[Editor’s note: The interviewee in this serial whose name is deleted is Andrea Walker, also known as Andrea Martin, who was in Georgetown on the day of the deaths in Jonestown. Her name, as well as other deleted information from the memorandum – designated by brackets – which is known to the editor has been indicated by red type.]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription 12/5/78
[Name deleted] [Andrea Yvette Walker], who lists her address as [deleted], was interviewed in Hangar 17 at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport upon her return from Guyana. [Walker] provided the following information to Special Agent (SA) [name deleted] of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and SA [Name deleted} of the Secret Service:
[Walker] advised that she became a member of the People’s Temple (PT) Church approximately 11 years ago as a result of influence from her mother. She joined the PT in San Francisco and there met her husband, [name deleted] [Tony Walker]. She married [Tony Walker] and moved to Jonestown, Guyana, approximately eight months ago.
[Walker] advised that in Jonestown she was assigned to [4 lines deleted]. She advised that while in Jonestown, [2 lines deleted] advised that her husband and child died during the mass suicides at Jonestown.
During questioning about the conditions at Jonestown, [Walker] advised that Jonestown was an ideal place and that the Reverend Jim Jones was a good man. She stated that there was no violence and that anyone could leave Jonestown if they had the desire. In response to specific questions, [Walker] advised that she knew of no use of Thorazine to sedate people nor any child punishment by placing them in boxes buried in the ground. She denied that armed security guards were present at camp assemblies and that they struck people with weapons. At first she denied that there were any guns at all in Jonestown, but under questioning admitted to
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seeing four guns. She stated that she saw the four guns in the possession of Bruce Oliver (rifle), Billy Oliver (rifle), Johnny Cobb (rifle) and Johnny Jones (pistol), at different times at Jonestown. She stated that she never knew or heard of any weapons training at Jonestown.
[Walker] advised that the security force was comprised of older people (over 40) who were unarmed. She stated that the purpose was to keep people out of Jonestown rather than in. She stated that the people intended to be kept out were the indigenous who would come to steal.
[Walker] advised that the Reverend Jim Jones ran Jonestown and that the second-in-command was Johnny Jones, also known as (aka) Johnny Brown. [Walker] advised that she knew of Carolyn Layton, Harriet Troup [Tropp], Terry Beauford [Buford] (phonetic) (ph), and Paula Adams as being close to Reverend Jones.
[Walker] advised that at no time while at Jonestown were suicide drills practiced. She stated that at only one assembly, code-named “white knights” [“white nights”] was suicide ever discussed. She stated that a vote was taken to see how many people were willing to die for the PT. She said approximately 70% of the people, including herself, voted that they would. She stated that she only voted that she would die for the PT because the people who voted no were pressured to stand and give the reason why they wouldn’t die for the PT.
[Walker] was questioned about cottage #14. She stated that cottage #14 was used to house children and that no weapons were kept in that cottage.
[Walker] was questioned about Doctor Lawrence [Laurence] Schacht. She advised that she knew Schacht only as a professional doctor. She stated that she had heard Reverend Jones make statements that Dr. Schacht was on drugs at one time. She stated that she did not know of any homosexual relationship between Dr. Schacht and anyone.
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[Walker] advised that several months ago, Jonestown was visited by two Russians. One was a doctor and one was from the Russian Embassy. She stated that the doctor treated Jones. She further stated that neither of the Russians made a speech. She advised that Reverend Jones had talked of Russia as being a nice place to live. He had also stated that he had made arrangements for everyone in Jonestown to move to Russia if something ever happened in Jonestown. She stated that she did not know what Jones meant by “if something happened in Jonestown”.
[Walker] stated that Russian language and some Spanish was being taught in Jonestown. She stated that the Russian teaching started approximately two or three months ago and was being taught by a black man by the name of Don Jackson. She stated that Jackson was fluent in Russian. She thinks he was originally from Louisiana.
[Walker] advised that recently the PT began to manufacture toys dolls but stated that they were not used for any illegal purposes. She stated that the PT had no involvement with illegal drugs. She stated that as a matter of fact, members of the PT were not allowed to smoke, drink or use drugs.
[Walker] was questioned about the finances of the PT in Jonestown. She advised that she did not know where they got money from. In response to questioning, [Walker] advised that she did not own any property before going to Jonestown and therefore turned none over to the church. She stated that many people who owned any type of property were encouraged to turn it over to the church prior to going to Jonestown, which they did.
[Walker] was questioned about signing a blank piece of paper in Jonestown. She stated that she and everyone else had signed such papers. She states she was told that the paper was just to get a sample of everyone’s handwriting. She denied that they were used by Jones or anyone else to place false confessions of any type on.
