[44] Lawton has a YouTube channel, and he has made videos analyzing heists in movies and video games such as Grand Theft Auto V; he also plays Prison Architect. She got a job in investment banking, married, had a child, divorced. Somehow, through the encroaching darkness of my final thoughts, I saw my 87-year-old Grandma Emma. She was entrusted with flights to Europe and Panama to open Temple bank accounts, where Jones stashed the millions he was taking from Temple. [28], After release he went to Palm Bay, Florida and started LL Research and Consulting and met a business partner. Jim Jones, destroyed the will of his followers. Although he was acquitted in Guyana, he was returned here to face charges related to the shootings of Ryan and Dwyer, who were protected under U.S. law. Those who refused were shot; children were injected with poison. I felt my stomach knot. The remaining victims were cremated or buried in family cemeteries over the period of several months following the massacre. Chief among my concerns was how cozy Jones appeared to be with members of the embassy: How could any Jonestown resident feel safe reporting an injustice to a U.S. official who is arm in arm with Jim Jones in every image? "Whatever journey the ashes took in the U.S. is secondary. Over the next decade, Jones moved his congregation and changed its name several times before settling on Peoples Temple around 1964. It was Jones ran the Peoples Temple in San Francisco in the early 1970s. spiritual. For those who don't know, Larry Layton is a man who pretended to be a Jonestown defector and asked to leave Jonestown with Leo Ryan and the NBC News crew, and Layton opened fire on the plane that was supposed to carry people from Port Kaituma back to a larger city in Guyana. (1.8-by-1.2-meter) underground enclosure. [40] Lawton has also shown concern over the prevalence of fentanyl-laced heroin, noting that in the past dealers had tried to sell pure heroin without any additives. Most were poisoned, some forcibly. Syringes surround one of the vats used to mix up the position drink used in the mass murder at Jonestown. November 18, 1978 When did the Jonestown massacre occur? [7] In grades one through six, Lawton served as an altar boy at St. Francis de Chantal in The Bronx,[8] where he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest. brown eyes on her and warmly invited her to "join me and my family of all "He kept holding on," Deborah Layton said, "holding on with the hope that some day Larry might be released from prison.". Leo Ryan assured me that there was nothing to worry about. Lawton was critical of the move, saying that "[c]hain gangs send a bad message about [the US]." The store owner managed to break free and grabbed a .38 caliber pistol and fired five shots at the robbers as they fled. I am taking solace in knowing that Larry Layton is going to pay back society for having assassinated the first congressman ever in this country, said Assemblywoman Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo), who had accompanied Ryan on the trip as an aide. Lawton filed a lawsuit against the prison and staff alleging that they violated his rights. It was impossible to cope with the pain. It was imminently clear Jonestown was a hierarchical community, with the power structure resembling some sort of plantation: the majority of the Temple members were black, while the leadership was almost exclusively white. I just Larry Layton had gotten onto the truck with us, which struck me as a glaring red flaghe was an entrenched member of the hierarchy, one of the true believers. grandmother Layton thought had died of a heart attack in Hamburg actually We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Repeatedly, the defectors mentioned forced participation in mass-suicide rehearsals known as the White Night trials.. Each cup of Kool-Aid has 20 grams of sugar, or to be precise, the equivalent of 5 teaspoons of sugar. [10] High school students can use the time spent in the program towards the 75 hours of community service required for the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. Watch movie trailers, order food and drinks online, find luxury seating, and see showtimes of feature films and movies currently playing near you at Megaplex Theatres. [21] Lawton was arrested by the FBI on December 2, 1996, in Florida and charged with the Fairless Hills armed robbery. NEW YORK -- Larry Layton, a member of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple cult, flew to New York Friday night to face arraignment for the killing of Rep. Leo Ryan in the Guyanese jungles two years ago. [25], Law enforcement officials and judges have supported the program. A bone shot out of