[Editor’s note: Two of the subjects of this serial whose names are deleted are the interview subjects, Jonestown survivors Odell Rhodes and Stanley Clayton. The deleted information from the memorandum – designated by brackets – which is known to the editor has been indicated by red type.]
FBI Airtel
Date 7/17/79
TO: DIRECTOR, FBI (89-4286)
FROM: SAC, SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (P) (SQ. 10)
SUBJECT: RUMUR [RYMUR]
Re Bureau telephone call to San Francisco, 7/17/79, and San Francisco Facsimile dated 7/17/79.
Enclosed for the Bureau are two (2) copies each of four (4) FD-302’s as follows:
1. [Odell Rhodes], dated 12/29/78.
2. [Odell Rhodes], dated 1/4/79.
3. [Stanley Clayton], dated 1/16/79.
4. [Stanley Clayton], dated 1/31/79.
The above is furnished for information of the Bureau and transmittal to Department of Justice if so desired.
[Page 2 is duplicate of page 1; Page 3 are handwritten notes summarizing page 1]
[Page 4]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription 1/3/79
[Contact information on Odell Rhodes deleted.] [Rhodes] was contacted at his arrival at Miami International Airport from Guyana at 6:53 PM aboard ALM flight number 977. He was advised as to the identity of the interviewing agent as well as to the nature of the interview. Also present at the time of interview was SA [name deleted], US Secret Service.
At the outset of the interview, [Rhodes] stated that he did not wish to be interviewed and stated he wanted a lawyer present before furnishing any statements. He also refused to be fingerprinted or photographed, but did voluntarily furnish a copy of his passport pictures.
[Rhodes] voluntarily furnished the following background information on himself.
He arrived in Guyana in the summer or fall of 1977. In Jonestown he was an [occupation deleted]. He stated that he was previously married to [information on former wife deleted].
[Paragraph on Rhodes‘ military service heavily redacted]
[Rhodes] stated he was on his way to Detroit, but did not have a connecting ticket at the moment, but was going to purchase one later on that night. He furnished an uncle’s address of [deleted], Michigan, telephone number [deleted] as place of residence for a few days. He would not furnish uncle’s name. He stated that he had someone waiting for him here in Miami, but since plane was three hours late, he believed the person left.
[Rhodes] further advised that on Tuesday, January 2, 1979 he would contact the Detroit FBI office and submit to an interview.
[Page 5 of serial; page 2 of FD-302]]
The following background information was obtained based on observation and voluntary information furnished by [Rhodes].
[All information deleted]
[Pages 6-7 are duplicates of pages 4-5]
[Page 8]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription 1/5/79
[Contact information on Odell Rhodes deleted.] [Rhodes] voluntarily appeared at the Detroit Office of the FBI to be interviewed regarding his knowledge surrounding the death of U.S. Congressmen Leo J. Ryan of California, which occurred on November 18, 1978.
[Rhodes] advised that prior to being interviewed, he had consulted with an attorney and it was [Rhodes]’ decision to be interviewed without his attorney present. [Rhodes] then provided the following information:
During the month of October, 1976, [Rhodes] attended a rally which was conducted at Detroit, Michigan, by the Reverend Jim Jones, to promote membership in the People’s Temple. [Rhodes] was impressed by the speech given by Reverend Jones and decided to join the Temple.
A short time afterwards, [Rhodes] left Detroit and resided at the People’s Temple in San Francisco, California, where he was [several words deleted] located in San Francisco.
During the month of September, 1977, [Rhodes] voluntarily traveled to the Jonestown, Guyana Compound of the People’s Temple. [Rhodes] work there as an [2 lines deleted].
During the week of November 12-18, 1978, [Rhodes] became aware that Congressman Ryan would be coming to the People’s Temple Compound in Guyana. Initial notification was made over the compound speaker system and stated that Congressman Ryan and “concerned friends” would be coming. During the same time period Reverend Jones made an announcement stating that Ryan was a troublemaker. [Rhodes] observed the response of the majority of People’s Temple members to be that of concern that an outsider would be coming into the compound. The majority of members followed Jones’ instructions without question and anyone disagreeing with Jones’ philosophy would be subjected to critical peer pressure.
[Page 9 of serial; page 2 of FD-302]
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Three or four days prior to Ryan’s arrival, a petition was signed by members of the People’s Temple in an attempt to keep Ryan and his party from making the visit. On the 15th or 16th of November, Jones again made an announcement stating that Ryan would be admitted into the compound and would be accompanied by Mark Lane and Charles Gary [Garry] of the People’s Temple Legal Staff. Jones stated that everything would be okay and that the residents should clean up the place prior to Ryan’s arrival.
