Temple Affidavits, Statements Related to Tim Stoen

BB-31-a-25

Port Kaituma, North West Region
Guyana, South America

STATEMENT OF PATTY CARTMELL

I, Patty Cartmell, swear under penalty of perjury that the following is true:

I have observed how one Grace Stoen pressured Rev. Jim Jones repeatedly for sex. Grace would call me on the phone and cry, and then come over to my house where I lived close to Rev. Jones’ parsonage home. She would ask Jim over and over for sex.

She was aware Jim did not want her in a sexual encounter. Jim was very kind and always compassionate. Grace would still continue on this insane issue of sex. She appeared to be obsessed with wanting sex with Jim Jones. She threatened suicide on numerous occasions.

And then I heard Tim Stoen ask Rev. Jones in the parking lot to have sex with Grace, because he (Tim) was afraid she would leave him and tried to hurt Peoples Temple and bring public embarrassment to Jim Jones. So then Jim agreed, and in February or March, 1971, he did have sex with Grace in my house. She got more demanding after that and more threats came from her. Suicide and threats of hurting the church. Numerous threats to kill her husband were made. Jim had sex with her again. Grace swore she was taking birth control pills, but later laughed and said she wasn’t.

I later heard Tim Stoen saying he wanted Grace to have a child by Jim Jones, as he thought that might settle her down. I don’t know just what he meant, but Tim seemed to want to help people, though I wasn’t around him enough to know for sure.

When Grace got pregnant that began a nightmare.

/s/ Patty Cartmell
Dated: 13 August 1978

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BB-31-a-29

Anonymous undated statement on Tim Stoen

Tim has gone out & bought 1 wig, 2 négligée’s, 1 slip, nylons, women’s underwear.

I jumped on him hard, and he told me to mind my own business. I told him he did not have the privilege to do such things & I was pissed. I said for John’s sake not to do this. He said, “Oh, I think it’s more than that!” (Implying me). I told him I did not care for him, I didn’t bother him (he agreed) & wanted nothing to do with him, etc. He told me to get fucked. I told him he was defensive, & would bring to council. He said [bottom of page torn off]

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BB-31-a-32

Statement from Kendra Alexander

Approximately the middle of March I received a phone call from a man who said his name was Tim Stone [Stoen]. He asked to speak to Mrs. Kendra Alexander. I said that this was she.

He identified himself as Tim Stone and said he was soliciting statements about Jim Jones of the People’s Temple. I asked him what kind of statements. He replied, negative statements, then proceeded to say he would make it worth my while. I asked him what he meant. Did he mean he would pay me to make negative statements about Jim Jones. He answered, “yes.”

I told him that he insulted my integrity, and that I would never make statements about anyone for money but only based on my own principles & convictions. He replied that I should think it over and he would be back in touch.

Almost immediately after his phone call I called the People’s Temple and spoke to a young woman (I cannot recall her name) and told her about this phone conversation.

I have written up this conversation at the request of the People’s Temple. Everything I have written is true to the best of my recollection.

Kendra Alexander
April 7, 1978

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Telephone conversation between Tim Stoen and Frances Muchnick

[Editor’s note: The following transcript also appears at x-3-a-7a – 7c.]

I Frances R. Muchnick, declare under penalty of perjury that the following is true and correct:

On Sunday, the 7th of May, 1978 around 7:30 PM, I received the following phone call from a Mr. Timothy Stoen:

TS: Mrs. Frances Muchnick? I don’t know whether you remember me or not, what I net you some years ago at the People’s Temple Church in Redwood Valley, and I’m calling to let you know of a mass Protest Meeting to be held in front of the Federal Building in San Francisco on Wednesday, May 10th.

FM: What kind of meeting?

TS: We are a group of 25 parents who have children or relatives in the Agricultural Mission in Guyana, and they are being held there incommunicado. There is no way you can reach them by phone or radio or get to see them. Five parents have traveled to Guyana and came back without seeing their children. I understand that your children and grandchildren are there also.

FM: Yes, my grandchildren are there, and my son-in-law is there, but my daughter Claire is still here in Redwood Valley. By the way, how did you ever get my number to call me?

