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 27, including serials 1731-1830. Most are dated from January 1979.
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 1765 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-1765.”
| Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
| Admin | 31 | RYMUR administrative memoranda | Text | |||
| 1731 | 2 | 1/23 | FBIHQ | FBI reports on basketball tournament, P. Adams passport [retransmittal of 1729] | Text | |
| 1732 | 4 | 1/23 | FBI-BQMRA | HAM radio operator reports JT contact, | Text | |
| 1733 | 1 | 1/23 | FBI-SF | Temple critic was pressured into signing over property to Temple | Text | |
| 1734 | 11 | 1/24 | FBIHQ | FBI sends inventory of evidence to SF | Text | |
| 1735 | 2 | 1/24 | FBI-WFO | AFIP seeks medical records on Jim Jones; INS has list of JT survivors in Guyana | Text | |
| 1737 | 2 | 1/26 | FBI-SF | Ryan correspondence with PT members sought | Text | |
| (after) 1737 | 1 | 1/26 | FBIHQ | Transmittal of cassette tapes | Text | |
| 1738 | 2 | 1/26 | FBI-SF | Info sought on Mike Cartmell appearance on Today show | Text | |
| 1739 | 3 | 1/26 | FBI-SF | Dental records of Ronnie Dennis to be provided | Text | |
| 1740 | 1 | 1/26 | FBI-BA | Identification work at Dover AFB ends | Text | |
| 1741 | 14 | 1/11 | FBI-SF | US interest in PT document on exchange of worldly goods for lifetime care | Text | |
| 1742 | 1 | 1/25 | DOJ | US claims Temple document shows liability in effort to recoup bodylift costs | Text | |
| 1743 | 4 | 1/25 | FBI-BQMRA | Review, description of NBC film | Text | |
| 1745 | 2 | 1/18 | AmEmb-Georgetown | [text dupe of 1746] | Text | |
| 1746 | 2 | 1/22 | FBIHQ | Discussion of whether PT survivors can do interviews | Text | |
| 1748 | 4 | 1/19 | FBIHQ | US assists GOG in technical issues, firearms, bullet evidence | Text | |
| 1749 | 2 | 1/15 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Monique Bacon not identified, presumed dead | Text | |
| 1750 | 2 | 1/19 | FBIHQ | [retransmittal of 1749] | Text | |
| 1751 | 2 | 1/12 | FBI-MM | HAM operator provides tape of Jim Jones in JT | Text | |
| (after) 1751 | 1 | 1/25 | FBI-NY | Transmittal page for photograph | Text | |
| 1752 | 1 | 1/5 | FBI-BQMRA | Typewriter sample [not included] sent for analysis | Text | |
| 1753 | 3 | 1/31 | FBIHQ | FBI analyzes death tape | Text | |
| 1754 | 3 | 1/31 | FBI-IP | Family of Marceline Jones holds memorial service | Text | |
| 1755 | 2 | 1/31 | FBI-LA | Grace Stoen and Joe Holsinger appear on Tomorrow Show | Text | |
| 1756 | 1 | 1/30 | FBIHQ | PT bank account in Switzerland | Text | |
| 1757 | 2 | 1/29 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Guyana official to speak in SF | Text | |
| 1758 | 2 | 1/30 | FBIHQ | Travel plans of Guyana official who will speak in SF | Text | |
| 1760 | 1 | 1/30 | FBI-Bonn | Query on German nationals in JT | Text | |
| 1762 | 1 | 1/24 | [Referral withheld] | [Referral to Army; dupe of 1734] | Text | |
| 1763 | 4 | 1/29 | FBI-WFO | Ronnie Dennis tentatively identified; Speier and Holsinger to run for Ryan seat; Dwyer gives briefcase to Ryan’s office; House committee begins probe | Text | |
| 1764 | 3 | 1/29 | FBIHQ | Temple assets | Text | |
| 1765 | 1 | 1/26 | FBI-SF | Monique Bacon not identified, birth certificate sought | Text | |
| 1766 | 4 | 1/26 | FBIHQ | Tapes transported to US; GOG lifts restrictions on US criminal investigation | Text | |
| 1767 | 1 | 1/26 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Tapes being shipped to FBI from GT | Text | |
| 1768 | 2 | unk | [Pages withheld in entirety, b1 and b3 exemption] | Text | ||
| 1769 | 2 | 1/26 | SecState | Rex McKay recommends murder charges against Stephan Jones be dropped | Text | |
| 1770 | 2 | 1/25 | FBI-LA | FBI checks on Cartmell TV appearance | Text | |
