Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Communication Message Form
Date: 11/27/78
Classification: Unclas E F T O
Precedence: Immediate
FM DIRECTOR FBI
TO US Embassy, Georgetown, Guyana
Attention: SA Robert Oglesby
BT
UNCLAS E F T O
RYMUR
Disaster team at Dover Air Force Base in receipt of information that Guyanese authorities have inked fingerprint impressions of all Jonestown settlers. Disaster squad has been told Guyanese authorities reluctant to turn these records over. Destruction team desperately needs these fingerprint cards to identify dead. Guyanese authorities should have immediate contact to ascertain if these records exist. Assure Guyanese authorities that the records will be immediately returned when the identification process is completed. In lieu of actual records, copies may be utilized provided they show sufficient ridge detail to make identities. Identification Division, if
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copies can be obtained, desires to send to non-agent fingerprint technicians to Guyana with appropriate photographic equipment to obtain copies suitable for identification purposes. These are non-investigative personnel and their only purpose in Guyana would be to copy these fingerprint records. Please stress to Guyanese authorities the necessity of obtaining these fingerprint[s] in order to identify the dead. This request is for humanitarian purposes.
BT