He spoke often of apocalypseJones chose Redwood Valley because he believed it was one of a few places in the country that could survive a nuclear holocaustyet insisted the Peoples Temple would exist as a sort of heaven on Earth, with himself in the role of God. He spent 12 years in prison, and once released, began a career as a . I spoke with a woman named Edith Parks, the matriarch of three generations of Temple members who wanted out. U.S. Atty. led by U.S. He Traumatizing family rifts erupted on the spot, with mothers and fathers engaged in literal tug-of-wars over their children. sweeping Larry Lawton - YouTube People's Temple follower Larry Layton, center stands with police following his arrest Nov. 18, 1978 in the shooting of two people on a remote Guyana airstrip. The Jonestown remains were found at the former Minus Funeral Home after the property's current owner, a bank, called, according to Dover police and public records. We saw an impressive community with dozens of pathways, cabins, a medical center, a little school, and a large pavilion where the members congregated regularly. Its hard to know when it became obvious that he was dead, or when I realized that others werent pretending. Inside the Jonestown massacre - CNN.com Today. Twenty years ago this month, Jones and 912 of his followers committed mass suicide at the jungle compound. 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. None of the Temple members showed any interest in receiving correspondence from home. The killings occurred shortly before more than 900 followers of Jones died in a mass suicide at Jonestown, a settlement founded by Jones in the remote Guyanese jungle of South America. Then the adults. One of three family members who joined the cult, he was convicted Dec. 1 of conspiring with Jones to murder Ryan, a crusading San Mateo Democrat, and of conspiring in the attack on Richard C. Dwyer, then deputy chief of the U.S. mission in Guyana. Laurence Laird Layton, a distinguished scientist whose later life was devastated by his family's involvement with the Peoples Temple cult, died Wednesday in his Emeryville home. Congressman Ryan assured me that there was nothing to worry about. ordered 912 of his followers to drink cyanide-poisoned punch in the Guyana It was impossible to cope with the pain. He told you precisely what was on his mind, no matter who you were or whether or not you wanted to hear it. Jim Jones with a group of children living at Jonestown, circa 1978. That same year, Congressman Ryan read a newspaper article about a constituent of his named Sam Houston, whose son had been a member of Jim Jones Peoples Temple and, in 1976, died under suspicious circumstances after having a phone conversation in which he confessed to wanting to leave the group. 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. Kool-Aid mixed with water is not the same as plain water or a beverage such as Gatorade or Powerade. Ryan wanted to investigate. With Joness wild gaze on us, I tape-recorded affidavits of their wishes to return to the United States. Georgetown, "I knew we'd entered a prison camp and I knew I wanted out. Surviving Jonestown - POLITICO Magazine Jonestown | History, Facts, Jim Jones, & Survivors | Britannica Officers & convicted felon give 'real talk' to Havelock Middle School students", "Real-Life Jewel Thief Breaks Down Inaccuracies of GTA 5's Jewelry Heist Mission", "Was ein Ex-Hftling zu "Prison Architect" zu sagen hat", Former Jewel Thief Reviews Famous Heist Movies, From Oceans Eleven to Heat, Posey Presents Reality Check Community Champion Award to Thomas Reed of Rockledge, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Larry_Lawton&oldid=1151413947, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 22:22. One thing that was in need was the expansion of social services. [28] Often he appears discussing crimes in the media as an expert on robberies. Syringes surround one of the vats used to mix up the position drink used in the mass murder at Jonestown. Larry Layton is a scapegoat for everyone connected with the Peoples Temple mass deaths eight years ago and had no part . Breathing heavily, I pulled myself to my feet, stumbled to the planes baggage compartment and took shelter. I dont have any money to donate, but Id like to volunteer. "They were looking for something larger than themselves to be involved At 16, Im not sure I understood what a state assemblyman did, but when my parents received a solicitation from Leo Ryans reelection campaign in 1966, I mailed back a note: Im in high school. As I shook his hand, I looked at his sideburns. The Guyanese did not release Layton until now because one of his defense lawyers said his client owed him $37,000 in unpaid bills. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. After he passed legislation improving prison conditions, the inmates showed their gratitude by giving him a chess set they had sculpted from toothpaste and toilet paper. Born in Crete, Indiana, in 1931, Jim Jones grew up an outcast and underdog, and was fixated on being recognized as someone greater. He called Layton the ultimate victim of Jim Jones.. Of the more than 900 members of Joness congregation who had moved there, nearly a third were children. 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. Larry Layton: Survivor of the Peoples Temple - UPI Archives Individually, their insistence would have been hard to question. Judge Orders Release of Man Convicted in Guyana Death I would never have left Jonestown with Congressman Ryan. Jonestown survivor Deborah Layton grew up in a house of secrets. I'm so desperately tired. Young and unanchored, Layton was charmed as Jones fixed his penetrating He genuinely believed that he had some sort of protective shield around him, despite the fact that we werent traveling with any military escort or protection. They were naive," Layton said in a recent interview in her On Thursday, officials revealed that not all had been brought to a final resting place. fake healings. Larry Layton later became the only person ever charged in connection with a massacre at the nearby Port Kaituma airstrip. Layton, the cult's X-ray technician and a former conscientious objector, allegedly posed as a false defector from Jones and left the Jonestown commune the day of the mass-suicide. 