Cover StorCover Storyy the Revisiting JonestownA 1954 CIA document, released under the Freedom of Information Act, stated that “As a ‘trigger mechanism’ for a bigger project,

Newly releaseddocumentsshed light onunsolved murdersBy Thomas G. Whittleand Jan Thorpe

In early 1995, Freedom published“Jonestown: The Big Lie,” an articlethat examined unanswered questionsabout the mass deaths in Jonestown,Guyana, in 1978.

Based on years of exhaustiveresearch, that feature documented howone of history’s most gruesome cases ofmass murder had been written off as“mass suicide.”

Freedom’s investigation has contin-ued, with significant new informationrecently unearthed through the Freedomof Information Act and from othersources.

RevisitingJonestown

tragedythe Revisiting

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Whether they likedhim or not, mostwho knew LeoRyan agreed hehad flamboyance,tenacity, nerveand a knack fordrawing atten-tion to socialabuses. A man

who marched to the beat of his own drum,he galled bureaucrats, some of whom,according to a former aide, viewed theDemocratic congressman from NorthernCalifornia as the worst-case-scenario bullin their china shop.

After the riots in Watts in 1965, Ryan,then a California state legislator, traveledto that community under a false identityand became a substitute teacher to inves-tigate conditions in the black community.Five years later, he again went undercov-er and had himself strip-searched andlocked up in Folsom State Prison to dis-cover what life in such a facility was reallylike. In 1978, he made plans to spend thatChristmas season incognito once again,this time as a Postal Service employee toinvestigate complaints of bad workingconditions.

As a congressman, his brassiness causedhim to routinely do things which to otherswere unthinkable, such as “dropping in” atCIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, tointerrogate the spymasters about what theyhadn’t been telling Congress.

“He was,” according to a source for-merly close to Ryan, and who onceaccompanied him on a trip to Langley, “apain in their ass.”

As a member of the House ofRepresentatives’ International RelationsCommittee and its foremost CIA critic, hewas the House sponsor of the Hughes-Ryan Amendment, a 1974 law thatrequired the CIA to notify eight separatecommittees of Congress — totaling some200 legislators and staff — prior to con-ducting undercover operations.

Hughes-Ryan also banned CIA covertparamilitary operations which were notexpressly approved by the president andCongress. The agency hated this, a formerRyan associate told Freedom. But theHughes-Ryan Amendment, which seri-ously restricted CIA covert operationsinternationally, was only one index of LeoRyan’s impact.

In 1975, Ryan leaked word of theCIA’s involvement in the Angolan civilwar to CBS newsman Daniel Schorr, cre-ating a wave of major embarrassment forthe agency which reverberated for years.

In 1977 and 1978, Ryan pressured theagency to reveal the extent of its involve-

ment in psychiatric “mind-control”experiments. Among the tests he pushedto expose were those performed in theearly 1970s on inmates at a state hospitalin Vacaville, California, whichmay have included among theirsubjects Donald DeFreeze,known as “Cinque,” a central fig-ure in the 1974 kidnapping ofPatricia Hearst.

LiabilitiesBy poking into intelligence

agency-sponsored psychiatricexperiments with DeFreeze andclosely related subjects, Ryanstirred up a mixture that threat-ened to explode with major criminal andcivil liability.

On September 25, 1978, less than twomonths before the Jonestown tragedy,Ryan submitted a petition to thenPresident Jimmy Carter, seeking to havePatricia Hearst’s seven-year prison term

commuted to the 18 months she hadalready served.

In October 1978, a month beforeJonestown, investigative reporter Jack

Anderson published a syndicatedcolumn entitled “CIA May HaveInspired Cinque,” based on infor-mation that most likely had beenleaked by Ryan or someone in hiscommittee. The column detailedstatements from one CliffordJefferson, who claimed to haveknown DeFreeze while they wereincarcerated together and to haveparticipated in psychiatric experi-ments with various drugs,

including mescaline, Quaalude andArtane.*

According to Jefferson, “DeFreezestated that he had gone through the sametests and also knew of stress tests that

Leo Ryan had a flair for drawing attentionto social abuses. In 1970, for example, as aCalifornia state legislator, he went undercover

and had himself strip-searched andlocked up in Folsom State Prison

to investigate firsthand conditions there.

Revisiting the Jonestown tragedy…

* Artane is designed to prevent seizures andother side effects from psychiatric drugs.


were given to prisoners in which they werekept in solitary, harassed and annoyeduntil they would do anything asked ofthem to get out; then they were giventhese drugs and would become like robots.

“He [DeFreeze] said that when he gotout, he would get a revolutionary group tokidnap some rich person. They wouldhold that person tied up in a dark place,keep him frightened and in fear of his life,then give him mescaline and other drugs,and the person would become a robot anddo anything he was asked to do — includ-ing killing others.

