[Editor’s note: One of the subjects of this serial whose name is deleted is Peoples Temple member Claire Janaro, who arrived in Georgetown, Guyana on the night of November 18, 1978. The deleted information from the memorandum – designated by brackets – which is known to the editor has been indicated by red type. In addition, many of the FBI interviews summarized in the FD-302s of the RYMUR investigation deleted the verb following the deleted name of the interview subject; most oftentimes, that word was “advised,” and the word has accordingly been supplied]
FD-302
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Date of transcription (Blank) [Interview dates 12/10-11/78]
[Name deleted] [Claire Janaro] was interviewed in the presence of Special Agent (SA) [Name deleted], United States Secret Service (USSS), at the Customs area located in the Pan American (Pan Am) Terminal, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA), Queens, New York (NY). [Claire Janaro advised] the following information:
[Janaro advised] she joined the Peoples Temple (PT) Church in July 1977 [incorrect date], when she moved to Ukiah, California. She had heard of the Church a year previous, [6 lines deleted] that the profits from running the [words deleted, likely relating to The Ranch] were turned over to the PT Church. [Janaro advised]. She and her husband [Richard] had also voluntarily turned over their personal funds to the PT Church. [Janaro advised] Church members that did not live communal voluntarily turned over 25 percent of their income to the PT Church.
[Janaro advised] approximately four years ago she had taken a trip to Guyana to look at the PT property, and that her ambition was to move there. [Janaro advised] her husband and [their two] children have been in Jonestown for over a year. [2 lines deleted] [Janaro advised] she departed San Francisco on Friday, the 17th of November, and arrived at Georgetown midnight, on the 18th of November. The PT Church paid her way down. [Janaro advised she] learned that Congressman Ryan had been killed. [2 lines deleted]. She stated [name deleted] instructed her to go to the Tower Hotel, and [several words deleted] he could not talk to her.
[Janaro advised] the next morning [names deleted] came over with a policeman and told her of the Sharon Amos killing. She stated they told her that Chuck Bikeman [Beikman] had been arrested for this, however, they believed
[Page 2]
BQ 89-495
that Amos had killed herself and her children. [Line deleted] told her to take the first flight back to San Francisco. [Janaro advised] she heard the suicides and was not leaving until she found out about her children. [1/2 line deleted] her children were dead.
[Janaro advised] on Saturday, November 25, 1978, she was reunited with her husband [4 lines deleted] the “Albatross” was a cargo ship that she believed the PT Church had purchased to carry supplies from San Francisco to Guyana. [Janaro advised] she subsequently learned that the “Albatross” was used to make money. The ship carried rice to Trinidad to be sold, and then picked up a cargo and went on to Barbados. [Janaro advised] she did not know how or where the “Albatross” was registered. [Two lines deleted]
[Janaro advised] Tom Adams was a radio operator at the San Francisco Temple, and that she had been allowed to talk over the radio to Georgetown with Adams present. [Janaro advised] the PT had code names for everyone. [Janaro advised] in San Francisco, Jean Brown, Terry Bufford [Terri Buford], Tom Adams, and Sandy Bradshaw had access to the radio and the codes used. Paula Adams in Georgetown, and Mike Carter at Jonestown, had access to the radio and codes. [Janaro advised] towards the end, they began using Morse code. [Janaro advised] she was not privy to the codes used.
[Page 3]
BQ 89-495
[Janaro advised] prior to going to Jonestown, Reverend Jim Jones had bodyguards called “Apostolic Guardians”. [Janaro advised] these bodyguards were trained in karate, and that they were Reverend Jones[‘] private security, separate from the security unit in San Francisco. [Janaro advised] the “Apostolic Guardians” numbered 20 or 30, and were spread out between Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Redwood Valley. [Janaro advised] the regular security unit wore special uniforms consisting of red shirts and black slacks or skirts. [Janaro advised] Jim MacElvene [McElvane] (phonetic) was the security chief, and that he went to Guyana on the 16th of November. [Janaro advised] she has never heard the term “Angels”.