On November 17, 1978, Congressman Ryan and his party arrived at the Jonestown Compound between 5:00 and 6:00 PM. Ryan was greeted by Harriet Tropp, Gene Chaiken [Chaikin] and Johnny Jones. The Ryan party arrived via truck and was escorted to the pavilion area. The truck remained parked near the kitchen building. [Rhodes] observed some of the party at the pavilion area where Reverend Jones was talking to members of his legal staff.
At approximately 8:30 PM, November 17, 1978, a variety show was staged at the pavilion for the benefit of Congressman Ryan and his party. The show consisted of a band, singers, dancers and a comedian. The program lasted approximately two hours and everyone present including the Ryan party appeared to be in good spirits and were laughing and smiling. At the conclusion of the show, Marceline (phonetic) Jones introduced Congressman Ryan who addressed the group. Ryan praised the work which was being done at Jonestown and stated he wished he had people like this in his congressional district to vote for him.
After Ryan’s speech, the crowd dispersed from the pavilion and [Rhodes] returned to the [several words deleted]. [Rhodes] slept till approximately 1:00 PM on November 18, 1978. He walked to the kitchen building where he observed a portion of Ryan’s party boarding a truck. [Rhodes] entered the kitchen and did not see the truck leave.
A short time later, [Rhodes] was returning to his quarters when he observed Congressman Ryan talking to members of the People’s Temple at the pavilion. [Rhodes] could not recall the identity of the Temple members.
[Page 10 of serial; page 3 of FD-302]
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[Rhodes] returned to the porch of his quarters where the [name deleted] family, the [name deleted] family [Editorial note: The deletions are of the Parks and Bogue families], Monica Bagby, Verne Gozney [Gosney], and a few others were discussing the fact that approximately 20 Temple members intended to leave Guyana with the Ryan party.
[Rhodes] stated an additional 11 members had walked away from the compound on the morning of November 18, 1978. The group was discussing in particular Harold Cordel [Cordell], who intended to leave. They were calling Cordel a deserter and a traitor.
At approximately 2:30 PM, [Rhodes] observed Don Sly walking down a path toward the pavilion area. Sly entered the pavilion and attacked Congressman Ryan with a knife. Other Temple members present at the pavilion subdued Sly and Ryan was unharmed. [Rhodes] believed that Sly may have been injured with the knife. The incident drew attention and Marceline Jones made an announcement over the loudspeaker stating that no one was harmed and instructing everyone to return to their homes. Immediately after the incident, Harriet Tropp and Gene Chaikin were talking to Ryan in the pavilion. In addition, Ryan’s aide, Miss Spear [Jackie Speier] was present when the attack took place.
At approximately 3:00 PM, November 18, 1978, Congressman Ryan was escorted toward a truck parked at the kitchen area. [Rhodes] did not observe Ryan enter the truck.
At approximately 4:00 PM, November 18, 1978 Reverend Jones called a meeting at the pavilion. A securities [security] force was sent out to make sure everybody attended the meeting. After the membership was assembled, Jones announced that everybody would have to commit suicide and that anyone who would not do so would be disgraced. One woman in the crowd, Christine Miller disagreed with Jones, but was immediately shouted down by the crowd.
Jones went on to state that the pilot from Congressman Ryan’s plane would be shot when the plane was over the jungle and all would die in the crash. Jones stated [Larry Layton] the person who was going to do the shooting “blamed [Debbie Layton Blakey] his own sister for [Lisa Layton] his mother’s death”. [Rhodes] explained that he, along with other members, assumed that Jones was referring to Larry Layton, because of a prior incident which occurred involving the death of Layton’s mother.
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Christine Miller again spoke up stating, “maybe he won’t do it” to which Jones replied, “he will if the plane ever leaves the ground”.
A short time later, [Rhodes] heard a vehicle approaching the compound and observed Johnny Jones enter the pavilion and whisper something to Reverend Jim Jones. At that point Reverend Jones announced, “it’s too late, they’re all dead”, mentioning Congressman Ryan and Jim Cobb of Ryan’s party by name.
Reverend Jones then instructed Dr. Larry Schact [Schacht] (phonetic) to bring the poison. Jones told everyone to hurry in order that they might die with dignity and stated that if they did not commit suicide they would be tortured by the Guyana Defense Force (GDF). Jones did not exhibit any emotion regarding his orders.
Various members then began to bring small plastic containers of poison to the pavilion area, where the contents were poured into a larger container. Temple members were then instructed to get in line and take the poison.
[Rhodes] stated that on other occasions Jones would call meetings in which he would have a member whose faith was believed to be weak come forward and drink a liquid which was supposed to be poison. On these occasions, however, it was not poison and the individuals drank the liquid unharmed.
