B-1-e
File folder labelled “Affidavits re: Grace Stoen as Unbalanced, Sexually Promiscuous”
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B-1-e-1a
AFFIDAVIT OF DANNY KUTULAS:
- Grace asked Danny “Would you like to fuck me?” She was thinly clad and knew Danny was having marital problems.
- She was immature and narcissistic.
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B-1-e-1b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is a variation on affidavit at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-t]
Jonestown, Port Kaituma
North West District, Guyana
Affidavit of
Danny K. Kutulas
I, Danny K. Kutulas, being duly sworn, declare
Grace was one of my house guests in my apartment in the Fall of 1975. She was aware of my serious marital problems at the time. On the occasion that the others left the apartment Grace, who was clad in a thin gown, threw open her arms and said, “Would you like to fuck me?” I said, “You’re nuts.” and walked out of the apartment.
I feel this typlifies her immature narcissism.
Danny K. Kutulas
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnesses [illegible]
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B-1-e-1b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-t]
Affidavit of
Danny K. Kutulas
Jonestown, Port Kaituma
North West District, Guyana
I, Danny K. Kutulas, being duly sworn declare:
In the Fall of 1975 Grace Stoen stayed in my apartment at 1435 Alvarado Terrace, Rm 303 Los Angeles, Calif., as a house guest. Grace was aware of my marital problems and asked, “Would you like to fuck me?” She was wearing a thin nightgown and threw her arms dramatically. I said, “You’re nuts.” and walked out of the apartment. This was on a Sunday morning.
/s/ Danny K. Kutulas
Dated August 14, 1977
Witnessed: [illegible]
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B-1-e-2a
LYNETTA P. JONES, AFFIDAVIT THEREOF:
- Lynetta Jones, mother of Jim Jones, often answered the phone to hear Grace tearfully asking to talk to Jim Jones. She would talk to him for hours.
- Showed no regard for the children and teens and others in the home. She evidenced bizarre and hysterical behavior in the Jones household and poured out her problems onto Jim’s sons until he put a stop to it.
- Lynetta heard Grace threaten to kill Tim Stoen
- John’s life would be destroyed if he were to be returned to Grace Stoen.
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B-1-e-2b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-v.]
Affidavit s/ Lynetta P. Jones
Georgetown, Cooperative Republic of Guyana
I, Lynetta P. Jones, being duly sworn, declare:
These are my experiences and observations:
I remember on many occasions hearing the phone ring in our home in Redwood Valley where I lived with my son James Jones, and his family. I answered the phone on several occasions myself to hear Grace Stoen tearfully asking to speak to Jim. She would talk with him for hours. I would hear him while I was working in the kitchen trying to reassure her or counsel her on various matters. She did this repeatedly and even came to the parsonage herself in this condition a couple of times. She seemed to have no regard for those around her. She cried in front of the other children in the house (at that time there were teenagers) and even attempted to discuss her problems with them until my son noticed and intervened, demanding of her not to do this. My son had apprised the entire house of the situation, an if he had not her hysteria would have necessitated it since she constantly manifested such bizarre behavior.
I remember once overhearing her threatening to kill Tim Stoen. Much of the time she seemed perturbed about him and the time he spent with her.
We often took care of little John in the house as she seemed very unable to meet his most basic needs. He visited with us on many nights and never wanted to go back home after being in the house with us.
My own opinion on the matter of little John’s feature is that it would be the total destruction of a human being to send him back to his mother.
/s/ Lynetta P. Jones
Dated August 14, 1977
Witnessed: [illegible]
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B-1-e-3a
JOSEPH WILSON, AFFIDAVIT OF:
-
- Grace wrestled with Joseph and pushed against his privates, attempting sexual stimulation.
- She ran in front of Joe totally naked and taunted: “Can’t you take it?”
- Grace gave money to some of the church youth, including Joe.
- She frequently took Joe out to dinner, but gave no time to her son John.
- Grace left John with Joe and others for the sake of her affair with Walter Jones. Grace’s preference for Walter Jones caused John tears and anxiety.