[Janaro advised] she suspected that there might have been weapons in the San Francisco Temple, however she did not know for sure. [Janaro advised] she knew Eva Pugh carried a handgun, because she often took money to the bank. [Janaro advised] there were target practice sessions at the ranch, or care center, at Redwood Valley, California. She stated that she knows [name deleted], Jean Chaken [Gene Chaikin], an attorney probably dead at Jonestown; and Jim MacElvene (phonetic) participated in target practice at the ranch. Annie Moore, Carolyn Layton’s sister, who [Janaro advised] is dead, may have had firearms.
[Janaro advised] she did not know how weapons were sent into Guyana. She stated that, when she was preparing to go to Jonestown, she sent some packages on ahead. Archie Ijames, who knows a lot about the Church, and Dennis Allen were in charge of packing and crating. [Janaro does] not know if anything was added to her crates or taken out.
[Janaro advised] the PT Church had a planning commission (PC), which grew from 20 or 30 members to over 100 members. [Half line deleted] stated that the real power in the PT Church was in the Staff, the hierarchy of the PC. [Janaro advised] the Staff consisted of the following:
[Page 4]
BQ 89-495
Terry Bufford, [several words deleted] knew the most about the PT Church activities.
Carolyn Layton, who had a child by Reverend Jones, and was in Guyana.
Leona Collier, a black female, 39 – 40, had influence over black members of PT Church.
Karen Layton, who was in Guyana.
Maria Katsaris, who was in Guyana.
Harriet Tropp, believed dead.
Patty Cartmell, who was in Guyana.
Sharon Amos, deceased, who was in Guyana.
Jean Brown, who is the San Francisco coordinator.
Sandy Bradshaw, who would know a lot about PT finances. Wife of Lee Ingram, but not living together. Former corrections officer.
Jim Randolph, in charge of transporting members from San Francisco to Guyana, and would also have financial knowledge.
Tom Adams, radio operator at San Francisco. Paula Adams’ ex-husband. As close to Reverend Jones as a male secretary.
Mike Prokes, who would know a lot about PT activities.
[Janaro advised] the normal procedure was to have a general meeting or congregational meeting, and these meetings
[Page 5]
BQ 89-495
were always taped. Following this meeting, there would be a PC meeting. During the PC meeting, Reverend Jones would have us make statements that would incriminate ourselves. [Janaro advised] she believed that these statements were to intimidate the members so that they would not leave the Church. [Janaro advised] at times Reverend Jones would dictate what the members were to write. [Janaro advised] every time a member attended Church, they signed a blank piece of paper, and incriminating statements were later added to this paper. [Janaro advised] she signed the statement that she would assassinate, then President, Richard M. Nixon. [Janaro advised] they signed statements that they were communists and would overthrow the Government of the US. [Janaro advised] some of these statements were worded to indicate that these actions would occur if the PT Church was attacked, or Reverend Jones was killed or arrested.
[Janaro advised] often at meetings, members were made to publicly tell bad things about themselves. [Janaro] believed these to be therapy sessions, however, now she realizes that this made it easier for Reverend Jones to dominate the members. [Janaro advised] the length of the meetings also made it easier for Reverend Jones to dominate them, because they were worn down.
[Janaro advised] public fighting, sexual misconduct, and stealing would prompt public discipline. This discipline was in the form of spankings and the use of boxing gloves on adults. This discipline was conducted in front of the entire congregation. [Janaro advised] sexual misconduct did not apply to Reverend Jones, because she knew Reverend Jones fornicated with Grace Stoen. Stoen admitted this at a PC meeting. [Janaro advised] they got away from public discipline, and were made to do phampleting [pamphleting]. This meant going out on the streets to beg.
[Page 6]
BQ 89-495
[Janaro advised] one PC meeting, approximately two or three years ago, where Reverend Jones served white wine. Reverend Jones then told the members that the wine was poisoned. [Line deleted]. [Janaro advised] thought this strange because they never drank wine. [Janaro advised] Rose Sheldon [Shelton] gagged and passed out. [Janaro] thought that the wine was really poisoned, or Sheldon was a “plant”. She thought that Reverend Jones was testing the members for their breaking point, or to see if anyone was afraid to die. [Janaro advised] the wine incident did not seem out of place, because Reverend Jones had often talked of the Ghetto becoming a concentration camp. She stated that, before Reverend Jones would let this happen, we would fight and commit suicide. Reverend Jones showed the members of the PT Church pictures taken at Nazi concentration camps. Reverend Jones stated that what happened to the Jews in Germany, would happen to the blacks in the US.
