The FBI’s investigation into the events of November 18, 1978 focused upon the assassination of Leo Ryan and any actions of members of Peoples Temple which may have shown evidence of a conspiracy related to that assassination. Code-named RYMUR – short for Ryan Murder – the investigation yielded 2750 serials totalling more than 10,000 pages, eventually separated into 42 large sections.
This page includes the contents of Section 3, including serials 208-311. All are dated during the first week following the Jonestown tragedy in November 1978.
The table below lists each document by serial number, the number of pages within each serial, the date the serial was generated, the federal agency originating the serial, and a brief description. Each entry then includes the PDF and the text of the serial. Additional notes appear at the bottom of the page.
A listing of abbreviations used in the RYMUR documents – including FBI field offices and State Department embassies – is here.
In citing these documents, each serial should open with the official designation of “RYMUR 89-4286.” As an example, Serial 250 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-250.”
|
Serial
|
# of Pages
|
Date
|
Office of Origin
|
Description
|
PDF
|
Text
|
| 19 | Section 3 Administrative Memoranda | Text | ||||
| 208 | 5 | 11/23 | State Dept. | State Department issues list of survivors | Text | |
| 209 | 1 | 11/23 | FBI-IP | Indiana resident offers to talk to FBI about Jones 11/18/78 | Text | |
| 210 | 3 | 11/22 | AmEmb Caracas | Venezuela interior ministry to watch out for survivors crossing border | Text | |
| 211 | 4 | 11/22 | FBI-WFO | State Department reports correspondence from Temple members, opponents in 1978 | Text | |
| 212 | 1 | 11/23 | FBI-Jacksonville | HAM radio operator reports contact with Jonestown doctor | Text | |
| 213 | 1 | 11/23 | FBIHQ | Police protection of Temple members in California | Text | |
| 214 | 2 | 11/23 | FBIHQ | FBI Summary: Bodies to Dover; survivors to Charleston, SC | Text | |
| 215 | 5 | 11/22 | FBI-SC | Disenchanted Temple member talks of Jones’ drug use, assassination squads, weapons, name deleted | Text | |
| 216 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-WFO | California HEW offers to turn over records to FBI | Text | |
| 217 | 4 | 11/22 | Scott AFB | Air Force establishes base at Matthews Ridge | Text | |
| 218 | 1 | 11/22 | State Dept. | State reports that bodies will begin arriving in Dover | Text | |
| 219 | 2 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Sherwin Harris provides info to US Embassy | Text | |
| 220 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-NY | NBC reports on 13 hours of video | Text | |
| 221 | 3 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Embassy reports expected departure of military aircraft with coffins | Text | |
| 222 | 7 | 11/23 | FBI-SC | Disenchanted Temple member talks of Jones’ drug use, hit squads, dummy corporations | Text | |
| 223 | 5 | 11/21 | State Dept. | [Duplicate of Serials 50 and 466] | Text | |
| 224 | 3 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Repatriation of survivors discussed; Layton charged with murder; 300 missing | Text | |
| 225 | 3 | 11/23 | FBI-SC | Interview with person who attended single PT service | Text | |
| 226 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-Springfield | [Memo on unrelated Jim Jones] | Text | |
| 227 | 11 | 11/23 | FBI-Omaha | Former Temple member speaks of leaders, security people, family in Jonestown | Text | |
| 229 | 7 | 11/23 | State Dept. | US graves registration team on site; Carters and Prokes detained; DEA to investigate | Text | |
| 230 | 2 | 11/23 | AmEmb Port of Spain | FBI seeks to interview four members in Trinidad | Text | |
| 231 | 2 | 11/22 | FBI-SF | FBI seeks to interview former member | Text | |
| 232 | 7 | 11/23 | AmEmb Port of Spain | Mike Touchette tell of dead relatives in Jonestown | Text | |
| 233 | 3 | 11/22 | FBI-CG | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 234 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-SF | Report of x-ray on Jones in Willits, CA | Text | |
| 235 | 3 | 11/22 | FBI-SF | FBI daily summary: Preparation of subpoenas; bodies to Dover | Text | |
| 236 | 5 | 11/22 | AmEmb Georgetown | US medical team reports on nature of deaths in Jonestown; recommends on site burial | Text | |
| 237 | 5 | 11/24 | FBI-BA | Jackie Speier describes preparations, trip to Guyana | Text | |
| 238 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-Pittsburgh | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 239 | 2 | 11/24 | State Dept. | State proposes use of indigenous population to locate survivors | Text | |
| 240 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-IN | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 243 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-Charlotte | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 245 | 4 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | 410 bodies bagged and/or transferred; weapons investigation begins; passports found | Text | |
| 246 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-SF | FBI daily summary: Protection of PT members; NBC contacts; Jones xray | Text | |
| 249 | 3 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | Description of search and rescue operations | Text | |
| 250 | 7 | 11/24 | State Dept | Bodies returned to US; passports located; all survivors believed located | Text | |
| 252 | 11 | 11/24 | State Dept | Names of Jonestown victims | Text | |
