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 29, including serials 1912-1979. All dates are from February and early March 1979.
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 1950 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-1950.”
Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
Section 29 administrative memoranda | Text | |||||
1912 | 62 | 2/15 | FBI-SF | FBI’s list of dangerous survivors | Text | |
1913 | 3 | 2/13 | AmEmb Caracas | Protection of US assets vis-à-vis PT in Venezuela | Text | |
1914 | 1 | 2/12 | Legat Caracas | Transmittal of interview | Text | |
1916 | 1 | 2/10 | FBI-SF | Two survivors return to US | Text | |
1919 | 2 | 2/8 | FBIHQ | News story on cyanide shipped to JT | Text | |
1924 | 2 | 1/26 | FBI-Phila | Missing family suspected to be among JT dead | Text | |
1925 | 4 | 2/13 | FBI Fingerprint Section | FBI Lab says fingerprints, footprints match none of unidentified | Text | |
1926 | 2 | 2/14 | FBI-SF | Prokes may have info to assist FBI | Text | |
1927 | 12 | 2/16 | AmEmb Georgetown | House Committee questions on Embassy contacts with PT members | Text | |
1929 | 1 | 2/23 | AmEmb Kingston | Return of Temple member to US | Text | |
1932 | 2 | 3/27 | FBI-BQMRA | Stephan Jones returns to US | Text | |
1933 | 2 | 3/1 | AmEmb Georgetown | Trial of Larry Layton | Text | |
1934 | 4 | 3/1 | FBI Identification Section | FBI identifies bodies of Mary Alice Johnson & Irene Edwards | Text | |
1935 | 2 | 3/12 | FBI-SF | Crates of evidence – including bearer shares – arrive in SF | Text | |
1936 | 3 | 3/8 | AmEmb Georgetown | Page 4 of coroner’s inquest | Text | |
1937 | 2 | 3/8 | FBIHQ | [retransmittal of 1984] | Text | |
1938 | 2 | 3/7 | FBIHQ | FBI identifies bearer shares | Text | |
1939 | 22 | 3/6 | FBIHQ | Information on family of Carolyn Layton and Annie Moore | Text | |
1943 | 5 | 3/5 | FBI-BQMRA | Interviews with Stephan Jones | Text | |
1944 | 3 | 3/25 | FBI-BQMRA | Flights of PT members in month before November 18 | Text | |
1945 | 4 | 3/3 | FBI-SF | FBI reviews interviews of Ellice, Mazor | Text | |
1946 | 2 | 3/2 | FBIHQ | FBI requests originals of Ellice notes | Text | |
1947 | 6 | 3/2 | FBI-BQMRA | Flights of PT members from August to November 18 | Text | |
1948 | 3 | 3/1 | AmEmb Nassau | Protection of US assets vis-à-vis PT in Nassau | Text | |
1949 | 6 | 3/1 | FBI-Charlotte | HAM radio operator reports JT contacts | Text | |
1950 | 2 | 3/1 | AmEmb Georgetown | Trial of Larry Layton | Text | |
1951 | 2 | 3/1 | AmEmb Georgetown | Embassy in Caracas to provide documents to FBI | Text | |
1952 | 2 | 3/1 | FBIHQ | GOG seeks addresses and phone numbers of witnesses | Text | |
1953 | 1 | 2/27 | FBI-Caracas | Legal attache leave Guyana | Text | |
1954 | 1 | 2/26 | FBI-BQMRA | US returns crates of material to Guyana | Text | |
1955 | 1 | 2/27 | FBIHQ | State Department asks FBI for assistance re: D. Blakey in preparing its report | Text | |
1956 | 20 | 2/27 | FBIHQ | Summary of PT assets abroad | Text | |
1957 | 4 | 2/22 | FBI-Boston | Anonymous source claims PT has gold stashed in LA | Text | |
1958 | 11 | 2/21 | FBI-BQMRA | Anonymous source provides basis of report withheld under national security | Text | |
1959 | 1 | 2/18 | FBI-SF | SF unaware of PT possession of any illegal weapons | Text | |
1960 | 1 | 2/16 | FBIHQ | Transmittal sheet for reports on looting in JT | Text | |
1961 | 4 | 2/13 | FBIHQ | State Department asks FBI for assistance re: D. Blakey in preparing its report | Text | |
1962 | 3 | 2/16 | FBIHQ | FBI questions whether D. Blakey notified it of complaints vs. PT | Text | |
1963 | 1 | 2/15 | FBI-SJ | US to track travel of Touchette men, Carl Barnett | Text | |
1964 | 1 | 2/14 | FBI-SF | FBI disputes whether newspaper articles is accurate about drum contents | Text | |
1968 | 2 | 1/10 | FBI-WFO | FBI asks AFIP for lab needs, seeks HAM contacts | Text | |
1968x | 2 | 2/7 | FBI-SF | Coded messages may have been discovered | Text | |
1968×1 | 2 | 2/4 | FBI-BQMRA | Admin. Memo includes NY seeks to pay NBC for tape | Text | |
1969 | 3 | 2/27 | FBIHQ | JJ arrest record in LA sealed | Text | |
1970 | 2 | 2/28 | FBI-Caracas | Cover sheet & memo on coroner’s inquest from Guyana | Text | |
1971 | 11 | 2/28 | FBI-BQMRA | Photos and prints of Stephan Jones | Text | |
1972 | 1 | 3/1 | FBI Identification Section | JJ arrest record in LA sealed | Text | |
1973 | 3 | 3/2 | FBI-SF | GOG seeks addresses and phone numbers of witnesses | Text | |
1974 | 2 | 3/2 | FBI-SF | FBI, Secret Service to interview PT witness | Text | |
1976 | 1 | 3/5 | FBI-BQMRA | NY seeks to pay NBC for tape | Text | |
1977 | 2 | 3/5 | FBI-WFO | FBI seeks better copies of State Department passports | Text | |
1978 | 2 | 3/7 | FBIHQ | GOG has US Treasury checks, other mail addressed to PT | Text | |
1979 | 3 | 3/7 | AmEmb Georgetown | Trial of Larry Layton | 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.