Section SS-1 – which is labelled in the Guyana Index as “Counter-Conspiracy” – comprises 34 pages, consisting of the contents of a box of alphabetized index cards. The cards with the letters of the alphabet on them are blank, but the remaining 89 include entries summarizing the evidence of the conspiracy against Peoples Temple.
The listing below is complete for this section of the FBI’s FOIA release. The complete PDF for this section as released by the FBI is here.
The citation for these documents should open with the FBI’s official designation of these records, which, for this section, is “RYMUR 89-4286-SS1A.” Each individual page in these records has a unique number. The last entry, for example, is marked “SS1A89”. The complete citation for that page, then, would be “RYMUR 89-4286-SS1A89”.
The entries consist of a summarized event, notations of anyone in authority who was contacted about it, affidavits (Aff) and supporting documentation (Docs) of witnesses. Most of the abbreviations have been spelled out in the entries below.
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1
ARSON – RWV [Redwood Valley] Church (1972-3)
Q: Sheriff report Mendocino County?
Aff: ?
Note: A fire bomb was thrown by a man who got out of a car, then drove off. Spotted by Security. Chaikin investigated it, doesn’t recall who he spoke with. Recommended that a report be called in to the Sheriff’s Office.
2
ARSON – SF Church (1973)
Docs: Photos, Police Report, Fire Department Report, insurance company investigation report, newspaper articles
Aff: Bea Orsot (ask her who else)
3
ARSON – SF Church (1974)
Aff: Archie [Ijames]? (Ask Jack [likely Beam])
Q: police report? News articles?
[Handwritten footnote in capital letters: “DO NOT FOLLOW”]
4
Assassination, Chris Lewis (1977)
Docs: Newspaper Articles, Police Report (SF PD)
Aff : Conversation with Verdella Duncan, Terr Buford
5
Assassination, JJ – car followed, shotgun pointed on streets of SF. Date? [Handwritten addition: “(1976)”]
Aff: JJ
6
Assassination, JJ – run off the road by a truck in RWV (1970)
Aff:
Q: Police Report? “Yes” California Highway Patrol report?
[Handwritten addition, likely written by Eugene Chaikin: “JJ went out to get mail; guy came over to hit him. Made police report.”]
7
Assassination, JJ, horse drugged and threw him, in RWV (1971)
Aff: Jack Beam? Eva Pugh? Who?
Q: Police report?
[Handwritten footnote in capital letters: “DO NOT FOLLOW”]
8
Assassination, JJ – shot in temple lot (1971)
Aff. From Jack Beam
[Ditto marks] Carolyn Layton
9
Assassination, JJ – armed man in “Blue Horizon” ballroom (1974)
Aff: Jack Beam, Jim McElvane
[Handwritten footnote in capital letters: “DO NOT FOLLOW”]
10
Assassination, JJ – bomb under bus (1974)
newspaper articles
Affidavit of Prokes
Q: who found? Who reported to police?
Existing police report?
11
Assassination, JJ – poisoning incidents, LA church (1975, 1976)
Aff: Rose Shelton, Joyce Parks
Q: Did we call a doctor? Go to hospital?
12
Assassination, JJ – “objects” through front window of Bus 7, with JJ riding (1976?)
Aff: Mike Prokes, driver, Gene Chaikin, Karen Layton
Docs: photo, CHP or LAPD police report
note: the fuzz insisted in writing it up that a couple of kids threw the rock though two witnesses in the bus swore it came from a passing van while the bus was traveling about 50 mph
13
Assassination, JJ – Shooting in Jonestown (1977)
Aff: Terri Buford, JJ, others?
Docs: Newspaper Articles
Q: Guyana police report?
14
Assassination, Marceline Jones – poison in food, SF church (1977)
Aff: Terri Buford, Sandy Bradshaw
Q: Police report?
15
ATTACKS – JJ RWV Waylaid and mobbed
Aff:
16
ATTACKS – Pin placed in Jim’s underwear, LA
Aff: Rose Shelton?
17
ATTACKS – Jonestown “kidnapping” foray (11/17)
Aff:
18
ATTACKS – Steve Jones, LA
Aff: Steve Jones
19
BURGLARIES – Bonnie Beck’s auto in SF (1976)
Aff: Bonnie Beck, Jean Brown?
