucientes
I, Christine R. Lucientes, being duly sworn declare:
Grace Stoen spoke freely to me of the fact that James W. Jones is the father of her son John V. Stoen. In fact she never indicated to the contrary, ever. Indeed, when she talked to John about his father Jim Jones she referred to him as “your dad.”
/s/ Christine R. Lucientes
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[illegible signature]
[Notary public seal and signature]
—–
FF-4-A-157
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-42 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF Teresa Buford
I, Teresa Buford, being duly sworn, declare:
That I heard Grace Stoen say in the Spring of 1976 that she did not want Tim Stoen to ever have custody of John Stoen. She said this very angrily standing up and pointing her finger at Tim and said that he had no right to John Stoen that he was not the father of John and he would never get custody of him.
Dated this 18th day of August,1977
/s/ Teresa Buford [signed twice]
Teresa Buford
Subscribed and sworn to
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of
California
/s/ James R Randolph
NOTARY PUBLIC
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-158
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-48 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF Teresa J. Buford
I, Teresa J. Buford, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen told me that John Stoen was not sired by Tim Stoen but rather by Jim Jones. This was first told to me with Grace and Jim together one evening in 1973 by the pool of the Redwood Valley church in the evening. Grace told me many times after that about how Jim was concerned about her during her pregnancy and how he would see that she was taking care of herself during the pregnancy and gave her milk on the bus trips to Los Angeles. Grace also told me that she was worried that Tim Stoen was jealous of John being Jim’s son and that she was afraid to leave John alone in the house with Tim because she didn’t know what Tim would do to the child. She told me she was sorry that she had a child and that if she had it to do over again that she would have had an abortion.
Dated this 18th day of August,1977.
/s/ Teresa J. Buford [signed twice]
Teresa J. Buford
Subscribed and sworn to
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-159
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-43, A-B on this page.) 99842
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF RICHARD TROPP
I, Richard Tropp, being duly sworn, do declare:
I have on several occasions seen Grace Stoen show extreme states of emotional weakness with regard to her child. She has, at such times, expressed a thoroughly shameful defeatism about her capability to care for the child, and has asked the church to find another mother-figure for the child. She is one of the most emotionally immature persons I have ever known, and I would judge her unfit as a parent. Her treatment of her child was mentally cruel. On a number of occasions she would shower the child with affection after seriously reprimanding him. The child could only feel insecure, confused, and unwanted by her. I have seen on many occasions how John (her son) would easily manipulate her into doing his will, and I have also seen her show alternate states of rage and remorse with the child that could only result in him feeling insecure. She has expressed on a number of occasions that I can recall, a hostile and cruel attitude toward the child’s natural father, Jim Jones. I feel that she has proven her total unfitness as a mother by foisting off the child on the church while she was a member, and finally by abandoning him a year ago when she left the church with a lover without so much as a word to her son. Grace has personally told me that Jim Jones is the father of her child and that she did not want Tim Stoen to have anything to do with the child.
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The man she left with as her lover was a man who never showed any feeling about the child, and of whom the child was sincerely afraid.
Dated this 20 day of August, 1977.
/s/ Richard D. Tropp
Richard Tropp
Subscribed and sworn before me,
a Notary Public in and for the
State of California.
/s/ James R Randolph
NOTARY PUBLIC
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-160
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-41 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF JUNE B. CRYM
I, June B. Crym, being duly sworn declare:
That for about six months I worked in the same office with Grace Stoen, during the year 1965, in Redwood Valley, California. I had worked with her husband Tim for several years in the legal services project of Peoples Temple, and I used to visit their home weekly to pick up work assignments from Tim Stoen.
Grace talked openly to me about her personal feelings and she often talked about raising her son. John and the difficulty she had with this strong-willed child. She talked about how bright he was and advanced for his age, and explained on at least two separate occasions to me that “You know, his dad is Jim Jones.” Then she told me never to repeat it to anyone else, although the fact was common knowledge among many church members.
In the times that I picked up work from Tim Stoen, visiting their home over about a five year period, I would often walk into the middle of an argument between Tim and Grace, mostly about the child. Tim said he resented Grace spending time with John, and Grace, forgetting John was in the room, cried back: “What do you care, you’re not the father?”
