[Editor’s note: Several of the subjects whose names are deleted in this serial are known to the editor. Those notations have been indicated by red type.]
0 202304Z DEC 78
FM BROOKLYN/QUEENS MRA (89-495)
TO DIRECTOR FBI (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
LOS ANGELES IMMEDIATE (VIA FBIHQ)
SAN FRANCISCO IMMEDIATE (VIA FBIHQ)
SEATTLE IMMEDIATE (VIA FBIHQ)
COLUMBUS IMMEDIATE (VIA FBIHQ)
BT
UNCLAS
SECTION 1 OF 2 SECTIONS
RYMUR
Re NY telcall to San Francisco Dec. 12, 1978.
Set out below are results of interviews of 12 Peoples Temple returnees, who arrived at JFK International Airport aboard Pan Am flight #228 Dec. 21, 1978.
Monica Bagby, black/female, DOB/May 2, 1960. Advised she was present at airstrip Port Kaituma and observed Ronny [Ronnie] Dennis
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and Tom Kice at airstrip. Stated, Larry Layton carried weapon aboard smaller plane and attempted to shoot herself and [Dale Parks], but that weapon misfired. Bagby stated, weapons were kept in the Cobb family hut. Bagby advised that Rev. Jones called “White Night”, the evening prior to Congressman Leo Ryan’s visit to Jonestown. Bagby stated Rev. Jones preached “revolutionary suicide”, and that, “Everybody should be ready to die”. Stated she had heard that Steven [Stephan] Jones had stated, “All defectors should be killed”. Contact point for Bagby, care of [name and address deleted of mother, Essie Clark], Los Angeles California.
Thomas James Bogue, white/male, DOB/September 2, 1961. Advised that the following individuals participated in shooting at airstrip, Port Kaituma, Guyana[:] Joe Wilson, Ronnie James, Tom Kice Sr., Bob Kice Sr., Earnest Jones, Anthony Simon, believed Wesley Briedenbach or Albert Touchette drove tractor and flatbed to airstrip. Advised he believed that Eugene Smith, Carl Barnett, and Laura Johnston are dangerous.
[Name deleted], white/female, DOB/[deleted], aboard smaller aircraft Port Kaituma airstrip observed following
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individuals shooting from flatbed trailer: Bob Kice, Tom Kice, Joe Wilson, Albert Touchette, Stanley Geig [Gieg], Ronnie Dennis, Ronnie James, Wesley Briedenbach, (FNU) [First Name Unknown] [Earnest] Jones black/male, tall, slim, residing in Hut 30. Observed Larry Layton shooting handgun aboard plane. Fears Lee Ingram because of close association with Rev. Jones. Stated she had observed Lee Ingram and Calvin Douglas as [at] American Embassy in Georgetown attempting to get clearance to U.S. in the past. Believes Ingram in line to succeed Rev. Jones. Believes Herbert Newell and Eugene Smith were to kill survivors of Jonestown.
[Name deleted], white/male, DOB/[deleted], was aboard larger Guyanese airliner on Nov. 18, 1978 at Port Kaituma. Saw dump truck, tractor and trailer returned to planes after dropping off Ryan’s party. Men identified as Joe Wilson, Tom Kice, Bob Kice, Ron James, Ronnie Dennis. [Name deleted] Pat Parks when she was shot in the head.
[Name deleted], white/male, DOB/[deleted] advised inner core P.T. church includes Sharon Amos, Terry Bufford [Terri Buford], Jean
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Brown, Lee Ingram, Johnny Jones Jr., Jim Randolph, and Paula Adams. These individuals most knowledgeable of P.T. affairs. [Name deleted] denied any knowledge of hit list. [Name deleted] does not doubt that Rev. Jones may have made this arrangement, and if so Terry Bufford, Calvin Douglas, Eugene Smith, Sandy Bradshaw, and Steve Jones would carry out these plans. [Name deleted] identified Tom Kice, Joe Wilson, Albert Touchette, Ronny Dennis, Ronny James, as individuals firing at Congressman Ryan and P.T. defectors on Nov. 18, 1978. Stanley Geig drove tractor pulling wagon of shooters. [Name deleted] denied knowledge of any advanced plans to kill Congressman Ryan. [Name deleted] stated that Terry Bufford was by far most dangerous and knowledgeable of Rev. Jones associates. [Name deleted] advised “White Night” code word for revolutionary suicide. [Name deleted] advised that Steve Jones overheard telling Eugene Smith “Get rid of defectors”, following mass suicide.
