[Editor’s note: This document was released both as a State Department cable as part of its 1981 FOIA release, and as Serial 1150 of the FBI’s RYMUR release.
[The State Department release withheld all names associated with Peoples Temple from this cable. They are denoted in red type.]
112101Z DEC 78
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHWN/ AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN PRIORITY 2229
AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN PRIORITY
INFORUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8413
UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 4217
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CASC, GY (PEOPLE’S TEMPLE) (TOUCHETTE, MICHAEL)
SUBJECT: W/W: PEOPLE’S TEMPLE MEMBER MICHAEL TOUCHETTE
REF: BRIDGETOWN 3557
1. PLEASE INFORM MR. CHARLES TOUCHETTE THAT HIS SON, MICHAEL TOUCHETTE, IS PRESENTLY AT THE LAMAHA GARDENS HOUSE OF THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE. ALTHOUGH HIS MOVEMENTS WITHIN GEORGETOWN ARE UNRESTRICTED, HE IS NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY, PENDING FURTHER HEARINGS IN THE AMOS MURDER CASE.
2. THE PHONE AT THE PEOPLE’S TEMPLE HQ IS TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE, BUT MR. TOUCHETTE MAY WISH TO TRY TO CONTACT HIS SON DIRECTLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE NUMBERS THERE ARE 68787 AND 71924.
3. MICHAEL TOUCHETTE HAS ASKED ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF HIS FATHER, AND HAS BEEN INFORMED THAT HE IS IN BRIDGETOWN ABOARD THE ALBATROSS III.
BURKE [John Burke, American ambassador to Guyana]
UNCLASSIFIED