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 35, including serials 2321-2380. Almost all are dated in the fall of 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 2334 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-2334.”
Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
9 | Section 35 administrative memoranda | Text | ||||
2321 | 4 | 10/25 | FBIHQ | US offers assist to prosecute Layton (dupe of 2322) | Text | |
2322 | 2 | 10/25 | FBI-SF | US offers assist to prosecute Layton | Text | |
2323 | 2 | 10/26 | SecState | Witnesses arrive for Layton trial | Text | |
2324 | 2 | 10/26 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2323] | Text | |
2325 | 2 | 10/29 | FBI-SF | Witnesses against Layton in Guyana trial | Text | |
2326 | 2 | 2/7 | FBI-SF | House investigators seek interviews in SF | Text | |
2327 | 13 | 10/9 | FBIHQ | Transmittal, listing of audiotapes to DC | Text | |
2328 | 4 | 10/24 | Legat Bogota | Statement of witness against Larry Layton | Text | |
2329 | 4 | 10/24 | FBIHQ | Statement of witness against Larry Layton (dupe of 2328) | Text | |
2330 | 2 | 10/25 | AmEmb Georgetown | Request for Vern Gosney and Odell Rhodes to return to Guyana for trial | Text | |
2331 | 2 | 10/25 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2330] | Text | |
2332 | 4 | 10/29 | FBIHQ | Witnesses against Layton in Guyana trial (dupe of 2325) | Text | |
2334 | 7 | 12/22/78 | FBIHQ | Inventory of guns found at JT, bullets at PK | Text | |
2335 | 4 | 11/1 | FBIHQ | [many deleitions] [most under b1] | Text | |
2337 | 2 | 7/3 | FBI-SF | Transmittal of tapes | Text | |
2338 | 2 | 10/25 | FBIHQ | Transmittal of tapes | Text | |
2339 | 3 | 10/25 | DOJ Criminal | Justice to assist in providing witnesses in Layton trial | Text | |
2340 | 3 | 10/25 | FBIHQ | US assistance to Guyana in prosecution of Layton | Text | |
2341 | 9 | 10/31 | FBIHQ | Memo on audiotapes, Ellice statement | Text | |
2342 | 2 | 11/1 | AmEmb Georgetown | Gosney, Rhodes testify in preliminary hearing | Text | |
2343 | 3 | 11/1 | FBIHQ | [Dupe of 2342] | Text | |
2344 | 2 | 11/6 | AmEmb Georgetown | Fourth day of preliminary hearing in Layton trial; Secret Service check | Text | |
2345 | 1 | 11/7 | FBIHQ | [all deleted under b(7(c)] | Text | |
2346 | 2 | 11/7 | AmEmb Georgetown | Third day of preliminary hearing in Layton trial | Text | |
2347 | 2 | 11/7 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2346] | Text | |
2348 | 3 | 11/7 | FBI-SF | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2349 | 3 | 11/8 | FBIHQ | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2350 | 1 | 11/8 | AmEmb Georgetown | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2351 | 1 | 11/9 | FBI-SF | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2352 | 3 | 11/9 | FBIHQ | Progress of Layton prosecution (dupe of 2351) | Text | |
2353 | 2 | 11/13 | FBIHQ | Fingerprint report on possible JT victim from Ventura County | Text | |
2354 | 2 | 11/14 | FBI-SF | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2355 | 1 | 10/31 | FBIHQ | [all deleted under b17(c)] | Text | |
2356 | 2 | 10/29 | SecState | Progress of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2357 | 2 | 10/29 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2356] | Text | |
2358 | 4 | 11/14 | FBIHQ | Progress of Layton prosecution (dupe of 2354) | Text | |
2360 | 2 | 11/8 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2350] | Text | |
2361 | 3 | 11/10 | FBI-SF | Candlelight memorial service on anniversary | Text | |
2362 | 10 | 11/13 | FBI-SF | Candlelight memorial service on anniversary | Text | |
2363 | 5 | 11/10 | FBIHQ | Candlelight memorial service on anniversary (dupe of 2361) | Text | |
2364 | 1 | 10/31 | Ventura County, CA | Ventura Country sheriff checks into possible JT victim | Text | |
2365 | 5 | 11/14 | FBIHQ | Wooden seeks FBI accountability on identifying children | Text | |
2366 | 1 | 11/20 | AmEmb Georgetown | Report on Layton trial | Text | |
2367 | 2 | 11/20 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2366] | Text | |
2368 | 3 | 11/23 | FBIHQ | Fingerprint report on possible JT victim | Text | |
2369 | 1 | 12/1 | FBIHQ | [all deleted under b7(c)] | Text | |
2370 | 9 | 11/9 | FBIHQ | Discussion of status of RYMUR for media | Text | |
2373 | 2 | 1/14 | FBI-SF | Report on bullet that wounded Speier | Text | |
2374 | 1 | 1/7 | FBI-SF | Transfer of Social Security docs to Guyana | Text | |
2374 post | 1 | 3/29 | FBI-SF | Unrecorded routing slip | Text | |
2375 | 33 | 12/20/78 | FBIHQ | Transcript of death tape | Text | |
2375x | 9 | 1/26 | FBI-SC | Fingerprint report on JT victim | Text | |
2376x | 6 | 12/22 | FBI-SF | PT Contacts with Cuban Embassy in Guyana | Text | |
2377-2379 | 3 | 1/23/80 – 1/29/80 | FBIHQ | Fingerprint reports on JT victims | Text | |
2380 | 1 | 1/31/80 | AmEmb Georgetown | Report on Beikman legal proceedings | 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.