Typed letter from U.S. Ambassador John Burke to office of Guyana Prime Minister, December 7, 1978
[Letterhead of U.S. Embassy in Georgetown]
December 7, 1978
Oscar Henry
Permanent Secretary
Office of the Prime Minister
Georgetown
Dear Mr. Henry:
Please find enclosed a copy of a letter to me from the bereaved parents of two young people who perished in the tragedy at Jonestown.
Do you believe it might be feasible to locate the painting mentioned in paragraph four of Mr. and Mrs. Sines’ letter and make it available to them? I know it would mean a great deal.
With thanks,
Sincerely,
John R. Burke
Ambassador
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Typed letter from U.S. Ambassador John Burke to parents of Sines’, December 7, 1978
[Letterhead of U.S. Embassy in Georgetown]
December 7, 1978
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sines
14009 Bergen Avenue
Bellflower, California 90706
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sines:
I was most touched by your letter of November 27 which I received today. Please accept my most sincere condolences on your loss of your son and daughter.
Enclosed is a copy of a note which I have written to Mr. Oscar Henry, who is the senior staff member in the office of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham. I will of course let you know promptly if it is possible to locate and regain the painting which was presented to the Prime Minister.
I have asked Embassy officers who have most recently visited the Jonestown site whether they had noted any wooden toys, and I am sorry to say they did not. Apparently few individual belongings remain in the area. Jonestown has been ordered sealed by the Government of Guyana, and windows and doors of most buildings have been nailed shut. We will most certainly keep your request in mind, and should I hear of one of the toys showing up, I shall certainly seek to obtain it for you.
With great sympathy,
/s/ John R. Burke
John R. Burke
Ambassador
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Typed letter from U.S. Embassy Counselor Richard Dwyer to parents of Sines’, May 28, 1979
[Letterhead of U.S. Embassy in Georgetown]
May 28, 1979
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sines
14009 Bergen Avenue
Bellflower, Calif. 90706
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sines:
Ambassador Burke shared with me last fall your letter to him of November 27 in which you asked about the possibility of obtaining a wooden toy from Jonestown which might have been made by your son.
I had the occasion to visit Jonestown recently, and, in a sheltered are near what had been the children’s day care center I came across a wooden toy car, which the Guyanese authorities agreed to let me take. I send it along to you in the hope that it might offer some solace.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Dwyer
Counselor of Embassy
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Typed letter from U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Dwyer to parents of Sines’, June 28, 1979
[Letterhead of U.S. Embassy in Georgetown]
June 28, 1979
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sines
14009 Bergen Avenue
Bellflower, Calif. 90706
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sines:
Thank you for your letter of June 10, with word that the little car arrived safely.
To my knowledge, there are very few if any papers and documents left in Jonestown, as most papers and documents were removed and placed in the care of the Guyanese and American authorities for review in connection with legal proceedings in both countries. (It is my understanding that those documents in the possession of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are unlikely to be made available to the public until legal proceedings have
been completed in the United States.) I would very much doubt, therefore, that even a very careful search of Jonestown would produce Nancy ‘ s diary or journal.
It is possible to visit Jonestown with the concurrence of the Guyanese Government. There are commercial flights on a scheduled basis to Matthews Ridge from which it is sometimes possible to arrange for a Land Rover to drive one to Jonestown if the weather (and thus state of the roads) permits. There is also a small, antiquated train that runs from Matthews Ridge to Port Kaituma, although it will be necessary to make some arrangements for transportation from Port Kaituma for the several miles from Port Kaituma to Jonestown. The weather is very rainy in Guyana from May to July, and there is a second, somewhat
less intensive rainy season from about December to February.
Should you decide to visit Guyana and Jonestown, I would suggest that you check first with the Embassy of Guyana in Washington to determine what formalities may be required at that particular time.
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I hope you will find the above information useful.
Sincerely,
/s/ Richard A. Dwyer
Richard A. Dwyer
Deputy Chief of Mission
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Typed letter from U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Dwyer to parents of Sines’, August 20, 1979
[Letterhead of U.S. Embassy in Georgetown]
August 20, 1979
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Sines
14009 Bergen Avenue
Bellflower, Calif. 90706
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Sines:
As you may recall, some months ago Ambassador Burke requested of a senior official of the Government of Guyana whether it might be possible to locate some examples of your daughter, Nancy’s, art that she accomplished in Jonestown. The Guyanese authorities last week sent us the enclosed drawings which as far as I could determine are Nancy’s work. In addition to these drawings there are three small wooden plaques with drawings on them which I cannot send through Department of State mail facilities. I will ask the
next member of our Embassy who is traveling to the United States to mail these to you. Although this may take more time, it is more certain than entrusting them to the international mail.
May I once again express my deepest sympathy.
Sincerely,
Richard A. Dwyer
Deputy Chief of Mission