0 221945Z NOV 78
FM LOS ANGELES (89-436) (3) (P)
TO DIRECTOR FBI IMMEDIATE
SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) IMMEDIATE (SF VIA FBIHQ)
BT
UNCLAS
RYMUR; 00: SAN FRANCISCO.
Re Bureau teletype to Denver, November 21, 1978.
On November 21, 1978, [name and address deleted] San Bernardino, California, home telephone [deleted number], work telephone [deleted number], advised that her mother, Lena Mae Benton, age 65, has been a member of the People’s Temple (PT) for about four years. Mrs. [deleted name] stated she has never been a member of PT. However, she indicated she does have an aunt and uncle, [deleted names] who are also members of PT. She does not know when they live; however, it is somewhere in or around San Francisco. Mrs. [deleted name] stated that her sister, [deleted name],
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address unknown, Los Angeles, California, telephone [deleted number] may know of the residence of the [deleted name].
Mrs. [deleted name] advised that a year ago October, she had not heard from her mother for several weeks. She called her sister, [deleted name] who advised that her mother had left for Guyana in September, 1977, with members of the PT. [deleted name], according to Mrs. [deleted name] determined the location of her mother through [deleted name]. She stated she did not advise [deleted name] Initially because Jim Jones advised the members not to tell relatives of the departure dates for Guyana.
Mrs. [deleted name] advised that her mother, while she was living in Los Angeles, seldom had or wore jewelry. She further noted that her mother always called her children by nicknames rather than by their given names. She indicated that from almost the first letter she received from her mother in Guyana, her mother asked for money, watches, and other jewelry which she never had but requested in each of her letters.
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Mrs. [deleted name] further stated that her mother always sent her love and regards to her son, [deleted name] whom she always called [deleted name] before she went to Guyana. She further explained that her mother has always been a terrible speller. She noticed in her letters that several words were always crossed over with the correct spelling next to it. It is Mrs. [deleted name] belief that her mother’s letters were censored or even dictated by someone there in Guyana.
While her mother was still in Los Angeles, she spoke of PT preaching love and someday living in a paradise with Jim Jones and other PT members.
Mrs. [deleted name] stated she has had little contact with TT members other than her mother. She could not provide any information relating to any weapons shipment to Guyana, firearms training, or any cashing [cacheing] of weapons or monies. She has never heard of PT members planning to harm public officials or present or former PTA members. She further has
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no knowledge regarding any contingency plans espoused by Jones against other persons attempting to arrest or capture him. Mrs. [deleted name] further advised that she has no knowledge of any “hit men” or “Angels” used by the PT.
Mrs. [deleted name] was unable to provide any other pertinent information relative to the PT.
BT