Jonestown prepared for its final reckoning. Unable to postpone Congressman Leo Ryan’s inquiry any longer, Jim Jones orchestrated an elaborate facade. Dinner was served, the pavilion was staged for visiting eyes, and the music of the Jonestown Express filled the air. To the congressional delegation and reporters, the people of Jonestown appeared vibrant, well-fed, and content. The atmosphere relaxed when Leo Ryan praised the community saying that the people he observed seemed happy. For a fleeting moment, it seemed that Jim Jones and his followers had weathered yet another storm of criticism, another assault from a hostile world.
But behind the painted smile of Jonestown’s polished presentation, signs of fear and paranoia were slipping through the cracks. As applause echoed through the compound, a desperate note was thrust into the hand of NBC newsman Don Harris: "HELP US GET OUT OF JONESTOWN."
This episode delves into the final day of Jonestown’s descent into tragedy. Join us as we retrace the chilling events that led to the murder of Congressman Leo Ryan and the deaths of over 900 men, women, and children. Jonestown’s last day on earth.
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