Almost immediately temple members and their children formed a line waiting to take the poison. Adults consumed the poison by mouth and the poison was forced down the throats of the children by use of a syringe. Kool aid was used to wash away the taste of the poison after being taken.
[Rhodes] stated the first member to take the poison was a female, name unknown to him [Editor’s note: identified by other survivors as Ruletta Brown, also known as Ruletta Paul] and she hurried to the front of the line to take the poison as if she were proud to be complying with Jones’ orders.
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Approximately five minutes after taking the poison people were beginning to die, children being the first affected by the poison. Even those people in line who observed the others dying continued to remain in the line and there was no evidence at this point that anyone was being forced to take the poison.
A security force of approximately 20 to 25 people armed with bow and arrows and crossbows were directly adjacent to the people standing in line. The security force was present there to prevent people from leaving. In addition, an additional perimeter of approximately 20 security guards bearing rifles and shot guns were also in place at the boundary of the compound.
[Rhodes] stated he did not get in line with the others but was trying to determine how he would escape. A short time after the poisoning began, Dr. Schact (phonetic) asked for a nurse to get him a stethoscope. [Stanley Clayton and Odell Rhodes] left the pavilion area to obtain a stethoscope from the hospital building, [Rhodes] walked with [Clayton] to the hospital where he entered and then left [Clayton] exiting the back door. [Rhodes] crawled under the hospital building and remained there until dark.
Just as it became dark, an announcement was made over the compound speaker system calling all individuals with weapons to report to the radio room which was directly across from the pavilion. Three armed individuals whom [Rhodes] could see from his hiding place then left the hospital area. [Rhodes] then ran into the jungle and paralled a road which led to [Port] Kaituma. [Rhodes] walked for approximately four and one half hours and arrived at the Kaituma police station at approximately 12:30 AM, November 19, 1978. [Rhodes] then advised the authorities in Kaituma of the events which had taken place at Jonestown.
[Rhodes] stated that weapons were very seldom discussed but he did recall Reverend Jones in September, 1977 stating that all weapons maintained at the compound were licensed. [Rhodes] further advised that armed security guards were on duty during all hours of the day or night at the Jonestown complex.
[Page 13 of serial; page 6 of FD-302]
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[Rhodes] stated he never observed any firearms training being conducted but did, on one or two occasions, hear guns being fired. [Rhodes] had been advised that the firing was simply practice for hunting.
[Rhodes] provided the following list of individuals whom he knows to be members of the Temple Internal Security (IS) force:
Joe Wilson (in charge of weapons)
Greg Watkins
Albert Touchette
Billy Oliver
Bruce Oliver
Charles Marshal [Marshall]
Wesley Bridenback [Breidenbach]
Bob Kice
Ronnie James
[Rhodes] felt all of the above individuals were deceased except Charles Marshal and Ronnie James. [Rhodes] did not know the current status of Marshal or James.
In addition, the following individuals were members of the security force armed with cross bows:
Marie Rankin
Bob Rankin
Marlene Wheeler
Nancy Sines
[Rhodes] believed all of the above to be deceased except Marlene Wheeler whose status it is unknown to him.
[Rhodes] provided the following list of individuals he described as close confidantes of Reverend Jim Jones:
Harriet Tropp
Johnny Jones
Gene Chaiken
Maria Consares (phonetic) [Katsaris]
[Page 14 of serial; page 7 of FD-302]
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[Rhodes] furnished the following names of individuals who were members of the Jonestown basketball team:
Steve [Stephan] Jones
Tim Jones
Calvin Douglas
Lee Ingram
Eugene Smith
Cleveland Newell
Johnny Cobb
Carl Barnett
[Rhodes] believed all members of the basketball team to be alive in that they were attending a basketball tournament in Georgetown, Guyana when the incident occurred. [Rhodes] was not aware of any additional activities or functions performed by members of the basketball team other than playing basketball.
[Rhodes] provided the following list of individuals whom he knows to be alive who were in positions of some authority with the People’s Temple Organization:
Tim Carter (usually in Georgetown, Guyana handling customs operations)
Michael Prokes
Calvin Douglas (occasional bodyguard for Reverend Jim Jones)
Michael Touchette (function unknown, working in Georgetown)
Lee Ingram (in charge of shop operations in Jonestown)
Archie Ijames (member of the Inner Circle at People’s Temple, San Francisco, California)
Mike Carter (ham radio operator, Jonestown)
Terry [Terri] Buford (ham radio operator, Jonestown)
[Rhodes] advised he was aware that ham radio transmissions were being made but was not aware of the text of the messages. In general, [Rhodes] believed members who were allowed to travel outside of the compound in Guyana were leaders in the temple organization.
