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 36, including serials 2381-2480. Almost all are dated in the first months of 1980.
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 2416 would be cited as “RYMUR 89-4286-2416.”
Serial | # of pages | Date | Office of Origin | Description | Text | |
20 | RYMUR Administrative Memoranda | Text | ||||
2381 | 1 | 2/04 | AmEmb Georgetown | Guyana prosecutor says Beikman story is wrong | Text | |
2382-2393, 2398 | 16 | 1/31-2/19 | FBI Fingerprint Division | Fingerprint reports on JT victims | Text | |
2394 | 1 | -0- | -0- | [Misfiled file] | Text | |
2395 | 5 | 2/8 | FBIHQ | Examination of bullet fired in Guyana | Text | |
2396 | 1 | 2/12 | FBI-SF | US assistance to Guyana in prosecution of Layton | Text | |
2397 | 3 | 2/12 | FBIHQ | US assistance to Guyana in prosecution of Layton (dupe of 2396) | Text | |
2399 | 3 | 2/20 | FBI Fingerprint Division | Fingerprint report on possible JT victim | Text | |
2400 | 2 | 2/8 | FBIHQ | Letter to White House from NCCJ re: JT | Text | |
2401 | 2 | 2/22 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2405] | Text | |
2402 | 2 | 2/27 | FBI-SF | Murder of Mills | Text | |
2404 | 2 | 1/21 | White House | Letter to White House from NCCJ re: JT | Text | |
2405 | 2 | 2/22 | State Dept. referral released | Status of Layton prosecution | Text | |
(after) 2405 | 2 | 2/28 | [Newspaper article] | Articles on murder of Mills | Text | |
2406 | 3 | 10/16 | [Outside source] | Call to investigate another cult | Text | |
2407 | 3 | 3/3 | FBI-SF | Murder of Mills | Text | |
2409 | 2 | 2/28 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton prosecution, | Text | |
2410 | 1 | 3/00 | [City of Caldwell, TX] | Info on Addie Jones | Text | |
2411 | 2 | 3/7 | FBI Fingerprint Division | Fingerprint report on JT victims | Text | |
2412 | 1 | 3/3 | FBIHQ | Status of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2413 | 1 | 3/14 | Legat-Panama | Fingerprint report on JT victim | Text | |
2414 | 2 | 3/4 | FBI Fingerprint Division | Fingerprint report on JT victim | Text | |
2415 | 2 | 3/3 | FBIHQ | Murder of Mills | Text | |
2416 | 8 | 2/28 | AmEmb Georgetown | Guyana, Justice debate identification, jurisdiction of guns in RYMUR | Text | |
2417 | 3 | 3/21 | FBIHQ | Witnesses in Layton prosecution travel to Guyana (dupe of 2420) | Text | |
2418 | 3 | 3/21 | SecState | Travel of FBI, witnesses to Guyana | Text | |
2419 | 2 | 3/28 | FBIHQ | Postponement of Layton trial | Text | |
2420 | 1 | 3/21 | FBI-SF | Witnesses in Layton prosecution travel to Guyana | Text | |
2421 | 3 | 3/21 | FBIHQ | Witnesses in Layton prosecution travel to Guyana (dupe of 2420) | Text | |
2422 | 1 | 3/14 | DOJ Criminal Division | Status of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2423 | 2 | 3/19 | FBIHQ | Witnesses in Layton prosecution travel to Guyana | Text | |
2424 | 1 | 3/20 | AmEmb Georgetown | Guyana says no need for witness | Text | |
2425 | 2 | 3/20 | FBIHQ | [dupe of 2424] | Text | |
2426 | 5 | 3/31 | AmEmb Georgetown | Consular officer visits Larry Layton | Text | |
2427 | 2 | 4/3 | FBIHQ | New trial date set for Layton | Text | |
2428 | 3 | 4/16 | FBIHQ | Gosney to travel to Guyana | Text | |
2429 | 1 | 4/3 | FBIHQ | New trial date set for Layton | Text | |
2430 | 2 | 4/8 | AmEmb Georgetown | Beikman sentenced | Text | |
2432 | 1 | 4/11 | AmEmb Georgetown | Guyana says no need for witness | Text | |
2433 | 2 | 4/2 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2434 | 2 | 4/24 | FBI-SF | Travel of Gosney to Guyana | Text | |
