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 39, including serials 2652-2710. They are dated between August 1981 and April 1985.
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 2695 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-2695.”
Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
15 | Section 39 Administrative Memoranda | Text | ||||
2652 | 2 | 8/4 | FBI-SF | Guyana witnesses traveling to Layton trial | Text | |
2653 | 4 | 8/4 | FBIHQ | Guyana witnesses traveling to Layton trial (dupe of 2652) | Text | |
2654 | 4 | 7/14 | Amemb Panama | Transfer of Panamanian safety deposit box to Receiver | Text | |
2655 | 2 | 8/1 | FBI-SF | Jury selection begins | Text | |
2656 | 1 | 7/31 | FBI-SC | Background sought on court transcriber | Text | |
2657 | 1 | 8/6 | FBI-SF | Request for FBI lab to test shell casings | Text | |
2658 | 1 | 8/6 | FBIHQ | Request for FBI lab assistance | Text | |
2659 | 1 | 8/18 | FBI-SF | Trial begins | Text | |
2660 | 5 | 7/28 | FBI Identification Division | Report of FBI fingerprint lab | Text | |
2661 | 2 | 7/30 | FBI-SF | DOJ providing security clearances for trial | Text | |
2663 | 1 | 9/8 | FBI-SF | Layton defense offers no witnesses | Text | |
2664 | 2 | 9/3 | FBI-SF | Judge suppresses some govt evidence | Text | |
2665 | 2 | 9/9 | FBI-SF | Layton defense declines to reconsider decision to rest case | Text | |
After 2665 | 1 | 9/8 | FBIHQ | Government memo for court appearance | Text | |
2666 | 2 | 8/21 | SecState | Points of contact for prosecution and defense witnesses | Text | |
2667 | 2 | 9/28 | FBI-SF | Jury deadlocks, judge declares mistrial | Text | |
2668 | 1 | 10/1 | FBI-SF | Judge sets date for retrial | Text | |
2669 | 5 | 11/3 | FBI-SF | Judge denies motion to dismiss indictment | Text | |
2670 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | Judge sets new retrial date | Text | |
2671 | 1 | 12/4 | FBIHQ | Audiotapes turned over to FOIPA unit | Text | |
2672 | 1 | 11/13 | FBIHQ | Audiotapes turned over to FOIPA unit | Text | |
2673 | 1 | 1/5/82 | FBI-SF | Judge postpones date for motions in retrial | Text | |
2674 | 2 | 1/15 | FBI-SF | Judge denies government motions, will be appealed | Text | |
2675 | 4 | 1/15 | FBIHQ | Judge denies government motions, will be appealed (dupe of 2674) | Text | |
2676 | 1 | 2/2 | FBI-SF | Government files appeal, trial delayed | Text | |
2677 | 2 | 3/12 | FBI-SF | New trial date | Text | |
2678 | 6 | 3/1 | FBIHQ | Letter-writer claims knowledge of JT | Text | |
2679 | 2 | 4/23 | FBI-SF | US seeks additional time in case | Text | |
2680 | 4 | 4/23 | FBIHQ | US seeks additional time in case (dupe of 2679) | Text | |
2682 | 1 | 8/6/82 | FBIHQ | Letter writer seeks further investigation of PT | Text | |
2683 | 2 | 8/18 | FBI-SF | Court of Appeals to hear arguments | Text | |
2684 | 4 | 8/18 | FBIHQ | Court of Appeals to hear arguments (dupe of 2683) | Text | |
2685 | 1 | 9/21 | FBIHQ | NBC videotapes are returned to SF | Text | |
2687 | 1 | 11/3 | FBI-SF | [mostly withheld under privacy, previously deleted under b1] | Text | |
2690 | 4 | 3/16 | FBIHQ | PT Receiver to donate FBI materials to CHS | Text | |
2691 | 1 | 4/1 | FBIHQ | FBI replies to Fabian | Text | |
2692 | 4 | 7/1/83 | FBIHQ | US v. Layton on appeal (dupe of 2693) | Text | |
2693 | 2 | 7/1/83 | FBI-SF | US v. Layton on appeal | Text | |
2694 | 1 | 8/16 | FBIHQ | FBI reports Appeals court reverses lower court | Text | |
2695 | 2 | 8/11 | FBI-SF | Appeals court reverses lower court | Text | |
2696 | 4 | 8/11 | FBIHQ | Appeals court reverses lower court (dupe of 2695) | Text | |
2697 | 3 | 10/3 | FBI-SF | Defense asks for en banc hearing | Text | |
2698 | 3 | 10/3 | FBIHQ | Defense asks for en banc hearing (dupe of 2697) | Text | |
2699 | 2 | 12/12 | FBI-SF | Court of appeals denies motion | Text | |
2700 | 4 | 12/12 | FBIHQ | Court of appeals denies motion (dupe of 2699) | Text | |
2701 | 4 | 1/16/84 | FBIHQ | Appeals court denies defense motion for stay pending SC appeal (dupe of 2701×1) | Text | |
2701x | 3 | 3/28 | FBI-SF | New trial date set; request for prosecution to travel to Guyana | Text | |
2701×1 | 2 | 1/16/84 | FBI-SF | Appeals court denies defense motion for stay pending SC appeal | Text | |
2702 | 2 | 3/28 | FBI-SF | Prosecutors to travel to Guyana | Text | |
2703 | 4 | 3/28 | FBIHQ | Prosecutors to travel to Guyana (dupe of 2702) | Text | |
2703x | 3 | 3/29 | FBIHQ | Prosecutors to travel to Guyana; Status check on Layton case | Text | |
2706 | 4 | 6/20 | FBIHQ | Judge denies govt motions again (dupe of 2707) | Text | |
2707 | 2 | 6/20 | FBI-SF | Judge denies govt motions again | Text | |
2708 | 4 | 8/31 | FBIHQ | Retrial date postponed (dupe of 2709) | Text | |
2709 | 2 | 8/31 | FBI-SF | Retrial date postponed | Text | |
2709x | 2 | 2/19/85 | FBI-SF | Appeals court hearing on government’s motion to admit tape | Text | |
2709×1 | 4 | 2/19 | FBIHQ | Appeals court hearing on government’s motion to admit tape (dupe of 2709x) | Text | |
2710 | 7 | 4/22 | FBIHQ | Transmittal of photos in Layton case | 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.