my right arm, and a huge hunk of flesh had been blown off my thigh. "[27] Another time he said: "I had my arms pinned down, and I was beaten and peed on by the guards. GUYANA - NOVEMBER 18: People's Temple follower Larry Layton (C) stands with police following his arrest November 18, 1978 in the shooting of two people on a remote Guyana airstrip. Bodies lay crumpled on the tarmac around me. High 56F. Peoples Temple was successful in recruiting new members because they always provided what the community needed, a case of supply and demand. The fact is, those who died in Jonestown were real people, with families, friends, and loved ones. She looks away for a moment, then brightens and starts to talk about a visit she made to Jonestown only a few months ago, accompanied by a crew from the Arts & Entertainment network, which is making a documentary on Peoples Temple. DOVER, Del. homeless and help addicts get clean. [30][33] He was the first ex-con to ever become an honorary police officer. a life "Every week we're ordered to drink some liquid," she writes, culling her memories of the "old tapes (of Jonestown recollections that) are running in my head. My list kept growingwhat started with two names was now more than 40. [6], Lawton was born in North Hempstead, New York on October 3, 1961. NBC news correspondent Don Harris was part of our delegation, and was well versed on the accusations against Jones. Layton was already aboard one of the two planes, posing as a defector. He treasured it. Leo Ryan wanted answers. These are things that haunt me still," Layton says. The cover of a Jonestown promotional booklet from 1978. GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Jan. 2 (AP) A Guyanese magistrate ruled today that Larry Layton, a member of the People's Temple, must stand trial in the slaying of Representative Leo J. Ryan. They called it Jonestown. She got on the plane, leaving her mother behind. [8][12] At one point, he purchased an Italian pizza restaurant in North Lauderdale, Florida, which he later burned down as part of an insurance fraud. days before the murder-suicide, she hit an emotional wall. Lawton gained notoriety for committing a string of jewelry store robberies along the Atlantic Seaboard prior to his arrest in 1996. Within a year, a few Jonestown defectors had managed to return to the Bay Areamost notably, Debbie Layton Blakey, whod been Jones trusted aide and worked as the Temples financial secretary. His following grew, and Jones became the leader of one of the first mixed-race churches in Indiana. A family memorial service will be conducted at a later date. "If I hadn't been sent to Georgetown that day (in May)," Deborah Layton says now, "I would have died in Jonestown. I would be in the first group; Congressman Ryan insisted that he stay behind to make certain that every person who wanted to leave made it to Port Kaituma safely. Mrs. Layton's former husband, Dr. Laurence Layton, an eminent scientist, was left behind in Berkeley, Calif., having lost a wife and at least $250,000 that she gave to Mr. Jones. where her worried parents had sent her to curb adolescent rebellion. If convicted, Layton could receive a mandatory life sentence for Ryan's killing, up to 20 years for the attempted killing of Dwyer, and up to life on each of the two conspiracy counts. In 1970, as chairman of a committee overseeing prison reform, he assumed a pseudonym and had himself booked, strip-searched and incarcerated for 10 days at Folsom State Prison, revealing his identity only when it was time to be released. As I was transferred onto a gurney, I was conscious enough to look up and see a big, gleaming white plane with The United States of America written on the side. But this particular morning, Jones told his followers that they had to kill themselves to keep from being tortured by mercenaries who were preparing an ambush. Jonestown was the agricultural compound Jones' followers carved out of the Guyanese jungle, 150 miles northwest of the nation's capital, Georgetown. While trying to keep the peace, he had been attacked with a knife. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? He preached a social gospel, attracting devotees while promoting a community that did not discriminate or take into account race, background, or previous circumstances. In San Francisco, his church was lauded for its social programs, and Jones efforts to feed the poor and fight segregation found receptive ears with progressive politicians. When we touched down in Georgetown, a U.S. Air Force medevac plane was waiting. As I shook his hand, I looked at his sideburns. Perhaps death is better than this.". As one of his top aides, I accompanied the delegation, venturing out on the ice floes where the clubbing took place. Although some of Joness most zealous followers may have consumed the poison voluntarily, the vast majority were murdered outright and against their will. [41], In 2017, he appeared in a middle school in Havelock, North Carolina to explain his prison experiences. Of the more than 900 members of Joness congregation who had moved there, nearly a third were children. grotesque dance of death. The outfits were a ridiculous gimmick, and the role was clearly objectifying. [27] Lawton says he regrets his time spent in prison, because he missed out on seeing his children grow up; his grandmother died, and his father became afflicted with Alzheimer's disease while he was inside. Several cemeteries refused to take them until the Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland, California, stepped forward in 1979 and accepted 409 bodies. The next year, his church relocated to Redwood Valley, a small community in northern California. How to plan a weekend getaway to Mount Shasta, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). . I admired Ryans worthy missions, but questioned if I shared his bottomless capacity to bear witness. The news at the time and the history lessons to follow usually fail to mention that a number of Peoples Temple members were shot, several of whom were in the field between the pavilion and the jungle, clearly trying to escape the massacre. There was no movement, but I thought the others might also be playing dead. My recovery continuedthough that very word is not an accurate description of the aftermath of being shot. Debbie stood in line to drink the red liquid that she was told would kill her in a matter of minutes. As a trusted financial lieutenant for cult leader Jim Jones, she kept secrets His first encounter with organized crime was through his father, a metal worker who delivered bribes to the New York mafia. I knew him well enough to understand what would happen next. Larry Allan Layton, 68, was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct. At the pavilion for breakfast, I did my best to appear unruffled. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Christian Broadcasting Network, and Fox News. [10] He also founded the Reality Check program which aims to show teens the consequences of a criminal life. Anyone running afoul of Jonestowns security detail was put in a labor camp and forced to clear jungle. It was the final stop for a group that for nearly 10 years had fascinated and, in the end, horrified the Bay Area. jumped out a New York apartment window before Layton was born.). Congressman Ryan and I were among the first shift of the delegation to climb in for the excruciatingly slow six-mile drive to the commune. [7] Lawton attended Intermediate IS 192 and Lehman High School, but did not graduate. home in the hills ringing San Francisco Bay. But doubts were eased by Jones' reassuring "You are the Five bullets hit me from point-blank range, piercing my right arm, leg, and back. [10] Afterwards, another jewelry store in Lower Bucks County became suspicious of a person they believed was casing the place for a future robbery. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Hollywood writers strike over streaming pay after talks fail, El Chapo sons send Mexico cartels cheap fentanyl into U.S., indictment says, Far from Russia, a pro-Moscow sliver of land tries to cling to its identity and keep war at bay, Virginia Gov. Layton was originally charged in Guyana with the attempted murder of three defectors from the Peoples Temple. How to plan a weekend getaway to Mount Shasta, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). SAN FRANCISCO . "They would be taken to the Jonestown well in the dark of night, hung upside down by a rope around their ankles, and dunked into the water again and again while someone hidden inside the well grabbed at them to scare them. [28] In 2013, Lawton was made an honorary police officer by the Lake St. Louis, Missouri Police Department due to his work after prison. In all, 913 died. In the summer of 1977, after an expose of Peoples Temple in New West magazine, Jones and his followers fled to Guyana. Most complied, although survivors described some people being shot, injected with poison, or forced to drink the deadly beverage when they tried to resist. Peoples Temple follower Larry Layton, center, stands with police following his arrest in the shooting of two people, including California Congressman Leo Ryan, on a remote Guyana airstrip, Nov. 18 . Rep. Ryan and I arranged to meet her. Ryan and I asked one or two Temple members at a time to come talk to us. Larry Layton had gotten onto the truck with us, which struck me