Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Jim Jones

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Jim Jones.

Jim Jones was an American cult leader who founded the Peoples Temple. He is infamous for orchestrating a mass murder-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. Over 900 people, including Jones, died by cyanide poisoning, an event Jones termed "revolutionary suicide." The Jonestown Massacre significantly shaped public perception of cults and remains a stark example of the dangers of charismatic leadership and religious extremism.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1952: Harassment from Government Authorities

During 1952, Jim Jones and his family faced harassment from government authorities due to their affiliation with the Communist Party, including Jones' mother allegedly being harassed by FBI agents.

1954: Dismissal from Methodist Church

In early 1954, Jim Jones was dismissed from his position in the Methodist Church, ostensibly for stealing church funds. Jones claimed he left because the church forbade him from integrating African-Americans into his congregation.

1961: White supremacist attacks on Peoples Temple

In 1961, Peoples Temple became a target of white supremacists due to Jones's integrationist views. Incidents included a swastika on the Temple, dynamite in a coal pile, and a dead cat thrown at Jones's house after a threatening phone call.

July 15, 1967: Prophecy of Nuclear War

To distract Peoples Temple members, Jones told his Indiana congregation that the world would be engulfed by nuclear war on July 15, 1967, leading to a new socialist Eden on Earth, and that the Temple must move to Northern California for safety.

1970: Targeting other churches

In 1970, Jim Jones and 150 of his followers held a faith healing revival meeting at San Francisco's Missionary Baptist Church, impressing the crowd with a staged 'healing'. He then attacked Baptist teachings and encouraged members to join him, recruiting about 200 new members.

October 1971: Negative Press Begins

In October 1971, negative press began for Jim Jones when reporters covered one of his divine healing services during a visit to his old church in Indianapolis.

1971: Claiming to be Father Divine's reincarnation

In 1971, Jim Jones visited the tomb and shrine of Father Divine, claiming to be Divine's reincarnation and successor. He confronted Divine's wife, who accused him of being the devil in disguise and demanded he leave. Only twelve followers were recruited through the event.

September 1972: Lester Kinsolving Articles Expose Jones

In September 1972, Lester Kinsolving ran a series of articles in the San Francisco Examiner targeting Jones and Peoples Temple. The articles reported on Jones's claims of divinity and exposed purported miracles as a hoax.

1972: Investigation by Indiana State Psychology Board

In 1972, the Indiana State Psychology Board investigated Jones's healing practices following a news report. A doctor accused Jones of "quackery" and challenged him to provide tissue samples of claimed cancer healings, causing alarm within the Temple.

December 13, 1973: Jones Arrested for Lewd Conduct

On December 13, 1973, Jim Jones was arrested and charged with lewd conduct for allegedly masturbating in front of an undercover LAPD vice officer in a movie theater restroom near Los Angeles's MacArthur Park.

December 20, 1973: Charge Against Jones Dismissed

On December 20, 1973, the charge against Jim Jones was dismissed, and the court file was sealed with records of the arrest ordered to be destroyed.

1973: Investigation by Ross Case

In 1973, Ross Case, a former follower, began investigating Peoples Temple and uncovered evidence of staged healing, abuse, and rape by Jones. Case reported his findings to the police, but no action was taken, and Jones became increasingly paranoid.

1974: Construction of Jonestown Commune

In 1974, following negative publicity, Jim Jones ordered the construction of the Jonestown commune in Guyana. He aimed to create a socialist paradise for his followers, away from the perceived oppression of the United States government.

1974: Allegations of abuse at Peoples Temple

In 1974, the Disciples of Christ leadership received allegations of abuse at Peoples Temple and conducted an investigation, but found no evidence of wrongdoing.

1976: First cyanide shipment

In 1976, Jim Jones obtained a jeweler's license to buy cyanide, purportedly to clean gold. The Temple started receiving monthly half-pound shipments of cyanide.

1976: Jones claims to be agnostic or atheist

In a 1976 interview, Jim Jones claimed to be an agnostic and/or an atheist.

February 1977: Child Taken to Guyana

In February 1977, Jim Jones ordered John Stoen to be taken to Guyana to avoid a custody dispute with Grace.

March 1977: Marshall Kilduff Publishes Story

In March 1977, Marshall Kilduff published a story in New West magazine exposing abuses at the Peoples Temple. The article included allegations by Temple defectors of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

June 1977: Timothy Stoen Leaves Peoples Temple

In June 1977, after Timothy Stoen also left Peoples Temple, Jones kept his child John at his own home in Jonestown.

September 1977: "Six Day Siege" Drill

In September 1977, one drill conducted by Jim Jones lasted for six days and was known as the 'Six Day Siege'. During the drill, community members would remain at the pavilion, and Jones told them that their community had been surrounded by agents who were about to destroy them. Jones led them in prayers, chanting, and singing to ward off the impending attack.

