{"id":127512,"date":"2024-06-26T11:36:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T18:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=127512"},"modified":"2025-01-16T14:53:29","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T22:53:29","slug":"the-departure-letters-of-teri-buford","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/?page_id=127512","title":{"rendered":"The Departure Letters of Teri Buford"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Editor’s note<\/strong>: The name Julia appears to be a coded name. It has been designated throughout this document in red type.]<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a>BB-7-D12 \u2013 D13<\/p>\n

Envelope and handwritten note from Teri Buford to Jean Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jean Brown
\nP.O. Box 15157
\nSan Franscico, Calif 94115<\/p>\n

Jean\u2014 The other keys are in your freezer. Also I called that place for Julia [likely code name of Carolyn Layton]<\/span> and tell her everything is OK there.<\/p>\n

Take care\u2014<\/p>\n

Teri<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t already please read [illegible word] envelop in the report to JJ.<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

<\/a>BB-7-D5<\/p>\n

Teri Buford Undated Letter to Jean Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Transcriber\u2019s note: <\/strong>A variation of the two documents at BB-7-D5 \u00adand BB-7-D6 \u2013 D9 appear <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. There are several notable differences, including the text at the first numbered item.<\/em><\/p>\n

[<\/em>Several of the names in these notes are likely in code. They are designated by red type]<\/em><\/p>\n

Jean:<\/p>\n

[Handwritten notation]: from Teri<\/p>\n

Enclosed is a note to Jim \u2013 this is a matter that we have discussed before and bascially the decision was left to me. Alot of it was hinging on JJ\u2019s health and that was the deciding factor in all of this. If the other side gets wind of what I have in mind \u2013 it will completely blow it and any information gotten would be useless because I am sure it would be no good. Furthermore it is just risky as hell. So please do the following:<\/p>\n

1) to keep Leona [Collier] off your back and also Sandy [Bradshaw] \u2013 just tell them that I got a phone patch last night from down there and had to make some immediate changes \u2013 so I left immediately. That will keep Leona from being paranoid and I don\u2019t trust Sandy not to be leaking messages to the other side.<\/p>\n

2) as far as what to tell JJ \u2013 he has a good idea of this already so all you need [missing line] the assignment that was once given to Thomas<\/span>\u201d \u2013 but really I don\u2019t trust half of the people on the radio on that side either \u2013 so you can use your own discretion on it but I would just as soon people thought I had split and then there would be no danger of a leak however \u2013 if JJ thought that he might get sicker so I don\u2019t know. Maybe just pass the message to him alone in the room later in the evening when he is up on the project and just ask to just have him in the room. Or just him and Julia \u2013 <\/span>I wouldn\u2019t throw it any further because Julia<\/span> knows about this also \u2013 outside of Julia<\/span> and Jim this has not been talked about.<\/p>\n

3) as far as [Peoples Temple attorney Mark] Lane and [author\/screenwriter Don] Freed goes \u2013 they were told in Guyana that I was only coming back here for a few weeks while you were in Guyana and that I would be returning when you returned so all they need to know is that I went to Guyana. They will never check it out and I don\u2019t plan to be vocal so they won\u2019t be hearing anything from me one way or another in terms of the press or something like that. When they go to Guyana again you can just say I am out of the country taking care of dc finances \u2013 I don\u2019t know. I would not think it wise to discuss what I am doing with them \u2013 especially on the phone for reasons that they are tapped and maybe we are too. [Peoples Temple attorney Charles] Garry is used to me sneaking off to Guyana behind his back so that should be no trouble for him.<\/p>\n

4) from time to time as soon as I find some thing out I will be getting messages for you to you \u2013 somehow \u2013 so keep your ear open for anything unusual \u2013 and read things that may seem routine carefully before throwing them out.<\/p>\n

The note enclosed is for Jim. If you want to read it that is your right. I have writte nothing specifically about finances in there so there is no information in there that you are not privy to already. Basically \u2013 it states why this is happening now. I have discussed this with Jim many times and I guess the time came to shit or get off the pot \u2013 so that is what is happening. I will be checking the Chron [San Francisco Chronicle] and [San Francisco] Examiner daily \u2013 to see what is happening and also will keep on top of the court cases so I will know what is going on so I don\u2019t be doning something stupid at the precise wrong moment.<\/p>\n

If I find that I can\u2019t learn anything from the fools I will be back \u2013 as soon as I am sure that nothing is to be accomplished. My reasoning is all layed out in the note to JJ and further \u2013 it was explained in detail in Guyana.<\/p>\n

