[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. Other information which remains withheld under the privacy exemption of the Freedom of Information Act has been denoted in green type.
[The attachment of this serial was a cable released by the State Department.]
United States Government
Memorandum
Date: October 25, 1979
To: The Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
From: Philip B. Heymann
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division
Subject: Investigation into the assassination of Congressman Leo Ryan, Port Kaituma, Guyana.
Attached is a copy of a teletype made available by our State Department from the American Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana indicating that a preliminary inquiry with respect to the prosecution of Layton for the killing of former Congressman Leo Ryan and others in Guyana is set to commence on October 30, 1979. The government of Guyana has officially requested the appearances of [several names deleted, including Harold Cordell, Juanita Bogue and Dale Parks] as witnesses for the preliminary inquiry. Efforts to persuade the named witnesses to participate in the preliminary inquiry has thus far been unsuccessful. However, the Criminal Division has received assurances from witnesses [Odell Rhodes] and Vernon Gosney of their willingness to participate in the upcoming preliminary inquiry in Guyana.
The government of Guyana has also requested assistance from a liaison officer from the United States. The Criminal Division intends to make available Assistant United States Attorney Dennis M. Nerney from the Northern District of California, as soon as practicable, to aid in this matter. Because of his extensive knowledge of all aspects of this investigation it has been recommended by the United States Attorney in the Northern District of California that Special Agent [Donald Hale] of your San Francisco, California office be permitted to accompany Assistant United States Attorney Dennis M. Nerney to Guyana. The availability of Special Agent [Donald Hale] will permit the Guyanese prosecutors
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office to fully develop all of the essential evidence necessary to insure that Larry Layton is bound over for trial in Guyana in connection with the killing of Congressman Ryan.
[Page 3]
Department of State
Incoming telegram
0 231910Z OCT 79
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 866
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 4807
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CARR, GY (LAYTON, LARRY)
SUBJ: PROSECUTION OF LARRY LAYTON
REF: (A) STATE 275625, (B) STATE 275054
1. Preliminary inquiry (PI) will be heard by Magistrate Sahodra Doobay-Dial. Prosecution will be led by Vishnu Persaud.
2. PI now scheduled to begin October 30, 1979. GOG ready to begin even if [name deleted] arrival delayed.
3. GOG estimates 5 day-long stay all that will be required for US witnesses.
4. There is no problem with [name deleted] attending the PI. He will need only a valid US passport to enter Guyana.
5. Embassy continues to seek responses from GOG to remaining questions posed reftel. When may we expect US liaison officer?
Dwyer [Richard Dwyer, Deputy Chief of Mission, American Embassy, Georgetown]