[Janaro advised] some people entering the Church married individuals of the opposite race. These marriages were in name only, and she did not believe the members were forced to do this. Reverend Jones told the members that, unless they married a black person or adopted a black child, they would not have the stigma attached to blacks.
[Janaro advised] another PC meeting, at which Dale Parks asked her to ask a question. [Janaro advised] this was the first time she had done this, and she realized that many things were “planted” to get the meetings going. [Janaro] recalled that the question was an accusation against another member.
[Janaro advised] another PC meeting, when there was someone from San Francisco who was de-programming “Moonies”. Reverend Jones asked [several words deleted] and attempt to determine where he was and what he was doing. [Janaro advised]
[Page 7]
BQ 89-495
she was instructed to act as a parent concerned about her child. [Janaro advised] she made the telephone calls, which were recorded, but she was unsuccessful in reaching this individual.
[Janaro advised] Reverend Jones told the members of the PT Church that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) were persecuting him and the Church. [Janaro advised] this was a progressive thing, in that she did not recognize it developing. She stated that at first Reverend Jones preached brotherhood and love, and the Church was predominantly white. [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones had a healing routine. [Janaro advised] some of this may have been staged, but some of the healing she believes was real. She stated that Reverend Jones claimed his gifts came because he was doing the work of Jesus Christ. [Janaro advised] he progressed to the point Reverend Jones claimed to be God. [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones’ paranoid developed when a story appeared in the New West paper, critical of him and the Church; and when Tim Stoen left the Church. [Janaro advised] she learned after the suicide that they were giving Reverend Jones drugs at Jonestown.
[Janaro advised] the PC meetings stopped when Reverend Jones went to Guyana, and that they never held a PC meeting without Reverend Jones present.
[Janaro advised] when Reverend Jones was in San Francisco, he frequently invited politicians to speak at the temple. She stated that the meetings these politicians saw were different from the regular meetings. [Janaro advised] PT members were instructed on how to act. They were instructed to respond to the speaker, as the speaker would appreciate the response (i.e. conservative, liberal or radical). [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones would send the members out in masses to support certain politicians. Mayor Mascone [George Moscone] was one of these politicians. [Janaro did] not know what, if anything,
[Page 8]
BQ 89-495
Reverend Jones received in return for this support. [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones solicited a letter from Rosalyn [Rosalynn] Carter. [Janaro advised] California Lieutenant Governor DiMally [Mervyn Dymally] went to Guyana, and she believes this trip was for public relations. [Janaro advised] she knows Paula Adams with having an affair with the Guyanese Ambassador to the United Nations [United States]. She thinks this official’s name is Bunny Man [Laurence “Bonny” Mann] (phonetic).
[Janaro advised] the following individuals that had left the PT Church:
Mike Cartmell, believed to have a great deal of knowledge about PT Church. Son of Patty Cartmell of PT Staff.
Grace Stoen, PT Church head counselor at one time.
Tim Stoen, Grace’s husband. PT Church legal counsel. At one time number one man to Reverend Jones.
Liz Furman [Forman], believed to reside in the San Francisco area. Originally from Los Angeles. Left Church in summer of 1976.
Myrtle [Mertle] family, whereabouts unknown.
Joyce Shaw, whereabouts unknown.
Ben Bowen [Bowers], used to work radio. Left Church one to one and one-half years ago. Present whereabouts unknown. Attempts were made to get him to return, because he had license for radio.
Marvin Swinny [Swinney]
Hugh Dodswell
[Page 9]
BQ 89-495
(First name unknown) (FNU) Parks, wife of Dennis Parks. Daughter-in-law of Edith Parks.
Rick Cordell, brother to Harold Cordell. Believed to have a lot of knowledge on PT Church.