[Page 15 of serial; page 8 of FD-302]
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[Rhodes] was aware of no contingency plans to harm public officials in the event the People’s Temple Organization would fall.
The general threat that “people who betray Reverend Jones will not be forgotten” was made frequently.
[Rhodes] was not familiar with the term “Angels” nor did he consider any of the surviving members to be a threat to other surviving Temple members or public officials in the United States.
[Rhodes] stated he was [Editorial note: the word “not” likely omitted here] aware of any bribery or criminal activity such as narcotics trafficking being conducted in Jonestown. No smoking or drinking was permitted at the compound and narcotics were not taken in the course of everyday living.
[Rhodes] stated that many members were kept against their will and was aware that the security forces were present to insure that no members escaped the compound. [Rhodes] recalled hearing that one member, Tommy Bogue, who tried to escape, was beaten but [Rhodes] did not witness the beating. [Rhodes] stated it was normal practice to tranquilize individuals who were captured while trying to escape.
No narcotics were manufactured at the Jonestown complex and all drugs were transported into the compound from areas unknown to [Rhodes]. [Rhodes] was not aware of the types of items which were shipped into the compound in that only certain trusted individuals were permitted to unpack incoming shipments. [Rhodes] recalled the following individuals who were cargo packers at the San Francisco Temple in 1977:
Ruby Carroll
Ravine Bean [Rheaviana Beam]
Jack Bean [Beam]
[Rhodes] believed the above individuals to be deceased. [Rhodes] stated that members were required to provide written confessions of “sins” which they had
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committed prior to coming to the Jonestown complex. The written statements were kept as a record but [Rhodes] could cite no example of any statement being used to force a member to stay at the temple. It was [Rhodes]’ observation the people stayed because of extreme peer pressure.
In addition, tape recordings were made of all meetings of the general membership in Jonestown. [Rhodes] did not know whether similar recordings of meetings involving members of the Inner Circle were made.
[Rhodes] stated he was not familiar with the financial dealings of the People’s Temple but it was his impression that only Reverend Jim Jones knew exactly how much money the temple had and where the money could be located.
[Rhodes] stated [Name deleted] currently has a list of while temple members who blame disloyal members that left with the Ryan party for the downfall of the temple.
The following description was taken from observation and interview:
[Balance of page and all of the following page deleted]
[Pages 18 – 27 duplicate pages 8 -17.]
[Page 28]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription 1/24/79
[Stanley Clayton] was contacted by Special Agents [names deleted] at [location deleted], California, and he was advised of the official identities of the interviewing Agents at that time by show of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) credentials. [Clayton] was advised that the purpose of the interview was to obtain from him any information regarding any details relating to the assassination of Congressman Leo Ryan in Guyana. [Clayton] then furnished the following information:
[Paragraph on Clayton’s current residence and relatives in California heavily redacted.]
In connection with the Peoples Temple (PT), [Clayton] advised that he was [words deleted] and that he was a [words deleted] while at the Jonestown settlement in Guyana.
[Clayton] recalled and related that he first came into contact with PT in 1971 when he was in [two lines heavily redacted] at an unknown address. It was upon her recommendation that he go with her to one of the meetings at the [line deleted] San Francisco that he first came into contact with PT. He advised that he has been a member of PT ever since. [Clayton] advised he is not a member of the Planning Commission and
[Page 29 of serial; page 2 of FD-302]
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does not know anything regarding the Planning Commission. He advised that his sole responsibility was to be in [balance of paragraph heavily redacted].
[Clayton] stated that he is not aware of any so-called “contingency plans.” [Clayton] stated he did not recall receiving instructions regarding pre-planned assassinations, but does recall that members were expected to fight should the church or its members be attacked.
In Jonestown, the rule was that if someone from the outside came into the Jonestown community that everyone was to report to the main pavilion and drink poison Kool-Aid. This is what happened when Congressman Ryan and his party had left. [Clayton] advised that Jones never said exactly what would happen to the survivors, but left this up in the air.
[Clayton] advised that he went to Guyana in August, 1977, after being given a ticket by [several words deleted] at the San Francisco PT. [Clayton] flew by airplane, the exact airlines unrecalled, to the New York Airport and from there to Guyana and Georgetown. In New York, [Clayton] met with Janice Johnson, [Gwendolyn Joyce Johnson and Willa JoAnn Johnson], who are from the PT in Los Angeles. They were also on their way to Guyana.
[Clayton] advised at that time, when he was traveling to Guyana, he took just his own personal belongings, which consisted of a double [duffel] bag of clothes, a picture that is an artist’s drawing that [name deleted] asked him to give to somebody in Jonestown. [Clayton] could not recall who it was that he was to give this painting to. It was a framed 18″ by 24″ painting. [Clayton] stated that he gave this to somebody in the kitchen at Jonestown when he eventually arrived there and they furnished it to whom it was intended . [Clayton] stated that he did not take any money other than $36 of his own money to Guyana. [Clayton] stated that he does not have any knowledge regarding any other monies being taken to Jonestown from the San Francisco Temple.