Doc: Police report, SFPD
Q: insurance claims?
Note: theft of several items from her car trunk in May of’ ‘76, including the church books of account.
20
BURGLARIES – files stolen from trunk of Patty Cartmell’s car
Aff:
Q: police report made?
21
BURGLARIES – RWV homes and law office, fall of (1972)
Doc: Mendocino County Sheriff’s office, reports
Docs: Gene Chaikin, David or Phyllis Chaikin, ? (Ask Jack)
Note: JJ said ditch all the s. lit. There were a series of burglaries within 36 hours after, including Chaikin Law office @ time of the L. [Lester] Kinsolving investigation
22
BURGLARIES – other files, etc. stolen from PT
Q: check with TB [Terri Buford]
23
CHARGES PROVEN FALSE – John Head Case
Docs: Newspaper articles carrying charges, saying suicide confirmed, reporting investigation of coroner; LA Coroner’s investigation report; LAPD report; Attorney General’s investigation of the coroner, report.
24
CHARGES PROVEN FALSE – Opportunity High “influence” (1977)
Docs: Newspaper articles, “Progress” and others, records of the SFUSD [San Francisco Unified School District]
25
CHARGES PROVEN FALSE – New West “Break in” (1977)
Docs: SFPD reports, newspaper articles “before” and “after”
Aff: E.C. [Eugene Chaikin] or whoever saw TV where Phil Tracy showed “PT” file that had been “dislodged” and noticed that the file was entitled “Peoples Forum”
[Handwritten addition: “Note: We have [illegible word] of the “Tracy show” on tape”]
26
HARASSMENT – animals harmed, general history of cruelty to animals, cats skinned, crawdads under car wheels, etc.
Docs: relevant newspaper articles
Aff: ?
27
HARASSMENT – Custody case of John Stoen
Docs: Mazor statement from Grace as to paternity, Stoen statement as to paternity, Stoen statement in writing as to intercourse with Grace (lack of it), newspaper articles, legal file Stoen v. Stoen
Aff: JJ
Q: Where did the $ come from to hire [Guyana attorney Clarence] Hughes
28
HARASSMENT – goons trying to break Fresno picket line late at night when relatively few there (1976)
Aff: E.C. [Eugene Chaikin], John Harris, J. [Jack] Beam
29
HARASSMENT – history of Jonestown siege (1977)
Docs: Resume by Terri
Affidavit:
30
HARASSMENT – long history of crank calls
Aff: J. Beam
31
HARASSMENT – ‘personation [impersonation] phone calls’ (1976)
Calls duplicating the voices of JJ & Prokes
Aff: JJ, EC
32
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – airplane that we could not buy
Aff: Norman Ijames
Docs: “Airplane Purchase” file
33
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – Cleveland bus incident (1976)
Q: Police report made? Witnesses?
34
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – hassles of our advanced crews
Aff: Lee Ingram, Dick Tropp, Karen Layton, Patricia Cartmell,?
35
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – LAPD hassle of LA Temple security following the LA “riot” (1973?)
Aff: Versie Perkins, Kay Nelson
36
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – gen hist [general history] of packages ripped open, letters opened, deliveries delayed
Aff: ?
37
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – Pan Am refusal of seats on flight to Guyana (1977)
Docs: records of travel agency “Jackson Travel Agency”
Aff: Tim Carter, Karen Layton
note: check travel agency for other inquiries into PT business, or refusals to book passages
38
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – Promotion of Anti-PT materials in Guyana, by mail and in person
Docs: Copies of anti-PT materials distributed in Guyana, get from GuyGovt (thru [Vibert] Mingo)
Q: What does GuyGovt know about this? Who arranged distribution of stuff from USA? Where printed?
39
INTERFERENCE WITH BUSINESS – Santa Rosa Bus incident
Docs: Trial records, report of Santa Rosa PD
Aff: Ronnie James, Joe Wilson?