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B-1-e-3b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-w]
Affidavit of Joseph Wilson
Jonestown, Port Kaituma,
North West District, Guyana
I, Joseph L. Wilson, being duly sworn, declare:
I was a frequent house guest of the Stoen’s and as a consequence was exposed to some bizarre behavior 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 within say, “What’s the matter, can’t you take it?” On other occasions she would run in front of me totally nude and ask [the] 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 restaurant. 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 Walter’s hand and leave.
/s/ Joseph L. Wilson
Dated August 13, 1977
Witnessed: [illegible]
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B-1-e-4a
AFFIDAVIT OF CAROLYN LAYTON
- Describes counseling situation between Grace, Jim, and herself. Grace threatened suicide to manipulate and pressure Jim to marry her.
- Grace made damaging displays of emotional depression in the presence of John.
- Grace was flirtatious with teenage boys and kissed Vincent Lopez (and John) on the mouth.
- Grace is an emotional cripple. Jim did all a person could do to help her, but she only used him and the Temple.
- TO REMOVE JOHN FROM HIS FATHER’S CUSTODY AND GIVE HIM TO GRACE WOULD BE CRUEL AND INHUMANE TO THE CHILD.
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B-1-e-4b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-x.]
Affidavit of
Carolyn M. Layton
Jonestown, Port Kaituma,
North West District, Guyana
I, Carolyn M. Layton, being duly sworn, declare:
As a member of Peoples 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 altar 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 responded like a child to almost all adults around her, requiring constant praise and reassurance in order to function.
She was very flirtatious around teenage boys 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 of the years she has been in Peoples Temple. I remember the very first time she attended. I can say with upmost [utmost] 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 who came to People’s Temple for help. I saw her talk to Jim Jones for 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 in some 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 undoubtedly 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]
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B-1-e-5a
AFFIDAVIT OF CAROLYN LAYTON
Same as other affidavit, but ending is different: declares that as soon as the affidavit is made known to Grace, she will tell lies against Carolyn Layton as she is doing against Jim Jones. Fully expects some sort of retaliation from Grace. But she feels she must tell the truth of what she knows about Grace in spite of the consequences.
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B-1-e-5b
[Editor’s note: This is a virtual duplicate of affidavit above]
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B-1-e-6a
AFFIDAVIT OF MELANIE BREIDENBACH
- Resided with Stoens for one year.
- Found an envelope of $5,000 in Grace’s bed.
- One week later Grace left home with her boyfriend Walter Jones.
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B-1-e-6b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-gg.]
Affidavit of Melanie Briedenbach
Jonestown, Port Kaituma,
North West District, Guyana
I, Melanie Briedenbach, 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: [illegible]
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B-1-e-7a
EMMETT GRIFFITH, JR. AFFIDAVIT OF
- When Emmett was 16 or 17, Grace ran across the room naked in her apartment in front of him. She laughed “Can’t you take it?”
- Grace gave out Temple money based on favorites, abused her financial responsibilities.
- Grace flaunted her relationship with Walter Jones in front of John.
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B-1-e-7b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-n]
Affidavit of Emmett Griffith, Jr.
Jonestown, Port Kaituma, North West District, Guyana
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, “What’s 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]
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B-1-e-8b
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-o]
Affidavit of Terry Carter
Georgetown, Guyana, South America
I, Terry Carter, being duly sworn, declare:
In the fall of 1974, I had the occasion to travel from Redwood Valley, California to San Francisco with Grace Stoen and Tim Carter. I was shocked and upset by their behavior. This gave me my first real opportunity to observe Grace being flirtatious and sexually aggressive. Even though she was married and had a one-year-old son, and even though Tim Carter was my brother, Grace was not embarrassed to flirt and finger Tim’s hair while she was driving; and when we stopped for lunch, she lay beside Tim and they caressed each other. When I asked her where her son was, she was flippant as though she couldn’t care less about him.
Grace’s sexual impulsiveness and immaturity – I would even say obsession, came out in other ways, too. For example, once when I was standing with her, and she was holding her son, the four Jones brothers, walked by, and she followed them with her eyes. She turned to me and said, “it’s hard for me to remember they’re just boys, if you know what I mean.” She nudged me, and acted very foolish. She always seemed more interested in flirting with different men – or boys, than she was in her own child. (On the occasion I’ve described here, the oldest Jones son was only 17 and the youngest was [blank space], and Grace was 21 and married and a mother.)
