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 31, including serials 2084-2162. Most are dated during April 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 2096 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-2096.”
Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
31 | Section 31 Administrative Memoranda | Text | ||||
2084 | 2 | 3/28 | FBIHQ | FBI Request for PT radio codebook | Text | |
2086 | 10 | 3/27 | AmEmb Georgetown | PT members not under watch in Guyana, Embassy will report travel | Text | |
2089 | 6 | 4/4 | FBIHQ | FBI report on cryptoanalysis of PT radio codebook | Text | |
2090 | 3 | 4/4 | FBIHQ | Report of meeting between FBI and House committee investigating Ryan | Text | |
2091 | 2 | 4/4 | Secret Service | PT threat against president/Vice President of US | Text | |
2092 | 3 | 4/4 | FBI Identification Division | Report on possible identification of JT decedent | Text | |
2093 | 1 | 4/5 | FBI-SF | Report on NBC film footage | Text | |
2094 | 2 | 4/5 | FBI-SF | Report on three PT members | Text | |
2095 | 2 | 4/5 | AmEmb Georgetown | Secret Service, FBI seeks to send agents to Guyana | Text | |
2096 | 16 | 4/5 | FBI-SF | Report on audio-visual materials recovered from JT, listing of tapes by Q number | Text | |
2097 | 3 | 4/5 | FBIHQ | Report on recovery of “charred” PT records | Text | |
2098 | 2 | 4/6 | Legat Caracas | Report on PT bank account in Venezuela | Text | |
2099 | 3 | 4/3 | AmEmb Georgetown | GOG appoints commission to investigate JT tragedy | Text | |
2101 | 2 | 4/9 | FBIHQ | Request for meeting between FBI and Guy. police | Text | |
2102 | 5 | 4/10 | FBI Identification Division | Report on identification of Celeste Vento | Text | |
2103 | 2 | 4/11 | FBIHQ | Retransmittal of 2098 | Text | |
2104 | 1 | 4/10 | Legat Caracas | Statements of Carters, Prokes forwarded from Guyana to US | Text | |
2105 | 2 | 4/11 | FBIHQ | Retransmittal of 2119 | Text | |
2106 | 1 | 4/11 | FBIHQ | Retransmittal of 2104 | Text | |
2107 | 2 | 4/12 | FBI Identification Division | Report on identification of Sharita Guy | PDF/a> | Text |
2108 | 3 | 4/10 | FBI-SF | Review of evidence received by SF, additional manpower requested | Text | |
2111 | 1 | 4/16 | FBIHQ | Report that no German nationals died in JT | Text | |
2112 | 1 | 4/16 | Legat Caracas | Photos of Soviet Embassy personnel in JT evidence | Text | |
2113 | 2 | 4/18 | FBIHQ | FBI unable to ID materials requested by Embassy | Text | |
2115 | 3 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Retransmittal of 2098 | Text | |
2116 | 3 | 3/27 | AmEmb Caracas | [dupe of 2086] | Text | |
2117 | 2 | 4/3 | FBI Identification Division | Report on identification of supposed JT resident | Text | |
2119 | 2 | 4/10 | Legat Caracas | Negotiation for meeting between FBI and Guy. police | Text | |
2120 | 5 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Correspondence between FBI and Congress | Text | |
2121 | 6 | 4/17 | FBIHQ | Report on audio-visual materials from JT | Text | |
2121 (post) | 4 | 1/26 | FBIHQ | Negotiations between FBI & GOG | Text | |
2122 | 1 | 4/17 | FBI-DE | Memo on murder unrelated to PT | Text | |
2123 | 2 | 4/17 | House Committee | House committee for info from FBI | Text | |
2126 | 1 | 4/23 | FBIHQ | FBI response to Serial 2123 | Text | |
2127 | 1 | 4/4 | FBI-SF | Memo on duplication of NBC videocassette | Text | |
2128 | 3 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Memo discussing FBI assistance to House Committee requests | Text | |
2129 | 2 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Memo discussing FBI assistance to House Committee requests | Text | |
2131 | 2 | 4/16 | FBI Identification Division | Report on identification of JT victims | Text | |
2134 | 2 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Discussion of costs of RYMUR | Text | |
2136 | 5 | 4/20 | FBIHQ | Memo discussing FBI assistance to House Committee requests [dupe of 2128, one page from 2136] | Text | |
2137 | 4 | 3/26 | Hearst Newspapers | Reporter responds to letter from CR member | Text | |
2138 | 1 | 3/30 | House Committee | House Committee requests for FBI assistance | Text | |
2139 | 4 | 4/4 | FBI-SF | Interview with PT critic | Text | |
2140 | 1 | 4/10 | DOJ Criminal Division | Cover letter for 2139 | Text | |
2141 | 1 | 4/12 | FBIHQ | Letter to reporter about contact from CR member | Text | |
2142 | 3 | 5/1 | FBI-SF | Report of FBI visit to U.S. embassy in Guyana | Text | |
2143 | 2 | 5/2 | FBI-SF | FBI seeks contact with reporter in Guyana | Text | |
2145 | 2 | 4/17 | State | Cover memo for 20 passports [not attached] | Text | |
2146 | 6 | 5/2 | FBI Identification Division | Fingerprint report on 20 passports | Text | |
2147 | 1 | 4/19 | AmEmb Georgetown | FBI given permission to come to Guyana | Text | |
2149 | 5 | 4/27 | AmEmb Georgetown | Value of tapes discussed | Text | |
2151 | 1 | 4/5 | FBI-SF | Identification of JT dead | Text | |
2152 | 2 | 4/16 | SecState | Travel of FBI personnel to Guyana | Text | |
2153 | 13 | 4/23 | FBIHQ | Statements of Mike Prokes, Carter brothers on events of Nov. 18 | Text | |
2159 | 1 | 5/3 | FBI-MM | Cover airtel for interviews [not attached] | Text | |
2160 | 1 | 5/3 | FBI Identification Division | Report on identification of JT dead | Text | |
2161 | 3 | 5/4 | FBIHQ | Autopsy reports on Annie Moore & Carolyn Layton [not attached] | Text | |
2162 | 2 | 5/7 | FBIHQ | FBI seeks interview with doctors who saw drugs going into JT (retransmittal of 2166) | 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.