Congress of the United States
Committee on Foreign Affairs
US House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
March 30, 1979
Mr. Benjamin R. Civiletti
Assistant Attorney General
Department of Justice
Washington, DC 20530
Dear Mr. Civiletti:
In connection with the comprehensive staff inquiry I have ordered into the death of Representative Leo J. Ryan and the resulting incidents at Jonestown, Guyana, the Committee respectfully requests the following information and materials:
(1) The tape and transcript of the final hours at Jonestown;
(2) Internal People’s Temple memoranda concerning the Jonestown visits of US Foreign Service Officers Richard McCoy, Richard Dwyer, Frank Tumminia, John Blacken, Doug Ellice, T. Dennis Reece and US citizens, Mark Lane, Charles Garry, Joseph Mazor and Walter Thain;
(3) Any data germane to shipments of cyanide and/or other toxic materials to Jonestown, especially in the period shortly before November 18, 1978;
(4) People’s Temple ham radio code book found in Jonestown and provided to you by the Department of State;
(5) Pre-tragedy knowledge and investigation of the People’s Temple by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(6) Copy of the People’s Temple Jonestown guest book;
(7) Copy of all NBC films taken in Guyana; and
(8) Copy of Richard McCoy’s interview and statements submitted to the FBI. Herein enclosed is a copy of Mr. McCoy’s waiver of the Privacy Act requirements.
Thanking you in advance for your cooperation and assistance, I am
Sincerely yours,
Clement J. Zablocki
Chairman