| 253 | 4 | 11/24 | State Dept | Estimate of Jonestown dead raised to 600 | Text | |
| 254 | 9 | 11/24 | State Dept | Names of Jonestown victims | Text | |
| 255 | 5 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Strategy to resolve conspiracy issues include weapon ID, Temple records | Text | |
| 256 | 5 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | [duplicate of Serial 255] | Text | |
| 258 | 6 | 11/21 | AmEmb Port of Spain | [Duplicate of serial 52] | Text | |
| 260 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-BA | Discovery of “suicide note” on Jones’ body | Text | |
| 261 | 1 | 11/24 | FBIHQ | Report of positive ID on Jones | Text | |
| 262 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | Interview reveals early attack on David Wise, arrest on sex crime for Jones | Text | |
| 263 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-MM | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 264 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-DL | Former Temple member seeks immunity | Text | |
| 265 | 3 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | Beikman to be charged with Amos murder; legal status of others examined | Text | |
| 267 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SC | FBI seeks to interview Mervyn Dymally | Text | |
| 269 | 6 | 11/24 | FBI-SJ | A. Katsaris speaks of operations in SF, leaders, guns, banks | Text | |
| 270 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-NO | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 271 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-Cincinnati | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 275 | 5 | 11/24 | FBI-TP | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 276 | 4 | 11/24 | FBI-Norfolk | FCC tapes would be available with subpoena | Text | |
| 277 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | FBI seeks interview with reluctant witness | Text | |
| 279 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-LA | Relative of Jonestown dead volunteers info to FBI | Text | |
| 280 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-MM | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
| 281 | 4 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | Cudjoe and Marceline considered to be same boat | Text | |
| 285 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-WFO | FBI seeks to interview HAM radio operators | Text | |
| 286 | 5 | 11/24 | JCS | Bodies to be shipped to US for ID; Air Force to transport survivors to US | Text | |
| 287 | 3 | 11/24 | JCS | Survivors to be separated into two groups | Text | |
| 288 | 3 | 11/24 | AmEmb Port of Spain | FBI to interview Trinidad contingency | Text | |
| 289 | 6 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | Ptolemy Reid says 775 bodies; background on Temple-GOG relationship | Text | |
| 290 | 1 | 11/24 | AmEmb Port of Spain | Identification of Trinidad contingency | Text | |
| 291 | 2 | 11/24 | State Dept | [Duplicate of Serial 88] | Text | |
| 292 | 60 | 11/24 | State Dept | Transcript of 11/21 State Dept briefing | Text | |
| 292-post | 1 | 11/21 | CID | News of return of Ryan’s body; notation of interview with Kaituma witness | Text | |
| 293 | 8 | 11/21 | FBI-SF | Interview with Jim Cobb; police visit PT in SF | Text | |
| 294 | 1 | 11/21 | “Outside Source” | Article speculates on nature of suicide | Text | |
| 295 | 2 | 11/21 | FBI-SF | Rumor of Prokes knowing identity of Jones’ assassin | Text | |
| 296 | 1 | 11/22 | AmEmb Port of Spain | Trinidad contingency did not report in that day | Text | |
| 297 | 2 | 11/22 | State Dept | FBI wants to send two agents to interview Trinidad contingency | Text | |
| 298 | 2 | 11/22 | SECDEF | DOD and State set up procedures for processing, ID & transporting remains | Text | |
| 299 | 7 | 11/22 | FBI-TP | Former member speaks of early years, Jones drugs, mistresses | Text | |
| 300 | 4 | 11/22 | FBI-SF | Summary of FBI findings on Peoples Temple | Text | |
| 301 | 37 | 11/23 | State Dept | Transcript of 11/22 State Dept briefing | Text | |
| 302 | 1 | 11/23 | FBIHQ | Notification of arrival of JT survivors in Charleston | Text | |
| 303 | 3 | 11/23 | State Dept | Transportation of Jonestown survivors [dupe of Serial 84] | Text | |
| 305 | 1 | 11/22 | FBI-SF | SF Chronicle reports on PT member with hit squad list | Text | |
| 306 | 3 | 11/22 | FBI-SF | [Duplicate of 305] | Text | |
| 307 | 1 | 11/24 | AmEmb Caracas | US plans to use aircraft to inspect Venezuelan border area | Text | |
| 308 | 2 | 11/22 | State Dept | Zablocki asks whether FBI investigated PT, and whether it informed State | Text | |
| 309 | 1 | 11/24 | FBIHQ | FBI declares it did not investigate PT | Text | |
| 310 | 10 | 11/24 | State Dept | State reports on inquires made about Jonestown victims | Text | |
| 311 | 3 | 11/22 | USSS | Assessment of assassination threat | Text |
The pdf of the complete section is here. It should be noted that this document is unique to this site, based upon the FBI’s official release of documents in 2014 and augmented with additional documents. The additional documents include: those released by the State Department; those released through the litigation of McGehee et al v. Justice; and those released by the FBI in 2001 but not included in the later release.
The information released in these serials may change as the FBI releases additional information pursuant to ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act.
Originally posted on December 2nd, 2018.
Last modified on June 29th, 2022.