A journey to Jonestown leads to an unforgettable disaster (Part 3/3) | Forensic Files

[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at
anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website this series on jonestown deals with
horrific events the series deals with mass murder and suicide of men women and children as well as other abuses the
episodes are graphic and distressing especially episode three there will not be suitable for all listeners please use
your discretion at 10:30 a.m. on November 18th 1978 congressman Leo Ryan woke in Jones town's guest house after
quickly finishing his breakfast Brian and his staff Oh jackie speier immediately began interviewing more
residents about their life in Jonestown at 11:00 a.m. a flatbed truck arrived carrying the congressman's media
entourage several journalists a cameraman salmon and producer they had been refused accommodation in Jonestown
so instead spent the night in the nearby village of Port Kojima as marceline Jones took them on their pre planned a
tour of the commune they walked past several seemingly harmless sites a group of girls practicing a dance routine boys
playing basketball in children crowded around a television set watching a movie but something about the regimented
perfection of each event seemed off that felt as though these random moments weren't organic or real but meticulously
scripted it was clear to Ryan and his delegation that there was something sinister occurring beneath the cheery
facade in Jonestown the journalists peered into one of the residential cottages and saw the cramped layout of
the bunk beds noting that each bunk was personalized with a few spares belongings photos and crafts and a book
at most as congressman Ryan and his journalists wondered the grounds they interviewed residents along the way they
asked candid questions about their happiness if they are free to leave and if they wanted to go back to America
responses were always overwhelmingly positive one woman told the reporters she's never been happier in her life
a teenage girl confidently explained if she wanted to leave she was free to go another girl said she would never be
returning to America she wanted to stay in Jonestown with her friends forever [Music]
after the tour congressman Ryan and his delegation met again with Jones towns leader Reverend
Jim Jones Jones said adjacent to the journalists and their cameras wearing the same clothes as he had the night
before reporter Don Harris questioned Jones about the Bleak rumors emanating from Jones town about residents
mistreatment and imprisonment Jones denied the rumors and assured the group his people were happy to break the
deception of positivity and happiness Harris handed Jones the crumpled handwritten note he was given the night
before by Vernon Gosney the message read dear congressman please help us get out of Jonestown Jones read
the note nonchalantly before handing it to one of his aides he said people play games friends they'll lie a lie what can
I do about lies are you people gonna leave us I just beg you please leave us we won't bother nobody
anyone who wants to get out of here can get out of here we have no problem about getting out of
here they come and go all the time Edith Parks an elderly Jonestown resident watched Jones confidently smirk
as lies poured from his mouth Edith was a longtime People's Temple member and had been with Jones since its
inception in the 1950s she knew better than most how far Peoples Temple had fallen into an organization of abuse
fear and control Edith followed by her family of seven marched up to congressman Ryan's staffer Jackie Speier
and said we want to leave Jones approached the parks family and begged them to stay offering them their
passports and $5,000 if they remained in the settlement for another week or two the parks family considered the offer
but they were concerned it was a trap they feed Jones would brutally punish them and possibly kill them the moment
that congressman left Jonestown Jerry parks the older Jones you held us here as slaves and now we are getting here
reporter Tim riemann quote as the potential defectors began gathering up their belongings MBC conducted an
interview with Jim Jones in the pavilion as the interview went on Jones grew more
and more tense I think it was sinking in if it hadn't already that this visit was
not going to play well outside Jonestown Jones was asked if it was true he had security guards armed with guns to
control his followers James replied no no nobody came to see people with guns of strictly prohibited
guns you don't have to shoot me because the media smear does it I've given my life for people serving people as news
of the parks family defection spread throughout Jonestown other residents peered out from behind doorways and
huddled together exchanging looks of concern and anxious whispers reporter Tim Reid Ehrman quote within the hours
it became clear that more people wanted to come in and the tension just radiated
out from Jones and those groups of potential defectors the whole place was paralyzed as time went on probably about
a dozen people had stepped forward and they were insistent on leaving by 3:00 p.m. 14 defectors indicated a desire to
leave Jonestown defectors collected their few personal belongings and climbed on the back of the flatbed truck
that would take them to the port Cojimar airstrip other residents swore at them and threatened them one of the defectors
was handed a note from the crowd that read keep your damn mouth shut Vernon Gosney whose handwritten note to
the congressman kicked off the events unfolding that day approached his young son and told him he was leaving Vernon
Gosney quote I thought my son is black and he's going to be subject to the racism of the United States government
and I thought that Jonestown was the better place for him to be I didn't know I was confused I met with my son briefly
and I just hugged him I said goodbye to him Jim James approached Ghazni and warned
him not to say anything to the lying reporters he also coolly told him that he was welcome back at Jamestown to
visit his son anytime he wanted due to the unanticipated number of defectors Brian's staff went to the radio room and
requested a second plane to attend port Khartoum airstrip congressman Ryan decided to stay in Jonestown one more
night to continue interviewing residents to make sure no one else wanted to leave
Vernon Gosney approached Ryan and warned him of the danger he was in quote congressman Ryan had no idea what
he had walked into at all and it was apparent that he couldn't really conceive the level of danger that he was
in Brian assured Ghazni that there was nothing to worry about stating the United States congressional
shield protected him Don sly was a broad-shouldered ex-marine Jonestown resident he wept as he slowly walked up
behind congressman Ryan clutching a knife tightly in his hand sly wrapped his arm around Ryan's neck pulled the
congressman back press the knife to his throat and said [ __ ] you were going to die
witnesses screamed in horror congressman Ryan struggled with his attacker before
others grabbed slaw and forced him to the ground Brian's shirt was torn and smeared with
blood but he was uninjured slide cut his own hand with a knife when being apprehended Jim Jones barely reacted to
the assault simply saying I wish I had been killed Ryan ordered Jones to have Slye arrested James said does this
change things Brian assured Jones that he wouldn't let the attack influence his overall
impression of Jonestown which he maintained it was still very much positive however the attack convinced
Ryan to leave immediately Brian collected his belongings and walked to the flatbed truck where his
delegation and the Jamestown defectors were waiting as the truck prepared to leave one more defector emerged from the
crowd Larry Layton wearing a long poncho granted the truck and insisted he wanted
to leave to Brian's delegation was suspicious Layton had been a passionate advocate for Jones earlier at that same
day other defectors were also uncomfortable as they knew Layton as one of Jones's most fanatical followers some
had seen Jones speaking to Layton privately by the playground earlier that day their conversation ended with a hug
defectors told congressman Ryan that Layton might be a spy sent by Jones but Ryan refused to deny passage to
anyone who said they wanted to leave so they took Layton with them the truck pulled out of Jonestown and drove to
port cut to him his airstrip arriving between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. when the group reached the airstrip the wrong way
was empty the two planes the group had radioed for were scheduled to be there but there were nowhere in sight while
they waited the cameraman had his camera rolling Brian explained to the camera here just
prior to leaving Jonestown several more residents approached him wanting to escape the commune but it was at that
moment that Ryan was attacked by Don sly so he wasn't able to take down the names
of those others who wanted to leave after an agonizingly long wait the first plane arrived at 5:10 p.m. followed by
the second plane minutes later the group milled around the planes loaded their belongings and started the board berry
Layton sat on the runway volumes forth his long poncho draped over his body he stared at the group without expression
from the direction of Jamestown a red farm tractor with a trailer attached to rolled along the road and pulled up onto
the side of the airstrip at parked less than 200 metres from the plains a few of
Jones town's guards emerge from the tractor they slowly circled the plains and stared at the group reporter Don
Harris said to the others I think we got trouble it soon became clear there wasn't enough seating on the two planes
for all thirty people wanting to leave jamestown defectors were given priority as were the government officials and
staff so the journalists had to argue amongst themselves as to who should volunteer to remain in Port Clyde Toomer
to fly out the following day Larry Leighton who was still sitting on the runway by himself finally broke his
trance and stood up he insisted to be seated on the first plane congressman Ryan agreed but first patted Layton down
for weapons after finding nothing Bryan allowed latent aboard inside the plane were several other Jonestown defectors
including a 12-year old girl at 5:20 p.m. the second planes engine rumbled to life on cue the tractor containing
Jamestown's guards sped towards the planes stopping only ten meters away six armed men who were hiding in the
tractors trailer rose up and left out onto the airstrip they lifted their guns and began firing indiscriminately at the
crowd of planes as the bullets flew the crowd dispersed in a panic some ducked the cover behind the planes
wheels those already in the planes attempted to shut the heavy doors as bullets flew inside
others sprinted to the bordering jungle and dived into the thick shrubbery when the firing began Larry Layton turned in
his plane seat and pulled out a 38 revolver he had hidden in his clothing he fired at three times that the other
passengers around him they left from the doorway to escape two were wounded Layton they're named for the gun at his
next target and pulled the trigger but it jammed the other passengers desperately wrestled the gun from Layton
and punched him in the face out on the airstrip congressman Ryan yield or been shot he
grasped his neck and ducked down by the front we one of the planes during the ambush NBC
cameraman Bob Brown had his camera up and recording he filmed the gunman as they emerged from the trailer and began
firing at the crowd then the film turned the static Bob was shot in the leg causing him to fall to the ground and
his camera to shadow in the violent chaos the pilot of the second smaller plane accelerated gained quick speed and
took off leaving the others behind the shooting lasted almost five minutes reporter Tim reader Minh was able to
escape into the jungle quote the gunfire died down and there were several deliberate shots over the space of maybe
a half minute and event there was silence after Ryan's delegation left change down
with the defectors temple mother and Jim Jones's wife Marceline Jones made an announcement over the loudspeaker in an
attempt to defuse the tension festering in the settlement Marceline told residents to rest in their cottages
until dinner within minutes a deep gray cloud grew over Jamestown the wind began to hell
palm trees whipped back as torrential rain flooded the commune turning the dirt paths into muddy rivers Jamestown
resident Mike Proulx quote I've seen a lot of storms here before but never like this one it came out of nowhere
congressman Ryan and his party had left a little while before suddenly it got very very dark and the wind came up like
I've never seen it here it blew so hard that dust and stuff blew up in the pavilion so thick that you couldn't see
it rained very hard and then it was just over the storm was followed by Jim Jones's
commanding voice echoing over the loudspeaker it was now 5:00 p.m. and his voice was
eerily calm whatnot whatnot everybody report to the pavilion immediately as residents filed into the pavilion they
watched in solemn silence as a woman sang from the stage a song about being a freedom fighter twenty-five guards took
position in a tight circle around the pavilion facing the crowd some carried loaded crossbows others carried rifles
within 15 minutes Jim Jones appeared and climbed on the main stage he sat on his
usual teal wooden slate chair this thing has stopped and left the stage Jones reached to his side and grab the
microphone and casually clicked on a tape recorder how very much I've loved you how very
much I've tried my best to give you the good life inside of all of that cried a handful of our people with their lives
have made our life impossible there's no way to detach ourselves from what's happened today not only we're in a
compound disparition not only are there those who have left and committed the betrayal of the century I was stolen
children from others and then right now to kill them I thought they stole their children and
we we are sitting here waiting on a powder keg I don't think this is what we want to do with our babies I don't think
that's what we had in mind to do with our babies it was dead by the greatest prophets I'm time immemorial no man lay
takes my life from me I lay my life down so to sit here and wait for work attacks
if it's gonna happen on that airplane it's gonna make it a stiffy how long worst happened here almost happened the
congressman is nearly killed here but you can't see people's children they can't take it off with people's children
without expecting a violent reaction and that's not so unfamiliar to us either if
we even if we were judeo-christian if we weren't communists the world the kingdom
toughest violence in the violence so take it by force if we can't live in peace let us die in
peace we've been so betrayed we have been so terribly betrayed a week tried and just check being off and said
on or he said right this moment reject he said it's just only work one day it was worthwhile what's going to happen
here in a matter of a few minutes is that one of those people on that plane is gonna gonna shoot the pilot I know
that I didn't plan it but I know it's going to happen I'm gonna shoot that pilot and down comes that plane into the
jungle and we had better not have any of our children left when it's over cause they'll parachute in here on us plane is
I know how to tell you I've never lied to you I never have lied to you I know that's what's gonna happen that's what
it intends to do and he will do it he'll do it or that being stopped the world it
was many many pressures on my brain seeing all these people behave so treasonous it was just too much for me
to put together but I now know what he was telling me and it'll happen if the plane gets in the air you mean so my
opinion is that we become the children and we kind of seniors and take the push and like they used to take in ancient
Greece a step over quietly because we are not committing suicide it's a revolutionary act we can't go back they
won't leave us alone they're now going back to tell more lies which means more congressmen and there's
no way no way we can survive it was at this moment Jones off at anyone with a dissenting opinion to step
forward and speak up out of the crowd of hundreds that remained quiet 60 year old
Christine Miller stood Christine had been convinced to visit Jones town after attending several people's temple
services in Los Angeles she had previously expressed her unhappiness and not finding peace in Jonestown saying
she felt like a bird locked in a cage Christine asked Jones if it was too late for them to escape to Russia
Jones often said he would move the settlement to the pro-communist country if they livelihoods in Guyana were ever
threatened James praised Christine for opposing him he called her a good agitator but he was quick to deny the
possibility of escaping to Russia the country wouldn't take them he said it was no use
they held no value to Russia suicide was their only option now I'm spending money
yet didn't die I like to choose my own kind of death for a change I'm tired of being tormented to hell that's what I'm
tired you know what your life in my hand I'm gonna tell you Christine without me
life has no meaning and the best friend you'll ever have what I have to pay I'm standing with you Jarrah
I'm sending those people they're part of me I can detach myself my attorneys just
detach my stuff no no no no no no I never detached my stuff from any of your troubles I've always taken your troubles
right on my shoulders and I'm not gonna change that now it's too late I've been running too long not gonna
change now maybe the next time you get to go to Russia the next time around that's what
I'm talking about the nouns in the dissertation of judgment this is the revolutionaries it's a revolutionary
suicide Council I'm not talking about the dull stuff destruction I'm talking about what we have no other role I will
take your your call we will put it to the Russians and I can tell you the answer now because I'm a prophet call
the Russians intelligence chief they'll take us bravely Christine continued to fight Jones for her life she compared
the small number of people who defected that day to the larger population that remained and stayed loyal to Jones
Christine said as long as there's life left there's hope that's my faith but it wasn't enough to sway Jones Christine
then argued for the lives of Jones town's babies the crowd heckled her one woman mocked her for being afraid to die
Jones told Christine that she'd regret it if she didn't die that day desperate to have Jones see reason for them all to
live Christine asked him if he wanted to see John died she was referring to John
stolen the little boy James claimed to be the biological father of the boy Jones
kidnapped and rushed the Guyana before his ex temple mother could reclaim custody
chines replied do you actually think I would put John's life above others he's not different to me than any of these
children here come on stive tried to keep this thing from happening but I now did the will is the will of sovereign
being that this happened to us and we lay down our lives in protests against what's been done and we lay down our
lives to protest in what's being done the criminality of people a cruelty people who walk out of here today
did you notice to walk down white people mostly white people walks I'm so grateful for the ones that didn't those
who knew who they are there's no point there's no point to this we have we are born before our time
they won't accept it and I don't think we should sit here and take any more time for our children to be endangered
if they come after our children and we give them my children then our children will suffer forever
[Applause] Christine Miller's opposing voice of reason became lost amongst the rambling
audience suddenly the flatbed truck that took congressman Ryan and his delegation
to port quite uma sped down the road followed by the red tractor and trailer carrying the six gunmen one of the
guards rushed towards Jones wept onstage and whispered in his ear Giants turn to the crowd and announced
flatly the congressman has been murdered [Music] why don't you see what a legacy the Red
Brigades the only ones ever made in his tents anyway they invaded our privacy they came into our home named father
dick thousand miles away the red brigade showed them justice congressman's dead [Music]
please get us the medication that's simple simple there's no convulsions with it it's just simple just please get
it before it's too late the gdf will be here I tell you get moving get moving get moving fifty people land out here
though they'll talk to some of our children here they'll talk to our people don't dark earthy news we cannot have
this are you going to separate yourself from whoever atop the Congress I don't know Scotty
[Applause] a large steel drum was carried into the pavilion and placed on a table at the
front hundreds of paper cups and syringes were piled next to the drum as Jones stuttered and slurred his way through
his speech the drum was filled with grape flavored non carbonated soft drink Jonestown residents had drunk the liquid
many times before under the order of Jones but in those past instances the liquid was harmless
Jamestown's medical staff fronted by dr. Larry sharp began to measure out various
liquid poisons and medications pouring large amounts into the VAT of grape juice potassium cyanide valium
chlorohydrate and potassium chloride was third in turning the liquid Brown even as it was mixed before their eyes Jones
towns residents couldn't believe that the VAT contained poison they convinced themselves that this was just another
test to prove their loyalty to Jones they weren't really about the door nurses began tearing open syringe
packets and dipping them into the VAT touring up the ground poison into their narrow tubes one of Tim Jones's
mistresses Maria Kat Suri's helped prepare the poison drink she climbed onstage and whispered in Jones's ear
Jones was overheard asking her if there was any way to make the drink taste less
bitter Kat Suri's responded no Jones then asked her if it was quick kateri said yes it was supposed to be quick
kat Suri's then turned to the crowd and ordered everyone to form orderly lines behind their table babies and children
would be first then the adults katsura's instructed parents to keep children calm
and told older children to reassure their younger siblings the first person to stand and approach the VAT was a
woman in her late 20s calmly and deliberately she walked up to the drum of poison with her one-year-old baby in
her arms taking a needle of syringe she filled the tube with poison and squirted the
liquid into her baby's mouth she then consumed some for herself the mother walked out of the pavilion to
the grassy field next door and sat down holding her baby clothes she rocked him gently as he began to scream hesitant
mothers remained seated holding their babies tight initially polite nurses gently convinced mothers to hand over
their babies when that didn't work they called over the armed guards who pried the babies from their frantic mother's
arms and took them to the vet when the babies were poisoned they screamed and cried in agonizing pain cat sir is
reassured worried parents by lying to them The Crying wasn't from pain she stated but due to the bitterness of the
drink more mothers carried their babies to the vet allowing poison to be shot down their throats
once all the babies were done the children were next older children were aware of the horror around them they saw
babies writhing in pain in their mother's arms their little bodies convulsing unnaturally and their eyes
rolling back before they flopped completely still shortly afterwards their mothers would
convulse lose grip in their child and fall backwards dead residents made reassuring speeches all
the while the sound of children dying in pain turned on in the background of their optimistic words as one crying
child was pushed forward and forced the drink Jones called out don't be afraid to die Jones then pleaded with the crowd
to get on with it before saying this is a revolutionary suicide this is not a self-destructive suicide so they'll pay
for this they brought this upon us and they'll pay for that I'll leave that destiny to them if everybody will relax
the best thing you can do is to relax and you'll have no problems you'll have no problems with this thing if you just
relax Peoples Temple member Tim Carter quote as I walked up to the back of the pavilion I saw a woman named Rosie on
the ground crying holding her dead baby there were maybe eight or nine other people who were dying or in the process
of dying inside I just wanted things to stop please let me catch my breath let me figure out what's happening here I
looked to my right then I saw my wife with our son in her arms and poison being injected into his mouth my son was
dead and he was frothing at the mouth he knows cyanide makes people froth at the mouth my wife died in my arms and my
dead baby son was in her arms and I held her and said I love you I love you because that's all I could say she died
in my arms residents were in shock everything felt too unreal to be true as the bodies of poisoned friends and
family were dragged out of the pavilion those who remained struggle to rationalize the horror when a poisoned a
15 year old boy who was directed out of the pavilion ran back in collapsed against the pole wheezed and began
convulsing the remaining residents were left with no doubt that this wasn't a hoax it was very real and people were
dying Jones barked orders to get the dying boy out of the pavilion two men picked him
up and as they carried him to the field his body went limp a twelve-year-old girl kept spitting out the poison when
it was forced into her mouth agitated nurses grabbed her hair and pulled a backwards roughly forcing her
head back they poured the poison down her throat and covered her mouth and nose forcing her to swallow when people
started saying their goodbyes Jones blasted the crowd again and told them to hurry up armed guards aimed their
weapons at those who were slow-moving of those who secretly wanted to escape it seemed impossible male nurses
approached people who were visibly suffering from shock and injected them with a syringe filled with the poison
guards held down people who refused to get in line and nurses forcibly injected them Christine Miller the woman who
stood up against Jones at the beginning of the meeting had to be forcibly injected
Stanley Clayton quote I ain't never used the term suicide and I ain't ever going
to use the word suicide that man was killing us my wife came up to me she had no tears in her eyes she was just in a
daze my mother my grandmother my sister my brother all of them gone she said just take me just take me and lay me
down next to my grandmama and she went up to the poison to that death barrel and she just didn't hesitate she took it
and drunkard and told me to hold her to take her and I did and she died in my arms
once I laid her down and she told me her she wanted to lay with her grandmother I at that point knew that I had no
reason to be here no more Jones continued his speech over screams of people dying in agony lay down your life
with dignity don't lay down with tears and agony it's nothing to death just like Mac said it's just stepping over
into another plane don't be this way stop the hysterics this is not the way for people who are socialistic
communists to die no way for us to die we must die with some dignity Tim Carter quote they were [ __ ] slaughtered
there was nothing dignified about it had nothing to do with revolutionary suicide
had nothing to do with making a [ __ ] statement it was just senseless waste senseless waste and death out in the
grassy field Jones's aides dragged the dead bodies into rows to create more space bodies
were rolled onto their stomachs so others wouldn't see the contorted faces of the dead parents were piled onto the
bodies of their children the aides positioned bodies to appear as though they were cradling each other and had
died peacefully eventually when there were too many bodies and too little space the aides began piling bodies on
top of one another dr. Schaack who would come up with the idea of killing everyone with swallowing
walked amongst the bodies pressing his stethoscope to their chest to confirm that were dead
and not faking it as the crowd in the pavilion diminished and as the last few people stepped forward in a trance-like
state to consume the liquid they knew would kill them Kim Jones pressed the microphone to his lips and recorded his
final message we didn't commit to a tie we can elect a revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of a ninja
main world [Music] Jim James clicked off the cassette recorder he stepped down from the stage
and ushered the last remaining adults to the VAT of poison by now the Sun had set
on Jamestown approximately 40 minutes had passed since the final white night started the compound was shut out in
complete darkness except for blazing lights emanating from the pavilion James returned to his seat on the pavilion
stage surrounding his wooden throne were piles of dead bodies in total nine hundred and nine people had been
poisoned to death three hundred and four of those were children when Jones's final white night started
one of his aides sent a message to People's Temple headquarters in cayenne his capital Georgetown
she gave instructions to headquarters through a heavily coded message he knocked at the last end murder the
temples enemies and then kill yourselves she taught in Morse code K and I F B the People's Temple member based in the
Georgetown headquarters at the time was Sharon Amos she was known as a fanatical
Jim Jones follower when the order to die came over the radio the thought of refusal never crossed her mind she
informed her 21 year old daughter Leeanne of the order together they went into the kitchen and collected several
large knives Sharon summoned her youngest children Christa aged 11 and Martin aged 10
Sharon and Leeanne led the young children into a bathroom where all four of them were later found dead
elsewhere in Georgetown a small military airport received several disjointed panicked radio messages
about 6:00 p.m. a small plane swooped in to land the military was confused no flights had been scheduled to arrive at
that time emerging from the plane were two Guyanese pilots and an American woman with two gunshot wounds in her
back her name was Monica Bagby at Jamestown defacto her speech was rushed and frightened she spoke of a gunfight
at the port cuts humor airstrip people were dead they had become not as jackie speier lay on the airstrip her aching
body caught up behind the flattened wheel of the plane the gunfire had stopped long ago she recalled how after
the initial hail of bullets the gunman walked casually and precisely through the injured bodies on the
airstrip shooting each one at close range she recalled the sound of the shooters
cheering after the attack as they drove away from the scene jackie speier quote i looked around and saw bodies including
that of my boss and mentor congressman Leo Ryan was he to pretending to be dead I called his name but he didn't respond
looking down I saw what appeared to be bone it was my own and it was sticking out of my shattered right arm reporter
Tim Reid a man emerged from the jungle and approached the plane quote I saw several bodies on the ground
Don Harris of NBC congressman Ryan Greg Robinson the photographer with me Bob Brown of NBC Patricia Parks one of the
defectors all of them were dead amongst the five dead on the airstrip were several wounded delegates and defectors
it took until 10:00 a.m. the following day November 19th before a Guyanese rescue aircraft descended on Porco Touma
to investigate they didn't bother carrying medical supplies or personnel as they suspect that there would be no
survivors when they found that there were actually many survivors some gravely wounded they airlifted the map
to Georgetown where they were transferred to a waiting US Air Force medical evacuation aircraft five
Jonestown defectors had run into the jungle when the airfield shootings began and they kept running some suffered
gunshot wounds they lost themselves in the overgrown jungle for three days by the time they were discovered they were
delirious from blood loss and their wounds were infested with maggots but they had survived
[Music] survivors of the Jonestown Massacre began to emerge from the depths of the
jungle with harrowing stories of what horrors remained behind them the mourning of Congressman Ryan's visit 11
Jonestown residents took advantage of the distraction and put their escape plans into action
they told others that they were going on a picnic when in reality they walked into the
jungle and didn't return some of the escapees included a mother and her three-year-old son as well as a couple
when their three daughters survivor Tim Cara was a member of Jamestown's leadership he had been tasked along with
two others to take a briefcase carrying 550 thousand dollars in US currency one hundred and thirty thousand dollars in
Guyanese currency an envelope and gold to the Russian embassy in Georgetown but the group left for their mission later
than expected which meant Tim Carter walked past the Pavilion at the very moment his baby son was being poisoned
he watched him despair as his wife then took the poison Carter had an emotional breakdown on his two companions dragged
him away and the group ran into the jungle prior to the massacre two of Jim Jones's lawyers were escorted to the
guest house in Jonestown they overheard others mentioning the revolutionary suicide occurring in the pavilion
the lawyers talked their way past the guards and escaped into the jungle Odelle Rhodes watched in horror as the
children had taught in school were dying all around him he noticed they need medical staff were able to move freely
in and out of the pavilion when dr. Larry sharked asked for a stethoscope Rhoades followed a nurse to the medical
offices to retrieve the item the guard stopped Rhoads on the way but the nurse confirmed they were going to the medical
office and would return Rhodes considered the possibility of killing the nurse to escape but she ordered him
to search a separate building which gave Rhodes the chance he needed when Stanley Clayton attempted to leave
the pavilion a guard pointed a crossbow at him Stanley managed to get past the guard by stating he wanted to say good
bye to dying friends out in the field when no one had eyes on him he ran into the jungle seventy nine-year-old Grover
Davis who was hearing-impaired missed the announcement for the white night when the massacre was underway he saw
people dying around the pavilion and he lowered himself into a deep ditch and acted dead elderly resident hyacinth
rash staunchly remained in her cottage when jim jones announced the final one night she was nursing an injured leg and
was sick and tired of the white knights when her sister and roommates didn't return from the meeting she thought
Jonestown had been invaded by enemy mercenaries so she hid under the bed going soldiers later discovered hyacinth
hiding in her cottage they coaxed her out and led her to the pavilion where she saw firsthand the immense and
horrific loss of life they tried to get her to help identify bodies but she got as far as noticing a familiar red
sweater and stopped it was her sister [Music] approximately 80 Jamestown residents
were away running various errands at the time of the final one night their absence that afternoon ensured their
survival three of those people were Jim Jones's sons after news of the massacre and airstrip en Bush reached Guyanese
authorities they sent approximately 100 soldiers to investigate from a distance they saw a say of
hundreds of brightly colored dots surrounding a large open main building photographer Tim Chapman quote the first
body I saw was off to the side alone five more steps and I saw another and another and another hundreds of bodies
it was overwhelming bizarre there were colors everywhere raincoats and shirts and pants in reds and greens and blues
bright happy colors I started moving to my left and I was battered by the smell it hit me went right into my chest
there were piles upon piles of bodies what do you call it there's no definition nothing to compare it to
inside the pavilion was a pile of crossbows and firearms an abundance of Breann stained cups were scattered
around the altar where the near empty vat of poison remained many syringes were also scattered about some of the
needles were bent or snapped suggesting they had been shoved into people with a lot of force
there are also piles of medications empty packets of grape flavor aid into children's shoes at Jim Jones's house
they found books and magazines about conspiracies spies and politics a locker containing health foods and vitamins
hundreds of Valium tablets other pills and syringes and files of morphine stacks of letters addressed that Dad
were also located these were letters written by People's Temple members to Jim Jones each letter began with I feel
guilty because the pages were then scrawled with handwritten personal reflections confessions and
self-analysis the letters were filled with self-hate overwhelming guilt and fear and repressed bitterness the
letters were an absolute submission to Jim Jones whether their writers intended it or not the candid content gave James
absolute power of people's most personal thoughts and feelings he knew all and she knew how to take
advantage of their vulnerabilities when the FBI investigated Jamestown they found a massive collection of audio
cassette tapes that had hours and hours of recorded sermons healings phone conversations radio communications
speeches meetings punishments daily news and hundreds of other events that allowed an authentic story of Jonestown
at the Forum within the collection was a near 50 minute cassette tape that the FBI labeled number Q 0 for 2 it became
known as the death tape snippets of which you heard during this episode it was initially believed that upwards of
400 Jamestown residents might have escaped into the jungle prior to or during the massacre search parties swept
the jungle to look for them relatives in America waited anxiously to hear if their loved ones had survived but as the
bodies around the pavilion were looked at more closely a horrible discovery was made bodies had been haphazardly poured
on one another layer on layer and soon the missing 400 were accounted for on November 20th two days after the
massacre three of Jamestown survivors were taken back into the compound and were made to walk amongst the bodies to
identify as many as they could Guyanese authorities refused a request from the United States to bury the
bodies in Jonestown so the American army sent its grave registration unit to Guyana to retrieve them forensic
examiners began the massive effort of identifying the hundreds of unknown bodies that couldn't be identified by
survivors only 631 people were positively identified living close to 300 people who weren't many bodies had
visible puncture marks from where a syringe had been pushed in some still had a syringe protruding from the area
where they were injected however the precise number of victims forcibly injected has never been confirmed
various issues make it impossible to know the decomposition of bodies the lack of detailed photographs and the
fact that many bodies weren't medically examined and didn't receive an autopsy it took eight days for the American
soldiers to place all of the victims into body bags barely half of the 631 identified bodies were claimed by
relatives some relatives were too poor others were too ashamed to collect the remains of their loved ones the bodies
of four hundred and twelve victims were buried in a mass grave at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland California four
plaques are the names of all the victims of Jonestown and a memorial service is held there every year on November 18th
controversy surrounds the plaques as many people feel one name is featured that doesn't belong Jim Jones
what exactly happened to Jim Jones after the massacre is unclear what is certain
is that he didn't consume the poison he had forced into the mouths of those laying dead around him Jones died from a
single gunshot wound to the head it's unknown if he took his own life or did someone else to commit the act or if he
was murdered the gun that fired the bullet was located close to his body Jones's body was the only one specified
by the American government to receive an autopsy but the results provided no answers regardless one fact is certain
after witnessing hundreds of others convulse froth of the mouth screaming out in agony suffocate and die Jim Jones
decided it was not the death he wanted for himself instead he died instantly without pain
directly after the massacre 13 members of Jim Jones's in a circle cheered at what they achieved and marched away from
the pavilion together they went to Jones's residential cabin westeros all 13 consumed poison inside the cabin and
died amongst them were Jones's mistresses Maria katsura's and Carolyn Layton with
Carolyn was the body of her son she bought with Jones also inside the house was the body of six year old John stone
the child who Jones kidnapped from his mother in America and relocated to Guyana for years his mother grace Dolan
had been fighting Jones to get her son back she had even won custody of Johnny in an American Court but keeping joining
his possession was important for Jones he needed to maintain the perception that he was above the law and to possess
power and control over all things he was God and in the end as Jones admitted during his final white knight speech
John stolen truly meant nothing special to him and the boy was not granted a reprieve from death the words from Jones
said it all do you actually think I would put John's life above others he's not different to me than any of these
children here the body of anymore was also inside James's house Annie was Jones's personal
nurse and she had been both poisoned and shot in the head her and Jones were the
only people shot inside the Jonestown commune the gun used to kill Annie and her suicide note lay beside her body the
last sentence of her note read we died because you would not let us live in peace
it's evident that jones's paranoia had infected them all and that was the catalyst for many people agreeing to die
however that sentence could also apply to the torment Jones ruled his people with the only way they could escape him
was through death the remains of Jim Jones and his wife Marceline were cremated their ashes were scattered over
the a billion Peak Ocean by their surviving children on more than one occasion leading up to his trip to
Jonestown congressman Leo Ryan was warned of the probability of violence that may occur but Ryan refused to be
influenced or intimidated by fear it wasn't in his character he knew of the volatile nature of people's temple and
Jim Jones towards outsiders but he boarded a plane to go an hour anyway jackie speier quote there are those who
questioned his motives saw the wisdom of his actions the criticism was just fine
with Leo Leo Ryan never did anything because he thought it would make him popular he was more interested in doing
what he knew was right no one could have expected the degree of violence that Ryan suffered that day the 53 year old
congressman had upwards of 20 bullet wounds throughout his entire body his assassination changed our congressional
delegations travel they now must do so with the military escort the only person apprehended and convicted for the events
that transpired in Jonestown was Larry Layton the man who posed as a defector and then
shot at the genuine defectors in the plane afterwards he was apprehended by Guyanese locals
Leyton was acquitted of attempted murder in a Guyanese court but he was then extradited to the United States where he
was convicted in federal court he was sentenced to 18 years in prison he completed his prison term in early 2002
two years before he scheduled release date he now lives and works in Northern California blame for Jamestown's violent
and has been passed between various groups temple members who knew of Jones's suicidal inclination but didn't
stop him the visitors to the commune prior to congressman Ryan who lacked skepticism when confronted with stage
performances and scripted responses congressman Ryan himself are taking in a media entourage to antagonize the
paranoid Jones the massacre survivors who didn't stop Jones the moment he ordered for the babies to die even the
massacre victims themselves were blamed but the responsibility of what occurred is solely on one man
Reverend Akeem Jones after the massacre impoverished poor consumer locals looted
Jonestown and took the victims personal possessions and community supplies the Guyanese government maintained the site
as a training camp for their defense force but eventually withdrew they used the farming equipment in Jonestown to
tear down its buildings Jonestown as it once was no longer exists for a long time it was just a flat area of empty
field before the jungle they've agree the site considerations to memorialize the site have gone nowhere the People's
Temple Full Gospel Church declared bankruptcy at the end of 1978 temple members who remained in the United
States burned boxes of incriminating documents and erased tape recordings before merging back into society
thirteen million dollars worth of property assets and interests belonging to the temple were located after the
massacre the estate was divided and given to various claimants including the US government as payment for the
retrieval and burying of the bodies survivors and victims families from the airstrip attack and bill collectors and
attorneys Jonestown survivors shared what little remained four years after the massacre
the media and public stigmatized People's Temple members defectors and survivors they were called baby killers
and murderers as years passed some survivors successfully moved on others struggled some people's stories were
told others were forgotten some died yet each year on November 18th Jonestown survivors trekked to Evergreen
Cemetery to mourn the massive loss of their community Vernon Gosney is haunted by his decision to give congressman Ryan
than note asking for help he never anticipated such a small action would have such a violent consequences
including the death of his young son quote the loss of my son has been the most difficult thing in my life to deal
with my sense of remorse my sense of guilt my going back to that moment a million times and making a different
decision to find some level of peace and some level of forgiveness has been the most challenging thing for me reporter
Tim Reid ermine quote I don't think a day passes that I don't think of it it has become part of me people asked if
you knew then what you know now about Jones's early life about the decline of his personality about the depravity in
madness later would you have gone to Jones to learn if he had known your visit would trigger
the deaths of 900 people which is still have gone of course not I would turn back the clock if I could Jamestown was
the single largest loss of American civilian life in a non natural disaster up until the September 11 terrorist
attacks in 2001 nowadays almost 40 years later Jonestown still lingers in modern
society the popular phrase drinking the kool-aid used comically towards people who easily giving the peer pressure or
persuasion is a direct reference to Jonestown to survivors it's an insult for them those who died in Jonestown on
November 18th 1978 weren't simply a group of willing fanatical cult members as they've since been labeled no one
will ever truly know what went through the minds of each individual as they stood before the VAT of poison but it's
clear that a large percentage didn't want a door and were either forced to drink or were forcibly injected
Timm James's son Steven Jones wasn't in Jamestown at the time of the massacre he
was in Georgetown on a trip as a member of James towns basketball team Stephen Jones quote ask yourself what would
someone have to tell you or what would someone have to do to you to get you to do something that you couldn't possibly
believe you were capable of examine that learn from it don't judge it don't stand separate from it be willing
to stand in the shoes of the people you're judging and I hope that the nine hundred plus people that day died and
the way they died might offer us something so that their lives won't be in vain [Music]

Case 60: Jonestown (Part 3)

[Part 3 of 3]

You may think you know the story, but do you…

This is the chilling conclusion to Jonestown.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-60-jonestown-part-3

Brief Summary

The episode covers Congressman Ryan's visit to Jonestown and the tragic mass suicide orchestrated by Jim Jones.

Key points

Congressman Ryan's Visit to Jonestown. Congressman Leo Ryan arrives in Jonestown to investigate reports of mistreatment.
The Defectors' Dilemma. Residents of Jonestown express their desire to leave, fearing for their safety.
Jim Jones's Last Speech. In a chilling address, Jim Jones speaks of betrayal and impending violence.
The Announcement of Murder. Jones announces that Congressman Ryan has been murdered, shocking the crowd.
The Poisoning Begins. Residents are coerced into drinking poison, believing it to be a test of loyalty.
A Mother's Agony. A mother poisons her baby and herself, showcasing the horror of the situation.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

We want to leave!

Edith Parks and her family approach Congressman Ryan's staff.

4:37WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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