Dated this 20 day of August, 1977
/s/ June B. Crym
June B. Crym
Subscribed and sworn before me,
a Notary Public in and for the
State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-161
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-46 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF SANDRA BRADSHAW
I, Sandra Bradshaw, being duly sworn declare:
I live at 2544 Sutter St., San Francisco, California. I have been a member of Peoples Temple for nearly 8 years. I served in the County Probation Department as a Probation Officer for over 7 years.
When I lived at 615 W. Church St., in Ukiah, California, Grace Stoen lived at 400 Oak Park, a few blocks away. We used to take evening walks together with her dogs. She was a very bourgeoise person and superficial, one who had few friends in the church due to her excessive life-style and narcissism. I befriended her as best I could.
It was when she was first pregnant, that she admitted to me that Jim Jones was the father of her child. I have heard her make this statement numerous times since that first admission.
She also talked to me in her months of pregnancy and told me she wanted to have a girl — that she knew she would not be able to relate to a son. Grace was extremely disappointed that she had a male child. This was obvious by the way she related to him. (For instance, she refused to give him his first hair cut and let it grow long to make him look like a girl. Someone else had to see that he got a haircut, finally.) In my opinion, Grace was never a conscientous or fit mother.
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977
/s/ Sandra Bradshaw
Sandra Bradshaw
Subscribed and sworn before me,
a Notary Public in and for the State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
—–
FF-4-A-162
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-47 on this page.)
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco )
AFFIDAVIT OF JEAN BROWN
I, Jean Brown, being duly sworn do declare:
That I was present in a meeting of about 8 people sometime during the fall of 1971 when Grace Stoen told the group that Jim Jones was the father of the child she was expecting. I remember the night clearly because there was so much pain involved for all parties when she hade this confession. She was very emotional and poured out tremendous hostility against Tim Stoen, whom she felt did not really care for her but only used her as a “pretty wife” to show off in his ambitious political career. Their marriage had been going badly and Tim had not been relating to Grace sexually. Grace swore to those of us in the room that Jim Jones was the father of the expected child.
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977.
/s/ Jean Brown
Subscribed and sworn
before me, a Notary Public
in and for the State of
California:
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
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FF-4-A-163
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-7-n on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Emmett Griffith Jr.
I, Emmett Griffith Jr., being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen did some things that were shocking to me when I was about 16 or 17 years old. She would run across a room in her apartment totally nude and laugh at the reaction it caused, she would say, “Whats the matter, can’t you take it?” She did this quite often.
She would make exceptions for certain people in her capacity as financial secretary and not require accounting for money she distributed from Peoples Temple funds. She told Joe Wilson and myself that we didn’t need to worry about gas receipts, she didn’t need them. We got gas money from her frequently.
I saw her on many occasions flaunt her relationship with Walter Jones in front of her son John. She would often leave the child behind to accompany Walter somewhere else.
/s/ Emmett Griffith Jr
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[illegible signature]
[Handwriting: notary signature and seal]
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FF-4-A-164
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-29 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Carolyn Layton
I, Carolyn M. Layton, being duly sworn, declare:
As a member of People’s Temple and a counselor in the organization for a long time I have had the following experiences relating to Grace Stoen.
On one occasion shortly after John Stoen was born Grace went up to the alter of the church to talk to Jim Jones, the pastor. She was crying and he called me up to talk with her as well. She complained that she felt like committing suicide and was unhappy with Tim Stoen as her husband. She suggested marrying Jim Jones. Jim was very kind to her saying this was not possible. He then called up her husband Tim to let him know how she was feeling so he could counsel with her.
On another occasion I went to Grace’s house and she was taking care of John. He was quite young. She was sobbing and crying loudly about her problems while holding him. At the time I thought it was very inappropriate that she be demonstrating such strong depression in front of the child. She did this often.
Grace constantly complained that people slighted her and that she was not treated well by people. Considering the kind of emotional pressure she placed on everyone around her I thought such an accusation was utterly ridiculous and I found people to be extremely tolerant of her. She related like a child to almost all adults around her, requiring constant praise and reassurance in order to function.
