The FBI’s investigation into the events of November 18, 1978 focused upon the assassination of Leo Ryan and any actions of members of Peoples Temple which may have shown evidence of a conspiracy related to that assassination. Code-named RYMUR – short for Ryan Murder – the investigation yielded 2750 serials totalling more than 10,000 pages, eventually separated into 42 large sections.
This page includes the contents of Section 4, including serials 312-383. All are dated during the first week following the Jonestown tragedy in November 1978.
The table below lists each document by serial number, the number of pages within each serial, the date the serial was generated, the federal agency originating the serial, and a brief description. Each entry then includes the PDF and the text of the serial. Additional notes appear at the bottom of the page.
A listing of abbreviations used in the RYMUR documents – including FBI field offices and State Department embassies – is here.
In citing these documents, each serial should open with the official designation of “RYMUR 89-4286.” As an example, Serial 322 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-322.”
Serial
|
# of Pages
|
Date
|
Office of Origin
|
Description
|
PDF
|
Text
|
312 | 8 | 11/25 | FBI-SF | Interview of Jim Cobb on attack at airstrip; indictment against named shooters | Text | |
313 | 3 | 11/24 | FBIHQ | FBI pursues “far-fetched” lead in investigation | Text | |
314 | 43 | 11/24 | State Dept. | Transcript of State Dept briefing, 11/20 | Text | |
315 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-Knoxville | Taped radio conversations by HAM operator turned over to FBI | Text | |
316 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-Cincinnati | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
317 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | FBI seeks interview with Walter Thain | Text | |
318 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | Notation of FBI interview of Charles Garry | Text | |
319 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-CO | FBI arranges interviews with survivors | Text | |
320 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-SJ | FBI travel arrangements | Text | |
321 | 2 | 11/23 | FBI-LA | FBI search for witnesses unsuccessful | Text | |
322 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-PD | FBI contacts witness with knowledge of Peoples Temple | Text | |
323 | 2 | 11/25 | AmEmb Port of Spain | Trinidad contingent discuss security, dental, cremation subjects | Text | |
324 | 2 | 11/26 | FBI-SF | FBI travel arrangements | Text | |
325 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-St. Louis | [RYMUR administrative memo] | Text | |
326 | 1 | 11/25 | FBI-San Antonio | [RYMUR administrative memo] | Text | |
327 | 7 | 11/24 | FBI-Milwaukee | HAM radio operators report contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
328 | 5 | 11/25 | FBI-Phoenix | HAM radio operators report contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
329 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-BT | Carter patriarch interviewed about relatives in Guyana | Text | |
330 | 4 | 11/25 | AmEmb Georgetown | State reports Guyana political party blames US for Jonestown tragedy | Text | |
331 | 1 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | FBI reports HAM radio contact | Text | |
332 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-IP | Interview with Jones childhood friend | Text | |
333 | 2 | 11/25 | State Dept. | FBI agents to carry guns in Guyana | Text | |
334 | 3 | 11/25 | State Dept. | State offers answer to queries about non-US children’s bodies transported to US | Text | |
335 | 4 | 11/25 | JCS | Updates on body counts, survivor status, search for missing people | Text | |
336 | 6 | 11/25 | State Dept. | List of Temple members | Text | |
337 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-Houston | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown, FBI on Schacht family | Text | |
338 | 3 | 11/25 | FBI-NO | Interview with mother of survivor Robert Paul | Text | |
339 | 4 | 11/25 | State Dept. | Latest count is 794 counted, 532 sent to Dover | Text | |
340 | 2 | 11/25 | AmEmb Port of Spain | Report on the Trinidad contingent | Text | |
341 | 3 | 11/25 | FBI-CG | HAM operator gives info on Walter Thain | Text | |
