[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979GEORGE01116_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 01 GEORGE 01116 142053Z
ACTION OCS-06
INFO OCT-01 ARA-15 ISO-00 H-02 PA-02 /026 W
——————030011 151939Z /43
R 131621Z MAR 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9168
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 1116
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CDES (PEOPLES TEMPLE), OREP (RYAN, LEO) GY
SUBJ: FUNERARY EXPENSES
REF: A. STATE 025711 B. GEORGETOWN 0330 C. 78 GEORGETOWN 4181
1. LOCAL MORTICIAN WHO PREPARED REMAINS OF CONGRESSMAN LEO RYAN AND THREE SLAIN AMERICAN NEWSMEN HAS BEEN VERY PATIENT BUT IS UNDERSTANDABLY CONCERNED OVER COMPLETE LACK OF ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHEN HIS BILL WILL BE SETTLED.
2. EMBASSY HOPES THAT SETTLEMENT CAN BE MADE PROMPTLY PARTICULARLY FOR THAT PORTION OF THE STATEMENT PERTAINING TO CONGRESSMAN. IF FUNERAL EXPENSES FOR NEWSMEN SHOULD BE BILLED DIRECTLY TO NBC AND SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER, PLEASE ADVISE ADDRESSES THEY SHOULD BE SENT TO.
BURKE [U.S. Ambassador John Burke]
UNCLASSIFIED
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