She was very flirtatous around teenagedboys and I remember on one occasion she kissed Vincent Lopez on the lips which I felt entirely inappropriate considering the difficult emotional background he came from. She did the same thing to her son John. Other young men complained of similar approaches by her.
Grace Stoen is an emotional cripple. Because of her serious emotional problems I definitely feel she should not be allowed to remove John from his present very satisfying environment. I have known Grace all the years she has been in Peoples Temple. I remember the very first time she attended. I can say with upmost conviction she was given every possible opportunity to grow; and was given far more hours of counseling time and attention than almost any troubled person to came to ZPeople’s Temple for help. I saw her talk to Jim Jones for so many hours that so many hours that he looked like he were about to pass out from exhaustion. In fact on one occasion I saw Jim Jones fall while talking to her and we had to call insome medical people to administer oxygen.
I fully expect that as soon as this affidavit is made known to her she will manufacture the same lies about me that she has obviously done about Jim Jones, but I write this knowing full well that with her gross immaturities she will undoubtably retaliate in some form or another. I have heard her make threats of retaliation against people before, but I feel I must tell the real facts which I am familiar with regarding Grace regardless of the consequences.
/s/ Carolyn M. Layton
dated Aug. 14, 1977
Witnessed:
[illegible signature]
[Notary signature and seal]
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FF-4-A-165
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-49 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Joseph Wilson
I, Joseph J. Wilson, being duly sworn, declare:
I was a frequent house guest of the Stoen’s and as a consequence was exposed to some bizarre behaviour on the part of Grace Stoen. She often wrestled with me and brushed against my privates in a rough manner, obviously attempting sexual stimulation. She would then say, “What’s the matter, can’t you take it?” On other occasions she would run in front of me totally nude and ask same question, above mentioned. She also did this in front of me in the presence of Emmett Griffith, Jr.
I began wondering how she kept her accounting in order when she handled some of the finances because she would give me gas money from church funds and not require receipts nor an accounting of any kind. This happened often and regularly. I saw her give Melanie Briedenbach money for personal clothing from the petty cash box in the church office.
She didn’t spend time with her son like she should have, and I know she had plenty of spare time because she frequently took me out to dinner, several times driving all the way to San Francisco from Redwood Valley, just to eat at a restaraunt. This is a six hour drive both ways alone.
On other occasions I saw her neglect her son for the sake of her affair with Walter Jones, many times she would leave John with me or other people and leave with Walter. This caused John a great deal of anxiety and tears. She even went as far as to push John aside, drop his hand, take Walters hand and leave.
/s/ Joseph J Wilson
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnessed:
[illegible signature]
[Notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-166
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-30 on this page.)
AFFIDAVIT OF JOAN PURSLEY:
- Grace neglected John.
- Once Grace told John to wait for her and she did not come back to get him. John told Joan he did not believe she would be back, that she did not care about him.
- Grace would hug John in a sexual manner that was inappropriate for a child.
—–
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss.
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of JOAN PURSLEY
I, Joan Pursley, being duly sworn, declare:
When Grace was in Peoples Temple she neglected her child John. Once about 2 years ago we were on one of our summer trips and I was watching John in the park and Grace walked up to him and said, “I’ll be back and then we’ll go to the store.” She then left, John turned to me and expressed his belief that she would not be back, that she really didn’t care about him that’s why she wouldn’t be back. This struck me as very sad. He sounded so certain that she wouldn’t be back and she didn’t come back until late that night.
Another thing that really bothered me about her was that she would manipulate him and ask him if he loved her and if he cared for her. Sho would hug all over him in a sexual manner that was inappropriate for a child.
/s/ Joan Pursley
Dated August 14, 1977
Witnessed:
[Notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-167
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-28 on this page.)
- Many times Grace Stoen said in front of Ms. Layton that Jim Jones was not the father of her son, John Victor, and not Tim Stoen
—–
Georgetown ) ss
Cooperative Republic of Guyana
Affidavit s/ Carolyn M. Layton
I, Carolyn M. Layton, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen personally told me many times that Jim Jones was the real father of John Stoen and not Tim Stoen. She also frequently told me of the special love Jim had for John.
/s/ Carolyn M. Layton
Dated August 14, 1977
Witness:
[Notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-168
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-31 on this page.)
