[Editor’s note: One of the subjects of this serial whose name is deleted is Temple member Richard Clark, who left Jonestown on November 18, 1978 as part of the so-called “picnic” group. 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 12/5/78
On December 2, 1978, an individual who identified himself as [name deleted] [Richard Clark] was interviewed at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA), New York, New York by Special Agent (SA) [name deleted], Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and [name deleted], United States Secret Service. [Clark was] interviewed concerning People’s Temple Movement.
[3 lines deleted] also stated that he became acquainted with the People’s Temple Movement approximately four years ago. [Clark advised] he went to Guyana because the People’s Temple Movement was going to provide medical assistance to a developing nation.
[Clark advised] before going to Guyana, People’s Temple Members were to sell all the real estate, automobile and other luxury items and the proceeds were to be donated to the People’s Temple; however, [Clark advised] he left his possessions with his mother-in-law, [name deleted].
[3 lines deleted] Medical supplies were maintained in the Bond Barn, under the control of Doctor Louis [Laurence] Eugene Schacht, Judy Aimes [Ijames], Registered Nurse and Renea [Renee] Kice. These individuals would disperse medication [several words deleted]. The Bond Barn seemed to have plenty of drugs on supply. [3 lines deleted] was not allowed to administer drugs which were taken orally or intravenously; Schacht, Aimes or Kice perform[ed] those duties.
[Clark advised] drugs were administered to People’s Temple members who were troublemakers. Troublemakers were individuals who did not conform to the teachings or the philosophy of Jim Jones or individuals
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who attempted to escape from Jonestown. [Clark advised] individuals in this category were sedated and placed in the Medical Tent for a few days. The sedative made troublemakers sleep for long periods of time.
[Clark advised] he had no knowledge of where the drugs came from or how they were delivered to Jonestown.
[Clark advised] individuals living in Jonestown were assigned jobs and worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week. [Clark advised] the Security Force were overseers of work performed in Jonestown and determined if an individual’s output was sufficient. Individuals whose output was not sufficient were reported to Jim Jones.
Meeting at the Pavilion
[Clark advised] every day or night, but mostly nights, all the members would meet in the Pavilion. Jim Jones would preach to the members for extended periods of time. Jones would give sermons concerning the faults of capitalism and the United States. Jones would preach that the United States was a racist society.
Jones would tell the People’s Temple members the United States government was going to attempt to kill Jones and destroy Jonestown. The Central Intelligence Agency was planning to attack Jonestown and kill Jones. Jones stated People’s Temple members must be prepared to defend Jonestown and Jones with [their] lives. Jones assigned certain members to the Security Force and they were to protect Jonestown. Meetings in the Pavilion were last for hours and sometimes until the early hours of the morning. Individuals that fell asleep during the meetings would be awakened by the Security Force.
The meetings were used frequently as a disciplinary trial for individuals who had lost favor with Jim Jones. Individuals were disciplined for not maintaining proper harvest output, attempting to escape Jonestown, refusing to commit suicide or disagreeing with Jones. Individuals would be called to the stage and asked by Jones and verbally ridiculed by Jim Jones and sometimes beaten until they denounced or repented their previous action. Jim Jones would, in some cases, have the disciplined persons family members administer punishment.
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Jim Jones had asked People’s Temple members on several occasions in the Pavilion if they were willing to commit suicide. Jim Jones asked members to vote on a suicide pack [pact]. At first, approximately three-quarters of the members voted by show of hands to commit suicide if their leader so desired. Jim Jones had members who voted not to commit suicide, come to the stage in the Pavilion. Jim Jones told them they had lost their faith and were traitors. Jim Jones made examples of them by ridiculing them and beating them. A vote was again taken and the same process was repeated until all members agreed on the suicide pack. This sometimes lasted all night and until early in the morning or until individuals were so tired or so scared that they all voted yes.
Jim Jones would have members come to the stage and admit to having committed criminal acts in the United States or homosexual acts or any other contact that could be used against members if they defected from the People’s Temple Movement. All members were forced to admit to such acts whether they were true or not and those who refused were beaten or ridiculed.