40
MEDIA ATTACKS – Jim Clancy (1977)
Docs : Tapes of his show, tapes of his talks with Prokes, Mazor Information
Q: His agency connections? Working arrangements with Tracy? With Mazor? With Conn? With Mertles? Use all on the shows
Corr: other Media Attack files, Mazor statements
41
MEDIA ATTACKS – Chronicle (1977)
Aff: Charlotte Grogan-Beal overheard some conversation in the Chronicle about getting us any way that they could. Apparently gave the info to Prokes.
42
MEDIA ATTACKS – wide USA distribution of anti-temple Literature
Kinsolving column, Indianapolis Star, Review of the News (Birch Mag)
43
MEDIA ATTACKS – Coordination of ‘77 blitz
Docs: all media output (summarized)
Aff: Dick Tropp, Mike Prokes
44
MEDIA ATTACKS – Kathy Hunter episode (1978)
Docs: GPD [Georgetown Police Department] records on bomb threats at Pegasus, Guyana Immigration records on K. Hunter entry and exit cards, other GPD records, all newspaper articles (Stoen greets her on return), our tapes?
Aff: Tim Carter
note: “calls from Prime Minister, invitation?
arrest of our people at the Pegasus
45
MEDIA ATTACKS – international spread of anti-Temple articles; Toronto Star, London Observer, Soviet News Times (article by Charles Foley), Caribbean?
Docs: Copies of Articles
note: syndication of Kathy Hunter material by UPI when local UPI man knew nothing of it.
46
MEDIA ATTACKS – Lester Kinsolving (9/72 et seq)
Docs: His articles, materials from briefcase, transcripts of radio and TV tapes, other Examiner articles, all including his “foray” into the “SF Progress” in 1975, tapes and pix. Statement of John Moore (Stoen v. Kinsolving)
Q: His Agency connections
Corr: Caroline [Carolyn] Pickering of the Indianapolis Star, see correspondence
Corr: IRS action – see Pickering Correspondence
note: Correlation of his attacks to ‘73 Temple fire?
(over)
[46 side 2]
note: correlation between his first visit to PT in the Valley and the statement by JJ that a “hit man” and been hired by the Peace Mission and he was on the way out from the East Coast to JJ. It was just about then that LK walked into the church with his photographer and shot pix of our men armed in church. Correlation? LK’s articles describe JJ early visits to the Peace Mission and said he was using some of the same methods as Father Divine. Could he have contacted the Peace Mission, learned that they were real pissed JJ, and had the info phoned to JJ, knowing some of the members were licensed to carry?
47
MEDIA ATTACKS – Klineman SR Press Demo [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
Docs: His articles, statement by Conn that he was “big man”, his connection to Phil Tracy
Q: Nazi Connections?
48
MEDIA ATTACKS – LA Magazine reporter tries to gain entry without disclosing he is a reporter (197_)
Docs: Pix?, License number tracing
Aff: Patti Cartmell
49
MEDIA ATTACKS – Newsweek reporter lied at PT to gain entrance, said he was from AFSC [American Friends Service Committee] (1977)
Aff:?
50
MEDIA ATTACKS – Caroline Pickering
Docs: Her PT articles, her correspondence with LK, TOS [Timothy Stoen] notes on meeting with her, his trip to PsychBd.
Any PT correspondence with her?
Q: Her Agency connections?
Corr: Media Attacks – LK file
51
MEDIA ATTACKS – Press (unspecified) (1977)
Aff: Harvey Milk told Prokes that he had heard some of the press discussing getting us set up for a Federal rap.
52
MEDIA ATTACKS – [Tim] Reiterman, SF Chronicle?
Q: Agency connections? Tie-in with others, Tracy?
53
MEDIA ATTACKS – Phil Tracy (New West Magazine)
Docs: New West Articles, Mazor Interpol report?
Tapes and a TV Tapes of his various appearances
Q: His Agency connections? His working with Examiner, Chronicle and other writers.
Corr: Media Attacks – M. [Marshall] Kilduff, “Concerned Relatives”, possible agents – Mertles, possible agents – Conn
54
MISCELLANEOUS – SF media man? Tells JJ he is considered by the agencies the second most dangerous man in the USA, splits for Australia
Aff: JJ?
55
MISCELLANEOUS – Cubana Airlines Incident (1977)
JJ to be on plane
Q:? Reservations made?