[Page 30 of serial; page 3 of FD-302]
SF 89-250
[Clayton] was also negative on any knowledge regarding guns or shipment of weapons to Jonestown. [Clayton] does not know anyone else who took weapons to Jonestown.
Upon his arrival in Guyana, [Clayton] stayed in Georgetown, Guyana, at the PT residence for about one week and then was staying [line deleted], the “Lafayette”, was not the PT boat at that time, but was about one-quarter mile away from the PT boat in the same harbor or boat mooring area. [Clayton] recalled that in charge at that time of this boat was Tim Sweeney and that another individual named Cleveland Newell also stayed on the Lafayette. As far as he knows, Newell is still alive and survived the massacre. Newell is from the Los Angeles area and [Clayton] does not know where he is now. [Clayton] advised that travel to Jonestown was by the boat, the Lafayette, and that the following people also went by boat to Jonestown at the same time:
Shirley Smith
Becky Flowers
Patsy Johnson
Shirley Basey [Baisey] and her four children
Upon arrival at Jonestown, [Clayton] was assigned to work in the [occupation deleted] under the direction of [name deleted] (phonetic).
[Clayton] again advised that he was not aware of any plans to kill any outsiders while there. He was aware of the fact that Jones was notified of the arrivals and in pending [impending] arrivals of all persons from the outside. When these notifications came, efforts were made to fix the place up to get ready for their visit. [Clayton] stated that messages were relayed through Georgetown to Jonestown regarding these arrivals. With respect to representative Leo Ryan, [Clayton] advised that there was talk that some relatives and Ryan were coming to Jonestown in about a week and [Clayton] recalls that Reverend Jim Jones
[Page 31 of serial; page 4 of FD-302]
SF 89-250
stated that he didn’t want them coming or any reporters either. [Clayton] advised that the whole thing was rather mixed up and confused as to what was going to happen upon their arrival. With respect to the “white nights”, he knows what that refers to and that his responsibility was to stay in the [kitchen] and [line deleted] while everyone else went to the pavilion as ordered by Jones. [Clayton] advised that at these “white nights” everyone was put on alert and ordered to report to the main pavilion where Jones addressed them regarding the necessity for them to commit suicide.
[Clayton] recalls that Dr. Larry Sheck [Schacht] and nurse Joyce Touchett [Touchette] were the ones who make the “group drink” in a large cooking tub. He recalls that on the night of the mass suicides, they came to the kitchen and took a large cooking tub and took it to the pavilion. [Clayton] stated that this was the night that the suicides occurred and was late in the evening probably 4:30 PM or later on November 18, 1978. He recalled seeing in one of their or both of their possessions a box of “Flavor-Aide”, which is like Kool-Aid, but just another brand. They also had two plastic brown colored labeled jars, but he could not read what was on the label. At this point, [Clayton] recalled that the kitchen workers were ordered by one of the security men, Lou [Lew] Jones, an Oriental-Asian or possibly Chinese man, to the pavilion. Jones had a gun in his waist, tucked under his belt, but he did not take it out or point it at any of them. The seven people in the kitchen consisted of Mary Rogers [Rodgers], Hazel [Hazle] Newell, Maurice Jackson, David Sullivan, Gloria Rosa, Kim Fye (phonetic) and Betty Jean Gill. [Editorial note: The names Maurice Jackson and David Sullivan do not appear on any lists of Jonestown dead or survivors.]
In addition to Lou Jones, [Clayton] was aware of the following men, who were known to be security men:
Billy Oliver
Tom Kice
Bob Kice
Poncho Johnson
Ronny James
Ronnie Dennis
Danny Moton
[Page 32 of serial; page 5 of FD-302]
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Donnie Cassanova [Casanova] (usually carried a crossbow)
Earl Jones
Joe Wilson
Bruce Oliver
[Clayton] explained that his being alive and escaping as follows:
[Clayton] stated that when they went to the pavilion and people were being forced to drink the poison and/or were willingly drinking the poison drink, he was able to get by a security guard at the entrance to the school pavilion where they were making the poison. [Clayton] advised that he ran into the jungle at about 7:00 PM and came out of the settlement at about 1:00 AM and was walking toward Port Kaituma. At some point before reaching Port Kaituma, he was questioned by the Guyana authorities and remained in Georgetown at the Park Hotel where his residence was paid for by the U.S. Embassy. [Clayton] stated that he never talk to anybody connected with the Jonestown massacre or persons who were reportedly involved in the killings of representative Ryan and his party.