/s/ Terry Carter
Dated: 13 August, 1977
Subscribed to and sworn before me,
Commissioner of Oaths of the Republic of Guyana
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B-1-e-9a
Notarized affidavits from Tim Carter regarding his relationship with Grace Stoen
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B-1-e-9b
Affidavit of Timothy Carter:
- Tim had a romantic relationship with Grace though they never had intercourse.
- Grace asked Tim to make love to her even though she was on her period, this took place in her home in her bedroom.
- She admitted to Tim Jim Jones was the father of John.
- Grace spoke of her open, deep hatred of Tim Stoen. Resented Tim Stoen for calling himself John’s father and acting like it. Grace said: “He’s my son, not yours.”
- Grace told Carter she would never give custody to John to Tim Stoen, though she would give custody to Jim Jones, the real father.
- Grace [is] a vindictive person.
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B-1-e-9c – 9e
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939, FF-7-p]
Tuesday, August 16, 1977
Affidavit #1
I, Timothy J. Carter, do hereby declare the following to be true and correct to the best of my knowledge and recollection.
Starting in approximately June of 1973, I became close friends with Grace Gretch [Grech] Stoen, who was then legally married and living with Timothy O. Stoen. Subsequently we became “lovers”, though we actually never had sexual intercourse, did frequently engage in petting, fondling, and “making out” with each other. In October, 1973, Grace Stoen did ask me to have intercourse with her: “Will you make love to me even though I’m on my period?” This took place in her home, in her bedroom (at that time she and Tim Stoen were living on Eastside Calpella Dr. in Ukiah, CA. Her son, John Stoen, who she admitted to me was fathered by Jim Jones, was at the house at the time, asleep.)
I initially learned that the natural father of John Stoen was Jim Jones on September 23, 1973, when Jim Jones told me of the relationship he had had with Grace Stoen, at her husband’s request.
Grace Stoen had an open, deep hatred for Tim Stoen, which she spoke openly out to me and to others. She would call him der-
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B-1-e-9d
ogatory names, such as “squatty-body”. She complained of him as being an incompetent lover and insensitive husband, and said she could never “get back together” with Tim. She openly said that “I hate Tim Stoen.” She never considered Tim to have the right to call John his son, and would make comments such as, “he is my son, not yours.” She did tell me once that she would fight to ever giving custody of John to Tim Stoen, though she did say that she would give custody of John to Jim Jones, since he was the real father. This type of dialogue was set in terms of postulation, not as something inevitable. Grace spoke of the “pain” the birth of John had put her through (emotional pain), and said if she had to do it over, she wouldn’t. She admitted to me that Jim Jones had used contraceptives to try and avoid any impregnation.
Grace was not aware that Jim and others knew of my relationship with her, and we would see each other on the sneak either in her office early in the morning, by taking rides out in the country, or she would leave her front door open for me to sneak in. She was highly paranoid of being confronted in PC over our relationship.
She was very con-
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B-1-e-9e
cerned about concealing the identity of John’s real father, and would mention people outside of PC that she was afraid knew about it. Liz Foreman was one person in particular who she thought knew & would talk about it through the church. She will talk about what would happen “if it ever got out”, as if Jim’s effectiveness as a leader would be severely damaged if it did.
Grace Stoen was a very vindictive person, and told me that she “never forgets” if somebody would offend her or screw her over. She made frequent references to the “blonde haired, blue-eyed, pink-tittied bitches” that Tim Stoen was supposedly attracted to, or who were supposedly close to Jim. I interpreted this primarily as jealousy of Marceline Jones, Jim Jones’ wife.
Grace’s concern for her image over her concern for her child became glaringly apparent to me when, during a PC confrontation, she said “I swear on my child’s life that I never said that” when I exposed her asking me to make love to her.
/s/ Timothy J. Carter
August 17, 1977
[Handwritten certification and stamp of New York notary public]
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B-1-e-10a
This is Jim’s handwriting asking Grace about her relationship with Smitty (Walter Jones)
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B-1-e-10b
I hear some rumor that you are involved emotionally with Smitty and it is felt that it is most definitely affecting his work. Please answer on the bottom and keep this answer confidential to you only. I need to know so I can know what to expect and guard for hurt ahead of time for a change.