[Janaro advised] members of the PT Church, especially Reverend Jones, took it as a personal affront when someone left the Church. They were considered deserters. [Janaro advised] when Dennis Parks’ wife left the Church, she claimed to have received telephone calls threatening her and her children. Mrs. Parks felt these calls were made by PT Church members, however, Reverend Jones denied this to Jerry Parks. Jerry Parks is Mrs. Parks’ brother-in-law. [Janaro advised] she felt that Mrs. Parks claims were true. [Janaro advised] she was asked once by Karen Layton to go with her and talk to Dennis Parks’ wife, in an attempt to get her to return to the Church. [Janaro advised] she feels that some people were threatened or bothered a lot. She feels that Karen Layton did a lot of this, however, she may have taken a different Church member with her each time. [Janaro advised] she knew of no specific plans to assassinate deserters from the PT Church.
[Janaro advised] she recalled one very unusual event. In late September of 1978, Tim Carter made a surprise visit to the US. Terry Bufford and Paula Adams were also in the States. [Janaro advised] Carter told her he had to go to Utah to see his father, and then he would stop and see her. Carter’s father called [words deleted]. Carter’s father gave [name deleted] address in Oakland, California, where Tim Carter might be staying. [Line deleted] Terry Bufford told her to tear up the address and forget it.[Janaro advised she] heard Tim Carter had gone back to Guyana, and that he had asked his father for suitcases for some reason. [Janaro advised] this seemed odd to her, since duffel bags were more practical than suitcases.
[Page 10]
BQ 89-495
[Janaro] denied any specific knowledge of “contingency plans” in the event of Reverend Jones’ death, or the existence of a “hit list”. [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones claimed in the past that, if anything ever happened to him or the PT Church, plans have been made. [Janaro advised] Reverend Jones also made threats to have people “taken care of”. [Janaro advised] Larry Layton was crazy enough to be the individual that would do this. Joe Wilson would kill someone, if he was alive. Don Sly professed violence, [several words deleted] never saw him do anything violent. When asked if she would kill someone if Reverend Jones asked her to and told her it had to be done, [Janaro advised] “I don’t know what I would have done”. [Janaro advised] “I may have, back at the time I really believed in Reverend Jones”.
[Janaro advised] Reverend Jones had mentioned Swiss bank accounts often, however, she did not have any specific knowledge regarding PT Church funds. [Janaro advised] Terry Bufford and Maria Katsaris made frequent trips, and they may have taken money in or out. [Janaro advised] Tim Stoen should be a major source of information on PT Church funds. [Janaro advised] she believed the San Francisco office of the PT Church had turned over PT funds and property to the courts. She stated that there seem to be a lot of suits coming in against the PT Church.
[Janaro advised] she was not aware of how the cyanide got to Jonestown. She stated that the only poison she knew had been shipped to Jonestown was rat poison. [Janaro advised] they had a very bad rat problem at Jonestown.
[Janaro advised] she knew that Congressman Ryan was going to Jonestown with Mark Lane and Mr. Gary [Charles Garry]. [Janaro advised] Sandy Bradshaw and Jean Brown advised her they were going to try and keep Congressman Ryan from making the trip.
[Page 11]
BQ 89-495
[Janaro advised] they tried to stop Ryan through Lane and Gary. [Janaro advised] Phyllis Houston (phonetic) was sent down to Jonestown to be there before Ryan arrived. [Janaro] this was done to keep the grandparents from getting Houston’s children, who were there alone. [Janaro] denied any knowledge of a plan to assassinate Congressman Ryan.
[Janaro] denied any knowledge of a suicide pact.
[Janaro advised] when she left San Francisco, Sandy Bradshaw gave her a travel bag that Bradshaw said contained an adding machine. At the hotel in Georgetown, [Janaro] opened the bag and discovered an adding machine, financial reports, various papers, reports on people, and a sealed notebook, with tape around it. [Janaro advised] she asked Paula Adams what to do these things, and Paula told me to use my own judgment. [Janaro advised] she understood this to mean flush them down the toilet. Not trusting Guyanese plumbing, [Janaro] tore up most of the documents. [Janaro advised she] turned over checks and letters to Mr. Ellis [Doug Ellice] at the American Embassy. [Janaro advised] she turned over some papers to a Guyanese lawyer named Hanaman (phonetic). [Janaro advised] Hanaman told her to get rid of the stuff, and that he is nervous because he bought a building from the PT Church next to the temple. [Janaro advised] he paid for the building in Guyanese money, and apparently that is illegal.
