Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.
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FBI Catalogue Miscellaneous
FBI preliminary tape identification note: One ConcerTape C-120/ 2/15/74 “Jim Jones Hostage Statement”/ (illegible) sermon side 1, side 2 blank, includes PSE (illegible)
Date cues on tape: Contents consistent with date on label
People named:
Bob Davis
Public figures/National and international names:
Patricia Hearst, kidnapped by SLA (speaks)
Van Amberg, news reporter (speaks)
John Lester, news reporter (speaks)
Jim Vargas, news reporter (speaks)
Jerry Jensen, news reporter
Tom Tideman, psychological profiler (phonetic) (speaks)
Bible verses cited: None
Summary:
Patricia Hearst, known at the time only as the heiress to the Hearst newspaper empire, was kidnapped in February 1974 by a little known radical group called the Symbionese Liberation Army. In the days that followed, as the SLA laid out conditions for Hearst’s release, members of Peoples Temple offered themselves as hostages in exchange for her freedom. This tape includes a number of stories about the aftermath of the kidnapping, including one television news report of the Temple offer.
The tape opens with a short, non-contextual exchange between two unknown members of Peoples Temple about the performance of Bob Davis, a Temple member who would die in Jonestown.
FBI Summary:
Date of transcription: 3/22/79
In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.
On March 20, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape numbered 1B62 #96. This tape was found to contain the following:
Recordings of television news broadcasts concerning the kidnapping of PATRICIA HEARST.
This tape was reviewed, and nothing was contained thereon which was considered to be of evidentiary nature or beneficial to the investigation of Congressman RYAN.
Differences with FBI Summary:
The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.
Tape originally posted January 2013