RYMUR Section 29 – Serials 1912-1979

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