December 1, 1978
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division
Attn: Michael Abbell
Director, FBI
UNKNOWN SUBJECTS:
CONGRESSMAN LEO J. RYAN – VICTIM
CONGRESSIONAL ASSASSINATION STATUTE;
FOREIGN POLICE COOPERATION
This is to confirm telephonic discussion of November 30, 1978, between Michael Abbell of your staff and SA [name deleted] of the FBI. The discussion was based on the fact that by teletype dated November 30, 1978, Indianapolis FBI advised that [name and address deleted], Indiana, telephone [deleted] telephonically contacted the Indianapolis Office and advised that [information deleted] Esther Mueller, date of birth March 28, 1902, had been with the Peoples Temple in Guyana and that he had last heard from her October 1, 1977. [3 lines deleted]. Jim Jones had Esther Mueller size and papers in Guyana which resulted in $7 million going into a Swiss Bank Account in Mrs. Mueller’s name. Mr. [Mark] Lane stated that Mrs. Mueller was definitely among the deceased in the Jonestown incident and that [name deleted] was an apparent heir to the $7 million. [line deleted]
Mr. Lane claimed he had defected from the Peoples Temple group [balance of paragraph deleted]
It is noted that in Lane’s account of the incidents at Guyana which he provided to the FBI, he alluded to the fact that Jones has selected an irrational, senile woman named Esther Mueller to handle the funds of the Peoples Temple.
[page 2]
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division
[5 lines deleted] the FBI could conduct investigation to protect the civil interests of the United States Government by identifying and locating the assets of the Peoples Temple as the United States Government may file liens on those assets to recover expenses incurred by the United States Government in transportation of the Peoples Temple corpses from Guyana to the United States.
The Indianapolis FBI Office has been instructed to obtain a signed statement from [name deleted] and with [name deleted]’s consent [balance of paragraph deleted].
[Page 3]
Assistant Attorney General
Criminal Division
NOTE: This is a letter confirming discussion between Departmental Attorney Michael Abbell and Bureau personnel during which Abbell set forth the statutory basis for the FBI to place a [balance of paragraph deleted]