Leo Ryan

Leo Joseph Ryan, Jr. (5 May 1925–18 November 1978) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from the 11th Congressional District of California from 1973 until he was killed in Guyana by members of the People's Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre.

Jungle ambuscade

Main article: Jonestown

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On 14 November Ryan and his congressional delegation left Washington and arrived in Georgetown, Guyana. That night they stayed at a local hotel, where (despite confirmed reservations) most of the rooms had been cancelled and reassigned, leaving the delegation sleeping in the lobby. For the next three days Ryan continued negotiation with Jones' legal counsel and held perfunctory meetings with embassy personnel and Guyanese officials. Finally, on November 17, Ryan, aide Jackie Speier, the United States embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Dwyer, a Guyanese Ministry of Information officer, nine reporters and four representatives of the delegation boarded a small plane for the flight to an airfield a few miles outside of Jonestown.

Related Topics:
14 November - Georgetown, Guyana - November 17 - Jackie Speier - Richard Dwyer

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At first, only the Temple legal counsel was allowed off the plane, but eventually the entire entourage (save Gordon Lindsay, reporting for NBC) was allowed in. Initially, the welcome at Jonestown was warm, but after only a few hours Ryan and his entourage began receiving notes and whispered requests for evacuation from the facility. That night, the media and the delegation were returned to the airfield for accommodations following Jones' refusal to allow them to stay the night; the rest of the group remained.

Related Topics:
Gordon Lindsay - NBC

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The next morning, Ryan, Speier and Dwyer all continued their interviews, and in the morning met a woman who secretly expressed her wish to take her and her family from Jonestown. Around 11 AM, the media and the delegation returned and themselves took part in interviewing People's Temple members. At around 1500 (3:00) local time, the first group wishing to leave boarded a truck and were taken to the airstrip, Ryan wishing to stay another night. Shortly thereafter, a failed knife attack on Congressman Ryan occurred while he was arbitrating a family dispute on leaving, and against his protests Deputy Chief of Mission Dwyer ordered Ryan to leave, promising to return later to address the dispute.

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The entire group had departed Jonestown and arrived at the airstrip by 1645 (4:45 pm) local time. Their exit transport did not arrive for another twenty minutes. The smaller six-seat Cessna was just taxiing to the end of the runway when one of its occupants opened fire on those inside, wounding several. This was, apparently, the cue for several other People's Temples members who had escorted the group out to open fire on the larger craft, killing Congressman Ryan and four others, wounding another nine. The passengers on the smaller plane managed to subdue their shooter and took off under fire, the larger plane having been disabled and its passengers taking refuge in the jungle.

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Following its takeoff the Cessna radioed in a report of the attack, and the US Ambassador, John R. Burke, went to the residence of Prime Minister Forbes Burnham. It was another day before the Guyanese army, ordered to arrest Jones and disarm Jonestown, could cut through the jungle and reach the settlement to discover all of its inhabitants dead.

Related Topics:
John R. Burke - Prime Minister - Forbes Burnham

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Leo Ryan's body was returned to the United States and is now interred in Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Francisco. He was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts. He is, to date, the only member of Congress ever to have been killed in the line of duty.

Related Topics:
Golden Gate National Cemetery - Congressional Gold Medal

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