- Friend of Grace Stoen’s for seven year
- Narcissism in Grace made her seek support and reassurance from John, frequently asking John if he loved her. The child was under great emotional strain with her.
- Grace threw an uncontrolled temper tantrum in front of John.
- John expressed fear of Walter Jones to Christine. John expressed desire to kill Walter if he tried to take him away to Grace.
——
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Christine R. Lucientes
I, Christine R. Lucientes, Being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen was a friend of mine for several years and I had the opportunity to become aquainted with some of her negative personality traits. Because I babysat her son on a consistent basis I further was made aware of the affect that these patterns had on him.
Grace is a very immature person whose narcissism requires continual positive support from others, including her son. Instead of being a supportive mother to the needs of John Stoen, she sought reassurance from the child himself. I have heard her frequently ask him if he loved her, if the child didn’t answer in a manner that seemed appropriate to her, her face showed vivid disappointment. I felt the child was unduly pressured by such emotional expectations and acted out accordingly.
I recall on a bus trip back to San Francisoo from Los Angeles that Grace was awakened from her sleep and asked to attend to her child that she had left without appointing anyone to supervise. She became hysterical at what she interpreted to be a critisism of her abilities as a mother. In front of the child she shrieked, pulled her hair, hit her head against the bus window and slugged herself. Not only was John upset by this display but several children had incredulous looks upon their faces. I was shocked.
After his mother had abandoned him John expressed to me great hostility and fear of Walter Jones. He related a childish fantasy to me of how he would kill Walter if he tried to take him away to Grace. When she was with him Grace took out on John her hostility to his father. I am afraid for John if he were ever to be put in Grace’s care again.
/s/ Christine R. Lucientes
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[Notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-169
(Editor’s note: A variation of this affidavit appears at A-113. It also appears at FF-7-cc, 1-3 on this page.)
Port Kaituma, North West Region
Guyana, South America
STATEMENT OF PATTY CARTMELL
I, Patty Cartmell, swear under penalty of perjury that the following is true:
I have observed how one Grace Stoen pressured Rev. Jim Jones repeatedly for sex. Grace would call me on the phone and cry, and then come over to my house where I lived close to Rev. Jones’ parsonage home. She would ask Jim over and over for sex.
She was aware Jim did not want her in a sexual encounter. Jim was very kind and always compassionate. Grace would still continue on this insane issue of sex. She appeared to be obsessed with wanting sex with Jim Jones. She threatened suicide on numerous occasions.
And then I heard Tim Stoen ask Rev. Jones in the parking lot to have sex with Grace, because he (Tim) was afraid she would leave him and try to hurt Peoples Temple and bring public embarassment to Jim Jones. So then Jim agreed, and in February or March, 1971, he did have sex with Grace at my house. She got more demanding after that and more threats came from her. Suicide and threats of hurting the church. Numerous threats to kill her huband were made. Jim had sex with her again. Grace swore she was taking birth control pills, but later laughed and said she wasn’t.
I later heard Tim Stoen say he wanted Grace to have a child by Jim Jones, as he thought that might settle her down. I don’t know just what he meant, but Tim seemed to want to help people, though I wasn’t around him enough to know for sure.
When Grace got pregnant that began a nightmare.
/s/ Patty Cartmell
Dated: 13 August 1978
—–
FF-4-A-170
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-34, 37 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Maria Katsaris
I, Maria Katsaris, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen has always made it clear that JIm Jones Is the father of her son John V. Stoen. She would explode with anger if and when Tim Stoen said anything about the rearing of the child or made any critisism of her parental abilities, which he did frequently and accurately. She stated that Tlm Stoen had absolutely nothing to do with the child. She was quite emphatic on that point.
/s/ Maria Katsaris
Dated August 13 1977
Witnessed:
[Notary signature and stamp]
FF-4-A-171
I have taken care of John since before his mother deserted him, I have cared for him since the beginning of the year in 1976. He is very attached to me and has a close child-adult relationship.
