Jones' voice screaming "hurry hurry children, run to the safety of the Pavilion." Was there a lot of sex abuse in the community? As said before, 909 people died in the mass suicide. A lot of cults seem to have that. On the final and real White Night everyone knew that their life on this planet was soon to be stolen from them. Six months later and just four days before the tragedy, I was in Washington D.C. giving testimony before State Department officials requesting help. Ghost Adventures. This feature length film, a hybrid of documentary and drama, tracks the final, 5-day build up to a horrific doomsday - the infamous mass murder/suicides of Jim Jones' People's Temple on November 18th, 1978. With Jim Jones, Frank Reynolds, John Moscatelli, Grace Stoen. Would you consider his movement similar to that of the scientologist movement? Deborah Layton... are you related to the infamous Larry Layton? Cookies help us deliver our Services. Many took a stand against Jones and became examples of what not to do for they were punished severely and often did not return the same as before. Coming in at number 13 on our list of the best Netflix documentaries is a 2015 British documentary film about the life and death of Amy Winehouse. NARRATION: Episode narrated by the Anonymous Host EPISODE: Episode researched and written by Milly Raso MUSIC: ‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro www.dl-sounds.com All other music and audio clean up performed byMike Migas OTHER: Logo design by Paulina Szymanska When you believe in something and think there will be a great payout, whether in spiritual points or money it is often hard to take a closer look and walk away from so much. Making a … Question: Knowing what you know now, what would you say your very best life advice is? This month Random House released the audio book, now on Audible. Are there any people or organizations which are currently active that you fear may go the way of Jonestown? People were desperately afraid in Jonestown. He served over twenty years in prison for crimes a thousand of us committed -- the only person held responsible for the massacre. By the age of 21 I was a trusted aide to Jim Jones, and the signatory for millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Trust me, I continue to try to make sense of the losses. Jonestown was the informal name for the “Peoples Temple Agricultural Project”, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple, a cult from California, United States, led by Jim Jones. The remote Guyana outpost of cult leader Jim Jones' Peoples Temple, Jonestown was the site of a 1978 massacre that resulted in the deaths of … Having said that, Jones did rape men and women against their will -- for the purpose of breaking down their sense of self and soul. Larry believed that he was saving his wife, their unborn child and all of the other residents of the encampment by sacrificing his own life. The less extreme and most common are abusive relationships. Directed by Nicole Rittenmeyer. Jim Jones was later dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. AMA! As someone who was in Jonestown, do you think that it was Jim Jones' plan all along to commit this atrocity? Occasionally, you'll find yourself in the mood to explore a darker, dirtier, or sexier side of … The Chief Judge, who sat for both of my brother's trials said Larry was only a small cog in a big machine. And until 9/11, it was the largest single mass killing of American citizens. Please be respectful to other users... if they're wrong, tell them why! Last Update: I hope, in some way, I have been able to explain the unexplainable and bring some understanding to the unfathomable. On November 18, 1978, 909 members of the Peoples Temple living in the Jonestown settlement in Guyana consumed a deadly, cyanide-laced drink. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I cannot defend what my brother did except to say that he believed he was saving the lives of 900 people by taking the lives of the "traitors." People join political movements, social organizations attend off-campus dinner socials believing they are mingling with like-minded people. Jim Jones wasn't the only one responsible for the mass suicide. On November 18, 1978, the village of Jonestown became the location of a shocking tragedy when 909 members of a cult, the Peoples Temple, died from cyanide poisoning at the direction of their leader, Jim Jones.. Jones was a preacher who formed the Peoples Temple in Indiana in the 1950s. . Thank you so much for doing this. No one knew that in fact Jones had different young men on different nights -- unbeknownst to each other shooting off their guns. Jones began "White Night" drills in an attempt to further weaken our will. tl;dw. In 1977, evangelical preacher Jim Jones fled the United States with nearly a thousand followers of his peoples temple cult. "This is the Zodiac Speaking" (2008) - To celebrate the fact that this week, after 51 years, the Zodiac's notorious 340 cipher has finally been solved, here is the best documentary … Mods reserve the right to apply the don't be a jackass rule. This is one of the saddest documentaries you will ever see, but also one of the best cult documentaries available. No one joins a cult. Thank you so much for your time, your honest questions and the kindness you showed me. We were so defeated and indoctrinated that the world the rest of