[Editor’s note: The interviewed subjects of this serial are some of the men who left Jonestown on the morning of November 18, and the information they provided is sufficient to fill in some of the deleted material. This information in the serial – designated by brackets – has been indicated by red type. Other information which remains withheld under the Freedom of Information Act has been denoted in green type.]
0 060540Z DEC 78
FM MIAMI (89-179) (P)
TO DIRECTOR (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
BROOKLYN QUEENS (89-495) IMMEDIATE
SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) IMMEDIATE
BT
UNCLAS
RYMUR
First section of two.
Reqju teletype to Dallas, December 5, 1978; and Miami telephone call to Brooklyn Queens, December 5, 1978.
Following persons interviewed at Miami upon arrival from Guyana and furnished information as indicated:
1. Richard Clark, Negro male, born October 16, 1936, at Leland, Mississippi, five feet nine inches, 145 pounds, brown eyes, black hair. Clark joined Peoples Temple (PT) in 1972, at Los Angeles, later moving to San Francisco. He went to Guyana, April, 1978, being “ordered” to do so by Jim Jones. Clark never trained in arms but observed
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weapons at PT, Guyana, in a duffel bag, apparently having just arrived from US. Weapons observed approximately two to three months ago. Clark also heard Jim Jones’ wife brought a bazooka to Guyana, but never observed saoe [same]. Jones knew Congressman Ryan was to arrive at least two weeks before actual arrival. Clark escaped Jonestown morning of Ryan’s assassination with [name withheld] [Diane Rozynko, aka Diane Louie] and was not present at time of assassination or suicides.
Clark believed Jones kept “hit list” but never saw saoe and thinks Guyanese troops may have found it. He believes all Jones’ sons to be potentially dangerous as well as others including Odell Rose (probably Roads [Rhodes]), Johnny Cobb, Calvin Douglas, Lee Ingram, Tim Carter, Mike Carter, and “anyone else really close to Jones”.
Clark observed arrival of two bags of cyanide brought to Jonestown from ship “Cudule” [Cudjoe], but does not know where it was stored, etc. He noted Jones was heavy drug user but could furnish no information concerning manufacturing of drugs, etc, at Jonestown. He verified existence of silent weapons squad and believed following to have been
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members: Tom Kice, Johnny Jones, Tim Jones, Guy (LNU) [last name unknown], Larry Layton, possibly Doug Sanders (explosive expert), and Mike Touchete [Touchette].
Clark believes PT radio operator in San Francisco female named Leona (LNU) [Leona Collier] and possibly Larry Layton’s wife, Carol Layton [either Carolyn Layton or Karen Layton]. Mike Carter only Jonestown operator he could name.
Clark stated he heard one Annie McGile [Annie McGowan] (ph] [phonetic] shot Jones and Tom Kice shot Ryan, but was unable to pinpoint source of information.
He noted majority of PT members returning from Guyana tomorrow extremely dangerous in his opinion.
Robert Bob Paul, born November 3, 1945, resided Jonestown, Guyana, from April, 1978, until November 18, 1978, early morning, when he “escaped” Jonestown prior to what he described as “mass murders”. Paul stated his wife and three children perished in Jonestown.
Paul stated conditions brutal and prison-like and further described Reverend Jimmy Jones as dictator-like.
Paul feels Leona Collins [Collier], a top secretary to Reverend
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Jones at San Francisco PT might be knowledgeable of huge quantities of goods and merchandise shipped into Jonestown, possibly to include weapons.
Paul stated he saw Congressman Ryan on Friday evening, November 17, 1978, when he addressed Jonestown community stating everything looked well. Paul stated in his opinion he feels Ryan sensed problems at community and did not really mean what he was saying when he addressed community that evening. Paul stated top aides in confidence of Reverend Jones were Johnny Jones, whose name was originally Johnny Brown and adopted son of the Reverend Jones; Ava Brown, wife of Johnny Jones; Mike Proks [Prokes] (ph); Tim Carter, presently at Georgetown, Guyana; Lee Ingram, also Georgetown, Guyana; Stephen [Stephan] Jones, real son of Reverend Jones; Tim Jones, adopted son of Reverend Jones, white male; Jimmy Jones, Jr., black male, adopted son.