Further relating his escape, [Clayton] recalled that [Odell Rhodes], a Negro male, who work closely with [name deleted], was sent by the doctor to get a stethoscope from another building. [Clayton] advised that [Odell Rhodes] is not connected to the assassinations or anything else, but was merely getting a stethoscope for the doctor to examine several of the people to see if they had died. [Odell Rhodes] walked out with [Clayton], and when he went in with one of the nurses to get the stethoscope, [Clayton] hid under the building nearby until they had gone back and then he ran into the jungle.
[Page 33 of serial; page 6 of FD-302]
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[Clayton] advised that he observed several people being forced to drink the poison and that most of these who were forced to were a lot of the “seniors” or older people at Jonestown. Specifically, he saw two security men, Jim McElvain [McElvane] and Bruce Turner, force two seniors, Freddy Lewis [misidentification] and Nancy Jones, drink the poison liquid. He observed Jim Jones use force on a lot of the seniors and chastised them for not coming forward to die with the rest. [Clayton] stated that he saw a lot of older people being forced to drink the poison or being injected with poison by the doctor and the nurses. He knows of nobody that was involved in the killings or the forcing of the older people to be alive at present.
In connection with this interview, [Clayton] was asked the following questions and his responses were noted following the questions:
Q: 1) Do you have any specific knowledge of acquisition, licensing, or shipment of any weapons by People’s Temple (PT) members to Guyana or anywhere else?
A: [Clayton]: Never had any weapons training or purchased any weapons and as far as he knows only Johnny Jones, who is now dead, and Tim Jones, Jim Jones’ son, were involved in the purchase of weapons.
Q: 2) Do you have any specific knowledge of firearm training received by PT members including specific dates, places and trainers?
A: [Clayton]: He has no information regarding any of this.
Q: 3) Are you aware of any threats to harm public officials or current and former members of the PT as result of leaving the church or attempts to expose the church and subsequently Jim Jones? Or attempting to infiltrate or cause any current member to leave the church?
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A: [Clayton]: He was aware of the generalized threats against the people who wanted to leave the temple, but not of any specific threats.
Q: 4) Are you aware of any stock piling of weapons or money by Jones either in Guyana or at PT locations?
A: [Clayton]: He is not aware of any money whatsoever.
Q: 5) Are you aware of any contingency plans that existed or any discussions of a plan reportedly espoused by Jones as a means of retaliation against any persons attempting to arrest or capture Jim Jones or who would interfere with church policies?
A: [Clayton]: No.
Q: 6) Are you aware of any federal officials, international officials or state officials who are set up for a target of murder?
A: [Clayton]: No.
Q: 7) Are you aware of individuals who were inner core of the Planning Commission?
A: [Clayton]: Mike Proke [Prokes] and Johnny Jones might have been members of the Planning Commission, but he is not aware of anyone who is on the inner core of the Planning Commission.
Q: 8) Are you aware of the identity of individuals comprising the PT security force?
A: [Clayton]: He furnished the above listed individuals as being on the security force and advised that this force did have some people who were identical with people who were on the basketball team and those on the basketball team were Steven [Stephan] and Tim Jones, Jimmy
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Jones, Cleveland Newell, Walter Williams, Mike Touchette, and Mike Cordell. [Clayton] has not heard the term “the Angels” and has no knowledge regarding these individuals. (Question 9 included above.)
Q: 9) Included above.
Q: 10) Do you have any information concerning bribery or influence peddling by members of the PT?
A: [
]: No.
Q: 11) Are you aware of any discussions regarding the assassination of Congress[man] Ryan and his party? Did Jones order party ambushed? Were there any practiced drills for ambush or anyone who disturbed the Jonestown compound? Do you know who participated in the assassination?
A: [Clayton]: He doesn’t know anything regarding any of these questions and was not involved and does not know of any planned practice drills or who was involved in the assassination.
Q: 12) Were there practice suicide drills when people pretended to drink the poison and were narcotics used to facilitate this? Did the mass suicide take place voluntarily or were individuals forced to take a poison and shot? Did you witness the people doing the shooting?
A: [Clayton]: See above interview regarding witnessing of forced drinking of the poison and use of injection of narcotics to murder members at Jonestown. [Clayton] advised that he did not see anyone shot, although after he had escaped and was hiding in the jungle he could hear shooting from the Jonestown compound.
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Q: 13) Do you know the existence of an assassination squad and the identity of any members?
A: [Clayton]: No.
Q: 14) Do you know if the remaining individuals who are at liberty will carry out their assassination plans of survivors or defectors?
A: [Clayton]: He does not know the identity of any individuals who were giving [given] any such assassination plans.