Thanks!
[Grace’s reply]
You don’t have to worry I’m not. I think it’s the other way around. I do feel it’s affecting his work, although he says he’s studying.
I would like to talk to you in regards to Vincent. I hope I didn’t fuck it up today.
The situation with Vincent takes a lot out of me.
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B-1-e-10c
[Jim Jones’ handwriting]
Obviously he’s out of it. What the hell are we going to do? Certainly he is depending on you as a child in the worst sense. I agree. Give me some affection. He’s paying no attention.
[Grace’s reply]
I don’t know, maybe it has something to do with Vince or maybe he doesn’t relate to these meetings? Maybe the Promised Land, easier schedule although, he is a physically (or was) hard worker.
I don’t know if he picks things up very easy, i.e., what we are discussing in [illegible initials]
I notice he has been falling asleep off & on since he’s been back.
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B-1-N-3a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-173 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
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.”
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B-1-N-3b
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]
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B-1-N-4a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-167 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
AFFIDAVIT OF CAROLYN M. LAYTON
- 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
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B-1-N-4b
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]
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B-1-N-5a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-156 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
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.
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B-1-N-5b
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]
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B-1-N-6a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-7-cc, 1-3 on Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
DECLARATION OF PATTY CARTMELL
- Patty witnessed Grace pressure Jim Jones incessantly for sex.
2. Grace threatened suicide on numerous occasions, obsessed with the idea of sex with Jim.
3. Grace manipulated Tim Stoen and Jim two point they decided sex with Jim was in hers, Tim’s, in the church’s best interest. The encounter took place in Patty’s home.
4. Grace threatened to kill her husband.
5. Jim used contraceptives and Grace swore she was using pills. Later she laughed and
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B-1-N-6b
said she had not used pills.
6. Patty heard Tim Stoen say he wanted place to have a child by Jim Jones.
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B-1-N-6c
Affidavit of Patty Cartmell
Georgetown,
Guyana, South America
I, Patty Cartmell, being duly sworn declare:
I have observed how one Grace Stoen pressured Rev. Jim Jones 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 in trying to hurt the People’s 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 didn’t notice 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 me,
Commissioner of Oaths of the Republic of Guyana
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B-1-n-7
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-160 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
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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B-1-n-8
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-157 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
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
Teresa Buford
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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B-1-n-9a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-4-A-159 on Affidavits critical of Stoens.]
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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B-1-n-9b
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 seal]
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B-1-n-10a
[Editor’s note: Several forms relating to John Victor Stoen – including the following – appear at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=13832. ]
PARENTAL CONSENT AND POWER OF ATTORNEY
State of California
County of Mendocino
United States of America
I, Grace L. Stoen and Timothy Stoen, hereby declare:
- I am the natural parent/ legal guardian of John Stoen, a minor, born April 27, 1974.
- I hereby consent to said minor going to Guyana, South America, to live and be cared for there under the Guardinaship [Guardianship] or custody of Joyce Touchette.
I hereby appoint Sharon Cobb of Redwood Valley, Calif. and
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B-1-n-10b
Jim Jones of S.F., Calif. and Helen Swinney of Redwood Valley, Calif. as my attorneys-in-fact, jointly and severally, to take any and all action any of them deem fit for the welfare of said minor. By this power of attorney, I give each of the aforesaid attorneys-in-fact the right to the care, custody, supervision, and control of said minor anywhere throughout the world, and to travel anywhere with said minor throughout the world.
Executed on this 9th day of March
1976 at Ukiah, California
Signed /s/ Grace L. Stoen
/s/ Timothy O. Stoen
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B-1-n-11b
State of California
County of (blank)
United States of America
On March 9th before me, the Undersigned, a Notary Public in and for said County and State, personally appeared Grace L. Stoen and Timothy Stoen known to me to be the person whose names are subscribed to the within instruments and acknowledged to me that they executed the same.
Witness my hand and official seal.