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. Frostburg man arrested in recent firearm incident When we touched down in Georgetown, a U.S. Air Force medevac plane was waiting. By the time I returned, more than 900 people died. I admired Ryans worthy missions, but questioned if I shared his bottomless capacity to bear witness. [44][45], "Police hunt clues in Cannes jewelry heist; ex-jewel thief says it was a pro job", "Florida sheriff reintroduces chain gang", "Ex-jewel thief says of Kim K's purloined baubles: 'They're gone. The hundreds of elderly were told that if they attempted escape, they would be left to die prolonged deaths alone in the depths of the jungle. It was. I was feet away from Jones, close enough to hear him trying to convince people to change their minds. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Larry Layton to pay them a last tribute. | AP. Once, Debbie continued, Jones woke up the camp in the early hours of the morning. [13], In May 1994, three males robbed a jewelry store in Daytona Beach, Florida, netting $500,000 (nearly $950,000 in 2022)[14] worth of gold and diamonds. Many of the bodies were decomposed and could not be identified. In 1965, after riots shook Watts, an African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles, Ryan briefly took a job there as a substitute teacher while serving in the state Assembly, and used the experience to shape education policy. The conspiracy to murder Ryan carried a mandatory life sentence, though federal law makes him eligible for parole in 10 years. Northern California As one of his top aides, I accompanied the delegation, venturing out on the ice floes where the clubbing took place. Ryan, three journalists and a defector were killed. Answering wasn't easy -- "How do you tell a child that hundreds of children Peckham said he was particularly struck by pleas for leniency from four jurors, two prosecution witnesses and survivors of an attack by Layton at an airstrip outside the Guyanese encampment of Jonestown. contentment. Larry was released from Guyana into the custody of U.S. marshals, who escorted him to San Francisco. Peoples Temple gunman Larry Layton would not testify on his own behalf and opposed an insanity plea . Family and friends can send flowers and condolences in memory of the loved one. Increasing numbers of people approached us. dangled head-first into the well late at night, Layton writes. Jones became active in local politics, giving money, running food programs and busing Temple members to attend rallies and get out the vote for his favored candidates. Id come to Guyana as a congressional aide on a fact-finding mission. "All the survivors in touch with me are traumatized because that door had been closed," said Jonestown survivor Laura Johnston Kohl, now a retired teacher from San Diego. I had read the articles and listened to hours of testimony. Her book "Seductive Poison" will be in bookstores in November. 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. They had passed. Larry Layton and Peoples Temple: - Jonestown | AP. After the war, Mr. Layton had a series of government jobs. Sam was far from the only person concerned about Jones malicious influence over a loved one. His following grew, and Jones became the leader of one of the first mixed-race churches in Indiana. Northern California Larry now lives in Northern California.. Most of them were sent back home," said funeral director William Torbert Sr., 79. Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones (left) shakes hands with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone (right) after being sworn in to serve on the San Francisco Housing Authority, Nov. 24, 1977. It was an implausible ending for the fiery preacher, who had curried favor among the fashionable elite of the Democratic Party. While trying to keep the peace, he had been attacked with a knife. Some bodies that arrived back in the U.S. at Dover Air Force Base in 1978 were claimed by families. In the early 1950s, he was chief of Chemical Warfare at the Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Layton and other temple members then ambushed the congressman and his party at the airstrip, according to an indictment returned against Layton last month in San Francisco. Leo Ryan wanted answers. [35][36] It also hosts an annual bowling tournament. Returning to the pavilion area, I sought out other anxious-looking members. Lawton gained notoriety for committing a string of jewelry store robberies along the Atlantic Seaboard prior to his arrest in 1996. She was entrusted with flights to Europe and Panama to open Temple bank accounts, where Jones stashed the millions he was taking from Temple members who freely gave him their life savings, their homes and just about everything else. Layton Made Scapegoat, Defense Argues - Los Angeles Times homeless and help addicts get clean. [8] In 1983, having earned his GED, he left the Coast Guard and began engaging in criminal activity, mostly loan sharking and bookmaking. [30][33] He was the first ex-con to ever become an honorary police officer. -- the signal that meant an attack was imminent, an excuse for conducting a suicide drill. "I felt we were doing something that had meaning. It wasnt unusual for Temple members to be awakened at dawn over the loudspeaker and summoned to the pavilion for one of his increasingly unhinged sermons. 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. blew open," she says. Dissent was unthinkable. [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. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Horrible Photos From the 1978 Jonestown Massacre, the Worst - Vintag Lawton filed a lawsuit against the prison and staff alleging that they violated his rights. Left-right: Jim Schollaert, Jackie Speier and Congressman Leo Ryan. [6][11] In 2010, Lawton filmed the pilot and sizzle reel for Lawton's Law, a reality show based on his work with at-risk youth. I couldnt bear the vision of her sitting in front of my casket. We worked quickly to locate and speak to the individuals whose families had contacted our office and had been campaigning for their return. In August 1979, he joined the Coast Guard[9] and took part in the Mariel boatlift. Most complied, although survivors described some people being shot, injected with poison, or forced to drink the deadly beverage when they tried to resist. Her startling introduction to life there quickly allowed Layton to see the cracks in the facade. Then a tractor-trailer from the People's Temple arrived, and its occupants opened fire on the entire group, including both planes. After a few weeks, Layton grew "accustomed to the unusual smells in the food and drink. 1970, and she was on summer vacation from the British boarding school Glenn Youngkin rules out presidential campaign while in California, 7 bodies found during search for missing Oklahoma teens, US to lift most federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates next week, Multiple fatalities on Illinois highway during a blinding windstorm. "It was a warm day and all of a sudden a breeze came up and the back door Sept. 26, 1981 Larry Layton: Survivor of the Peoples Temple Larry Layton, Quaker and pacifist, entered the Peoples Temple in 1968 to join the march to social justice as charted by the. Most were poisoned, some forcibly. one last, One of the defectors wed interviewed claimed that Jones dyed them black. Ryan joined us for the trekone of roughly two dozen of us crammed in the bed of the truck, with dozens of would-be defectors left behind, belongings packed, waiting to escape. 'How Did This Happen, and How Did I Not See It Coming?' the doorbell in a frenzy of bright stripes and squiggles. In all, 913 died. There was no movement, but I thought the others might also be playing dead. Suddenly, my body was crushed by a blow to my side. Ten days later, on November 18, Jones and 912 of his followers committed mass suicide. Reportedly the court lifted restraints upon his travel after realizing they were not going to get paid. "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. robes, Jones, known as Father to his flock, soon became a San Francisco Layton had denounced his sister Debbie for defecting, telling Speier that Jonestown was "an extraordinarily good . The lessons of Jonestown could help us prevent terrorism and mass Larry now lives in Northern California. was feted by politicians. This was not a mass suicide. From what Ive seen, he said, there are a lot of people here who think this is the best thing that happened in their whole life. He was interrupted by manically enthusiastic cheering. Ive shared my Guyana story countless times, but its still a challenge to go back and relive those days. The Kool-Aid Man is merely a jug a sentient jug whose morning routine is filling himself with water and then pouring some Kool-Aid powder into his head, so he can then crash through walls and provide sugary goodness to the neighborhood kids. 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. Thirty-five years ago, funeral directors in Delaware struggled to quickly bury and cremate the remains of more than 900 people who died in a suicide-murder in Jonestown, Guyana, many of them Peoples Temple followers who drank cyanide-laced punch. Deborah Layton is now 45, lives in an elegant house in Piedmont and takes her 12-year-old daughter to play in soccer games. "[2] He was critical of Brevard County stopping letters to inmates in 2013. were sort of pushed onto the path of looking for answers -- and that Jim ", (The night before the trip in December 1977, another secret: The tradition. They reported the car's license plate, which linked the car to Lawton. I couldnt immediately identify the deafening sound that filled the air. Kool-Aid is high in sugar or contains artificial sweetener and has little to no nutritional value. In Congress, he joined a March 1978 Greenpeace mission to investigate the slaughter of baby seals in Newfoundland, Canada. 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. Former Peoples Temple member Larry John Layton was convicted Monday of conspiring to kill a U.S. congressman and a diplomat in a 1978 jungle ambush that led to a mass murder . Besides, when had a congressman ever been assassinated on foreign soil while on a congressional delegation trip? She had an extremely anxious demeanor, and we moved quickly as we went to her cabin to pack. "He was so depressed that he was not able to conduct research," Thomas Layton said. Wed have to make multiple trips in the truck. In the summer of 1977, after an expose of Peoples Temple in New West magazine, Jones and his followers fled to Guyana. ", Crimes for which children went to the well included "stealing food from the kitchen, expressing homesickness, failing a socialism exam, or even natural childish rebelliousness.". Jones himself sat onstage in a throne beneath a sign that read: Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The members sang and danced and, by every appearance, were happy. When she tried to write about abandoning her mother, who would die 10 brother and I But when her own child started asking questions, Layton broke family He was jailed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The discovery reopened wounds. We compiled similar testimonies from other defectors who corroborated Debbies reports of physical and sexual abuse, forced labor and captivity. It looked staged. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Debbie stood in line to drink the red liquid that she was told would kill her in a matter of minutes. didn't want people to know who I was.". [18], Lawton is believed to have hit around 20 to 25 jewelry stores,[11] stealing a self-estimated total of around $1518 million worth of high-value items, including watches, diamonds, and other gems.
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