Q: 15) Details of [Clayton’s] association with PT.
A: [Clayton]: He advised that he lived at [addresses in San Francisco deleted]. [Clayton] stated he was not involved in any of the church hierarchy, that he was not on any Planning Commission and that his sole responsibility was [words deleted] seven days a week.
16) [Clayton] furnished the following descriptive data in addition to that furnished earlier in the interview:
[paragraph heavily redacted]
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Q: 17) Do you have any information regarding the involvement of members of the PT and any criminal offenses, such as assault, homicide, fraud?
A: [Clayton]: No.
Q: 18) Do you know anyone operating the PT radio or anyone having access to the radio or the code used on the radio or its transmission, especially in the last two weeks prior to the Ryan assassinations?
A: [Clayton]: The only person he knows to have been a radio operator was Mike Carter. [Clayton] does not know anything regarding any radio codes.
At 3:45 PM, [Stanley Clayton] was served a subpoena from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordering him to appear in the U.S. District Court at the Grand Jury Room, Number 17201, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California, on the 24th of January at 2:00 PM. [Clayton] acknowledged receipt of the subpoena and was furnished a copy of this and the Grand Jury subpoena attachment, which advised him regarding his rights. He was advised that this Grand Jury inquiry was regarding possible violation of Title 18, US Code, Section 351 – Congressional Assassination statute.
[Clayton] was advised should he remember any additional details that he feels important to furnish to the FBI that he can contact either SA [names deleted] and [Clayton] was furnished with a telephone number of the Berkeley Resident Agency.
[Pages 38 – 47 duplicate pages 28 – 37]
[Page 48]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription 1/19/79
[Stanley Clayton] was interviewed in the presence of Special Agent [name deleted], U.S. Secret Service. This interview took place in the office space of the U.S. Customs Service, Miami International Airport immediately following [Clayton’s] arrival there by commercial air carrier from Georgetown, Guyana. [Clayton] was advised by the interviewing Agent that he was not under arrest, nor should he in any way consider the Agent’s contact with him as implying that he was in Federal custody. He was further advised that any information he furnished was on a voluntary basis. The interviewing Agent also advised [Clayton] the purpose of the interview was to elicit information from him regarding his associations with and his knowledge of a religious group known as the People’s Temple of the Disciples of Christ (PT). [Clayton] stated he understood the things the interviewing Agent told him, and he further stated that he would willingly consent to be interviewed. Thereafter, he furnished the following information:
[Clayton] was introduced to the PT by his mother, who felt the PT could help him in generally bettering his life. His mother occasionally attended PT meetings in the San Francisco, California area. Sometime during 1971, [Clayton’s] mother seemed to lose interest in the PT, and she stopped attending meetings.
[Clayton’s] direct affiliation with the PT started when he began attending meetings at the [line deleted]. [Clayton] recalled the affiliation by him began sometime in 1971. Subsequent to his starting to attend PT meetings [line deleted] moved into the PT communal settlement in Redwood Valley, California. The settlement was a church and also sort of a farming community. At the time of moving into the settlement, [Clayton] was also attending [several words deleted]. [Clayton] moved into the settlement with the understanding he was to become a member of the church’s [word deleted]. The PT provided all necessary food and lodging at the settlement and his only requirement was that he attend religious meetings and reside at the settlement. [Clayton]
[Page 49 of serial; page 2 of FD-302]
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stayed at the settlement in Redwood Valley for approximately nine months, after which time he moved back to [location deleted], California. His purpose in returning to [location deleted] was because he had obtained a high school diploma while at Redwood Valley and he wanted to “show off” the diploma. [Clayton] recalled that he returned to [line deleted] severed his affiliations with the PT from the summer of 1971 until March, 1975.
Around March, 1975, [Clayton’s] mother began to express concern with his general behavior and she suggested he again affiliate himself with the PT.
In March, 1975, [Clayton] again joined the PT and he moved back into the settlement in Redwood Valley. After rejoining the PT, [Clayton] performed [line redacted] in the general area surrounding the Redwood Valley settlement. The work done on [location deleted] was sponsored with PT funds.
Some time in the spring or summer of 1975 [Clayton] was moved from the Redwood Valley settlement to the PT Temple in Los Angeles. While at the temple in Los Angeles, [Clayton] lived in an apartment in the temple building. While in Los Angeles, [Clayton] continue to work on [words deleted]. He was specifically assigned as a [words deleted]. In August, 1975, it was decided by the Temple leader, Rev. Jim Jones, that [Clayton] should be returned to the PT facilities in San Francisco because of his, [Clayton’s] “bad attitude.” The decision was made by Jones after a conference with [Clayton’s] PT supervisor at the Los Angeles Temple. Jones would make a trip from the San Francisco headquarters of PT to the Los Angeles Temple about every other week to discuss matters with the PT leadership there.