you lived in was foreign to us. Of the nearly 1,000 church members who began the day in Jonestown, a cult commune, only 33 survived to see the next day. Deep in the South American jungle they set about building a new community and called it Jonestown, it was to be their ‘Paradise on Earth’ but when outsiders threatened to expose the dark side of their leader, their paradise erupted into violence. We could gun fire in the jungle, so we knew there were mercenaries out there. Hello Reddit, I'm Deborah Layton. I escaped from Jonestown, which was an encampment secured by armed guards. I wanted to leave desperately, but would never have left with him. We would be kept hungry, thirsty, tired, defeated in this Pavilion until Jones determined we were safe again. Everything about him was fake, even the "miracles" performed. I Am A, where the mundane becomes fascinating and the outrageous suddenly seems normal. It is too hard in this short a forum to explain, defend all of our actions. At some point in all our lives we have been entrapped and did not know how to extricate ourselves. Had I been in Jonestown when Leo Ryan came, I am sorry to say that I, too, would have believed he was there to hurt us, and might have shot him believing I was protecting my fellow prisoners. Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch. Two new documentaries revisit Jonestown Monday April 24, 2006 Peoples Temple SAN FRANCISCO –When Stanley Nelson set out to make a documentary on cult leader Jim Jones and the mass murder-suicide of his followers, his biggest challenge was unearthing enough new footage to make the 28-year-old story seem fresh again. Amy was a British singer-songwriter who was best known for her chart-topping hits like, “Rehab” and “Back To Black”. I was assigned the People's Temple. /u/prncpl_vgna_no_rlatn posted a link to the cached site.. Edit: I've also decided to type up the list with the links, just in case you know. What exactly happened during those drills? By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. I read quite a few books on the ordeal and articles and whatnot online. No one joins something they think will hurt or kill them. Related Documentaries: Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple… From PBS 'American Experience' documentary series, 'Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple' features never-before-seen footage that helps to deliver a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, a religious cult headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he … Recently, I watched the NXIVM and Heaven's Gate documentaries as well. 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. With Jim Jones, Stephan Jones, Marceline Jones, Mary McCormick Maaga. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Some committed suicide. If OP doesn't get around you answering this one, does anyone else know much about this? The best Netflix original docuseries 1) Making a Murderer Making a Murderer was, in many ways, the final push needed for pop culture’s recent true-crime boom. At his parole hearing it was the 'defector' he shot that came to the hearing and asked for leniency. He had no idea Leo Ryan was going to be killed. In 1978, cult leader Jim Jones lures his followers to Jonestown, Guyana where they commit mass suicide of … I actually explain this much better and thoroughly in my memoir. With Rebecca Moore, Janet Shular, Tim Carter, Stanley Clayton. I will never, ever forget when I randomly stopped on a Jonestown documentary several years ago, not really knowing much of anything about it, and I was glued to the TV. 16.6k votes, 448 comments. Many jurors begged for leniency however his sentence was mandatory life. You said that you 'escaped' from Jim Jones. A friend of mine said this is an amazing forum, so I'm looking forward to spending the afternoon with you. On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 Americans died in Jonestown, Guyana. Do you think people assumed that last night was another White Night and just went along with it at first? At just eighteen years old, and home from boarding school, I innocently joined the Peoples Temple and moved into their campus dormitory in Northern California. I learned about the Jonestown tragedy just a few years ago -- definitely a very twisted, horrible ordeal. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. . At the age of 24, and believing I was heading to the organization's tropical paradise, I realized I had just entered a concentration camp. I promise you will not be disappointed if you ever have the chance or time to read or listen to my cautionary tale. Following the orders of their leader, Rev. Cookies help us deliver our Services. It became front page news across the country. It is often too late when one realizes they've been deceived. By the end of that day, 918 men, women and children will die. Documentaries only. At just eighteen years old, and home from boarding school, I innocently joined the Peoples Temple and moved into their campus dormitory in Northern California. .************************************************. Peoples Temple was a celibate organization. He also said that it could have been him. Hello Reddit, I'm Deborah Layton. Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples Temple, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NQ5KBzD8w0, The last half hour or this is so harrowing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NQ5KBzD8w0&list=PLQkW8z5Nmr1r1uVgea49BJP3E6BbT7fL5&index=34, Evidence of Revision (5 of 6) RFK assassination, MK ULTRA + Jonestown massacre (full movie), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mct-rUfkH7I, And here you can hear his final sermon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdnMRkkKfaA, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the Documentaries community, Press J to jump to the feed. Sometimes, standard documentaries don't cut the mustard. RELATED: 15 Best Scary Documentaries On Netflix. After 18 years of keeping who I was a secret, I wrote my memoir Seductive Poison. Along with 10 other members of the Jonestown commune isolated amid Guyana’s dense snake and jaguar-infested rainforest, she’d had enough. I also recently learned about the 12 Tribes cult. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdnMRkkKfaA. The following is a thumbnail history of the Jonestown … Today marks 42 years since the Jonestown massacre, when Jim Jones forced 909 individuals to drink cyanide-poisoned Flavor Aid. With Vernon Gosney, Leslie Wagner-Wilson, Tim Carter, Jim Jones Jr.. Docuseries looking back on the Jonestown Massacre on the 40th anniversary. More than 900 members of the cult, led by the Rev. When I had finished writing Seductive Poison I was asked by a BBC documentary film crew to accompany them back to Guyana and into Jonestown. Within weeks of my escape from Jonestown, I wrote an affidavit to the US government requesting their help for the 900+ people being held against their will in Jones' encampment. Yes, he is my older brother. I don't know, but Jones studied L. Ron Hubbard's books. I realized Jones must have known this story. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. One thing that I really never understood is the drills, or "white nights" I believe they were said to have been called. They did so on the orders of the cult's leader, Jim Jones. Yes, some call themselves churches, however, if joining means turning your back on everything you've known -- your family, friends who are not in the organization -- you are in danger. Life had become so dreary and hopeless, death was a welcomed escape. Bodies lie around the compound of the People's Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. In 1977, evangelical preacher Jim Jones fled the United States with nearly a thousand followers of his peoples temple cult. Towards the end, I actually hoped in one of these White Nights were we stood in line to take the poison that it wasn't a trial. Victor Frankl wrote about this in his book "Man's Search for Meaning" and I start my book off with his quote "We who have come back by the aide of many lucky changes, or miracles -- whatever one may choose to call them -- we know: the best of us did not return." On Nov. 18, 1978, one of the biggest American mass deaths took place in Jonestown, Guyana at the Peoples Temple compound. What was the church doing to force people to stay? Those who spoke honestly about wanting to leave were medicated and put in the feared medical unit from where they never returned. The following are not considered documentaries on this subreddit: TV news, articles, interviews, lectures, amateur home videos, mockumentaries, biopics, and vlogs. Blame the woman he loved, used and abused along the way. U.S. Rep. Leo Ryan was assassinated as he tried to rescue Jonestown residents desperate for freedom. Although my experience is extreme, I saw this tendency again when I worked on the trading floor of an investment banking firm -- where invisible boundaries are crossed believing the end justifies the means. I was hesitant until the producer came on the phone and told me in his research he had come across a woman's dissertation about the history of Guyana that some 100 years ago a white minister convinced his Amerindian flock to kill themselves and come back as white men. In high school, we had to do a religion project in which we were each assigned a religion to study and present to the class. It is not shameful to find the story so fascinating. A siren would come over the loud speakers at 1 or 2 in the morning waking us from our abysmal sleep. 17.3m members in the Documentaries community. By the age of 21 I was a trusted aide to Jim Jones, and the signatory for millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Sadly, the Peoples Temple is most famously known for their mass suicide, which ended in the deaths of over 900 cult members, including 300 of their own children in their Guyana settlement of Jonestown. Hi Deborah, I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, but I find the circumstances surrounding the Jonestown tragedy completely fascinating. More were murdered. Now these women describe what it was like to be at Jonestown. The six-episode docuseries High Score is one of the best documentaries Netflix has made thus far. Press J to jump to the feed. Proof: https://twitter.com/deborahlayton27. 1. Directed by Stanley Nelson. You've never seen Jonestown like this. We had these at least weekly. Created over a decade ago, Ghost Adventures is one of the most famous paranormal shows on television at the moment. Marceline Jones, Mary McCormick Maaga what you know now, what you! A British singer-songwriter who was best known for her chart-topping hits like “. 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