(CHRONICLE PHOTO BY SUSANNA FROHMAN), Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, Major SF retail store slated to permanently close, Warriors' biggest hater made a cowardly Game 7 'bet', Draymond Green rips Domantas Sabonis: 'Lost a lot of respect', More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Esalen Institute sued over alleged use of video with the N-word, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7. Hes a jug, and nothing more. races," hundreds of followers working to feed the hungry, house the [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. Twelve hours had passed as I lay, teetering on deaths precipice when a light turned on inside me: The simple fact that I knew I was dying was proof that I was, indeed, still alive. At the end of the evening, Rep. Ryan walked onstage and thanked the group. U.S. District Judge Robert F. Peckham recommended that parole authorities consider releasing Layton in five years. All of those children. [8] In 1983, having earned his GED, he left the Coast Guard and began engaging in criminal activity, mostly loan sharking and bookmaking. | AP. Although he was indicted in San Francisco, arraignment was scheduled for New York because that is where he first landed on his return to the United States from Guyana, where he has been jailed for the past two years. encampment about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the Guyana capital of one last, [3], Lawton was offered a three-year sentence in exchange for disclosing his accomplices but did not take the deal. There was no movement, but I thought the others might also be playing dead. family members in the cult. I just needed to hang on. Five bullets had ripped through me, devastating the right side of my body. believed he could best survive the atomic apocalypse he expected. Jim Jones, the charismatic leader of the Peoples Temple cult. 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. 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. Breathing heavily, I pulled myself to my feet, stumbled to the planes baggage compartment and took shelter. 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. We worked quickly to locate and speak to the individuals whose families had contacted our office and had been campaigning for their return. Debbie said the couple had gone to court to try to compel the Guyanese government to intervene; Rev. Layton was reportedly found at the scene in possession of the revolver with four rounds in the cylinder and one shell . Infants cannot commit suicide. Jones had become increasingly paranoid, convinced that the CIA, the FBI and the media were out to destroy him. He had completed his mission and was trying to take off from an airstrip six miles from the jungle compound of Jonestown when a trailer filled with eight armed Jones devotees pulled onto the runway and began firing. When people refer to the Jonestown massacre as a mass suicide, I am enraged. The phrase drinking the Kool-Aid refers to followership at its worse. Only one man, Temple member Larry Layton, was tried in the United States for his involvement in the November 18 events. She was 16 before she found out she was Jewish, 24 before she learned her But he was acquitted, partly because witnesses would not return there from the United States. Lawrence Robert Lawton (born October 3, 1961) is an American ex-convict, author, paralegal, motivational speaker, and YouTuber. It was 1970, and she was on summer vacation from the British boarding school My list kept growingwhat started with two names was now more than 40. I felt my stomach knot. "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. By that time, darker elements had seeped into Jones sermons. It was an implausible ending for the fiery preacher, who had curried favor among the fashionable elite of the Democratic Party. Lawton filed a lawsuit against the prison and staff alleging that they violated his rights. 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. One of the defectors wed interviewed claimed that Jones dyed them black. There she contacted her sister and U.S. Repeatedly, the defectors mentioned forced participation in mass-suicide rehearsals known as the White Night trials.. "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. Ryan wanted to investigate. I did not recover my old self; bullets render that impossible. He pulled out a gun and shot and wounded two cult defectors. For seven weeks, ", 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 ran the Peoples Temple in San Francisco in the early 1970s. Larry Layton later became the only person ever charged in connection with a massacre at the nearby Port Kaituma airstrip. I asked to speak to Monica Bagby, one of the names on Dons note. The robbers had been there the day before and returned asking about a ring. 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? It did not sit well with me. When we touched down in Georgetown, a U.S. Air Force medevac plane was waiting. None of the Temple members showed any interest in receiving correspondence from home. They are arranged in chronological order. . Most were poisoned, some forcibly. [37], Lawton is an advocate for prisoners and their rights, and comments on the justice system. 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. Mr. Layton is survived by two sons, Thomas and Larry (Laurence John Layton); two daughters, Deborah Layton and Annalisa Layton Valentine, both of Piedmont, and three grandchildren. [10] In 2012, Lawton self-published Gangster Redemption, an autobiography co-written with Peter Golenbock. Her book "Seductive Poison" will be in bookstores in November. were sort of pushed onto the path of looking for answers -- and that Jim "All the hair on my arm and my neck came up. contentment. Everybody bolted in different directions. Joseph Russoniello did not criticize Peckhams sentence, but in urging that Layton serve 20 years before being eligible for parole, he cited Laytons suggestion to Jones that Layton use dynamite to blow up Ryans plane and its unwanted outsiders--a fact that was not revealed until Tuesday. 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. Jones had a penchant for suddenly getting on the compound loudspeaker long after everyone had gone to bed and shouting, "White Night! United Press International. Layton, expressionless for most of the hearing and dressed casually in a light blue sweater, said he extended his most sincere regrets to the families of the victims. Meanwhile, ex-devotees of the Peoples Temple began sharing stories about Jones darker side. He spent 12 years in prison, and once released, began a career as a motivational speaker, life coach, and author. 