2435 | 4 | 4/24 | FBIHQ | Travel of Gosney to Guyana (dupe of 2434) | Text | |
2436 | 1 | 5/5 | FBIHQ | Plans of man who wishes to kill PT survivors | Text | |
2437 | 1 | 4/4 | DOJ Criminal Division | Status of Layton prosecution | Text | |
2438 | 3 | 5/9 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 5) | Text | |
2439 | 3 | 5/7 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 3) | Text | |
2440 | 1 | 5/22 | FBI-SF | Acquittal of Layton in Guyana | Text | |
2441 | 2 | 5/23 | FBIHQ | Acquittal of Layton in Guyana (dupe of 2451) | Text | |
2442 | 3 | 5/13 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 7) | Text | |
2443 | 2 | 5/16 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 8) | Text | |
2444 | 2 | 5/20 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 9) | Text | |
2445 | 2 | 5/20 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 10) | Text | |
2446 | 3 | 5/22 | AmEmb Georgetown | Judge reduces sentence in Beikman case | Text | |
2447 | 2 | 5/19 | FBIHQ | FBI agent Hale debriefs on Layton trial | Text | |
After 2447 | 6 | 5/23 | [Outside source] | Reports, articles on Layton, Beikman | Text | |
2448 | 4 | 5/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | US interest in Larry Layton | Text | |
2449 | 3 | 5/20 | FBIHQ | Status of Layton trial (Day 10) (dupe of 2445) | Text | |
2450 | 2 | 5/21 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton trial (Day 11) | Text | |
2451 | 1 | 5/23 | AmEmb Georgetown | Layton acquitted | Text | |
2452 | 2 | 5/16 | FBIHQ | [Dupe of 2443] | Text | |
2453 | 7 | 6/4 | FBI-SF | US prosecution of Layton | Text | |
2454 | 2 | 6/5 | FBI-SF | US will seek extradition of Layton | Text | |
2455 | 4 | 6/5 | FBIHQ | [Dupe of 2454] | Text | |
(after) 2455 | 4 | 2/29 | [Outside source] | Murder of Mills | Text | |
2457 | 2 | 6/6 | FBI-SF | Case vs. Larry Layton in US | Text | |
2458 | 2 | 6/23 | FBIHQ | Case vs. Larry Layton in US (dupe of 2457) | Text | |
2459 | 1 | 7/9 | FBI-SF | US checks Suhdeo as witness | Text | |
2460 | 1 | 7/9 | FBIHQ | US checks Suhdeo as witness | Text | |
2461 | 1 | 7/15 | FBI-WFO | Layton passport expires | Text | |
2462 | 7 | 6/25 | FBI-SF | Photos from Guyana | Text | |
2464 | 10 | 1/15 | FBI-SF | Review of documents and tapes for Layton trial | Text | |
2465 | 2 | 1/17 | FBI-SF | Description of audiotapes | Text | |
2466 | 2 | 1/22 | FBIHQ | Description of documents that “interfere substantially” with govt’s case | Text | |
2467 | 1 | 7/7 | FBI-SF | Passport status of Layton | Text | |
2468 | 3 | 1/15 | AmEmb Georgetown | Status of Layton | Text | |
2468x | 1 | 6/20 | Congress | House committee seeks death tape | Text | |
2469 | 2 | 7/10 | FBI-SF | FBI asks for description of Kaituma planes | Text | |
2470 | 3 | 8/1 | FBIHQ | FBI asks for description of Kaituma planes (dupe of 2477) | Text | |
2471 | 4 | 7/10 | FBIHQ | FBI asks for description of Kaituma planes (dupe of 2469) | Text | |
2472 | 1 | 7/30 | FBIHQ | House committee seeks death tape | Text | |
2473 | 1 | 8/1 | FBI-SF | FBI seeks immunity for four witnesses | Text | |
2474 | 2 | 7/7 | FBIHQ | FBI replies to House request for death tape | Text | |
2475 | 1 | 7/7 | FBIHQ | FBI replies to House request for death tape | Text | |
2476 | 2 | 8/1 | Legat-Ottawa | FBI transmits description of Kaituma planes | S PDF | Text |
2477 | 1 | 8/1 | Legat-Ottawa | Transmittal of corporate description of Kaituma planes | 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.