as a glaring red flaghe was an entrenched member of the hierarchy, one of the true believers. His wife, Lisa, his daughter, Deborah, and another son, Larry, all became disciples of the Rev. We compiled similar testimonies from other defectors who corroborated Debbies reports of physical and sexual abuse, forced labor and captivity. After Jonestown, Layton retreated to secrets again -- "I was so ashamed. There is a sickening recording of Jones coercing his followers that day. Larry Layton was convicted in 1986 by a federal jury in San Francisco of conspiring in the 1978 murder of California congressman Leo Ryan and aiding and abetting in the attempted murder of. Layton was reportedly found at the scene in possession of the revolver with four rounds in the cylinder and one shell . Whatever impelled me to send in the card changed the course of my life. [30] In 2009, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office spent $4500 on 500 DVDs from the Reality Check program. Traumatizing family rifts erupted on the spot, with mothers and fathers engaged in literal tug-of-wars over their children. When did the Jonestown massacre occur? Lisa, Deborah and Larry Layton all went to Jonestown, but in May 1978, Deborah, increasingly disturbed by Jones' paranoid ravings and brutal treatment of his flock, escaped and flew back to the United States. To the tarmac. Jim Jones orchestrated the mass murder-suicide of Peoples Temple cult members on November 18, 1978. [3][4] He has acted as a spokesman for prisoners and prisoner issues,[5] been a vocal advocate for prison reform, and made appearances in the media as an expert on robberies. Within minutes, Ryan and four others were shot dead. Authority; he Larry Layton, a passenger posing as a defector, started shooting. A year later, I applied to college, and he wrote me a letter of recommendation. Unrivaled Mac notes apps for fuss-free note-taking, 6 Actionable Tips for Improving Your Websites SEO, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. By that time, darker elements had seeped into Jones sermons. He had engineered complete authoritycollecting members Social Security and disability checks, and determining when and how his disciples could communicate with their families. I was one of Larry's lead lawyers in his first U.S. trial in 1981, which resulted in an 11 to 1 vote for acquittal on faulty charges of conspiracy to kill the congressman. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. To the stretchers. I couldnt bear the vision of her sitting in front of my casket. Congressman Ryan assured me that there was nothing to worry about. [15][18] Local police believed there was a connection between this robbery and a robbery that took place in May 1994 in Daytona Beach, and contacted the FBI. Layton was arrested shortly after the killings by Guyanese authorities and signed a confession taking responsibility for the airstrip deaths--a confession that his lawyers maintained was coerced. The morning after our arrival, Congressman Ryan, Jim Schollaert and I attended a closed-door briefing by Ambassador John Burke and his staff at the U.S. Embassy. Jones had ordered the ambush out of fear that Ryan would expose the cult. of They are arranged in chronological order. into mass suicide. In the two years since, Jones and most of his followers had left the Bay Area and moved to Jones commune deep in the jungle of Guyana. But Layton, saying he wishes he could ease the pain of survivors of the Jonestown massacre, could be freed within five years. Roper estimates that if the Kool-Aid Man were brought up to the scale represented in the iconic ads, he would measure about 6 feet tall, have a dry weight of almost 6,000 pounds (11,000 pounds when filled with Kool-Aid), and his glass frame would measure 3.6 inches thick. Jonestown massacre In Jonestown Only one man, Temple member Larry Layton, was tried in the United States for his involvement in the November 18 events. Dissent was unthinkable. Layton, 35, was scheduled for arraignment today before Magistrate John Caden in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges of killing Ryan, D-Calif., who was gunned down on Nov. 18, 1978 by Peoples Temple members who wanted to block his investigation of their cult. "I was ready to be overwhelmed by emotion," she says, "but when we got into the area, it just wasn't there. Her startling introduction to life there quickly allowed Layton to see the cracks in the facade. led by U.S. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Former Peoples Temple member Larry Layton was met with frightened screams when he boarded a truck full of people trying to flee the Rev.

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