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 would hang a picture of my mom in his office and look at it in an effort to immunize himself to the feeling of loss, to challenge himself so he would get over it. The outfits were a ridiculous gimmick, and the role was clearly objectifying. A few Temple members stood in front of a rusty dump truck waiting to shuttle us to the compound. "I saw things and I didn't stand up and say, 'Stop!' His following grew, and Jones became the leader of one of the first mixed-race churches in Indiana. Larry Layton Obituary. Her brother, Larry, later became the only person ever charged in connection with the airstrip massacre and, after two trials, was convicted in 1986 of conspiring to murder Ryan. brother and I Larry Layton was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for his role in conspiring to murder Rep. Leo Ryan in Guyana in 1978. . 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. To go back to the gunshots. Loudspeakers at the airstrip. A former high school teacher, he was swept into politics by the idealism of the Kennedy era and elected mayor of South San Francisco before running for state Assembly. 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. The building showed few signs of its former use, although a floral design was etched in glass panes at the entrance. They were issued four T-shirts, four pairs of socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, four pairs of underwear and a bar of soap. So many people wanted to defect that we had to call Georgetown to request an extra plane. [8][9] The 367-page book covers his early life, his string of crimes, and his post-release career. In 1954, he was named director of research at the Navy's munitions factory in Indian Head, Md., where he designed missile fuels. How did the Peoples Temple recruit members? Today. 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. His wife, Lisa, his daughter, Deborah, and another son, Larry, all became disciples of the Rev. Although he had no formal training as a minister and no affiliation with any organized religion, his high-octane enthusiasm and open-armed policy attracted a diverse range of followers. A family memorial service will be conducted at a later date. On November 17, we landed at the tiny airstrip at Port Kaituma. Although Larry Layton must be held responsible for his actions, a just sentence requires consideration of the environment in which Layton and other members were virtually imprisoned, Peckham said. I dove beneath the plane, hiding behind the wheel as bullets thumped against the metal above me. [26] He was incarcerated in many prisons during his sentence, which included Jesup in Georgia, Riker's Island in New York, Edgefield in South Carolina, and Yazoo City in Mississippi. because I was too about I was beaten once a month. U.S. Atty. Kool-Aid mixed with water is not the same as plain water or a beverage such as Gatorade or Powerade. Ryan decided that we would wait until the morning and suggested we keep a low profile until then. Members of the press and the Concerned Relatives waited behind on the airstrip until the truck could come back for a second load. When the time of their supposed deaths came and went with everybody still alive, Jones announced it had just been a drill to test their loyalty. Ryan and four other Americans were shot to death at an airstrip as they prepared to leave Jonestown. 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. He [28], After release he went to Palm Bay, Florida and started LL Research and Consulting and met a business partner. (1.8-by-1.2-meter) underground enclosure. Her mother's cancer pain medications were taken away. Jones, who founded his church in Indiana and moved here in 1970, relocated to Guyana, a former British colony in South America, in 1977 after critical press accounts about his politically prominent sect. "You consistently wind up finding yourself trying to heal but having your wounds opened up again when new information is given," she said. The night before, our delegation watched Jones followers perform a show at their compound. The store owner managed to break free and grabbed a .38 caliber pistol and fired five shots at the robbers as they fled. Leo Ryan wanted answers. . The conspiracy to murder Ryan carried a mandatory life sentence, though federal law makes him eligible for parole in 10 years. These are things that haunt me still," Layton says. We accompanied Assemblyman Ryan to shopping centers and campaign events to pass out pamphlets and speak with voters. The Kool-Aid Man is a huge anthropomorphic pitcher filled with some red substance which may be either Kool-Aid itself, blood, or something else entirely. 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. Jones died of a gunshot wound to the head. into mass suicide. [21] Lawton was arrested by the FBI on December 2, 1996, in Florida and charged with the Fairless Hills armed robbery. Oh my God: Its true. "When I joined Peoples Temple, I was 17 and it was like joining the Peace Corps," she says. Jonestown survivor Deborah Layton grew up in a house of secrets. While on the phone listening to the allegations that would soon be made public, Jones scribbled a note to his aides: We leave tonight.. By the time I returned, more than 900 people died. It was just a matter of time. 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. Jim Jones orchestrated the mass murder-suicide of Peoples Temple cult members on November 18, 1978. Those who refused were shot; children were injected with poison. Larry was released from Guyana into the custody of U.S. marshals, who escorted him to San Francisco. passage; Larry had been told years earlier. Few heeded. I knew him well enough to understand what would happen next. days before the murder-suicide, she hit an emotional wall. "[33] Lawton and the police chief later appeared before United States Congress in recognition of the program. The chaos persisted until, abruptly, a silence fell. They all joined Peoples Temple, and Larry and Deborah Layton quickly became two of Jones's closest confidants. I heard screams and the rapid pounding of gunfire. blew open," she says. He later became a world expert in the field of human allergies. Jones wove his way through the camp, repeating that he wasnt upset that they wanted to leave; it was just that they were doing it in the wrong way. Jones responded by telling them that if any actions were taken to remove John, the