/s/ James R. Randolph
[Notary seal]
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B-1-n-13a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-44, A-B at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
Affidavit of Eugene B. Chaikin
I, Eugene B. Chaikin, being duly sworn, declare:
I have known both Tim Stoen and Grace Gretch [Grech] 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 is been the custom in Peoples Temple to have counseling 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 is said to me on several occasions that John Victor Stoen is the son 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 him 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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B-1-n-13b
-2-
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 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 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
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
—–
B-1-n-14a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-45, A-B at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
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 bathwater in John’s bathinet [bassinet]. 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 talk 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, the John had the same type of energy and said she felt the 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 as 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
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B-1-n-14b
-2-
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
Sharon Amos
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
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B-1-n-15
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-46 at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
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, as she admitted to me that Jim Jones was the father of her child. I have heard her make the statement numerous times since that first admission.
She also talked to me in the 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 is obviously by the way she related to him. (For instance, she refused to give him his first haircut 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 conscientious or fit mother.
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977.
/s/ Sandra Bradshaw
Sandra Bradshaw
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
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B-1-n-16
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-47 at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
Affidavit of Jean Brown
I, Jean Brown, being duly sworn, 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 made 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
Jean Brown
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
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B-1-n-17
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-48 at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
Affidavit of Teresa J. Buford
I, Teresa J. Buford, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace Stoen told me the 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 to do it over again that she would have had an abortion.
Dated this 18th day of August, 1977.
/s/ Teresa J. Buford
Teresa J. Buford
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
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B-1-n-18a
[Editor’s note: This affidavit also appears at FF-8-49a – 49b at Temple Affidavits on Grace Stoen.]
Affidavit of Lee Ingram
I, Lee Ingram, being duly sworn, declare:
Grace is a self-centered ego-maniac and in the past would brag about and make known her accomplishments, even if they were other’s deeds.
One such was her marriage to Tim Stoen, a one time member of Peoples Temple and a successful Assistant District Attorney in Mendocino and San Francisco Counties. This was Grace’s penchant to live vicariously through other’s deeds and make claims for how great she was – purely through some dependent attachment.
Grace’s son, John, was fathered by Jim Jones after much verbal counseling was attempted, I designed specifically to help the fragile and intemperant [intemperate] Grace maintain a little sanity. John was another “object” for her to flaunt. On more than one occasion in the course of conversation she’d
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B-1-n-18b
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mentioned to me how she was instructing John to respect Tim, his play daddy, but his true devotion should be given to his real father, Jim Jones. This was repeated over and over again – “Yes John, Jim is your dad, he’s your father.”
Dated this 20th day of August, 1977.
/s/ Lee Ingram
Lee Ingram
[Stamp and seal by Notary Public James R. Randolph]
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B-1-n-19
Anonymous, undated note
Obviously he’s out of it. What the hell are we going to do? Certainly he’s dependent on you as [a] child in the worst sense. I agree? Give me some reflection. He’s paying no attention.
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B-1-N-20 – 46
[Editor’s note: The following affidavits also appear at Standardized Affidavits on the Paternity of John Victor Stoen.]
State of California ) ss.
City and County of San Francisco
AFFIDAVIT
I, [name], hereby swear that I have heard Grace Stoen say that Jim Jones is the real father of John Victor Stoen.
Dated August 20, 1977.
/s/ [name]
Subscribed and sworn before me,
a Notary Public in and for the
State of California
/s/ James R Randolph
[Notary public seal]
Sharon Amos B-1-N-33 = F-8-18
Jack Lovell Beam B-1-N-36 = F-8-21
Rheaviana Beam B-1-N-44 = F-8-29
Bonnie Jean Beack B-1-N-25 = F-8-11
Maxine E. Betts B-1-N-37 = F-8-22
Deborah Blakey B-1-N-28 = F-8-16
Sandra L. Bradshaw B-1-N-26 = F-8-10
Teresa Buford B-1-N-30 = F-8-14
Ruby Jewell Carroll B-1-N-43 = F-8-28
Phyllis Chaikin B-1-N-39 = F-8-24
Genevieve Cheek B-1-N-46 = F-8-31
Timothy Clancey B-1-N-35 = F-8-20
Laurie B. Efrein B-1-N-41 = F-8-26
Hue Fortson B-1-N-21 = F-8-6
Phyllis Houston B-1-N-22 = F-8-27
Lee Ingram B-1-N-29 = F-8-13
Florida Johnson B-1-N-38 = F-8-23
Marceline Jones B-1-N-20 = F-8-32
Edith Kutulas B-1-N-22 = F-8-7
Jane E. Mutschmann B-1-N-40 = F-8-25
Beatrice A. Orsot B-1-N-31 = F-8-15
Andrew M. Silver B-1-N-24 = F-8-9
Carol A. Stahl B-1-N-23 = F-8-8
Kathy Tropp B-1-N-45 = F-8-32
Robin Tschetter B-1-N-27 = F-8-12
Diane Wilkinson B-1-N-32 = F-8-17
Vera L. Young B-1-N-34 = F-8-19
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B-1-N-47a – 47d
[Editor’s note: This affidavit is duplicated at FF-8-36, a-c and at FF-7-kk, 1-4 at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=99939. This version includes a cover note summarizing its contents.]