“He thought a good one to kidnapwould be one of the Kennedys. Then therevolutionary group would get great pub-licity and could get the person to get themmoney.”

Although DeFreeze died in a 1974shootout with Los Angeles police, CIAdocuments have since confirmed theagency did perform drug tests on inmatesat Vacaville under its MK-Ultra* program.

These tests aimed at studying whateffects drugs and stress had on prisonersto determine at what point individualswould “break” and become willing to fol-low orders blindly.

As described by Dr. Lawrence T.Clanon, Vacaville superintendent, theCIA appeared interested in “whetherdrugs could be used in questioning peo-ple or gaining their cooperation, orcombating that effect.”

Leo Ryan’s spotlight had been trainedupon one of the darkest and ugliest cor-ners of the American intelligenceestablishment, one for which the level ofculpability could scarcely be measured —psychiatric “mind-control” experiments,possibly combined with an illegal domes-tic operation — and one which elevatedhis status from gadfly to mortal enemy.

“I told him to leave them alone,” a for-mer Ryan associate told Freedom. Thecongressman was accustomed to bustingdown doors, he said, a dangerous practicewhen dealing with an agency experiencedin the art of assassination. Ryan, however,pressed ahead.

Documents ReleasedIn March 1997, the Federal Bureau of

Investigation announced that it wouldrelease for the first time nearly 39,000additional pages of documents concerningJonestown, the Peoples Temple and relat-ed matters under the Freedom of

According to sources, Congressman Ryanroutinely did things which to others

were unthinkable, such as “dropping in”at CIA headquarters (above)

to interrogate spymasters about whatthey hadn’t been telling Congress.

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* A broad CIA “mind-control” endeavor whichran for years and included numerous subprojects.


Information Act. As these documentsbecome available and are examined, newrevelations concerning the mass deaths atJonestown in 1978 and the killing ofCongressman Ryan continue to mount.The documents include 8,603 pages fromthe FBI’s investigative file and an addi-tional 30,229 pages. The bureau made the

papers available based on a 1993 FOIArequest filed by Freedom.

Contrary to what is popularly reportedin the media, the FBI files document thePeoples Temple as a mainstream religiouscongregation, with statements on behalfof the group by a range of political figuresincluding Senators Walter Mondale,

Hubert Humphrey, Henry Jackson, SamErvin Jr., Warren Magnuson and MikeGravel, Congressmen Philip Burton, RonDellums and Don Edwards, Congress-women Bella Abzug and Patsy Mink.

The papers demonstrate wide supportfor the organization. Actress and activistJane Fonda wrote: “I also recommit

At the time of his death, Leo Ryan’s spotlight was trained on one of thedarkest corners of the American intelligence establishment — psychiatric“mind-control” experiments, possibly combined with illegal domesticoperations. His probe included tests performed at a Vacaville, California,state hospital (above), reportedly involving Donald (known as “Cinque”,top) DeFreeze, a central figure in the 1974 kidnapping of Patricia Hearst.A month before Ryan’s murder, Jack Anderson (right) published a columnentitled “CIA May Have Inspired Cinque,” exposing the secret experiments,with Ryan or his committee the most likely source of the information.

Revisiting the Jonestown tragedy…Revisiting the Jonestown tragedy…


myself to your congregation as anactive full participant — not only formyself, but because I want my twochildren to have the experience.”

They also show its leader, JimJones, as a respected minister of theDisciples of Christ, the Protestantchurch of former President LyndonJohnson and millions of otherAmericans.

And they show that while thechurch underwent a long period ofharassment, surveillance and infiltra-tion at the hands of governmentintelligence agents, these intensifiedonce the group, founded in Indiana,relocated to San Francisco, and par-ticularly after its headquartersmoved to Guyana.

Indeed, in 1977 and 1978 cameanonymous threats against thePeoples Temple, accompanied byrandom acts of violence againstgroup members. It was in late 1977that heavy pressure began on Ryanto visit Jonestown — pressure whichbuilt to a crescendo shortly before heagreed to go. Those pushing him totake action against “cults” includedpsychologist Margaret Singer, whileothers, among them Tim Stoen, aformer member and top aide to JimJones with alleged ties to the CIA,pressured Ryan to visit Jonestown.(See “The Real Cult,” page 12.)

Concern About Government-Sponsored“Mind-Control” Experiments

According to a former associate, itwas Leo Ryan’s concerns about thebroader subject of government-spon-sored “mind-control” experimentsand abuses that finally induced thecongressman to lead a delegation toGuyana on November 14, 1978, toinvestigate allegations that suchmight be happening there.