/s/ Maria Katsaris
Dated August 14, 1977
Witnessed:
[Notary signature and stamp]
—–
FF-4-A-172
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-42 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Maria Katsaris
I, Maria Katsaris, being duly sworn, declare:
I have known Grace Stoen for five years and John Stoen since he was just a few months old. In all this time I have never known her to care for him. Ever since he was an infant she had other people take care of him. She never spent time with him and instead of patiently explaining things to him or answering his questions she would ignore him. She would even call him stupid. Also instead of correcting him in a way he could learn from when he did something wrong, she would yell at him and hit him. As John got older, Grace would often fondle him in a sexual manner and I have even seen her kiss him on the mouth at different times.
Grace would neglect John and at the time when she did have him with her she did not even bother to see that he ate or took a bath. He was up at all hours of the night because she did not put him to bed. He would go for days in the same dirty clothes. John often remarked that he knew Grace did not care for him, especially when she walked off and left him in July 1976.
When Grace did visit John in August of 1976 he was very upset and acted out terribly. He cried and threw tantrums the entire time of her contact with him. I have never known him to do this except with her. She would often throw tantrums herself that one would expect out of a small child, she would act out in a very immature emotionally unstable manner. I remember one scene in particular when she began screaming pulling her hair, and knocking her head against a wall, all in the presence of John.
John has told me himself he has no desire to ever see Grace again and that she never really was a mother to him.
/s/ Maria Katsaris
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnessed:
[Notary signature and stamp]
—–
FF-4-A-173
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-17 on this page.)
AFFIDAVIT OF LYNETTA P. JONES
- Same as other affidavit but for the end:
“GRACE OPENLY STATED TO ME THAT MY SON, JAMES JONES, WAS THE TRUE FATHER OF JOHN.”
—–
Port Kaituma ) s.s.
Guyana
Affidavit of Lynetta P. Jones
I, Lynetta P. Jones, being duly sworn, declare:
A number of times while I was living in my son, James Jones’s home in Redwood Valley, California, Grace Stoen called him. I answered the phone myself on several occasions to hear Grace tearfully asking to speak to Jim. These conversations would continue for hours. One could not avoid hearing parts of them just working around the kitchen.
Another time Grace Stoen came to our house in the same state of mind, crying loudly. She even approached the other teenage boys living in the house, trying to tell them her problems. When Jim discovered that she had done this he put a stop to it at once. He had already apprised the entire household of the situation. Grace’s hysteria certainly necessitated this.
John spent many hours with us at the house. He often spent the night and always returned home regretfully. He protested having to go back with Grace on many occasions.
Grace openly stated to me that my son, James Jones was the true father of John.
/s/ Lynetta P. Jones
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnessed:
[Notary signature and stamp]
—–
FF-4-A-178
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-16 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana )
Affidavit of Edith Bogue
I, Edith Bogue, being duly sworn, declare:
When John Stoen was an Infant Grace Stoen would bring him to my house and leave him. She wouldn’t say where she was going or when she was coming back, she would return hours later. When John was only a few months old she would hold him up and swing him around by his arms. I was afraid she would break his arm or his collar bone. She also called him names like crazy John Stoen.
Her conduct around young boys from 10 years old and up was very seductive. She did this around John all the time.
/s/ Edith Bogue
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-179
AFFIDAVIT OF MELANIE BREIDENBACH:
- Melanie lived one year with Grace Stoen.
- During that time [“she” crossed out and “Grace” written] never spent much tim with the child John.
- Grace was cruel to John and payed him no attention. She slapped him for no reason
- Grace told Melanie John would rather be with someone else. She feels Grace deser[ted] John intentionally to put him off on someone else.
—–
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-9 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss.
North West District, Guyana )
Affidavit of Melanie Breidenbach
I, Melanie Breidenbach, being duly sworn, declare:
I knew Grace Stoen for almost two years and lived with her for one of those years. During the time that I lived with her she never spent much time with her son. When he was home with us she was cruel to him and payed no attention to him, she would yell at him for no reason, slap him, discipline him when he was doing nothing, she neglected him by always putting him off on someone else to watch. I feel that she didn’t care for him at all by the way she acted towards him when he was home. She told me herself that she felt he would be better off with someone else. I feel it was just a cop-out so she wouldn’t have to take up her time taking care of him properly and give him the attention and care a child needs to grow. I feel that she just deserted him and put him off for someone else to take care of.