Teri<\/p>\n

[Handwritten notation]: My keys are in your freezer \u2013 please discuss this with no one but JJ \u2013 Tom [Adams] of course will figure it out but no one else please<\/p>\n

please do be careful about radio communication<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

<\/a>BB-7-D6<\/p>\n

Teri Buford Typed Letter to Jim Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n

CONFIDENTIAL<\/u><\/p>\n

To: Jim
\nFrom: Teri<\/p>\n

As you know by several letters I have written you in the past few months \u2013 I am extremely upset with one the state of your health and two our inability to expose the other side. Although things seem to be getting better there is still something going on \u2013 which allows for people to get hold of such people as that radio operator just a short time before [Peoples Temple attorney Mark] Lane and it goes on and on. It is clear to me that there is a very orchestrated movement against us \u2013 and frankly they are doing such a good job of it that \u2013 it may be never that we get to the bottom of it. At least that is my feeling. I don\u2019t know how much longer you are going to live. I heard you on the phone patch the other night and you could barely get out the words. I asked Tom [Adams] to pass a message asking how you were as per your instructions and Tom said \u201cwhy should I he is obviously critically ill \u2013 anyone listening to him can tell that.\u201d I passed a message the other night about something that would really be to be expected from the National Inquirer [Enquirer] and you went into a full fledged attack. Leona [Collier] told me that you had three before she left. I keep getting messages on the radio Robert is very sick I know that no one would be making this up because I made it quite clear when I left you that I was going to be making alot of decisions based on the state of your health. So time is short. Sorry to say life hasn\u2019t been more pleasant than a continual hell of demands and demands and demands.<\/p>\n

Despite what others may say about our collective paranoia \u2013 I am convinced of the effort against us \u2013 I heard them talking under the house \u2013 I heard Dennis Banks [American Indian Movement leader] first hand \u2013 I know that the AG wouldn\u2019t be moving in your direction if [Tim] Stoen wasn\u2019t pushing behind him. These things that others may view as contrived I know as fact because I experienced them first hand.<\/p>\n

I believe strongly in Peoples Temple and the people that are trying to make it work. With all of our faults (and I believe we have many) it is still the most decent place in the world \u2013 without question. Naturally, I have my conflicts as I am sure you have yours but none of them are insurmountable and I believe I have faced just about every personal conflict in regards to you that a person is able to have \u2013 and I feel that my respect for you is not based on any illusions of trust or personal love because I know quite well that is not the case \u2013 I don’t expect it and it doesn\u2019t bother me. From time to time I get resentful of those who had children when I gave mine up \u2013 but I should have been more firm about what I wanted at the time \u2013 so you are not to blame for whatever grief I may feel there. And I know practically that I did the right thing. All I am trying to say is I don\u2019t feel that I can be shaken at this point by anything that anyone says or does because I think at this point I have faced the brute facts of life and have no illusions about much. I know you have talked about me to many. I know that you talked about me to Debbie [Touchette] as I read a note that referred that a conversation that you all had \u2013 so I am braced for that and nothing she can say at this point could be anything worse than what I already think. And I am old enough to know that you take us all on our own merit one day at a time \u2013 action by action so I don\u2019t care what happened a year ago or so.<\/p>\n

At this point I find my self in a very odd situation. That is \u2013 that alot of the stuff that the church is presently in trouble for \u2013 I organized \u2013 did and carried out. If you wanted to call me a provacateur it would get the church most neatly off the hook. I would not sue. I have discussed this with you before and you also felt that it would work. Naturally I hope it doesn\u2019t come to that \u2013 but I am willing to take that if that is what it will take. I would like the see the stage set so that you all could go to Russia \u2013 I think that there will be safety for the people there in the event of your death and also in terms of survival alot of the pressure will be taken off of you as a single leader and I know you would like to<\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