He and a media entourage arrived inJonestown on the 17th. After touring thesite and interviewing some 40 people,Ryan made a speech to the residents: “Ican tell you right now that by the few con-versations I’ve had with some of the folkshere already this evening that ... there aresome people who believe this is the bestthing that ever happened in their lives.”

Ryan spent the night at Jonestown andindicated the next day that he intended toreport that no basis existed for a congres-sional investigation of Jonestown, thatpeople were allowed to depart if theywished, and that rumors about mistreat-ment were not based on fact.

Shortly thereafter, as members ofRyan’s entourage were preparing to

depart Jonestown with some members ofthe Peoples Temple who had expressed awish to leave, Ryan was assaulted by analleged member of the Peoples Temple,Don Sly. In the attack, a knife was wres-tled from Sly’s grip by others and Ryanwas unharmed.

A 1954 CIA document, released underthe Freedom of Information Act, statedthat “As a ‘trigger mechanism’ for a biggerproject, it was proposed that an individual... be induced under Artichoke to performan act, involuntarily, of attempted assassi-nation against a prominent [deleted]politician or if necessary, against anAmerican official.”

The trigger had been pulled. Severalhours later, at the Port Kaituma airstriproughly eight miles away, the drama

unfolded as those waiting to betransported to Georgetown wereattacked by a squad of gunmen.

One source told Freedom theactual killers had been planted in thePeoples Temple. They movedamong the fallen victims at theairstrip, finishing off selected targets.The principal one, the woundedRyan, died from a shotgun blast tohis head at point-blank range.

Of note, alleged CIA operativeWilliam Dwyer, deputy chief of theUnited States embassy in Guyana,lay nearby and survived unscathed.Shortly thereafter, he returned toJonestown.

“Infiltrated with Agents”More than 20 months after Leo

Ryan was killed, his five adult chil-dren — two sons and threedaughters — filed a lawsuit based onextensive investigation into whathad precipitated their father’s death.

Filed in the United StatesDistrict Court for the NorthernDistrict of California on July 31,1980, the suit asked for general dam-ages of $3 million, plus costs forCongressman Ryan’s funeral andbringing the action.

The lawsuit charged that “theJonestown Colony was infiltratedwith agent(s) of the CentralIntelligence Agency of the UnitedStates.

“[That] the name of one saidagent was Phillip Blakey, a trustedaide of Peoples Temple leaderJames Warren Jones.

“[T]hat said agents were work-ing with the Department of Stateand the Central Intelligence Agencyto use the Jonestown Colony as partof the Central Intelligence Agency’sMK Ultra program.

“[T]hat massive quantities of mind-control drugs were found at theJonestown colony after the fatal incidentof November 18, 1978.”

Phillip Blakey had traveled to Guyanato select the site for Jonestown and tobegin clearing land. He was one of thefew survivors of the mass killing.

The lawsuit furthermore charged thatRichard Dwyer doubled as an agent of theCentral Intelligence Agency and thatDwyer “arranged for the transportation ofdecedent [Ryan] and his party once inGuyana; briefed decedent and his partyon the events and conditions at Jonestownupon their arrival; and escorted decedentand his party to Jonestown in November1978.”

The nearly 39,000 pages of documentsreleased by the FBI to Freedom under the Freedomof Information Act document the Peoples Temple as

a mainstream congregation and show it enjoyedwide support, as from Jane Fonda, who wrote:“I also recommit myself to your congregation

as an active full participant — not only for myself,but because I want my two children

to have the experience.”

The nearly 39,000 pages of documentsreleased by the FBI to Freedom under the Freedomof Information Act document the Peoples Temple as

a mainstream congregation and show it enjoyedwide support, as from Jane Fonda, who wrote:“I also recommit myself to your congregation

as an active full participant — not only for myself,but because I want my two children

to have the experience.”

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It alleged that Dwyer “as an agent andemployee of the Central IntelligenceAgency ... negligently, maliciously andintentionally withheld crucial informationabout the Jonestown Colony which wouldhave prevented harm to decedent.”

It further charged that Dwyer “know-ingly, intentionally and maliciously led[Ryan] into a trap at the Port Kaituma AirStrip, which cost decedent his life.”

The Ryans’ lawsuit was dismissed forreasons that have to date never been fullydisclosed. A source close to the family whoaided them in their quest for justice toldFreedom of threats received which heattributed to the CIA. Every time he madea move, he said, a warning would arrive onhis doorstep by a circuitous route. “A letterwould show up,” for example, he said,stating, “‘We’re watching you.’”

Mass MurderAlthough many others lost their lives

on November 18, 1978, according to Dr.C. Leslie Mootoo, then chief medicalexaminer of Guyana, the overwhelmingmajority of the deaths at Jonestown weremurders, not suicides.