AFFIDAVIT BY TIM CARTER
- Tim elaborates on the extent of his sexual relationship with Grace Stoen.
2. Grace told Carter: “I just happened to be the mother of the leader’s son.”
3. Grade [Grace] said that if she ever left the church she would not take John because she knew that would be best for him.
4. Carter witnessed Grace to say, and reply to the question she really hated John, “Yes.”
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B-1-N-47b
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Affidavit #2
August 17, 1977
I, Timothy J. Carter, do declare the following to be true and correct to the best of my knowledge & recollection.
I want to detail more specifically my physical relationship with Grace Stoen, and some of the specific meetings we had. The first time we ever had physical contact or kissed
was in late September of 1973. It was a Saturday night and Grace was supposed to be in a Planning Commission meeting – it was around 7:30 or 8:00. I was not on the Planning Commission at that time. We met in the alley behind the Los Angeles Temple & then walked through the alley, across Pico Blvd., and further down the alley and stopped and sat on a ledge. We talked a while, holding hands, and kissed, and “French-kissed” each other. She was late for the PC meeting.
The first time we have petted, that I can specifically remember, was one afternoon after going to a luncheon as church representatives, we stopped at her house (on Eastside Calpella Rd., where she lived with Tim Stoen) and made out on her couch. At that time I did fondle her breasts and vagina through her blouse and panty house [hose]. We stopped after about a half-hour.
We had more involved sexual encounters when I would come into her bedroom in the middle
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B-1-N-47c
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of the night. I can remember one time specifically when, after making out for a while, and fondling each other, she took all her clothes off, on her own accord. I didn’t feel that having intercourse with her was proper at that time, so I did not remove my clothing. When she saw after a couple of minutes that I was not taking my clothes off, she became almost frantic, stop making out, and put her clothes back on. During this encounter I had fondled and kissed her breasts, and also I touched her vagina.
The night Grace asked me to “make love” to her she again took her clothes off, and I was in my underwear. Our sex play including her masturbating me to orgasm, and my having oral sex with her. It was while I was having oral sex with her she asked me “Will you make love to me even though I’m on my period?”
There were many other times we would engage in simple hugging and kissing, in the car, in the office, and other places. During this whole affair Grace Stoen was legally married to Tim Stoen. John Stoen, her son, would be in the house when I would sneak in at night. One of the other girls, who lived with her at that time, Melanie Breidenbach, knew that we had a relationship of sorts, though she didn’t know
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B-1-N-47d
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the extent of it, and used to tease Grace about it.
When the kids were awake at home and we wanted to be together we would take a drive far out on a country road, where we would talk & make out.
Grace was on an ego trip about John being Jim’s son, and made statements to me to that effect, such as she “just happened to be the mother of the leader’s son.” She also told me that if she ever left the church, she would leave John with the church, because she knew that would “be best for him.”
Grace Stoen did admit that she even hated John Stoen during a confrontation we were having on Bus #7. The dialogue was between myself, Grace Stoen, Jim Jones, Sharon Amos, Sandy Bradshaw, Patricia Cartmell, Andy Silver, and I think two others, who I cannot specifically remember at this time. When she was asked, “Isn’t it true that you really hate John?”, Grace Stoen replied “Yes.”
Timothy J. Carter