Aff: Maria Katsaris? Carolyn Layton?
56
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Jim Cobb, the Santa Rosa Dorms, the Tomkai Residence, arms, subsequent harassment of PT
Aff: Jan Wilsey, Joyce Parks, Sharon Cobb, Dick Tropp, Mike Prokes, Charlie Touchette
Docs: Complaint – Cobb v. PT, Mendocino County Sheriff Department report made when “8” left.
57
POSSIBLE AGENTS – David Conn
Docs: Banks Declaration, Mazor statement
Aff: Christine Lucientes (under Conn house)
58
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Joseph Mazor
Docs: His criminal history. His listing with Interpol. Notes of his Interpol report, his declaration tape, other taped statements, tape of his Media Appearances. Connection with State Department.
Q: Connections with agencies including AFT [Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco], Customs, FBI, IRS
59
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Elmer & Deanna Mertle
Original Conn Connection, joint employment with Standard Oil, theft of property and materials from church and subsequent use for smear.
Docs: Mazor statement, Conn’s statement to Banks
Aff: Gene Chaikin (files returned last seen when in PT safe), (stuff in Mertle home after they left), subsequent anti-Temple activities.
60
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Danny Phillips
note: left PT in ‘69 or ‘70 to join military forces, supposed to have attended several special training courses, went to Germany. Returned to PT in early ‘73 or late ‘72, split 12/30/73 from Georgetown and ended up in Germany.
Q: Who knew about him? Military history? Friends? Funds?
61
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Benny Piriano, across from Redwood Valley church, emp
[employed by?] temple people
Q: How investigate
62
POSSIBLE AGENTS – Timothy O. Stoen
Docs: Newspaper “East Germany” article, Mazor comments as to his CIA and Interpol connections, bad and divisive legal advice, subsequent use of confidentially obtained information against PT
Aff: Gerne Chaikin, Jim Jones, ???
Q: Marcy, Canada a/c? Venezuela funds? Source $
Note: t.c. purportedly of TOS before story broke that he was on our side and working for us that he knew what was happening
63
POSSIBLE AGENTS – David Wise
Cros ref: tel tap file
Aff: Marie Duckett (tel. tapp), Kay Nelson (disruption of LA Church), Versie Perkins (disruption of LA Church)
note: interview Smart children, DW Parachute history
64
POSSIBLE AGENTS – The “8”
Cross ref. Poss ag. – Jim Cobb
Jim Cobb, Mickey Touchette, Wayne Pietela [Pietila], John Biddulph, Vera Biddulph, Teresa Cobb, Tom Podgorski, Lena Flowers
Docs: “exodus note”, Mendocino County Sheriff report, tapes of t/c with Wayne Pietela?
Note: this is a “backup file” to the Jim Cobb file.
65
SET UPS – Kinsolving “Burglary” (1972)
Doc: articles where he said his home had been burgled and inferred that PT had done it
Aff: denial
note: he lived in Berkeley
Q: did he file a police report?
66
SET UPS – JJ and Prokes blind corridor
Docs: LAPD?/SF PD? Report
Aff: M. Prokes, JJ, Jane Mutschmann
67
SET UPS – 647 [could be 1647] on Jim, LAPD (1973)
Docs: LAPD report, our file, LA Municipal Court record, order to “seal”, D. Kwan file, AG review of judicial propriety of order to seal.
Aff: D. Kwan, JJ
note: TOS involvement in sealing, and w/ AG office
68
SET UPS – “LA Riot” 1973
Docs: LAPD reports, LA Municipal Court file, p. v. J. Brown, p. v. Cleveland Jackson, health department, ambulance report, pix?
Aff: Prokes, JJ, Marcie
69
SET UPS – Fire SF Examiner during picket (1972)
Docs: Newspaper article, Examiner records, SFFD?
Aff: ?
70
SET UPS – threatening phone calls
the format is to phone someone who is in an antagonistic situation with PT and threaten them in some way saying that they are from Jim or PT. Van de Kemp [Kamp] (LA DA), the Enquirer reporter, New West manager, Examiner editor John Todd (9/72), Kathy Hunter, Steve Katsaris (9/77),
Docs: Newspaper and magazine articles
Aff: no PT involvement
71
SURVEILLANCE, VERIFIED – Jonestown flight (1978)
Doc: copies of notes made, correspondence and reports to GuyGovt. Photos of plane? Tel. Statement of Enquirer man that he flew over (tape?)