Dr. Mootoo, the government’s toppathologist and the first physician on thescene, told Freedom that many had diedfrom injections of cyanide. After 32 hours ofnonstop work in stifling heat, amid decay-ing flesh, in Mootoo’s words, “We gaveup.” By that time, 187bodies killed by injec-tions had been examinedby Mootoo and his team.Victims had been inject-ed in portions of theirbodies they could nothave reached them-selves, such as betweenthe shoulder blades or inthe back of an upperarm. “Those who wereinjecting them knewwhat they were doing,”Mootoo said.

Many others hadbeen shot. Charles Huff,a former member of theU.S. Army SpecialForces in Panama, wasone of the seven GreenBerets who were thefirst American troops onthe scene following themassacre. He toldFreedom, “We saw manybullet wounds as well aswounds from crossbowbolts.”

Huff noted thatthose with fatal bullet or bolt

After Ryan’s death, his two sons and threedaughters (including Patricia Ryan, above) charged

in federal court that the congressman had been“knowingly, intentionally and maliciously” led tohis death at the Port Kaituma Air Strip by Richard

Dwyer, deputy chief of the U.S. embassy inGuyana, acting “as an agent and employee of the

Central Intelligence Agency.”

After Ryan’s death, his two sons and threedaughters (including Patricia Ryan, above) charged

in federal court that the congressman had been“knowingly, intentionally and maliciously” led tohis death at the Port Kaituma Air Strip by Richard

Dwyer, deputy chief of the U.S. embassy inGuyana, acting “as an agent and employee of the

Central Intelligence Agency.”

Revisiting the Jonestown tragedy…


wounds appeared to have been runningtoward the jungle that surroundedJonestown. Corroborating the informationfrom Dr. Mootoo, Huff said that theadults who had not been shot had beenkilled by injections between the shoulderblades. The killers escaped before thearrival of Huff and his team.

U.S. Air Force Colonel L. FletcherProuty, who worked closely in key posi-tions with the CIA and the Joint Chiefs ofStaff for many years, told Freedom thatLeo Ryan had moved in too close to cer-tain skeletons that could never be safelydisturbed. A relentless and uncompromis-ing investigator, nothing could stop Ryan— short of violence. But how could sucha high-profile personality be eliminatedwithout bringing down upon the perpe-trators an investigation to end allinvestigations?

A very real possibility is that by mak-ing the assassination part of an evenlarger catastrophe, the central dramaitself — that of a courageous individualblocked from probing reports of illegal,unconstitutional, government-sponsoredpsychiatric “mind-control” activities —was obscured.

Colonel Prouty noted evi-dence of the involvement of alarger force in the operation:“The Joint Chiefs of Staff hadprepared air shipments of hun-dreds of body bags. They didn’tnormally keep that many in anyone place. Within hours, theybegan to shuttle them down toGeorgetown, the main city. Theycouldn’t possibly have done thatwithout prior knowledge that itwas going to happen. It shows

that there was prior planning.”Prouty said, “We would provide the

agency with the things they wererequesting, without any questions.That’s the way the business works.”

At Jonestown, he said, the JCS pro-vided the body bags, the airlift and allthe rest on a timetable that showsadvance knowledge. “The JCS wouldn’thave moved at all on their own,” he said.“They didn’t give a damn aboutJonestown.” These and other unusualevents, he noted, “are the kinds of ear-marks that define the hand of Americanintelligence.”

Nearly two decades after the death ofCongressman Leo Ryan, America is stillowed a definitive explanation for themany unresolved questions surroundingthe tragedy. To begin, all documents andrecords from all relevant agencies shouldbe released in full. Only then might thefull truth be known. ■

Retired U.S. Air ForceColonel L. Fletcher Prouty

noted that body bags,airlift support and

other logistics were providedat Jonestown on

a timetable that showedprior planning.

Retired U.S. Air ForceColonel L. Fletcher Prouty

noted that body bags,airlift support and

other logistics were providedat Jonestown on

a timetable that showedprior planning.

Dr. C. Leslie Mootoo, then Guyana’s chiefmedical examiner and the first physician on the scene

after Congressman Ryan’s death, worked nonstop for 32 hours, examining 187 bodies murdered byinjection before he and his team gave up due to

the stifling heat. Many others had been shot, Ryanhimself reportedly 12 times…

Dr. C. Leslie Mootoo, then Guyana’s chiefmedical examiner and the first physician on the scene

after Congressman Ryan’s death, worked nonstop for 32 hours, examining 187 bodies murdered byinjection before he and his team gave up due to

the stifling heat. Many others had been shot, Ryanhimself reportedly 12 times…

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