BB-7-D7<\/p>\n

just get out of that role for a while. I feel and strongly believe that at this point there are only two people that the conspiracy would even consider talking to after Debbie. Who needs to talk to others after they have talked to Debbie \u2013 everyone else has less information. So the only two people who have more are myself and Carolyn [Layton]. Carolyn is obviously not credible because of Kimo [Prokes Layton] and it would be cruel to Kimo to think that his mother was a agent-provocateur all his life. My case \u2013 although \u2013 I am sure all will be cynical \u2013 is more credible \u2013 I have taken the most radical positions of anyone in the group (which some say is the first indicator of an agent-provocateur) \u2013 having lost several children and for a period of time \u2013 thinking myself \u201cin love with you\u201d \u2013 these would be a personal motive on my part from a feeling of rejection that Carolyn would not have \u2013 or perhaps the feeling that you wanted Kimo and not mine \u2013 I signed the last bit of finances out of my name \u2013 Marcie [Marceline Jones] is mailing one en route and the other I sent down to Carolyn to get signed and done with. So from this point on I am completely out of the money and have no control thereof \u2013 whereas Carolyn is not yet in that position. Frankly \u2013 If I don’t fuck up and get myself in alot of trouble there is a possibility that Stoen in particular would be quite interested in cultivating a working relationship \u2013 given he came to me and not me to him. (I know that this whole Idea seems crazy and radical but then again when someone is dying what choices are there \u2013)<\/p>\n

I really want to be in a position to pass releavant information to you through a disinterested thrid party and then you can use that to catch Stoen. This I know will take some time and I am not expecting miracles or even for it to work at this point. If things get out of hand \u2013 well \u2013 you can call me every name in the book. The person that organized all the illegal activities at PT \u2013 on the other side \u2013 it will be obvious to all that I am an agent. I will try to stick to some guidelines and get messages to you from time to time but I will stick to the basic frame work. 1. of trying to get information. 2. if step one doesn\u2019t work I will consider taking the tactic that I wrote you about \u2013 that is of speaking out against \u2013 but I don’t know if I am able to pull that off without going completely mad. 3. there would only the final thing \u2013 If I had really blown it and that is the final solution that I wrote you about and said was able to be done without flaw. You could use it for whatever \u2013 but I would naturally hold off on any such final solutions in that I don\u2019t know what the effect would be on you \u2013 until I was sure that all other avenues were closed. (also \u2013 if things started to go better for the Temple on its own or you all got to Russia \u2013 I would feel free to abandon this idea.)<\/p>\n

I also wanted to clarify one thing also. I noticed that Jean Brown wrote me up for having Jim Randolph go through the money with me while Jean was gone \u2013 but I know organizationally that was stupid \u2013 but I have been planning this move for months and I didn\u2019t want any slip ups in the counting of the money and that is why I also gave the other books to Paula so in the major cash and the petty cash someone else had the count on the money \u2013 so as to prove that I did not take one cent of black peoples money for this. I am going to try to do this without stealing from the church. So on the surface it looked stupid \u2013 but every cent of money is accounted for and as for the international accounts \u2013 they are all out of my name now.<\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

BB-7-D9<\/p>\n

Another factor in this whole mess is the fact that I know you are exceedingly anxious about a number of situations none of which we have been able to get any information in despite the fact that we have sent Lane to Florida \u2013 have Garry calling the DA four times a day \u2013 numerous diversions all coming to nothing. Daily on the radio are desperate pleas to find something out and I don\u2019t know what to do. I am frustrated beyond all believe. I have run out of ways to find the information. Have no one that would be willing to sell the information. Can\u2019t even find Debbie Blakey in this little city. It is just upsetting \u2013 very much so to hear people begging \u2013 saying that you would feel so much better if you just knew thus and so and our being completely unable to produce anything. Maybe because we can\u2019t come up with anything \u2013 it is assumed that we don\u2019t care but the fact is I don\u2019t know how Jean feels and I try to keep it light joking about kidnapping the DA and beating the information out of him but the only way I can see to get this information it is to get it from the other side. Maybe this won\u2019t work. But I get the feeling from the people on the radio that they are desperate for anything to make you feel better. The two minutes I talked to Harriet [Tropp] the other night she sounded utterly depressed completely unlike Harriet. So it all boils down to \u2013 do I have the nerve enough to do this \u2013 to be like if it is successful but to be classified as an ass and maybe worse traitor by the whole group if I don\u2019t succeed which is probably the case \u2013 can I take that kind of group sanction. I guess the question no longer comes to can I take the group hatred but moreover can I live with myself if I don’t do everything possible knowing the condition of your health, hearing daily begging, and not respond. Naturally you will never tell anyone to take risks. Frankly this is less risky than other endeavors. \u2013 I really have nothing more to say other than I terribly depressed by all of this \u2013 I am afraid that I will fail \u2013 I can\u2019t stand daily asking on the radio and being able to produce nothing \u2013 knowing that the lives and survival of people depends on your survival because right now the organization will not stand without you and we would have mayhem. and as I said before \u2013 please don\u2019t interfere because I want to do this right and if I don\u2019t get a chance to prove myself \u2013 then I will forever be paranoid.<\/p>\n