entire Jonestown population would commit suicide. Jim Jones orchestrated the mass murder-suicide of Peoples Temple cult members on November 18, 1978. "The people that joined Peoples Temple were really good people. Robert Bryan, who took over the case after Laytons conviction, said he hopes to win a new trial for Layton. He was cracking. Nearly 30 years later, her mother long dead in a rotting jungle outpost in Guyana, her brother doing life in a federal prison and her father so broken that he weeps at the mention of anything connected with Jones-, town, Deborah Layton has, as she put it the other day, "decided it was time to come out of the cobwebbed attic.". This was not a mass suicide. In between his trials, he lived under an assumed name in Eureka and, more recently, in San Francisco, where he sold real estate and took computer classes. [7] Lawton attended Intermediate IS 192 and Lehman High School, but did not graduate. Join me, he assured his followers, and youll get health care, education and a family that would never mistreat you. In a cabin with about six women from the Temple, I took a top bunk, sweating as a downpour opened up outside. We didnt want a group to present a canned response or any individual to look to others for their answers. "They were looking for something larger than themselves to be involved 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 May 1978, she was sent by Jones to Georgetown to chaperone some Temple children on a cultural exchange. The two store owners were bound while two individuals robbed the store and a third acted as a lookout and the other as the getaway driver. "It was devastating to him. SAN FRANCISCO Larry Layton was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for his role in conspiring to murder Rep. Leo Ryan in Guyana in 1978. 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. Others, who presumably refused to drink the Kool-Aida flippant, misguided phrase I very much wish could be scrubbed from our lexiconwere injected with cyanide and other poisons. Nobody joined thinking their lives would be taken.". Within minutes, Ryan and four others were shot dead. In all, 913 died. There is a sickening recording of Jones coercing his followers that day. He said that some of the recipients could be innocent. Misbehaving children were and Charismatic and tall with salt-and-pepper hair, he commanded a room. Larry Layton, who had posed as a defector and wounded two people, is serving broadcast Jones' voice at all hours. Answering wasn't easy -- "How do you tell a child that hundreds of children 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. After his campaign received my note, I started volunteering as a Ryan Girl, part of a troop of young women clad in houndstooth bobby hats, miniskirts, black tights, black turtlenecks and bright-white boots. -- the signal that meant an attack was imminent, an excuse for conducting a suicide drill. In the fall of 1978, Ryan decided to visit Guyana to find out what was happening to the more than 900 members of Jonestown, many of whom were his constituents from the San Francisco area who'd. As soon as it became clear that we would be bringing more than one or two defectors home with us, the communal faade cracked. led by U.S. Generator vs power station: Which one is right for you? [41], In 2017, he appeared in a middle school in Havelock, North Carolina to explain his prison experiences. How to plan a weekend getaway to Mount Shasta, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). "Whatever journey the ashes took in the U.S. is secondary. A bone shot out of my right arm, and a huge hunk of flesh had been blown off my thigh. 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. 'It's time to come in and say, 'Goodbye.' Williams spent a decade with the Peoples Temple, including three months in Jonestown, named after the group's founder, Jim Jones. Northern California Larry now lives in Northern California.. Layton had denounced his sister Debbie for defecting, telling Speier that Jonestown was "an extraordinarily good . His suggestion that I would learn far more from first-hand experience was in step with the way he approached politics. Jim Jones with a group of children living at Jonestown, circa 1978. Sam was certain Jones had something to do with his sons death. Dwyer, Speier and nine others were wounded. Congressman Ryans body was probably 15 feet away. What episode does Luna get Ancient Fairy Dragon? Clearing away those cobwebs meant writing a book -- it's called "Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple." Back in the compound, Jones was choreographing The icon which characterizes Jonestown in the public mind is a picture of a galvanized metal vat, surrounded by bloated bodies. Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, Major SF retail store slated to permanently close, Warriors' biggest hater made a cowardly Game 7 'bet', Draymond Green rips Domantas Sabonis: 'Lost a lot of respect', More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Esalen Institute sued over alleged use of video with the N-word, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7. Funeral directors say it is not uncommon for family members to never retrieve cremated remains. Somehow, through the encroaching darkness of my final thoughts, I saw my 87-year-old Grandma Emma. But I was one of very few women who held senior staff positions in Congress at the time, and I was concerned that if I gave in to my reluctance and let a male colleague go in my place, Id be setting back women in politics. She was entrusted with flights to Europe and Panama to open Temple bank accounts, where Jones stashed the millions he was taking from Temple. When she tried to write about abandoning her mother, who would die 10 rite of A former Quaker and a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war, Layton also faces three other counts in the indictment: conspiracy to kill Ryan, conspiracy to kill Richard Dwyer, deputy chief of the United States mission in Guyana, and the attempted murder of Dwyer. 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. His appearance was part of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. There were piles of used syringes at the scene. ", "Every week we're promised death, a relief from this miserable life. [11] He then began robbing jewelry stores along the Atlantic Coast,[3] using his contacts within the Gambino crime family to fence the stolen merchandise. 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.

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