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[Walker] advised that she was not familiar with the terms “Angels” or “hit team”. She denied any knowledge of any plan to kill any government official or anyone else. She denied any knowledge of schemes to compromise Guyanan or American Embassy officials sexually.
[Walker] was questioned about the planning commission. She advised that such a commission existed in San Francisco but did not exist in Jonestown.
[Walker] was questioned about Reverend Jones’ bodyguards. She stated that while in the United States, Jones had Sebastian MacMurry [McMurry] and Robert Rankins [Rankin] (ph) as bodyguards. [Walker] stated that they were not armed but were skilled in karate.
[Walker] was questioned about radio communications at Jonestown. She advised that there was a radio in Jonestown and one at the PT house located in Georgetown. She supplied the names of Paula Adams and Lora Johnson [Laura Johnston] as two of the radio operators she could remember. [Walker] stated that when she was in Georgetown, she would use the radio to talk to her husband back in Jonestown. When questioned, [Walker] advised that a codebook existed and was used in Jonestown and Georgetown. She stated that the code recently changed but remembered the following code names for the following people:
Jim Jones – Rosey and Keith
Sharon Amos – Ann
She stated she does not know what happened to the codebooks.
[Walker] was questioned about the members of the basketball team being members of the security force. She denied that they were. She reiterated that the security force was comprised of the older people, unarmed.
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[Walker] provided the following information about the following people:
Steve [Stephan] Jones– basketball team, white male, natural son of Reverend Jones, slender build, black hair, brown eyes, mustache, approximately 19 years of age, 6 feet 3 inches tall.
Tim Jones, aka Tim Tupper – basketball team, white male, legally adopted son of Reverend Jones, blonde curly hair, and a mustache, medium build, approximately 19 years of age, 6 feet 2 inches tall.
Jim Jones, Jr. – Basketball team, adopted son of Reverend Jones, thin build, 6 feet 1 inch tall, surgery scar on stomach, scar on throat.
Lou [Lew] Jones – worked in bakery, not on basketball team.
Calvin Douglas – basketball team, black male, 19 years of age, medium build.
Johnny Cobb – black male, 18 years of age, 6 feet 1 inch tall, thin build, slight mustache, drove a tractor, not on basketball team.
Preston Wade – basketball team, black male, 6 feet 3 inches tall, 21-22 years of age.
Carl Barnett – basketball team, black male, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 24 years of age, thin build, chipped tooth on top row center.
Doug Sanders – electrician, not on basketball team.
Stanley Gieg – worked in a sawmill, not on basketball team.
Joe Wilson – worked on one crew, not on basketball team.
Don Sly – worked on the boat, not on basketball team.
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Burrell Wilson – basketball team, black male, 18 years of age, 6 feet tall, medium build.
Walter Williams – basketball team, black male, 18 years of age, 5 feet 11 inches tall, medium build, deep dimples.
Lee Ingram – basketball coach, black male, 30 years of age, 6 feet tall, thin build.
Chris O’Neal – worked in garden, not on basketball team.
Cleveland Newell – basketball team, black male, 22 years of age, 6 feet 2 inches tall, thin, mustache.
Mike Touchette – basketball team, white male, 24 years of age, 5 feet 11 inches tall, medium build, brown hair.
[Walker] stated that approximately two weeks before the murder of Congressman Ryan, she went to Georgetown to seek medical treatment for an ovary infection. She states that she remained in Georgetown and stayed at the PT house there. [Walker] advised that on the night before Ryan was killed, he visited the PT house in Georgetown. She stated that the basketball team was also at the house in preparation for a basketball game with the Guyanese people. She stated that she served Congressman Ryan soda and that the visit was cordial. When questioned concerning radio traffic that night, [Walker] stated that the radio operator, Lora Johnson, contacted Jonestown and advised them that Ryan was in the Georgetown house.
[Walker] advised that when she heard about the murder of Ryan and the mass suicides in Jonestown, she was shocked and found it hard to believe based on her knowledge of the PT. She advised that her husband and adopted daughter were among the dead at Jonestown. [Walker] reiterated that there was absolutely no prior planning, to her knowledge, of the events at Jonestown on November 18, 1978. Under questioning, [Walker] was unable to supply a reason why so many people would commit suicide without prior preparation. She stated that she had no knowledge of the cyanide used in the suicides. When questioned about her future with the PT, [Walker] advised that she would have to think about it.
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The following descriptive data was collected through observation and interview:
[Information related to date of birth, place of birth, height, weight, etc. all deleted]