Aff: Witness to plane, maybe Don Jackson (photographer)
Witness to telephone call with Enquirer man
Note: review John Moore statement of talk with Enquirer man
72
SURVEILLANCE, VERIFIED – RWV Church (1973)
Jeanette Kerns had split and returned, came to a meeting, van parked in front of church with electronic equipment, also car of her “Ukiah” friends, chase, etc.
Docs: Sheriff report? Pix?
Aff: Jeff Carey, Jack Beam, EC, Mike T.
73
SURVEILLANCE, VERIFIED – Unita B. Wright (11/7/76)
Docs: correspondence and responses, tapes? Notes?
Aff: H. Tropp, Penny Kerns, P. Cartmell
Q: Involvement of [US Sen. John] Stennis? USAF Intelligence? Who was the target, UBW or PT?
74
TELEPHONE TAPPING – David Wise (1975)
Aff: Marie Duckett, a.k.a. Lawrence
Jim caught him fucking with his phone & Kay Nelson
note: JB [Jack Beam] said he did time for phone work
75
TELEPHONE TAPPING – Pacific Telephone, under Kinsolving (and FBI?) Request (1972)
Docs: “Gannatoes” Statement, records of Pac Tel (complaints and investigation report)
Q: Police or sheriff report?
Note: Taps supposed to be made on Chaikin Law office and Temple phone.
76
TELEPHONE TAPPING – Wires in SF Temple basement
Aff: Donald Sheid [Scheid], aka, Cassinova [Casanova]
77
THREATS – bomb, LA church
Docs: LAPD report (they were called and came)
Aff:
78
THREATS – Flowers delivered to SF Temple with death threat
Q: Do we have the note?
Aff: Mike Prokes?
79
THREATS – phone calls, throughout history
Q: Police reports?
Aff: Carole Stahl, SF phone operator? Versie P. [Perkins]? J. Beam
Docs: ltr to SF PD Chief [Charles] Gains outlining same in application for license to carry concealed weapons (1976)
80
THREATS – Shots into RWV church (1972)
Aff: Jeff Carey
81
US CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT – opening crates (1977)
Aff: James Randolph
Docs: memo from shipper, Mazor statement
note: Mazor’s taped explanation that the ATF had investigated firearms allegations in RWV, and had put Customs up to checking crates as a part of that check
82
US FBI – denials of investigation
Docs: ltr from SF office denial, Mazor file on tape that he read FBI file on JJ church, business card; Gannatoes Statement working with FBI
Aff: EC verbal denials of investigation by SF agent
note: C. Pickering/FBI connection, Jean Brown’s call. See summary “FBI and Jim Jones”.
83
US POST OFFICE – interference with mails, checks
Docs: copies of letter cancellations, memo re delivery of checks
Aff: Tom Adams, Hattie Newell, conv. w/ P.O. worker
84
US SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION – interference with SSA checks for Guyana (Jonestown) recipients
Aff: Maria Katsaris, got all from McCoy
Docs: Post Office memo
85
US TREASURY DEPARTMENT – investigation of PT
Aff: Patty Cartmell putting Conn in Brightman home; Dennis Banks, Lee Brightman. Adams affidavit of J.R. Purifoy statement.
Docs: notes Banks made at the time, tape under Conn House??? Mazor Statement that Conn was working with a T. [Treasury] agent
86
HARASSMENT –
5 whites in a car outside of PT RWV, Bruce Turner stopped them and got their names…
Aff: Bruce Turner
87
HARASSMENT, telephone, calls JJ dead
Aff: N.S. Darnes, Novella Sneed, Mabel Johnson
88
ARSON, Molotov cocktail at RWV Church
Aff: Chuck Beikman
89
US FBI – File in Mendocino County Sheriff office
Aff: Penny Kerns, told by brother of Sheriff when she first joined that there was a complete file on JJ, and that he was a communist.