Members of the People’s Temple were also forced to sign blank pieces of paper at the meetings in the Pavilion. Jim Jones told members that if they ever left the People’s Temple Movement the blank pieces of paper would be filled with a confession and the confession would be made public and used to discredit their statements.
Security Force
The Security Force was a group of individuals selected by Jim Jones to protect Jonestown and Jim Jones against his enemies. Jim Jones stated the Security Force was necessary because the People’s Temple Movement had many enemies, such as the United States Government and Agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Jones stated that these agencies were out to destroy the People’s Temple Movement and the movement must be able to defend itself against such agencies. Members of the Security Force carried rifles and handguns.
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Duties of the Security Force
The Security Force was used to patrol the perimeter of Jonestown. Their task was to prevent outsiders from coming into Jonestown and also to prevent members from leaving Jonestown.
The Security Force made members of the People’s Temple carry out the work assignment. The Security Force were overseers for individuals working in the fields and made certain harvests proceed at a certain level.
The Security Force members were always present when Jim Jones had People’s Temple members sign their checks (whether the checks were personal or governmental checks). Individuals were afraid not to sign the check. The checks were turned over to Jim Jones. [Clark advised] one instance in particular where Glover [Grover] Davis was forced to sign his Social Security checks and turned them over to Jim Jones.
The Security Force was also used by Jim Jones to keep People’s Temple members awake at meetings in the Pavilion. [Clark advised] at times individuals were so sleepy they would fall off the chairs and the Security Force would wake them up and make them listen to the sermons.
The Security Force were trained in karate.
[Clark] never saw the Security Force have target practice, but he was aware of gunfire in the jungle surrounding Jonestown.
The weapons were kept in a warehouse which also served as a sleeping quarters for Steven [Stephan] Jones.
[Clark advised] the following individuals were members of the Security Force:
Name Bob Christian
Name Calvin Douglas
Title Former Head of Security
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Dark
Age Approximately 20 years
Height 5’8″
Weight 140 to 150 pounds
Presently in Georgetown, Guyana
Member of the basketball teamName Shirley Gieg
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Name Stanley Gieg
Race White
Sex Male
Age Approximately 19 years
Height 5’6″
Weight 125 pounds
Eyes Brown
Facial Hair Goatee and mustache
Miscellaneous Worked on the boat and he is a drummerName Lee Ingram
Race Black
Sex Male
Age Approximately 30 years
Height 5’9″ to 5’10”
Weight 150 pounds
Facial Features Glasses
Education Psychology background
Highly educated member of the basketball teamName Poncho Johnson
Name Theresa Johnson
Name Jim Jones, Jr.
Adopted son of Jimmie Jones
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Medium brown
Age Approximately 19 years
Height 5’9″ to 6 feet
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Facial Hair Moustache
Presently in Georgetown, Guyana
[line deleted]Name Johnnie [Johnny] Jones, Jr.
Adopted son of Jimmie Jones
Also Known As (AKA) Johnnie Brown
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Light brown
Eyes Green
Wife Eva [Ava] BrownJimmie Jones’ right-hand man. Member of the basketball team.