On his return to San Francisco, [Clayton] lived at the PT Temple property located at 998 Divisadero. [Clayton] performed no chores there other than keeping his room clean. In the autumn of 1976, [Clayton] re-entered school. He advised the decision regarding his re-entry into school was made by Jim Jones as Jones made all such decisions for temple members.
[Page 50 of serial; page 3 of FD-302]
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In March, 1976, Jones took [Janice Johnson] and he departed for Guyana with two other temple members, [Gwendolyn Joyce Johnson and Willa JoAnn Johnson]. Jones told [Clayton] that he could attend school when he got to Guyana. The three made the trip to Guyana by commercial air carrier. When [Clayton] and the [Johnson] sisters arrived in Georgetown, Guyana, there were already about 80 temple members there. [Clayton] remained behind at the PT facilities in Georgetown for one month while the other members proceeded to the Jonestown settlement. He was required to stay behind because he had to accept a load of wood arriving for the PT settlement in Jonestown. For his first week in Georgetown, [Clayton] stayed at the PT house in Lamerheart [Lamaha] Gardens. For the remaining three weeks, he remained [words deleted] the PT that contained the wood. [words deleted] was specifically used to carry wood to the PT settlement in Jonestown.
After four weeks in Georgetown, [Clayton] proceeded to Jonestown on the wood hauling boat with some other PT members. On their arrival, the group was greeted by Jones and members of a PT welcoming committee. [Clayton] recalls that about 25 PT members traveled on the boat to Jonestown with him. At the time of his arrival, [Clayton] estimated the settlement contained about 400 members. On his arrival at Jonestown, [Clayton] and the others were given a speech of welcome by Jones. In his speech, Jones told the new arrivals of the purpose of the Jonestown settlement and what they could expect living there. [Clayton] later found out the purposes as set forth by Jones and the expectations were not as he stated in the speech.
While a member of the Jonestown settlement, [Clayton] was assigned [words deleted]. He and others who were considered not to have conformed to the rules of the settlement were guarded by a guard with a shotgun who threatened to shoot the members of the group on various occasions. [Clayton] advised he received beatings on occasion for his poor attitude and overall behavior.
[Clayton] stated he was not a member of the Jonestown settlement’s “basketball team.”
While a member of the settlement, [Clayton] saw a total of about 30 guns in the possession of various members of the Temple security force.
[Page 51 of serial; page 4 of FD-302]
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[Clayton] recalled that the “white nights” began sometime in September, 1977, and continued until some time in December, 1977. These were meetings called by Jones to instill discipline in settlement members. The meetings seemed to die out for a time and then they started up again.
On the night of the mass deaths of members of the settlement, [Clayton] was occupied with his duties in the settlement [kitchen]. He heard that there had been a shooting at the Port Kaituma airstrip after the return of some temple members from the airstrip. On the night of the mass deaths, [Clayton] escaped from the settlement by “slipping by” a Temple security guard armed with a crossbow. After escaping into the bush, [Clayton] kept wandering around until he came to the main road leading from Jonestown to the Port Kaituma airstrip. He went to a farmhouse where a Guyanese farmer directed him to other settlement survivors who were at the airstrip. He and the other survivors went from Port Kaituma back to Georgetown.
Since his escape from Jonestown, [Clayton] has lived with his wife in [location deleted] after his escape from Jonestown. Subsequent to his escape, [Clayton] was interrogated by Guyanese police released him after the interrogation.
[Clayton] advised that he has overheard in conversations with other PT members and from Jones himself prior to the mass deaths at Jonestown, that if Jones died, others would take care of the PT members who were left.
[Clayton] further advised he was acquainted with PT member [name deleted] at Jonestown. [Name deleted] served as a [occupation deleted] at the settlement as he was skilled in creating things.
[Clayton] stated he received no training in the use of firearms or explosives while he was affiliated with the PT and he is not aware of any training provided in these areas by the PT.
He stated he saw no drug or alcohol addiction in the Jonestown settlement and he is not aware of any illegal drug activities engaged in by PT members at Jonestown.
[Page 52 of serial; page 5 of FD-302]
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The following description was obtained regarding [Clayton] during interview and by personal observation of the interviewing Agent:
[Balance of page with descriptions of Clayton deleted]
[Page 53 of serial; page 6 of FD-302]
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[Top of page with descriptions of Clayton deleted]
It should be noted that all of the questions that the interviewing Agent intended to ask [Clayton] were not posed to him as he had to board a commercial air carrier for his final intended destination of San Francisco.
[Pages 54 – 59 duplicate pages 48 – 53.]