1977: Second investigation of abuse allegations at Peoples Temple

In 1977, the Disciples of Christ leadership received further allegations of abuse at Peoples Temple and conducted another investigation, finding no evidence of wrongdoing. Also, in 1977 Marceline Jones stated in a New York Times interview that Jones was trying to promote Marxism in the U.S. by mobilizing people through religion.

1977: Marceline's interview with New York Times

In a 1977 New York Times interview, Marceline Jones stated that Jones was trying to promote Marxism in the U.S. by mobilizing people through religion and that Jones called the Bible a "paper idol" that he wanted to destroy.

January 1978: Stoen Visits Washington, D.C.

In January 1978, Timothy Stoen traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit with State Department officials and members of Congress, and wrote a white paper detailing his grievances against Jones and the Temple in an attempt to recover his son.

April 11, 1978: "Accusation of Human Rights Violations"

On April 11, 1978, the Concerned Relatives distributed a packet of documents, letters, and affidavits titled an "Accusation of Human Rights Violations by Rev. James Warren Jones" to the Peoples Temple, members of the press, and members of Congress.

May 1978: Cyanide testing on pigs

In May 1978, a Temple doctor requested permission to test cyanide on Jonestown's pigs, stating their metabolism was close to that of human beings. This occurred after Jim Jones obtained a jeweler's license to buy cyanide, purportedly to clean gold, and had been receiving monthly shipments since 1976.

June 1978: Deborah Layton's Affidavit

In June 1978, Deborah Layton, a Peoples Temple member who escaped Jonestown six months before the massacre, provided the group with an affidavit detailing crimes by the Temple and substandard living conditions in Jonestown. Layton's affidavit stated that Jonestown residents were being deliberately undernourished.

October 1978: Soviet Consul Visits Jonestown

In October 1978, Feodor Timofeyev, Soviet consul to Guyana, visited Jonestown for two days and gave a speech. Jones stated beforehand, "For many years, we have let our sympathies be quite publicly known, that the United States government was not our mother, but that the Soviet Union was our spiritual motherland."

October 1978: Jones's erratic behavior and health issues

In late October 1978, Jim Jones's orders became increasingly erratic in Jonestown. He experienced symptoms related to prostatitis around this time and found it difficult to walk without assistance. However, these symptoms cleared up by the time Congressman Ryan visited.

November 1978: Congressman Ryan's fact-finding mission

In November 1978, Congressman Ryan led a fact-finding mission to Jonestown, Guyana, to investigate human-rights abuses. The delegation included relatives of Temple members, an NBC camera crew, and reporters, and arrived in Georgetown on November 15.

November 1978: Jones claims to have lung cancer and suffers health decline

In November 1978, Jim Jones falsely claimed to have lung cancer to gain sympathy, while abusing valium, quaaludes, stimulants, and barbiturates. Audio recordings from Jonestown meetings in 1978 revealed Jones complaining of high blood pressure, small strokes, weight loss, temporary blindness, convulsions, and grotesque swelling of the extremities.

November 18, 1978: Mass Murder-Suicide at Jonestown

On November 18, 1978, Jim Jones orchestrated a mass murder-suicide at Jonestown, Guyana. Jones and members of his inner circle planned the event, leading to the deaths of many Peoples Temple members in what Jones termed "revolutionary suicide".

1978: Deteriorating conditions in Jonestown

In 1978, Jonestown faced deteriorating conditions, with the community overworked, sleep-deprived, and subjected to constant sermons via loudspeakers. Jones promoted his concept of "Translation," promising a blissful afterlife through death. Punishments, such as confinement in an underground box, were used to control members.

1978: Mass Murder-Suicide in Jonestown

In 1978, after reports of human rights abuses and the murder of U.S. Representative Leo Ryan, Jim Jones ordered a mass murder-suicide in Jonestown. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of 909 commune members who consumed Flavor Aid laced with cyanide.

1978: Aftermath in San Francisco

In 1978, following the Jonestown massacre, rumors arose about surviving Peoples Temple members organizing hit squads. Law enforcement protected potential targets. The Temple's San Francisco headquarters was besieged. James, who had returned from Jonestown, initially denied Jones's connection to the deaths but later acknowledged the truth.

1978: Jones Hires Conspiracy Theorists

In the summer of 1978, facing increasing scrutiny, Jim Jones hired JFK assassination conspiracy theorists Mark Lane and Donald Freed to help make the case of a "grand conspiracy" against the Temple by U.S. intelligence agencies.

1978: White Night Drills

Throughout 1978, Jim Jones utilized White Night drills in Jonestown, during which he simulated mass suicide by distributing fruit punch, claiming it was poisoned. This was a method of control, conditioning followers to accept suicide as an escape from the perceived threats of the CIA and the outside world.