DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
COMMUNICATION MESSAGE FORM
DATE: 3/29/84
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLAS EFTO
PRECEDENCE: ROUTINE
FM DIRECTOR FBI
TO FBI SAN FRANCISCO ROUTINE
FBI SAN JUAN ROUTINE
LEGAL ATTACHE, BOGOTA ROUTINE
BT
UNCLAS E F T O
RYMUR; MAJOR CASE 16
Resftel March 28, 1984.
Bureau authority granted for SA Donald R. Hale, San Francisco, to travel to Guyana April 16 through 20, 1984, with AUSA Dennis Michael Nerney, in connection with captioned matter as outlined in retel.
Sutel detailed itinerary before departure for FBIHQ, San Juan, legal attaché, Bogotá, and for relay to American Embassy, Georgetown, Guyana.
BT
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Note: By teletype dated March 28, 1984 (attached), San Francisco advised that Laurence John Layton is scheduled for retrial September 4, 1984, at San Francisco. Layton is charged with violation of Title 18, US Code, Section 351 (d) Conspiracy to Kill Internationally Protected Person; and Section 1116 (a), 2 – Aid and Abet Attempted Murder of Internationally Protected Person, in connection with the November 18, 1978, murder of Congressman Leo J. Ryan at Jamestown [Jonestown], Guyana.
The US Attorney in San Francisco has formed a new prosecuting team to handle the Layton trial, and has instructed Assistant US Attorney Dennis Michael Nerney to travel to Guyana to acquaint himself with the Jonestown community, crime scene, and Guyanese witnesses who will be called to testify. SA Donald R. Hale, SF, has been the case agent for this matter since its inception, and has made five previous trips to Guyana in connection with developing a prosecutable case. Joseph Russoniello, the current US Attorney in San Francisco, requested that SA Hale accompany AUSA Nerney to Guyana in view of SA Hale’s knowledge of this case and liaison contacts he has developed in Guyana.
This teletype authorizes SA Hale to accompany AUSA Nerney to Guyana. [Handwritten addition] FBIHQ And DOJ coordinating necessary arrangements with USDS [United States Department of State].