/s/ Melanie Breidenbach
Dated August 14, 1977
Witnessed:
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-180
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-75b on this page.)
Georgetown ) ss
Guyana, South America )
Affidavit of Marylou Clancey
I, Marylou Clancey, duly sworn declare:
Last September, 1976, on a Sunday afternoon, Grace Stoen came to visit her son John at Peoples Temple between Sunday services. I was standing nearby in the room talking with Grace when John misbehaved just a little over a piece of candy. Grace became extremely angry with John (a child of only 4 who she had not seen in two months), raising her voice and overreacting and upsetting him. She was actually shaking with anger. I remember this distinctly because I was upset with her behavior toward him, as were others present in the room. She then abruptly pushed John into the arms of Jim Jones, and said in an angry tone, “Take him.”
She then announced she was leaving. Also, Jim Jones gave her airplane tickets to enable her to visit John later; she didn’t want them, but he insisted she take them.
/s/ Marylou Clancey
Dated August 12, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me, a
commissioner of Oaths of the 13th
Republic of Guyana
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-181
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at B-5-c(37) on this page.)
Georgetown, ) ss
Guyana, South America )
Affidavit /s of Laura Johnston
I, Laura Johnston, duly sworn declare:
I remember on a bus trip, when John Stoen was about 1 year old, and asleep, that Grace Stoen kept carressing his hair in a sexual way, bothering him with the fussing, so that finally other adults had to intercede before she totally disturbed his sleep.
I remember numerous times in Redwood Valley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, when Grace Stoen would ignore her son John to such a point that he would become hysterical because of her inattention.
Grace Stoen always had men around her, and she would encourage them to confide in her. Grace and her husband also took young people into their home, and then Grace would make them feel sorry for her, or — she’d cry about..how one wasn’t helping her with another problem youngster. Once I remember, Grace cried almost hysterically in front of one youth, complaining about how he hadn’t been helpful enough with another young man named Vincent: I think she used Vincent as a means of manipulating his foster dad, who she later ran off with, leaving her son behind.
She would pick young people who she liked, and excuse them of any wrongdoing, but she would come down very hard on others, without regard to their background or family problems, etc. She would cause division between people, and talk viciously behind the backs of some women to set in tight with their companions. She was generally cruel to people she didn’t like.
Grace worked for a while in a convalescent hospital, and knew how to talk about the poor way the patients were treated; but she spent long hours with the others who worked there, laughing about their idiosyncracies and mocking the patients. Even though she definitely “knew better”, I found that Grace was commonly cruel and insensitive to people, even when she had absolutely no reason to want to abuse them.
/s/ Laura Johnston
Dated: 13 August, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me, a
commissioner of Oaths of the 13
Republic of Guyana
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-182
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-78b on this page.)
Georgetown, ) ss
Guyana, South America )
Affidavit of Joyce Parks
I, Joyce Parks, duly sworn declare:
That I went to Mrs. Grace Stoen’s home one evening and found that she had left the house and left her son, John, alone with a ten year old child. The house had no heat and the ten year old was crying and said that Mrs. Stoen had left her with John the night before and had not returned. I was able to contact her husband, Timothy Stoen, who asked me to take the child home with me until he could pick him up the next morning. John was in my home on many occassions and consistantly arrived dirty. The child would say that his mother was always out and did not have any time to take care of him.
/s/ Joyce Parks
Dated: August 12, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me, a
commissioner of Oaths of the 13th
Republic of Guyana
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-183
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-77b on this page.)
Georgetown, ) ss
Guyana, South America )
Affidavit /s of
I, Rita Tupper, being duly sworn declare:
I have seen Grace Stoen treat her son, John, with much cruelty. She used to yell at him and lose control of her temper when he did not please her. I have seen her hit him repeatedly and cruelly when she was mad.
I have heard her tell Rev. Jim Jones that he could have the child and that she did not want him.
She has said many times she was unable to cope with the child. She neglected him, never bathing him regularly or feeding him properly. She was never home to care for John, always left him with someone else. Other people as busy as she was found ways to spend more time with their children, but Grace did not seem to care enough to work this out.