Also I am enclosing several declarations that I wrote that will have me thrown in jail and Tim Stoen too anytime you want to show them to the authorities \u2013 so you have complete control \u2013 anytime you want me out of the picture \u2013 you have my signed thing that will get both me and Tim. This is to show you that I am leaving my life in your hands. I don\u2019t know what else to do to prove my intentions.<\/p>\n

—-<\/p>\n

BB-7-D8<\/p>\n

I know that this is nothing less than a major move and I know also that you will have massive conferences discussing my loyalty and I just think it is time that something get done. I know I can take it and I don’t know that others can. I don\u2019t claim to be without hostility \u2013 but I don\u2019t feel that my hostility is organizationally destructive \u2013 unlike some who claim no hostility and are more destructive than those of us who own up to conflicts. And some of this may be cop-out-itus \u2013 that is not wanting to watch you die \u2013 not wanting to watch Mrs. Thompson<\/span> smother you to death \u2013 I must admit that I have seen a terrible deterioration in your health since her return. That kind of shit makes me hostile. But I think that it is absolutely characterless for people to speak out against a belief and an organization on the basis of personal likes or dislikes.<\/p>\n

I guess the deciding factor in this is that I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you and I was not able to have done something that I thought was right to help. Obviously however they have been playing on people has been quite an effective technique \u2013 but I can only say that it won\u2019t be the same in my case. If I waited for you to instruct this \u2013 it would never happen for one consideration or another. Also I fully realize that if the other side figures out what I am up to \u2013 then I will be in serious trouble and probably do alot of time in jail on alot of things. I know the consequences of this. I also know that if you try to interfere that you will just have a suicide \u2013 at any point \u2013 be it now \u2013 be it jail \u2013 whatever \u2013 I will just go into the final stage of the plan which may not be necessary at all and finish it off. I hate to put it that way but if this is the last thing I do in my life I would like to do it right. Please remember that I was gone for 6 months out of the country last year and months and months the years before that by myself handling the finances and that was really not much different in terms of risks. I can also assure you that I won\u2019t be going after any finances \u2013 had I wanted money I have had ample access at all ties \u2013 and I don’t care about money-so you can send CL [Carolyn Layton] and Maria [Katsaris] on a trip if you feel it necessary against me \u2013 but I think I have well proven that I don’t care. Further \u2013 you know how I feel about who can be trusted in that area. Venie<\/span> only.<\/p>\n

Please don\u2019t put anything over the radio on this \u2013 or I will be getting all sorts of no good information because they will have figured me out.<\/p>\n

Another motivation for doing this \u2013 is that little we are doing is effective. Lanes work has had the best response I have seen as far as community pull and with the exception of Garry the response has been good. But take Sunday for example. We had meetings and counseling from 9 am in the morning til 10 at night. I started my work at ten PM after listening to problem after problem after problem;. When are people ever going to grow up and stand on their own two feet. I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

I will enclosed some papers to show my good faith. I took a stand against Stoen in the Law shit and have him very pissed off at me at this point so this whole thing is going to be tough but it might in fact make it more realistic. Because somehow he would not think that a person that just attacked him the hardest would be out to infiltrate. At least that is my opinion. But he may be so mad that it won\u2019t make any differnce. I don\u2019t know how it would go.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what else to say. I believe what I am doing is right. I can only go on what I am hearing on the radio \u2013 but you are sounding worse and you were in terrible shape when I left. I am sorry to worry you \u2013 but I don\u2019t think that anyone else would be workable or credible at this point. I know you will keep and eye on Detrick [Marlon Deitrich Porter] and I don\u2019t care if everyone thinks I am horrid \u2013 they already do anyway \u2013<\/p>\n

Respectfully \u2013 as always<\/p>\n

Teri<\/p>\n

PS The only way I will ever feel trusted in the organization again is if I suceed in this so please don\u201dt interfere<\/p>\n

—–<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[Editor’s note: The name Julia appears to be a coded name. It has been designated throughout this document in red type.] BB-7-D12 \u2013 D13 Envelope and handwritten note from Teri Buford to Jean Brown Jean Brown P.O. Box 15157 San Franscico, Calif 94115 Jean\u2014 The other keys are in your freezer. Also I called that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":127501,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-127512","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/127512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=127512"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/127512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129273,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/127512\/revisions\/129273"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/127501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jonestown.sdsu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=127512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}