TS: Oh, I didn’t know that Claire was still in Redwood Valley – I got your number from Mr. & Mrs. Janaro, at 763-4119, and they asked me to call you. They wanted you to know what was going on.

FM: Did you know my Claire and Richard?

TS: Oh yes, very well. I was as dedicated a worker for the Temple as they are, five years ago. But then I began thinking that things were not going exactly as I has contemplated they would, because the more power that Jim Jones possessed, the more he wanted to use. I tried to break away from the church two times – I went as far as London to get away from it all, and try to think things out clearly for myself – but Jim sent someone after me and begged me to come back. I decided to give it another try. For some reason, I was told to sign a paper saying that Jim was the father of my child (TS didn’t say what the reason was), and now I want my child back. I have a suit going on in the Guyanese courts.

FM: Have you ever been to Guyana?

TS: Yes, I spent about 3 months there.

FM: What did you find there?

TS: It was a very beautiful spot – and good food – a little starchy, but good. When I was there, there are only about 75 people there, and now there are about a 1000. So I don’t really know what the conditions are there now.

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x-3-a-7b

FM: I understand that Jonestown is in a remote region and difficult to get to.

TS: The difficulty wasn’t getting out of there, once you get in. Now, no one can leave. The mail is definitely censored in Jonestown. I know that firsthand.

FM: If the people in Jonestown are being held captive or against their will, how come you don’t go to the government for help in getting them released?

TS: Oh, I did. I spent two weeks in Washington, trying to get through some of the bureaucracy there – trying to get people to listen to me. I spoke to (or THEY, meaning the group), Prime Minister Burnham about investigating Jonestown.

FM: Do you know Lt. Governor [Mervyn] Dymally?

TS: Very well. In fact, he was on the plane with me when I went to Guyana.

FM: Well, it is my understanding that Lt. Gov. Dymally was very favorably impressed with what he found there, and came back full of enthusiasm with the progress and the lifestyle program that they are accomplishing in Jonestown.

TS: He was very impressed at that time, but we have been talking to him and he is weakening in his opinion of Jonestown since we have been informing him and putting on some pressure. Jim Jones is a master at mind control, is power mad, it has gone to his head, is paranoid and can’t take criticism of any kind. Claire and Richard are completely under the influence of Jim, and are very loyal to him and would do anything he asked – Claire would even kill someone if he asked her to.

FM: I have complete confidence in the intelligence of Claire and Richard and their ability to judge what is right for them and their children!

TS: People are afraid to come forth and expose Jim and the Jonestown situation for fear of retaliation by Jim or his henchmen – several people were threatened that their houses would be burned – but when they came forth – nothing really happened to them or their homes.

FM: Have you ever witnessed any physical violence against members of the church, or anyone who tried to leave the church?

TS: When I was a member I saw, (I think he said Jim) paddle people as punishment.

TS: I just wanted to let you know what we are trying to do. We are asking Jim to please let our children come back here for one week (at our expense) so that we can see them again, and then let them decide for themselves whether they want to return to Jonestown or not. If they decide that they want to return to Jonestown, we will send them back.

FM: Well, that sounds like a fair enough request.

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x-3-a-7c

TS: Also I want to let you know that Jim wrote letters to all of our Senators and Congressmen, saying that he would rather die than be harassed from continent to continent. Jim has strayed so far from the original concept of a better world to live in – is so inflated by his power, that if things don’t go Jim’s way, Jim could get his followers to partake in a mass suicide action if he so decreed.

TS: If you want to reach me for any reason, or any further information as to the progress of the group, new free to call me at my law office in San Francisco, on Montgomery Street. The number is 391-5020.

FM: Are you calling from Los Angeles?

TS: No, I’m calling from San Francisco.

FM: This really is a long toll call. I want to thank you for calling me and telling me about your group, but I still have all the confidence in the world the judgment of Claire and Richard.

The above pieces of conversation may be out of sequence, but considering the emotional distress I was going through hearing all these things, and knowing that they are out to destroy this miraculous achievement by a group of valiant and courageous people under the leadership of a man they dearly love and respect, Jim Jones – the above is as near as I can recollect. It may not be verbatim, but it is to the best of my knowledge and memory.

Executed on May 8th, 1978 at Los Angeles, California.

/s/ Frances R. Muchnick
Frances R. Muchnick