[Editor’s note: An earlier release of this serial contained some information which was subsequently deleted. That previously-released information – two names and a short paragraph – is designated by red type.]
0 052047Z DEC 78
FM FBI WASHINGTON FIELD (89-570)
TO DIRECTOR FBI (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
FBI ALEXANDRIA (89-102) IMMEDIATE
FBI SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) IMMEDIATE (SF VIA FBIHQ)
FBI SAN JUAN (89-123) IMMEDIATE (SJ VIA FBIHQ)
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Reference Bureau telephone call to Washington Field, December 4, 1978, Alexandria and San Francisco teletypes to Director, December 1, 1978.
On December 4, 1978, Galen W. (Joe) Holsinger was interviewed by Washington Field in Room 137, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D. C. (WDC), telephone (202) 225-3531. Interview commenced at 5:15 P.M. and terminated at 6:45 P.M. Holsinger had met for most of the day with members of the House International Affairs Committee,
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briefing them on information he had in his possession concerning the Peoples Temple (PT) and the possibility of establishing a Congressional investigation of events surrounding the death of Congressman Ryan.
Holsinger was advised of FBI jurisdiction and responsibility in CAS [Congressional Assassination Statute] investigations and he stated that he would turn over all material he had in his possession concerning Congressman Ryan’s investigation of PT, as well as providing the FBI with any information he may possess relative to conspiracy surrounding Congressman Ryan’s death.
Holsinger advised that he believed a total of 18 people, including Congressman Ryan, traveled to Guyana, November 14, 1978. A complete list will be available December 5, 1978, and will be picked up by Washington Field.
Regarding Congressman Ryan’s briefcase, Holsinger said he would furnish Washington Field with briefcase and contents on December 5, 1978. Holsinger said he
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received briefcase from [name deleted] [James Schollaert] in San Francisco, November 21, 1978. The clasps on the briefcase were open and after going through the contents, Holsinger noted that a tape recorder carried by Congressman Ryan to Guyana was missing. He could not ascertain if other items had been removed.
According to Holsinger, Representative Ryan had not made any effort to visit the PT in Guyana during 1977.
On Saturday, November 18, 1978, Holsinger, who was in San Francisco, said that he had called the U.S. State Department in WDC numerous times that day in an effort to determine status of Congressman Ryan’s group in Jonestown. Around 4:00 P.M. (PST), the State Department, WDC, called him and advised that it had received information that four persons, including Congressman Ryan, had been killed in Jonestown. The connection was poor and Holsinger said the State Department could not furnish much more information. Fifteen minutes later, Holsinger
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received a call from [name deleted] [Les Francis] on the White House staff of Frank Moore, Congressional Liaison, who advised that Congressman Ryan and four others had been killed outside of Jonestown. [Name deleted] said his information that five persons, not four, had been killed [information deleted].
Holsinger advised that shortly after the White House call, he telephonically contacted the editor of the San Francisco Examiner and advised him of the situation. Holsinger said that he does not know when the public was first made aware of the murders.
At approximately 8:00 P.M. (PST), November 18, 1978, [name deleted], was home alone and received a call at her residence [address deleted], San Francisco, California, telephone [number deleted]. A male voice asked for Will. When told he was not there, he told her to tell him his meal ticket has just had his head blown off and we will kill him next. A second and third call followed immediately, with the same message by the same person. A fourth and fifth call were
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terminated by [name deleted] when the same male voice was determined to be on the line. These calls were reported to the Foster City, California, Police Chief, John Norton. Holsinger does not have specific knowledge that these calls were relayed via ham radio to PT, San Francisco, from Guyana.
In connection with these calls, however, on November 24, 1978, David Dow, CBS, San Francisco, telephoned Holsinger in San Francisco and said that he had obtained information that a PT hit squad, comprised of two men and one woman, was in existence with two members being in the U.S. and one in Guyana. Also discussed were the telephone calls received by [name deleted] as she was present when Dow called. Dow advised that he has a tape recording of a news conference with PT, San Francisco, member Tim Clancy [Clancey]. Arrangements were made for [name deleted] to listen to this tape and according to Holsinger, [name deleted] identified the voice of Clancy on the tape as that of the caller to her residence, November 18, 1978. William Holsinger,
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after listening to [name deleted] description of the caller, felt the description fit Clancy, who William Holsinger knew.
William Holsinger [address deleted] can be reached at San Francisco telephone number [information deleted] residence of [information deleted] William’s law offices or Representative Ryan’s San Francisco office [number illegible].
Holsinger advised that a PT survivor of the Jonestown massacre, Tim Carter, had infiltrated “the Concerned Relatives Committee” in California in efforts to determine extent of opposition to PT. Holsinger believes Carter is now in Guyana, attempting to return to the U.S.
Regarding Jackie Spier [Speier], Holsinger reiterated that Spier received a telephone threat while in the hospital in Baltimore and that is why he was insistent that she be provided protection while in the hospital in Arlington, Virginia. After a conversation with Assistant United
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0 052047Z DEC 78
FM FBI WASHINGTON FIELD (89-570)
TO DIRECTOR FBI (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
FBI ALEXANDRIA (89-102) IMMEDIATE
FBI SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) IMMEDIATE (SF VIA FBIHQ)
FBI SAN JUAN (89-123) IMMEDIATE (SJ VIA FBIHQ)
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States Attorney (AUSA) Hayman [Phillip Heymann] at the Department of Justice, U.S. Marshal protection was provided for Spier. Holsinger said he was aware that the FBI was not in a position to provide such protection. Holsinger believe that Spier had her tape recorder and tapes stolen sometime after she was wounded at Jonestown.
Holsinger was also of the opinion that threatening calls were also received by members of Congressman Ryan’s family staying at 1213 E. Capital Street, WDC. Telephone
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547-9409.
Request of the Bureau:
Review of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) letters indicates that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conducted an investigation of the PT. The Bureau is requested, because of the confidential nature of the IRS files, to contact IRS headquarters to determine if their files have any information which may be of value to this investigation.
[Paragraph deleted] [Bureau is also requested to contact CIA headquarters to determine extent of information they may possess on PT activities in Guyana.]
Leads. Alexandria, at Arlington, Virginia. Recontact Jackie Spier, Arlington Hospital, Room 204, to determine if she did receive threats of any kind after her return to the U.S. Alexandria note that in Baltimore interview of Spier at University of Maryland Hospital, she advised she did not receive such threats. Determine circumstances of loss of Spier’s tape recorder.
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San Francisco. At San Francisco, California. Contact [name deleted] and William Holsinger and obtain details of phone calls to [name deleted] residence on November 18, 1978, and subsequent identification of caller as PT member Tim Clancy. Consider contacting CBS, San Francisco, reporter David Dow to determine extent of his involvement in identification of Clancy as caller and his knowledge of [Illegible word] three member PT “hit squad”.
Washington Field, at Washington, D. C. Obtain Congressman Ryan’s briefcase and contents, as well as accurate list of persons on Congressman Ryan’s plane to Guyana, November 14, 1978. Contact persons at Congressman Ryan’s WDC residence to determine if threats have been received by them.
Armed and dangerous; suicidal tendencies.
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