[Janaro advised] tape recorders were sent from San Francisco to Guyana for resale on the black market. [Janaro advised] she thought this was illegal, but they made a lot of money. She stated that hundreds of tape recorders were sent to Guyana.
[Janaro advised] she and most of the PT members still in the US were told that everything was fine in Jonestown. She stated that Marcelyn [Marceline] Jones, Paula Adams, and Terry Bufford told them everything was fine. [Janaro advised] she heard recently
[Page 12]
BQ 89-495
that the people of Jonestown were learning Russian. [Janaro advised] the PT members back in the States did not know that Reverend Jones was insane, and they did not know about the “White Nights” until the end. [Janaro advised] she cannot understand why someone did not kill Reverend Jones to keep others alive.
[Janaro advised] the following information on below listed individuals:
Tim Jones, black male.
Tim Jones, white male, 21 – 22, also known as Tim Tupper, has a large family back in the States, adopted son of Reverend Jones.
Jimmy Jones, Jr., black male, adopted son of Reverend Jones, never observed violent.
Eddy [Eddie] Crenshaw, black male, early 20s.
Johnny Cobb, black male, brother of Jim Cobb, who was young black leader before he left Church.
Stanley Geig [Gieg], white male, early 20s, hot tempered, mechanic.
Clifford Geig, brother of Stanley, live on boat “Cudule” [“Cudjoe”] (phonetic).
Lee Ingram, black male, mid 30s, worked with young people, could have propensity for violence.
Yvonne Hayden, black female, girlfriend of Ronnie James.
Ronnie James, black male, early 20s, slender, tall, knows karate, “Apostolic Guardian”, at one PC meeting he jumped on Dodswell’s neck, but later the man was all right.
[Page 13]
BQ 89-495
Robert Rankin, black male, 40s, a little crazy.
Laura Johnston, white female, believed to be “screwing” for the temple, however, she messed it up. Should be checked out very carefully.
Mr. Gary, PT prime lawyer for years.
Mark Lane, became involved with PT Church a couple of months ago. He went with Don Fried [Freed] to see Jonestown. They were going to do a documentary on Jonestown to combat what Tim Stoen was saying.
Don Fried, writer.
Dr. Larry Schacht, had drug problems when he joined PT Church. PT Church sent him to medical school in Mexico. Never finished internship; went to Jonestown because he was needed.
Joyce Parks, nurse at Jonestown.
Rita Tupper, in charge of letter writing. [Line deleted]
Harold Cordell, knows a great deal of PT Church history. Handled finances and real estate, but not believed to be a member of Staff.
Hugh [Hue] Fortson, returned to San Francisco to be assistant pastor.
Bonnie Beck, administrator at care center, Redwood Valley, California. Would have more knowledge of what Adams and Bufford were doing. A real con artist and schemer. Previously was corrections officer with Sandy Bradshaw.
[Page 14]
BQ 89-495
[Janaro] denied any knowledge of bodies being buried at the 37 acre ranch in Redwood Valley. [2 lines deleted] at one time, holes were dug at the ranch and tapes of PC meetings, previously described above, were burned. [Janaro advised] a lot of papers and documents were also destroyed this way. [Janaro advised] was done about the time the New West Newspaper article mentioned above appeared.
[Janaro advised] she was returning to California, and that she planned to keep in touch with certain PT members, however, she does not plan on living communal. [Janaro advised] Tom Adams had told her at the PT Church was disbanded, and that there is no longer a PT organization. [Janaro advised] Adams told her that the Church was being sold.
The following description [of Janaro] obtained through observation and interview:
[Editor’s note: All information related to physical description, occupation, marital status, and contact information, on balance of page 14 and all of page 15 deleted.]