[Name deleted] temporary contact point, [name and address deleted], Springfield, Ohio [word deleted]. Final destination
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point [name and address deleted], Ukiah, Calif. [several words deleted]
[Name deleted] also stated that [several words deleted] Pat Parks when she was in head, the other surviving passengers fled into the jungle where they stayed for three days. [Name deleted] advised Mark Lane and Donald Freid [Freed] (phonetic), a publisher of one of Lane’s former books were in Jonestown to discuss some business with Jim Jones. [Name deleted] stated that when Jonestown was visited by officials, or important outsiders – food and living conditions greatly improved, except for the last couple of visits Mark Lane came down (excluding last visit with Ryan party). [Name deleted] sent this group of returnees heard that Eugene Smith, black/male, who was to make the trip with them was to be responsible for killing them and therefore they did not want him to return with them. [Name deleted] considers most dangerous P.T. members alive capable of carrying out contingency plans if any exist: Terry Bufford, Steven Jones, Tim Jones, Johnny Jones, John Cobb, Jimmy Jones Jr., Calvin Douglas, and Eugene Smith. Contact point for [Name deleted] residence of [name and address deleted], Ukiah, Calif., tel. [Deleted].
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[Name deleted], female/white, DOB/[deleted]. She was present at airport when Ryan was killed. She was [words deleted] aircraft when shooting started. Prior to boarding plane she saw Joe Wilson pass a handgun to Larry Layton. Layton was not [words deleted]. During shooting she saw Stanley Gieg driving tractor with Bob Kice and Tom Kice on back. As soon as shooting started she went down on floor. She and her family went to Ryan at Jonestown prior to incident and told him they wanted to leave with them, will no longer associate with P.T. Advise Mary Cassanova [Casanova] knowledgeable of radio codes and Stephen Jones, Michael Touchette observed with scope rifles at Jonestown. Stated that she believes cyanide arrived via boat. Stated, rumor around Jonestown evening prior to Ryan’s visit was that Ryan would not leave alive. Advise Odell Rhodes bragged about killing Jimmy Cobb after Port Kaituma shooting.
[Name deleted], white/male, DOB/[deleted] In Jonestown, supplied eyewitness accounts of the ambush at Port Kaituma on Nov 18, 1978. [Name deleted] is a key witness in the murder trial of Larry Layton. [Name deleted] identified individuals participating in ambush of Congressman Ryan’s party.
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FM BROOKLYN/QUEENS (89-495) UNCLAS
TO DIRECTOR, FBI IMMEDIATE
LOS ANGELES IMMEDIATE
SAN FRANCISCO IMMEDIATE
SEATTLE IMMEDIATE
COLUMBUS IMMEDIATE
BT
UNCLAS
SECTION 2 OF 2 SECTIONS
RYMUR
These individuals are Tom Kice Sr., Bob Kice, Ronnie James, Ronnie Dennis, Ernest Jones, Joe Wilson, Stanley Geig, and Larry Layton.