Grace continually pressured Rev. Jones to give her sexual attention, even though she knew he did not like that. She continued to bother him anyway.
She used to go into deep depressions and moodiness, and she used to say she wanted to destroy herself, and was unbalanced in her actions. She would scream and yell and go on for hours, and someone in the church would have to go over and assist her, to try and calm her down, which often took hours and hours.
She left her son John with Rev. Jones to care for while she was running around with Walter Jones, even though she kas married at the time. She never once checked to see if John was o.k. On one vacation trip, which lasted several weeks, she never cared for the child or spent any time with him; instead she left him for someone else to care for.
/s/ Rita J. Tupper
Dated: 13 August, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me,
a commissioner of Oaths of the 13th
Republic of Guyana
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-184
16 August 1978
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
I, Timothy James Carter, do hereby declare under penalty of perjury:
1) That I was fully aware of the relationship of Jim Jones and Grace Stoen, and of Jim Jones’ involvement in such purely as a means of protecting the organization, with the encouragement and insistence of Timothy O. Stoen.
2) That Grace Stoen did ask Jim Jones to divorce his wife and marry her, and when he refused, she became vindictive.
3) That Grace Stoen did come on to me in a very flirtatious and sexually suggestive manner, and I was fully aware that she was doing this to try to spite Jim – or make him jealous. I thought I might be able to be of some assistance to Jim and the group if I did not spurn her advances.
4) Despite my awareness of what she was doing, I did become emotionally invovled in the relationship. However, when she realized that her promiscuity in no way affected Jim, she once again turned all her attention to bim (where it had been the whole time anyway). She resumed her efforts to manipulate him into some sort of permanent relationship with her.
These incidents are as I remember them, and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
/s/ Timothy James Carter
Timothy James Carter
—–
FF-4-A-185
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-10 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Barbara Cordell
I, Barbara J. Cordell, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace was having difficulty with John during a period when he developed a severe facial tic. She brought him to my home to care for him for an extended period of time. Within a matter of two week away from her he was free of this tic.
Grace generally could not handle John. He told her that he hated her and she could not deal with this. During her visits with John while he was living in my home if he happened to be naughty, she would bring him to me to deal with.
/s/ Barbara J. Cordell
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-186
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-11 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of Edith Bogue
I, Edith Bogue, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen used to bring John Stoen to my house and leave him for hours I never knew where she went or when she would be back to get him. When he was little she ould swing him by his arms. I was afraid she would either break his arm or collar bone. She tossed him on his blanket like he was a doll, a number of times during the years from John’s birth until he was older I have heard her call him names like, “John you are stupid, how’s my crazy kid. I’ve seen her pour a drink that he wanted on the ground because he spilled some of it. At times she would be very kind to him and then she would push him away and tell him she didn’t like him She also said she didn’t like Tim Stoen in front of John a number of times.
/s/ Edith Bogue
Dated August 14, 1977
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-187
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-80b on this page.)
Georgetown, ) ss
Guyana, South America )
Affidavit of Sharon Cobb
I, Sharon Cobb, being duly sworn declare:
I was present many times when Grace Stoen acted In a cruel manner toward her son, John. One time I saw her stand by him, laughing, while a teenager teased him and slapped him. Grace would also ask John if he wanted to go somewhere with her. When he would reply that he did, she would tell him he could not go with her. On many occassions she would leave John, not knowing who was taking care of him.
/s/ Sharon Cobb
Dated: August 12, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me,
a commissioner of Oaths of the 13th
Republic of Guyana
[notary signature and seal]
—–
FF-4-A-188
(Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-1-27 on this page.)
Jonestown, Port Kaituma ) ss
Northwest District, Guyana
Affidavit of Wesley Briedenbach
I, Wesley Briedenbach, being duly sworn, declare:
I saw Grace Stoen take funds from Peoples Temple cash boxes and spend it on herself. Upon one occasion she gave me $70.00 to buy some clothes out of a cash box and she never asked me for any money back or receipts of for any accounting of the money whatsoever.
Concerning her child John, I felt that she left him alone too much with too many people and because of it he suffered long periods of regection. These periods of rejection were frequent.
/s/ Wesley Briedenbach
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses:
[notary signature and seal]