| 1771 | 3 | 1/25 | AmEmb-Georgetown | GOG approves loan of evidence to FBI | Text | |
| 1772 | 1 | 1/25 | AmEmb-Georgetown | GOG notifies which PT members it will want to return for testimony | Text | |
| 1773 | 2 | 1/25 | FBI-SF | FBI considers whether to administer polygraph test | Text | |
| 1774 | 2 | 1/25 | AmEmb-Georgetown | SCLC to discuss JT in annual meeting | Text | |
| 1775 | 4 | 1/25 | FBI-SF | Description of Germans being sought | Text | |
| 1776 | 2 | 1/23 | AmEmb-Bern | Protocol on Swiss inquiry | Text | |
| 1777 | 1 | 1/23 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Preliminary inquiry into Amos murder | Text | |
| 1778 | 13 | 1/24 | FBI-Albany | Interview with parents of Pauline Groot; newspaper articles | Text | |
| 1779 | 28 | 1/23 | FBI-BQMRA | Photographs of returning survivors | Text | |
| 1780 | 5 | 1/23 | FBI-SF | US lawsuit vs. PT to recover costs of bodylift | Text | |
| 1781 | 2 | 1/23 | FBIHQ | Transmittal for two documents | Text | |
| 1782 | 4 | 1/23 | FBI-BQMRA | Dwyer reports GDF troops arrival at Kaituma | Text | |
| 1798 | 1 | 1/15 | FBI-Butte | Description of Robert Stroud | Text | |
| 1801 | 3 | 12/20 | FBIHQ | McCoy has tapes of ham radio broadcasts | Text | |
| 1801x | 1 | 12/20 | FBI-NY | Transfer of videotape to SF | Text | |
| 1801×1 | 7 | 12/21 | FBIHQ | US to probe PT contacts with USSR, includes Temple attachment | Text | |
| 1803x | 8 | 12/28 | FBIHQ | FBI lab receives physical evidence, including film, bullet fragments | Text | |
| (after) 1804x | 2 | 1/13 | FBI-New Rochelle | Missing person not connected to PT | Text | |
| 1805 | 2 | 1/23 | AmEmb-Bridgetown | Protection of US assets vis-à-vis PT in Grenada | Text | |
| 1806 | 1 | 1/26 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Basketball team played local teams in GT, says police | Text | |
| 1807 | 5 | 1/29 | FBIHQ | FBI Lab denies it has transcripts of coded messages of last hours | Text | |
| 1808 | 10 | 1/30 | DOJ | Spanish newspaper report on Temple assets, other Temple news | Text | |
| 1809 | 2 | 1/30 | FBIHQ | FBI Lab says submitted prints do not match any JT victims | Text | |
| 1810 | 2 | 1/30 | FBI-BQMRA | Crates of evidence to arrive in US | Text | |
| 1811 | 2 | 2/1 | FBIHQ | [retransmittal of 1831] | Text | |
| 1812 | 3 | 1/31 | FBI-Detroit | Brother of Martha Hicks shot to death in Detroit | Text | |
| 1813 | 1 | 2/2 | FBI-SF | Buford and Lane to return to Memphis | Text | |
| 1814 | 2 | 2/5 | FBIHQ | Summary of events at Guyana inquest | Text | |
| 1818 | 2 | 1/26 | FBIHQ | Crates of tapes to arrive in US [retransmittal of 1810] | Text | |
| 1819 | 4 | 1/22 | FBIHQ | Analysis of shooters shown on NBC tape | Text | |
| 1820 | 5 | 1/5 | DOJ | House committee asks for probe of drugs found in JT; news articles attached | Text | |
| 1821 | 1 | 1/24 | FBIHQ | FBI to investigate source and use of drugs in JT | Text | |
| 1822 | 1 | 1/24 | AmEmb-Nassau | Protection of US assets vis-à-vis PT in Nassau | Text | |
| 1823 | 1 | 1/25 | AmEmb-Georgetown | Correction to earlier cable re: Beikman and Stephan Jones | Text | |
| 1824 | 3 | 1/27 | SecState | Protection of US assets vis-à-vis PT in Trinidad and Tobago | Text | |
| 1826 | 3 | 1/29 | FBI-Norfolk | FBI to analyze tape of JT radio broadcast; interview with HAM operator | Text | |
| 1827 | 3 | 1/27 | FBI-SF | Materials sent to assist in identification of Ronnie Dennis | Text | |
| 1828 | 2 | 1/29 | FBIHQ | Materials sent to assist in identification of Ronnie Dennis [text dupe of 1827] | Text | |
| 1829 | 5 | 1/30 | FBI-BQMRA | Interview of HAM operator; evidence shipped to SF; two Temple passports taken | Text | |
| 1830 | 2 | 2/3 | FBI-SC | Relatives provide information on Monique Bacon | Text | |
| (after) 1830 | 1 | 12/22 | FBIHQ | Transmittal cover sheet | 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.