[Harold Cordell], white/male, DOB/[deleted] advised concentration camp atmosphere at Jonestown. Rev. Jones threatened death to those wishing to depart Jonestown and those who tried or made plans to leave were beaten or otherwise punished. Jones was always accompanied by armed guards and was sometimes armed himself. Jones distressed by Ryan’s visit and once in emotional state said, “Someone ought to shoot Ryan”. Other reference made by Jones to
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Ryan’s play “falling from the sky”. Jones went with Bogue family to see Ryan and said they wanted to leave. Ryan offered protection and was to stay at Jonestown until those wishing to leave did so. [Cordell] believed knife attack by Don Sly was the force trying to leave camp to go to airport so he would be killed. [Cordell] and others were transported to airport by dump truck. Upon boarding [word deleted] plane he noticed dump truck parked at end of runway and it was being joined by tractor-trailer. Shortly thereafter [Cordell] heard tractor and trailer roll abreast of plane appx. 60 feet away. Looking out window [Cordell] observed three men taking aim from trailer, Tom Kice who had automatic pistol possibly .45 caliber and Albert Touchette, who had rifle and Joseph Wilson who had shotgun. [Cordell] yelled for all to duck down, as firing began. When he looked up he saw these individuals shooting. Appx. two minutes later, tractor trailer drove to other side and resumed shooting for additional two minutes. Tractor-trailer then drove away. Dump truck was already gone. All the survivors fled into the bush bearing return of the shooters. [Cordell] felt that the most dangerous members of the P.T. were: Steve Jones, Tim Jones,
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Jimmy Jones Jr., Johnny Cobb Jones, Lee Ingram, Tim Carter, Mike Brooks [Prokes], Calvin Douglas, Sandra Bradshaw, Jean Brown, and Leona Collier. Contact point for [Name deleted] is [name and address deleted] San Francisco, Calif. or [name and address of Richard Cordell deleted] Pullayup, Washington, [words deleted].
[Name deleted], male/white, DOB/[deleted] knowledge of P.T. members. Advised Terry Bufford most knowledgeable of P.T. operations and will succeed Rev. Jones. Contact point in care of [Name deleted], San Francisco, Calif., [words deleted].
[Name deleted], female/white, DOB/[deleted] [several words deleted] advised Rev. Jones claimed defectors would be killed and believe defectors would be killed by San Francisco P.T. members. Advised that lunch meal on day of Ryan assassination may have been laced with drugs in order to make people weak. Observed cyanide at Jonestown, Wednesday, a week prior to Ryan’s visit. Contact point in care of [Name deleted], San Francisco, Calif., [words deleted].
[Name deleted], female/white, DOB/[deleted] present at Port Kaituma airstrip at time of shooting. Observed Tom Kice,
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Bob Kice, Joe Wilson, Ronnie James, Albert Touchette, Earnest (LNU) [Last Name Unknown] [Jones], and Stanley Geig. Contact point [Name deleted], San Francisco, Calif., [words deleted].
[Name deleted], female/white, DOB/[deleted] advise Edith Parks approached NBC News man Don Harris to leave. Present at airstrip at time of shooting: Joe Wilson, Tom and Bob Kice, Ronnie James, Ronnie Dennis, Albert Touchette, Wesley Briedenbach, and Stanley Geig (drove tractor). Fears all members of basketball team. Stephen Jones ordered Eugene Smith to kill survivors. Fears Archie Ijames as he is succeeding Rev. Jones.
[words deleted] (Re Newark tel Dec 5, 1978 to Director and San Francisco), [Dr. Hardat Sukhdeo], New Jersey College of Medicine, Newark, New Jersey [several words deleted] interviewed JFK International Airport, Dec. 21, 1978 and advised based upon his expertise on P.T. cult that all individuals entering US from Guyana with the exception of group which arrived Dec. 6, 1978 have been programmed to commit suicide. [Sukhdeo] further advised anyone planning escape from Jonestown has probably resisted programming. [Sukhdeo] describes group which arrived Dec. 6, 1978 as being extremely dangerous and
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violence may be triggered by a preplanned code word or event.
Administrative
[Name deleted] San Francisco, Calif., [words deleted], sister of [Name deleted]
Upon arrival JFK International Airport, Dec. 21, 1978, [Name deleted] requested to speak to attorney Joseph Blatchford of Washington, D.C. Upon conferring with attorney [Name deleted] cooperative in interview.
Bureau requested to consider contact US Army medical officials knowledgeable in treating returning Vietnam POWs for advice which may assist in investigation.
Subpoena served on [Name deleted] to appear Federal Grand Jury, San Francisco, Calif., [words deleted].
Armed and dangerous – suicidal tendencies.
BT