[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 378 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.]
0 251947Z NOV 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8205
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 3935
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: CDES, GY (PEOPLE’S TEMPLE)
SUBJECT: PREVIOUSLY REPORTED DEATHS OF PEOLE’S [PEOPLE’S] TEMPLE MEMBERS: BEFORE CODEL RYAN’S VISIT
1) In order to avoid any confusion, we are summarizing below some information about six PT members whose deaths have been reported to the Embassy in the past. These people were all deceased before the shooting at Port Kaituma and the mass murders/suicides at Jonestown:
Anderson, Vivian Ida
DPOB 1 January 1909, Texas
DPOD 9 September 1978, Jonestown
Cause of death cardiac arrest;
Butler, Chlotile
DPOB 10 March 1900, Georgia
DPOD 10 Juen [June] 1978, Jonestown
Cause of death cerebral stroke;
Griffith, Emmett
DPOB unknown (not to be confused with his son, Emmett Griffith, Jr., bearer of passport F021542)
DPOD 5 November 1977, Jonestown
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02 GEORGE 03935 252044Z
Cause of death cardiac arrest
Layton, Lisa
DPOB 14 July 1915, Germany
DPOB 30 October 1978, Jonestown
Cause of death cardiac arrest – this death was subject of Georgetown 3876;
Murphy, Lela
DPOB 17 July 1897, Canada
DPOD 30 March 1978, Jonestown
Cause of death cardiac arrest;
Norris, Plickards
DPOB 31 October 1905, Louisiana
DPOD 6 October 1978, Jonestown
Cause of death cardiac arrest
2) All of the above were reportedly buried in a small cemetery at Jonestown.
Burke [John Burke, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana]