Episode Three: Revolutionary Suicide
All the days of my life, ever since I been born, I aint never heard a man speak like this man before.
Jones Q042 (“The Death Tape”): We’ve been so betrayed. We have been so terribly betrayed. No more pain now. Who wants to go with their child has a right to go with their child. I think it’s humane. I want to go — I want to see you go, though. They can take me and do what they want — whatever they want to do. I want to see you go. I don’t want to see you go through this hell no more. We’re trying. If everybody will relax. The best thing you do is to relax, and you will have no problem. You’ll have no problem with this thing, if you just relax. He doesn’t want to — all he’s doing, assure these chickens- some people assure these children of the relaxation of stepping over to the next plane? They set an example for others. We said — one thousand people who said, we don’t like the way the world is. Adults, adults. I call on you to stop this nonsense. I call on you to quit exciting your children, when all they’re doing is going to a quiet rest. If we can’t live in peace, then let’s die in peace.
Welcome back to Transmissions from Jonestown. You’re listening to Episode 3: Revolutionary Suicide.
Resigned to the knowledge that not even Jim Jones could stop a Congressman from his inquiry, the residents of Jonestown prepared for the impending visit. Everything was organized down to the tiniest detail. What to say, what would be served for dinner, who would be where. Jones interrogated Peoples Temple members to ensure their answers to reporters would not incriminate Jonestown. In the days leading up to the Congressman’s visit, radio transmissions from Jonestown reported that father was sick with a terrible fever and could only get out of bed a few hours per day. His wife Marceline was in charge of getting Jonestown ready. Jones argued from the radio room with Peoples Temple lawyers Mark Lane and Charles Geary about the legality of a Congressman forcing his way onto his compound and allowing the press to tour Jonestown and interrogated Peoples Temple members at will. Eventually it was decided that not allowing Leo Ryan in would be much worse. Ryan wouldn’t give up and even more news articles would be written about the evil dictator in his jungle lair.
Marceline Q050: We don’t know exactly when the people will be coming, but we are united. We know that what we’re doing here is beautiful. Don’t we? Dad gave you instructions on how you were to conduct yourself when and if they come in. The way transportation and travel and everything is in Guyana, we can’t be sure, but we are a family. We are comrades. We’ve done what has never been done in the history of the world under the leadership of Jim Jones, and we are here and we’re proud of it, and we will follow Dad’s instructions to the T as to how we are to meet these people.
Congressman Leo Ryan flew to Georgetown Guyana on Nov 14,1978. He brought with him members of the concerned relative’s group and several members of the press. The delegation included: 9 journalists, 4 concerned relatives, Mark lane and Charles Geary, Ryan’s Congressional aide (now Congresswoman) Jackie Speier, and Richard Dwyer: the deputy chief of missions for the Guyanese government – also an alleged CIA agent.
Jones Q050: You may be taking your life in your hand, but I take your life in my hand every day anyway. Lot of people running scared around here. I could smell it in the damned atmosphere. They’re running scared. So, you want to see your Congressman tomorrow, stick around, he may come in. I don’t know what- how long he’ll stay, and I don’t know what uh, necessarily will take place and what kind of sequential arrangement. But I can assure you that if he stays long enough for tea, he’s gonna regret it.
Leo Ryan and his delegation where not welcomed by the Peoples Temple. Upon their arrival they were met by Mark Lane and Charles Geary both lawyers representing the Peoples Temple. The lawyers attempted to negotiate with Ryan, warning him that allowing the press to accompany him into Jonestown might create a problem.
Jones Q050: I am just tired. I’ve spent a week worrying about your lives. I spent a week worrying about who I’m gonna save, and how I’m gonna save them, and I don’t see any point to worrying about living like this. Living isn’t worth a damn. I don’t care whether I see Christmas or Thanksgiving, neither one. We been debating about dying till, hell, it’s easier to die than to talk about it.
Ryan could not be persuaded to delay his investigation any longer, so he boarded an 18-seater plane and flew to the Port Kaituma airstrip. When the plane had landed, an angry Peoples Temple welcoming party and armed Guyanese police officer greeted them. At first only Mark Lane and Charles Geary were allowed into Jonestown but eventually the orders came down to let everyone in, so they boarded into the back of a tractor trailer and rode in awkward silence most of the 7 miles into Jonestown.
Endless rows of cassava plants and thick jungle forests lined the roads. Finally a sign saying, Welcome to Jonestown, The Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, came in to view.
Upon arrival the group was greeted by Marceline Jones. She offered to give them a tour, but Leo Ryan had a list of people he immediately wanted to talk to, relatives of the concerned relatives mostly, Eugene was on that list, assumingly hidden away in the extended care unit under heavy sedation at the time. The group was led to the pavilion. There they were told Jones was sick and would have to meet with them later.
Mark Lane was led to the radio room and given a phone. Jim Jones was on the other end of the line ranting about how Tim Stoen had planned the entire thing. He wanted to ruin Jonestown and stop them from immigrating to Russia. He claimed that one of his inner circle, Tim carter, had infiltrated the concerned relatives group weeks before and uncovered their plans to destroy Jonestown.
Jones Q050: Old T.O. Stoen, he said I’ve sent a message with the one that had been infiltrating. He sent a message, he said, well, tell Jim that he could have got out of all of this trouble by just sending me back John. He put John in this place. John’s my son, he has no right over John. Hell’s fire. Hell’s fire. He won’t get off my back. If I’d give ’em all of you, they wouldn’t get off my back. And he’s gonna stop the wheels from turning? They’ve already started turning.
Eventually Jim Jones emerged from his cottage wearing his dark sunglass. An elaborate reception for Ryan and his party had been planned. Fried Chicken was served as the Jonestown Express performed a show for the visitors. Jones was flanked by his lawyers and the reporters, his speech slurred and disjointed. Peoples Temple members played along enjoying the rare protein rich meal and smiling for the cameras.
Ryan and the journalists were impressed by what Peoples Temple had managed to build for themselves in such an unforgiving environment. As the night wore on, Ryan made a small speech in the pavilion.
Leo Ryan: I think that all of you know that I’m here to find out more about questions that have been raised about your operation here. Well I can tell you right now that the few conversations I’ve had with some of the folks here already this evening, that whatever the comments are, there are some people here who believe that this is the best thing to ever happen to them their whole life.
At some point during the festivities Vern Gosney, a long-time Peoples Temple member passed a note to journalist Don Harris that said, “Help us get out of Jonestown.”. The following day there was an ominous quiet over Jonestown. People were nervous. Jim Jones was interviewed by Don Harris. He was asked about the note and how it made him feel.
Don Harris: Last night someone came and passed me this note…
Jones: He’s the one that I’m just talking about. This is the man who wants to leave his son here.
Don Harris: Does it concern you though that this man for whatever reason, one of the people in your group-
Jones: People play games friend. They lie, they lie, what can I do about liars? Are you people going- leave us I just beg you please leave us. We will bother nobody, anybody who wants to get our here can get out of here, we have no problem about getting out of here, they come and go all the time. I don’t know what kind of game- people like publicity, some people do, I don’t. Some people like publicity. But if its so damn bad, why is he leaving his son here? Can you give me a good reason for that?
The sky turned black and tropical rain fell on Jonestown turning the roads into mud. Long time Jonestown residents Edith Parks and her family announced that they wanted to leave. Jones spoke with the family begging them to stay, or at least wait a week or two as not to draw attention to themselves while all the press and the Congressman were present. As Jones negotiated with the Parks family several other Peoples Temple members were now expressing their desire to leave. Larry Layton, who’s sister Deborah had defected months earlier, entered the pavilion and demanded to leave. Other Peoples Temple defectors were suspicious of this because he had been a member of Peoples Temple for over a decade, his marriage was arranged by Jones, he had literally helped build Jonestown. Jim Jones was beginning to unravel. Congressman Ryan assured Jones that only 15 or so people wanted to leave Jonestown out of a community of nearly a thousand, an impressive commitment to the cause had been demonstrated and his reports to Washington would reflect an overall positive experience.
As the list of people wanting to leave Jonestown kept growing it was clear transporting everyone out would be problematic. Ryan decided he along with the temple lawyers and would stay behind in Jonestown to ensure everyone who wanted to leave would have the opportunity to go. As the truck out of Jonestown was loaded with people and started down the muddy path, a devout Peoples Temple member named Don Sly, aka Ujara, attacked Leo Ryan with a knife in the pavilion. He screamed “Now you’re gonna die motherfucker” and attempted to stab him from behind. Don sly was wrestled to the ground and the knife taken away. Jim Jones witnessing the entire event, slumped down in his seat and muttered, “Does this change everything?”.
Ryan’s shirt was covered in Don Sly’s blood. He was immediately escorted to the truck leaving Jonestown. Amazingly Congressman Ryan was not injured during the attack, but he was visibly shaken. Jonestown and its residents were not immune to Guyanese law. A crime had been committed. Proper authorities would have to be called out to Jonestown to investigate the attempt on Leo Ryan’s life. As the truck began is trek to the Port Kaituma airstrip the mood was tense and hopeful for the defectors. They were finally making their escape from Jonestown. Something that seemed impossible under any other circumstances.
Jim Jones called a meeting with his inner circle. What was said before the death tape recording begins is unknown, but several versions of events exist. Jones believed he would be blamed for the attempted stabbing of a Congressman and the government, either US or GDF (Guyana Defense Force) would be invading Jonestown that very night.
A meeting was called in the pavilion. Jones spoke to his people one last time.
Jones Q042: How very much I’ve loved you. How very much I’ve tried my best to give you the good life. But in spite of all of my trying, a handful of our people, with their lies, have made our life impossible. There’s no way to detach ourselves from what’s happened today. Not only are we in a compound situation, not only are there those who have left and committed the betrayal of the century, some have stolen children from others, and are in pursuit right now to kill them, because they stole their children. And we are sitting here waiting on a powder keg. I don’t think it 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 is said by the greatest of prophets from time immemorial: “No man may take my life from me; I lay my life down.” So, to sit here and wait for the catastrophe that’s going to happen on that airplane. It’s going to be a catastrophe, it almost happened here. Almost happened — The congressman was nearly killed here. But you can’t steal people’s children. You can’t take off with people’s children without expecting a violent reaction. If we can’t live in peace, then let’s die in peace. Now, what’s going to happen here in a matter of a few minutes is that one of those people on that plane is gonna shoot the pilot. I know that. I didn’t plan it, but I know it’s going to happen. They’re 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, because they’ll parachute in here on us.
Meanwhile at Port Kaituma, Congressman Ryan ordered a second plane to accommodate the 15 PT People Temple defectors now leaving Guyana. When they arrived at the airstrip two Guyanese police officers were fixing a downed airplane at the far end. It was decided that everyone should be search as they boarded the two planes to ensure no one was armed. A tractor pulling a trailer rolled on to the tarmac circling the plane as people boarded. Some of the defectors recognized the tractor as belonging to Jonestown. It parked and the driver pulled out a rifle. Several people that had been ducking down in the bed of the trailer emerged with rifles and began firing at the group. They seemed to fan out like in a military formation shooting at Leo Ryan and his entourage. At the same time, Larry Layton, having already boarded the small plane pulled out a gun and started shooting. He managed to shoot two of the defectors before the gun was wrestled away from him.
People tried to hide under the plane, but the gunmen methodically executed them with headshots at point blank range. Others ran into the jungle for cover. Five people were killed including Leo Ryan, Don Harris, two journalists (photographer Greg Robinson of The San Francisco Examiner; cameraman Bob Brown), and PT defector Patricia Parks. Several others were seriously wounded. The gunmen are referred to as the red brigade on the death tape. An esoteric reference to an Italian left-wing paramilitary group active in the 70s. A long list of Jonestown security officers were eventually identified by an eyewitness who survived the attack. The NBC camera man caught some of the attack on tape. The footage cuts only after a few moments as the camera man was shot. This controversial footage has helped spawn many disturbing theories as to what really happened at Port Kaituma that day. People who remember Jonestown as it was happening say that the original footage was at least a full minute longer than anything available to the public today.
According to witnesses, the Guyanese police simply dropped their guns and ran into the jungle as they didn’t understand who was shooting at who or why. After the attack, the wounded and dead remained at Port Kaituma for 19 hours awaiting law enforcement and medical care. Larry Layton would eventually be the only person ever charged for these murders.
Back in Jonestown it was becoming apparent that not all of its residents wanted to die. Christine Miller, a long-time Peoples Temple loyalist spoke on behalf of herself and the children of Jonestown. While Jim Jones slurred rhetoric into the microphone she alone made a stand.
Christine Miller Q042: Is it too late for Russia?
Jones Q042: Here’s why it’s too late for Russia. They killed. They started to kill. That’s why it makes it too late for Russia. It’s too late. I can’t control these people. They’re out there. They’ve gone with the guns.
Christine Miller Q042: Well, I say let’s make an airlift to Russia. That’s what I say. I don’t think nothing is impossible…
Jones Q042: How are we going to do that? How are you going to airlift to Russia?
Christine Miller Q042: Well, I thought you — they said if we got in an emergency, that they gave you a code to let them know.
Jones Q042: No, they didn’t. They gave us a code that they’d let us know on that issue, not us create an issue for them. They said if they saw the country coming down, they agreed they’d give us a code. We can check with Russia to see if they’ll take us in immediately, otherwise we die. I don’t know what else you say to these people. But to me, death is not — uh, death is not a fearful thing. It’s living that’s treacherous. Christine, it’s just not worth living like this.
Christine Miller Q042: I think that there were too few who left for twelve hundred people to give them their lives for those people that left.
Jones Q042: Do you know how many left?
Christine Miller Q042: Oh, twenty-odd. That’s — That’s a small…
Jones Q042: Twenty-odd, twenty-odd.
Christine Miller Q042: Compared to what’s here.
Jones Q042: Twenty-odd. But what’s gonna happen when they don’t leave?
Christine Miller Q042: You mean the people here?
Jones Q042: Yeah. What’s going to happen to us when they don’t leave, when they get on the plane and the plane goes down?
Christine Miller Q042: I don’t think the plane will go down.
Jones Q042: You don’t think they’ll go down? I wish I could tell you were right, but I’m right. You think Russia’s gonna want us with all this stigma? We had some value, but now we don’t have any value.
Christine Miller Q042: Well, I don’t see it like that. I mean, I feel like that as long as there’s life, there’s hope. That’s my faith.
Jones Q042: Well, someday everybody dies. Some place that hope runs out, because everybody dies. I haven’t seen anybody yet didn’t die. And I’d 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 of. Tired of it. Twelve hundred people’s lives in my hands, and I certainly don’t want your life in my hands. I’m going to tell you, Christine, without me, life has no meaning. I’m the best thing you’ll ever have. I want, what I’m talking about now is the dispensation of judgment. This is a revolutionary — it’s a revolutionary suicide council. I’m not talking about self-destruction. I’m talking about what — we have no other road.
Christine Miller Q042: It’s not that I’m afraid to die…By No means.
Jones Q042: I don’t think you are. I don’t think you are.
Christine Miller Q042: But, I look about at the babies and I think they deserve to live, you know?
Jones Q042: I agree. But don’t they also they deserve much more, they deserve peace.
Crowd: Right.
Christine Miller Q042: We all came here for peace.
Jones Q042: And have we had it?
Christine Miller Q042: No.
Jones Q042: I tried to give it to you. I’ve laid down my life, practically. I’ve practically died every day to give you peace. And you still not have any peace. You look better than I’ve seen you in a long while, but it’s still not the kind of peace that I wanted to give you.
Christine Miller Q042: When you — when we destroy ourselves, we’re defeated.
Jim Mcelvane Q042: It’s over sister, it’s over. We’ve made that day. We made a beautiful day, and let’s make it a beautiful day. That’s what I say.
Crowd: Applause
Jones Q042: We will win. We win when we go down. Tim Stoen has nobody else to hate. If there was anyway to call back…the immense amount of damage that’s going to be done, but I cannot separate myself from the pain of my people. You can’t either, Christine, if you stop to think about it. You can’t separate yourself. We’ve walked too long together.
Christine Miller Q042: I well know that. But I still think, as an individual, I have a right to…
Jones Q042: You do, and I’m listening.
Christine Miller Q042: To say what I think, what I feel. And I think we all have a right to our own destiny as individuals.
Jones Q042: Right.
Christine Miller Q042: And I think I have a right to choose mine, and everybody else has a right to choose theirs.
Jones Q042: Mmm-hmm.
Christine Miller Q042: You know?
Jones Q042: Mmm-hmm.
Christine Miller implores the group to think for themselves or at least spare the children. Around 20 minutes into the death tape there is a commotion and Jim Jones orders Richard Dwyer to be taken to the east house. This is weird because Richard Dwyer is seen at Port Kaituma airstrip helping everyone load onto the airplanes and was present during the shooting. In fact, if Richard Dwyer hadn’t have insisted that Leo Ryan leave Jonestown immediately, the Congressman wouldn’t have been on the airstrip during the attack. To be fair, it was Richard Dwyer that finally got medical assistance to those wounded on that tarmac after the shooting, as he was the only one left alive able to communicate via radio using a CIA channel. Was Jim Jones simply confused and in a fervent stupor?
Man Q042: Everybody hold it. Stay seated.
Jones Q042: Stay peace. Stay peace. Stay peace. Stay peace. Stay peace. What’s come. Don’t let — Take Dwyer on down to the East House. Take Dwyer on down to the east house.
Woman Q042: Everybody be quiet, please.
Did he mistake Ujara, Mark Lane, or Charles Geary for Richard Dwyer?
Jones Q042: Get Dwyer out of here before something happens to him. Dwyer.
Man Q042: Ujara?
Jones Q042: I’m not talking about Ujara. I said Dwy-er.
Hmm clearly not. This raises some significant questions concerning the timeline of the death tape. Was the tape edited on the fly in the pavilion, or was it edited later and by whom. Obviously, Richard Dwyer wasn’t in two places at once. Immediately after this moment on the death tape Jones finds out what occurred at Port Kaituma.
Jones Q042: What a legacy, what a legacy. They invaded our privacy. They came into our home. They followed us six thousand miles away. Red Brigade showed them justice. The congressman’s dead. Please get us some medication. It’s simple. It’s 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 movin’, get movin’, get movin’. Don’t be afraid to die. You’ll see, there’ll be a few people land out here. They’ll torture some of our children here. They’ll torture our people. They’ll torture our seniors. We cannot have this. Are you going to separate yourself from whoever shot the congressman? I don’t know who shot him.
Voices Q042: No. No. No.
For two years the Peoples Temple had stockpiled potassium cyanide, enough for all the residents of Jonestown. For so many, this was the moment they had been waiting for, this was the final act of revolution that would define their legacy.
Man Q042: Dad, we’re all ready to go. If you tell us we have to give our lives now, we’re ready — I’m pretty sure all the rest of the sisters and brothers are with me.
But for many others, particularly young children, there was no freedom of choice.
Woman Q042: If there’s any ways possible to, uh, have them to give Ted something to take him, I’m satisfied, okay?
Jones Q042: What’s that?
Woman Q042: I said, if there’s any way you can do to have them to give Ted something so he won’t have to let him go too okay, and I’m satisfied.
Jones Q042: Yes. That’s fine.
Now that the decision had been made the medical staff busied themselves mixing the cyanide into a Kool Aid punch in giant vats. People wrote goodbye letters, hugged each other and cried. All 303 children were lined up waiting for their turn to drink the potion. Babies would be poisoned using syringes.
Black baby
As you grow up, I want you to drink from the plenty cup…
Maria Katsaris Q042: You have to move, and the people that are standing there in the aisles, go stand in the radio room yard. Everybody get behind the table and back this way, okay? There’s nothing to worry about. Everybody keep calm and try and keep your children calm. And the older children and help let the little children in and reassure them. They’re aren’t crying from pain. It’s just a little bitter tasting. They’re not crying out of any pain.
Jones Q042: If you’ll quit tell them they’re dying — if you adults would stop some of this nonsense. Adults, adults, adults. I call on you to stop this nonsense. I call on you to quit exciting your children, when all they’re doing is going to a quiet rest. I call on you to stop this now, if you have any respect at all. Are we black, proud, and Socialist, or what are we? Now stop this nonsense. Don’t carry this on anymore. You’re exciting your children. It’s all over and its good. No, no sorrow that it’s all over. I’m glad it’s over. Hurry, hurry, my children. Hurry. Let us not fall into the hands of the enemy. Hurry, my children.
Death by potassium cyanide poisoning is extremely painful. You vomit and froth at the mouth, followed by convulsions and a coma. It can take a while to die, your brain has to suffocate. Security guards circled the pavilion armed with guns and crossbows cutting off any escape into the jungle. According to eyewitness accounts if you refused to drink the Kool Aid you would be forcibly injected.
Jones Q042: Please. For God’s sake, let’s get on with it. We’ve lived — we’ve lived as no other people have lived and loved. We’ve had as much of this world as you’re gonna get. Let’s just be done with it. Let’s be done with the agony of it. It’s far, far harder to have to walk through every day, die slowly and from the time you’re a child ’til the time you get gray, you’re dying.
Three inner circle members were called to the radio room. Mike Prokes, Tim Carter, and Tim’s brother Michael. Tim Carter had tragically watched his wife and child die. The men were given a suitcase full of money, guns, and a letter to the Soviet Embassy. Maria Katsaris, one of Jim Jones most loyal followers told them to take the money to the Soviet Embassy in Georgetown, one hundred and fifty miles away, and that if they were caught, they should shoot themselves with the guns. They made their way into the jungle quickly realizing that the suitcase was too heavy so they stashed it at the chicken coop and ran. Eventually they were picked up by the Guyanese Defense Force. The three men survived the massacre at Jonestown. Tim Carter claims he never looked inside the suitcase, although he believed it contained a great deal of cash and documents. Somewhere between 300k and 1.5 million dollars in cash and diamonds. After the massacre the Guyana Defense Force were the first to arrive at Jonestown, taking possession of the suitcase and looting the compound, even picking the pockets of the dead.
Peoples Temple lawyers Mark Lane and Charles Garry had been taken to the east house. As people gathered around the pavilion they escaped into the Jungle. According to Mark Lane they got lost for several hours in the jungle before they were rescued. Sometime in the night he heard automatic gunfire coming from the direction of Jonestown. He reported hearing around 80 or 90 shots. Gunfire was also heard by survivors lost in the jungle at Port Kaituma.
In Georgetown Guyana at the Peoples Temple headquarters Sharon Amos had been administrating all contact with Jonestown. She was glued to the radio with Jonestown’s basketball team and her three children listening anxiously as events unfolded. When the orders came over the radio to end it all, Sharon took her three children into the bathroom where she and her eldest daughter slit the throats of the younger children then stabbed each other to death. The basketball team led by Jim and Marceline’s natural song Stephan refused to commit suicide and survived the massacre.
Jones Q042: Die with respect, die with a degree of dignity. Lay down your life with dignity. Don’t lay down with tears and agony. There’s nothing to death. It’s like Mac said, it’s just stepping over into another plane. Don’t be — Don’t be this way. Stop these hysterics. This is not the way for people who are Socialists, Communists to die. You must be insane. Children, it’s just something to put you to rest. Oh, God…
Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother, Mother, please. Mother, please, please, please. Don’t — don’t do this. Don’t do this. Lay down your life with your child. But don’t do this. Free at last. Peace. Keep your emotions down. Keep your emotions down. Children, it will not hurt. If you’ll be — if you’ll be quiet. If you’ll be quiet. If you’ll be patient. Be patient. Death is — I tell you, I don’t care how many screams you hear, I don’t care how many anguished cries, death is a million times preferable to ten more days of this life. If you knew what was ahead of you — if you knew what was ahead of you, you’d be glad to be stepping over tonight.
Few people escaped Jonestown. A small party managed to quietly slip out of Jonestown early that morning trudging all the way to Mathews Ridge with small children in tow. A couple of Peoples Temple security guards who were near the outer ring of the crowd at the pavilion ran into the jungle. An old woman hid under her bed emerging several hours later when all had gone eerily quiet. Not even the animals in Jonestown were spared. Mr. Muggs, the compounds beloved chimpanzee was shot.
During the life of Peoples Temple Jim Jones had used many tactics to bring his people together. He modified the traditional family structure manipulating it into a collective hive mind. To be a part of something larger than yourself, you had to be competitive and never trust anyone other than Jim Jones. Ideas about individuality or self-preservation have no place in this utopia. According to father they would die as one for the cause, grateful to Jim Jones for providing the opportunity to have lived a life that has meaning.
But in reality, individual families came together, drank together, and died together. Holding one another in a loving last embrace.
Jones Q042: Good knowing you. No more pain now. No more pain I said Al. No more pain. Jim Cobb is laying on the airfield dead at this moment. Remember the Oliver woman said she — she’d come over and kill me if her sons wouldn’t stop her. These, these are the people are the peddlers of hate. All we’re doing is laying down our life. We’re not letting them take our life. We’re laying down our life. (EDIT) - taking their lives we just want peace.
Man Q042: All I would like to say is that my so-called parents are filled with so much hate —
Jones Q042: Stop this, stop this, stop this. Stop this crying, all of you.
Man Q042: — hate and treachery. I think you people out here should think about how your relatives was and be glad about, that the children are being laid to rest and all I’d like to say is that I thank Dad for making me strong to stand with it all and make me ready for it. Thank you.
Jones Q042: Talking to them, all they’re doing is taking a drink to take to go to sleep. That’s what death is, sleep. I’m tired of it all.
Woman Q042: Loving thing we could have ever done, most loving thing all of us could have done, and it’s been a pleasure walking with all of you in this revolutionary struggle. No other way I would rather go to give my life for socialism, communism, and I thank Dad very, very much.
Woman Q042: Dad’s love and nursing, goodness and kindness, and he bring us to this land of freedom. His love — his mother was the Avant — the Avant Garde to socialism. And his love and his principles will go on forever unto the fields of —
Jones Q042: Where’s the vat, the vat, the vat? Where’s the vat with the Green C on it? Bring the vat with the Green C in. Please? Bring it here so the adults can begin. Don’t, don’t fail to follow my advice. You’ll be sorry. You’ll be sorry. if we do it, than that they do it. Have trust. You mu — You have to step across. We used to think this world was — this world was not our home — well, it sure isn’t. We were saying it sure wasn’t.
Woman Q042: That’s right Dad.
Jones Q042: He doesn’t want to — all he’s doing, assure these chickens- some people assure these children of the relaxation of stepping over to the next plane? We’ve set an example for others. We set — one thousand people who said, we don’t like the way the world is. Please stop. (Edit). Take our life from us. We laid it down. We got tired. We didn’t commit suicide; we committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world.
Jim Jones did not drink the Kool Aid. He watched as one thousand people died, convulsing and writhing in agony. Shepherding his flock to oblivion with his false prophecies, ranting from his throne in the pavilion about the liberation of death, boasting about his lack of fear. But Jim Jones was frightened. In fact, he was terrified of so many things. Death, the FBI, the CIA, nuclear holocaust, government funded concentration camps. But now the death rattle of his people, their last moments of desperate suffering in all its vivid horrorshow, was the new reality.
Jones Q1035: It is written that you’re gods. I’m a god and you’re a god. And I’m a god, and I’m gonna stay a god, until you recognize that you’re a god, and when you recognize you’re a god, I shall go back into Principle, and will not appear as a personality. You are god. But until I see all of you knowing who you are, I’m going to be very much what I am. God, Almighty God.
Jim Jones body was found shot in the head in the pavilion near his throne. It is believed that Jones’ personal nurse Anne Moore fired the shot that killed him, then barricaded herself into his cabin and shot herself in the head. But the gun used to kill Jones and Anne was found several yards away from Jones body in the pavilion. Anne’s body was found propped up against the only door in Jones cabin making it difficult to open the door upon its discovery.
Out of over 900 bodies recovered at Jonestown only 7 were ever autopsied. This included the bodies of Anne Moore and Jim Jones. Cyanide can be difficult to trace, particularly after prolonged exposure to heat in the jungle. 5 out of the 7 bodies autopsied showed no trace of cyanide. Anne’s autopsy was inconclusive because she had a gunshot wound and cyanide it her system. Jim Jones’ toxicology reported a large amount of Phenobarbital was found in his system, enough to overdose a normal person. He also had pink stains on his teeth, so maybe he drank the Kool Aid after all?
The bodies in Jonestown were found lying face down side by side in family groups, many of their toes pointing down and their arms raised as though they had been placed that way. It has been speculated that a small group had remained alive for the night placing bodies into rows but had realized quickly that it was too large a task and began stacking bodies on top of one another.
How long they loitered amongst their dead families and friends is unknown.
The bodies were exposed to the elements an entire day before the GDF finally arrived. Fearful of a firefight the GDF made their way to Jonestown from Mathews Ridge on foot. By the time they arrived the heat and tropical humidity was rapidly decaying the bodies and insects were swarming. The scene of carnage was horrifically overwhelming. The smell of bitter almond permeated the air and the ground was muddy with blood and vomit.
The initial report out of Jonestown was that 789 passports were found in Jonestown but only 383 bodies had been located. In fact, the first headline read “Cult dies in south American jungle, 400 die in mass suicide, 700 flee into the jungle.”. The GDF led tactical search parties into the jungle carefully, believing that surviving Peoples Temple members might be armed.
Relatives of Jonestown residents sat for days on the edge of their seat watching news reports and praying that their loved ones might be hiding in the jungle safe and alive.
The American government suggested a mass burial at Jonestown using bulldozers and a massive pit, but the Guyanese government did not want to create a shrine for the Peoples Temple in their country. Negotiating a strategy to remove the bodies was difficult because there was no airstrip in Jonestown and the conditions of the roads was unpredictable. It was finally decided the bodies should be airlifted to Dover air force base in Delaware where they could be processed.
Survivors of Jonestown placed cardboard nametags on the wrists and ankles of bodies to help identify them, but the ink on the tags was quickly washed away by rain. Due to the tropical conditions the bodies had begun to bloat, and some had exploded. Pesticides were sprayed onto the bodies and on the spot embalming methods were used. After 4 days the body count began to dramatically climb until finally reaching 909. The government claimed that the Guyanese didn’t properly count the bodies in the first place and as bodies were removed, more where found underneath. The smaller bodies of woman and children were covered by larger bodies in piles.
Dr Leslie Mootoo, the Guyanese state pathologist was one of the first medical examiners at the scene in Jonestown. He examined the bodies of 100 adults and found 83 of those bodies had injection marks. It was also noted that many of the bottles of cyanide may have been purposefully mislabeled as sedatives. He concluded that the majority of the people in Jonestown had been murdered by forced injections or tricked into taking poison. Charles Huff, an American soldier who helped evacuate bodies from Jonestown stated that many bodies had gunshot wounds and crossbow injuries. Arrows were found everywhere, even sticking out of the side of one of the Kool Aid vats. Many of the bodies, particularly those of children, were never identified or claimed by relatives. As recently as last year, the cremated remains of nine Jonestown victims were discovered unclaimed in an old funeral home.
For years the people who remember Jonestown have had more questions than answers as to why this happened. Why would civil rights activists exploit each other? How could an organization so progressive and socially conscious inflict upon themselves a fate best described as a holocaust? All of the evidence can be collected and studied, thousands of photographs, audio recordings, eyewitness testimonies and several hours of footage. Yet the enigma that is Jonestown remains an isolated world, you had to be a part of it to truly understand it. I’d like to end this episode by reading you an unsigned suicide note that was found in Jonestown, it was written during Jonestown’s final moments.
To Whomever Finds This Note
Collect all the tapes, all the writing, all the history. The story of this movement, this action, must be examined over and over. It must be understood in all of its incredible dimensions. Words fail. We have pledged our lives to this great cause. We are proud to have something to die for. We do not fear death. We hope that the world will someday realize the ideals of brotherhood, justice and equality that Jim Jones has lived and died for. We have all chosen to die for this cause. We know there is no way that we can avoid misinterpretation. But Jim Jones and this movement were born too soon. The world was not ready to let us live.
I am sorry there is no eloquence as I write these final words. We are resolved but grieved that we cannot make the truth of our witness clear.
This is the last of our lives. May the world find a way to a new birth of social justice. If there is any way that our lives and the life of Jim Jones can ever help that take place, we will have not lived in vain.
Jim Jones did not order anyone to attack or kill anyone. It was done by individuals who had too much of seeing people try to destroy this movement. Their actions have left us no alternative, and rather than see this cause decimated, we have chosen to give our lives. We are proud of that choice.
Please try to understand. Look at all in perspective. Look at Jonestown and see what we have tried to do – This was a movement to give life to the newest of the human spirit, broken by capitalism, by a system of exploitation & injustice. Look at all that was built by a beleaguered people. We did not want this kind of ending – we wanted to live, to shine, to bring light to a world that is dying for a little bit of love.
To our loved ones left behind many of whom will not understand, who never knew this truth, grieve not, we are grateful for this opportunity to bear witness – a bitter witness [cross-out] – history has chosen our destiny in spite of our own desire to forge our own. We were at a cross/purpose with history. But we are calm in this hour of our demons of accident, circumstance, miscalculation, error that was not our intent. Beyond our intent.
I hope that someone writes this whole story. It is not “news.” It is more. We merge with millions of others; we are subsumed in the archetype.
People hugging each other, embracing, we are hurrying. We do not want to be captured. We want to bear witness at once.
We did not want it this way. All was going well as Ryan completed his first day here. Then a man tried to attack him, unsuccessfully. At the same time, several set out into jungle wanting to overtake Ryan. Kids, and others who left with him. They did, and several killed. When we heard this, we had no choice. We would be taken. We have to go as one, we want to live as Peoples Temple, or end it. We have chosen. It is finished.
Hugging & kissing & tears & silence & joy in a long line.
Touches and whispered words as this silent line passes. Determination, purpose. A proud people. Only last night, their voices raised in unison, a voice of affirmation and today, a different sort of affirmation, a different dimension of that same victory of the human spirit.
A tiny kitten sits next to me. Watching. A dog barks. The birds gather on the wire’s overhead. Let all the story of this People[s] Temple be told. Let all the books be opened. This sight … a terrible victory. How bitter that we did not, could not, that Jim Jones was crushed by a world that he didn’t make – how great the victory.
If nobody understands, it matters not. I am ready to die now. Darkness settles over Jonestown on its last day on earth.
End Transmission