Paul stated she had heard of Congressman Ryan’s planned visit to community approximately one week ahead of his arrival. Paul described Reverend Jones as completely against Congressman Ryan’s visit to community at first, but afterwards
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Reverend Jones announced Ryan was to visit the grounds.
Paul stated he has no knowledge of “assassination squad”. Paul stated Tim Carter is radio operator. Later in interview, Paul stated Mike Carter also radio operator as well as Lee Ingram and others unknown. Paul stated weapons stored in house of Johnny Cobb Jones and Stephen Jones.
Paul heard that tractor-trailer from which Congressman Ryan shot drive by one Ed Crenshaw and Tom Kice was man that shot Congressman Ryan. Tom KIce described as a carpenter who had differed with views of Reverend Jones. Bob Kice, nephew of Tom Kice, believed deceased, was a security guard for Reverend Jones. Paul stated he heard of “explosives unit” and one Doug Sanders was a member of this group. Paul stated he heard Joe Wilson, Tom Kice, Ed Crenshaw, Ronny [Ronnie] James and Johnny Layton were people on truck who had shot Congressman Ryan’s plane. He stated he has no direct knowledge of these events. Paul stated “White Nights” was a term to describe an alert of the Jonestown followed by a meeting at the pavilion. Paul
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stated he knew of no plans to kill Congressman Ryan and most of the information he has is only from what he had heard. Paul departing Miami for New Iberia, Louisiana, to reside at [address deleted] residence of [name deleted], his grandmother, telephone number [deleted], most cooperative during the entire interview.
[Johnny Franklin], residence [deleted], San Francisco, California, advised that he joined the PT, San Francisco, California, approximately two years ago. His girlfriend became involved and traveled to Guyana and he followed her on September 24, 1978, to get her to return to the U.S. He obtained a temporary leave of absence from his employer, [deleted], San Francisco, California (a leave of absence paper in [Franklin] possession verified this). He is to return to [U.S.] January 2, 1979. In his opinion, Jones did a lot of good in the San Francisco area, but when he arrived in Guyana, [Franklin] quickly became disenchanted with Jones and realized the camp at Jonestown was run like a slave labor concentration camp. He fully intended to return to the U.S., but was
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frustrated in his efforts. He knew little of the inner workings of the camp hierarchy and was forced to sign on several occasions blank pieces of paper in return for rice and gravy which was generally daily ration of food.
He admitted no knowledge of assassination plans, murder of Ryan, narcotics, shipments of guns, firearms training, threats against public officials, caching of weapons, contingency plans for criminal offenses. The most dangerous members of the PT in his opinion would be the “basketball team” security squad, which ran the camp for Jones. The members that are alive now are Lee Ingram, black male, 33, 17 [170?] pounds, six feet; Johnny Jones, no description available; Tim Jones, white male, 17-18, five feet eleven inches, 165 pounds, blonde hair; Calvin Douglas, black male, 18-19, six feet, 185 pounds; Johnny (Cobb) Jones; Stephen Jones, age 19, no further description; and Jimmy Jones, Jr., black male, 19-20, six feet, 160 pounds.
[Franklin] advised that he escaped into the jungle at 9 AM the Saturday morning before murder of Ryan and the mass suicide
0 060624Z DEC 78
FM MIAMI (89-179) P
TO DIRECTOR (89-4286) IMMEDIATE
BROOKLYN QUEENS (89-495) IMMEDIATE
SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) IMMEDIATE
BT
UNCLAS
RYMUR
Final section of two
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the same day. He is in route to visit his mother [name deleted] at [address deleted], Haines City, Florida, telephone number [deleted] and plans to return to his residence and employment in San Francisco.
FD-302s to follow.
Above information furnished Brooklyn Queens telephonically.
Investigation continuing at Miami.
Armed and dangerous. Suicidal tendencies.
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