Name Johnnie [Johnny] Cobb Jones
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Light
Age Approximately 20 years
Height 5’7″ to 5’9″
Brother of Eva Jones
Presently in Georgetown and member of the basketball teamName Lou [Lew] Jones
Race Asian/American
Adopted son of Jimmie Jones
Believed to be dead
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Name Tim Jones
AKA Tim Jones Day
Tim Tupper
Race White
Sex Male
Hair Ash brown hair
Height 6’1″
Weight 140 pounds
Presently in Georgetown
Member of the basketball teamName Tim Jones
AKA Tim Jones Night
Race Black
Sex MaleName Bob Kice
Name Jim Macabone
Possibly Jim Macabane [McElvane]
Age Approximately 40 years
Race Black
Sex Male
Height 6’6″
Had only been in Georgetown for a few weeks, member of the basketball teamName Ray MacNight [McKnight]
Name Chris Newel [Newell]
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Dark
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Height 5’9″
Facial Hair Moustache
Member of the basketball teamName Herbert Newel [Newell]
Race Black
Sex Male
Height 5’8″
Hair Curly
Facial Hair Moustache
Worked On boat
Member of the basketball team
Girlfriend Sandy CobbName Billy Oliver
Race Black
Sex Male
Age Approximately 18 years
Height 5’9″Name Bruce Oliver
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Light brown
Age 19 years
Build Heavy setName Bob Reinkens [Rankin]
Name Marie Reinkens [Rankin]
Name Doug Sanders
Race Black
Sex Male
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Age Approximately 22 to 23
Height 5’7″
Weight 130 to 140 pounds
Miscellaneous Glass[es]/green tintName Don Sly
Race White
Sex Male
Age 40 years
Weight 160 to 170 pounds
Height 6’6″
Hair Brown
Boat Captain, ex-NavyName Ron Tally [Talley]
Race White
Sex Male
Age Approximately 28 years
From Los Angeles
Height 5’6″
Hair Red
Eyes Blue
Facial Hair Moustache[Clark advised] this individual is a hypochondriac
Name Mike Tuchette [Touchette]
Race White
Sex Male
Age Approximately 18 to 19 years
Height 5’7″
Weight 125 pounds
Eyes Blue or green
Hair Light brown/moustache
Member of the basketball team
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Name Greg Wilkins [Watkins]
Name Joe Wilson
Race Black
Sex Male
Complexion Dark brown
Age Approximately 22 to 23 years
Height 5’8″ to 5’9″
Miscellaneous Wears glasses and is a member of the basketball team
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[Clark advised] the individuals who were very close to Jim Jones and who were considered to be privileged individuals were the following:
Jim Jones
Lee Ingram
Eva Brown
Johnnie Cob
Jim [Tim] Jones Day
Jim [Tim] Jones Night
The following females were very close to Jim Jones and acted as his aides and handled special assignments for him:
Debra [Deborah] Touchette
Paula Adams
Sharon Aimes [Amos]
The following persons were responsible for handling the finances at Jonestown:
Kay Henderson
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Johnnie Jones
Jack Beam
Lee Ingram
David [Ava] Jones, aka, BrownCharlie Touchette
Race White
Sex Male
Age Approximately 50 years old
Height 5’4″
Weight 130 pounds
Hair White
Miscellaneous Wears glasses
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[Clark advised] the following description of November 18th, 1978:
[Clark advised] on that morning, when he was awoken, he was advised over the PA system that he was to stay in bed. [Clark advised] that was unusual because everyone normally got up and went to breakfast and went about their daily chores. [Clark advised] as it became very hot, he got out of bed and he went to breakfast. Individuals were working in the breakfast area as normal; [next three lines heavily redacted] were present and performing their daily tasks. [Clark advised] there was one thing very strange, members of the Security Force were not present. Security Force was usually present to make certain members perform their daily tasks. [Clark advised] he returned to his cottage. [Line deleted] comprise the following scheme to escape Jonestown:
1. They were to go to the Security Force and get permission to go on the picnic at the Piggery.
2. They were to sign up for the picnic.
3. They did receive permission from the Security Force to go on the picnic.
4. They gathered up the family which consisted of: [names deleted] [Julius and Sandra Evans and their three daughters, Sonya, Sharla, and Shirelle] and proceeded to the Piggery.
5. Once they arrived at the Piggery, they proceeded to walk toward the front gate of Jonestown.
6. Before they reached the front gate, they proceeded to follow a path until they reached railroad tracks.
7. They proceeded up the railroad tracks until they passed by a train.
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8. [Words deleted] asked the conductor where it was headed. This was approximately at 5:30 in the evening. The train was headed in the wrong direction and the conductor advised them that he will be returning in approximately an hour.
9. At approximately 6:30 they were picked up by the train on its return and taken to the Police Station.
The following is a description [of Richard Clark]:
[Editor’s note: Information on date and place of birth, marital status, and relations all deleted.]