342 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-AX | List of congressional party to Georgetown and Jonestown | Text | |
343 | 2 | 11/25 | State Dept. | [Dupe of 365] | Text | |
344 | 2 | 11/25 | State Dept. | [Dupe of 382] | Text | |
345 | 2 | 11/25 | JCS | [Dupe of 383] | Text | |
346 | 4 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | FBI daily summary, 24 Nov 78 | Text | |
347 | 5 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | [Duplicate of 363] | Text | |
348 | 1 | 11/26 | FBIHQ | FBI takes custody of five suitcases from Guyana | Text | |
349 | 3 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | [Dupe of 385] | Text | |
350 | 8 | 11/25 | FBI-SF | [Dupe of 389] | Text | |
351 | 5 | 11/24 | AmEmb Georgetown | Doug Ellice reports on impression of Joseph Mazor | Text | |
352 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-Pittsburgh | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
353 | 6 | 11/25 | State Dept. | State report of 25 Nov: 800 bodies, search for survivors continues | Text | |
354 | 42 | 11/25 | State Dept. | Transcript of State Dept briefing, 11/24 | Text | |
355 | 2 | 11/24 | FBI-SF | [RYMUR administrative memo] | Text | |
356 | 5 | 11/25 | JCS | [Dupe of 335] | Text | |
357 | 4 | 11/22 | AmEmb Georgetown | FBI, GOG discuss legal issues; serial numbers of weapons to be traced | Text | |
358 | 5 | 11/25 | AmEmb Georgetown | 32 guns listed; Guyana police reluctant to surrender guns | Text | |
359 | 1 | 11/25? | FBI-SF | Allegation that “hit team” will attack PT enemies | Text | |
360 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-SJ | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
361 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-SJ | Olivers released from hospital | Text | |
362 | 11 | 11/25 | USJTF | DOD report of 25 Nov: JT graveyard; water soluble ink on ID tags; med records found | Text | |
363 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | Interview with Joyce Shaw | Text | |
364 | 5 | 11/25 | FBI-IP | Interview with Indiana PT member | Text | |
365 | 5 | 11/25 | State Dept. | Suggested responses to press queries | Text | |
366 | 5 | 11/25 | AmEmb Georgetown | Passports issued for infants in JT | Text | |
367 | 5 | 11/25 | State Dept. | State issues list of JT dead for whom queries have been made | Text | |
368 | 3 | 11/25 | FBI-Philadelphia | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
369 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-BA | Steve Katsaris flies to Guyana | Text | |
370 | 4 | 11/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Info on Larry Layton | Text | |
371 | 3 | 11/24 | FBI-LA | Interview with Jeanette Kerns | Text | |
372 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-Charlotte | Howard and Beverly Oliver return to US | Text | |
373 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-SF | Results of FBI search of files on Leo Ryan | Text | |
374 | 4 | 11/25 | FBI-San Antonio | HAM radio operator reports contacts with Jonestown | Text | |
375 | 3 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | LA relatives of PT members furnish details on kin | Text | |
376 | 2 | 11/25 | FBI-LA | Fearful man seeks renewal of gun permit in Ventura | Text | |
377 | 1 | 11/24 | FBI-BU | FBI seeks to interview elderly witness | Text | |
378 | 3 | 11/25 | AmEmb Georgetown | Info on deaths before 11/18 | Text | |
379 | 3 | 11/22 | AmEmb Georgetown | [Dupe of 357] | Text | |
380 | 3 | 11/26 | AmEmb Port of Spain | [Dupe of 401 and 405] | Text | |
381 | 4 | 11/26 | FBI-SF | [Dupe of 404] | Text | |
382 | 4 | 11/25 | State Dept. | Repatriation issues for personal property, Temple property | Text | |
383 | 4 | 11/25 | JCS | Final count of bodies; ID at Dover limited by lack of data | Text |
The pdf of the complete section is here. It should be noted that this document is unique to this site, based upon the FBI’s official release of documents in 2014 and augmented with additional documents. The additional documents include: those released by the State Department; those released through the litigation of McGehee et al v. Justice; and those released by the FBI in 2001 but not included in the later release.
The information released in these serials may change as the FBI releases additional information pursuant to ongoing litigation under the Freedom of Information Act.