Timothy Stoen

Timothy Oliver Stoen (born January 16, 1938), currently an assistant district attorney in Humboldt County, California,Sims, Hank, [http://www.northcoastjournal.com/092503/cover0925.html "Tim Stoen's Story"] , North Coast Journal, September 25, 2003] is best known for his central role as a member of the Peoples Temple and later opposing the group in a custody battle that helped to bring about its demise in Jonestown, Guyana.

Early Life

Tim Stoen was born January 16, 1938 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Stoen, Timothy Oliver, [http://www.smartvoter.org/1998jun/ca/state/vote/stoen_t/bio.html "SmartVote Timother Oliver Stoen election biographry"] , State of California, 1998] Stoen was the child of religious middle-class parents from Littleton, Colorado. He proceeded through high school and college as a scholar, athlete and devout Christian. He graduated from Wheaton College with the B.A. in Political Science.

An otherwise unremarkable event that would later become important occurred when Stoen was in college and spent a year in England on a Rotary Foundation scholarship. During that time, he visited communist East Berlin and wrote in a journal "the first thing that I noticed was the blank expression on the faces of everyone" and "You could tell they were just waiting for the day when they might have some freedom . . . "

Stoen graduated from Stanford in 1964 and was soon thereafter admitted to the California bar.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 108.] Stoen worked for a year in an Oakland real estate office before joining the Mendocino County prosecutor's office in Ukiah, California in 1965 as a Deputy District Attorney.Stoen, Timothy Oliver, [http://www.smartvoter.org/1998jun/ca/state/vote/stoen_t/index.html "SmartVote Timother Oliver Stoen Candidate Page"] , State of California, 1998]

In 1967, Stoen left the prosecutor's office with the intention of doing work for flower children in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district. Stoen's charitable instincts took him to Alameda County where was a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Alameda County, and where he adopted a religious world view from a leftist perspective. Though he represented black militants and supported an ecological platform, he briefly considered running for office as a Republican.

In 1970, Stoen married Grace Lucy Grech, whom he had met at march at the San Francisco Civic Center against overpopulation and pollution. Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 107.]

Temple beginnings

Introduction to Peoples Temple

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caption=Some of the Peoples Temple's California LocationsTim Stoen first encountered the Peoples Temple when it was suggested he call the group to help renovate legal aid offices in Mendocino County. Two dozen Temple volunteers showed up the following Sunday, and Stoen began sending people to the Temple for drug and marriage counseling.

Stoen became impressed with Temple leader Jim Jones' character and good deeds, especially when he saw Jones scrubbing toilets in the Temple building himself. Stoen also was impressed that Jones and his wife were the first Caucasian couple to adopt a black child in Indiana. [ [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/jonestown/sfeature/race.html "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple - Race and the Peoples Temple."] "PBS.org". 20 February 2007.] Stoen and Jones became personal friends and Stoen drove to Redwood Valley to attend Temple services.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 109.] By the end of 1969, when Berkeley became a war zone over Peoples Park and Third World students' right, Stoen began to integrate his personal life with the Temple.

In 1970, Stoen moved to the Temple's headquarters in Ukiah and worked as an Assistant District Attorney as the head of the Mendocino County's civil division.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 110.] His presence in the DA's office discouraged people, including Temple members, from filing complaints against the Temple. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 126.] Stoen began providing legal aid for the Temple and wrote of his political conversion to the Temple's socialism vision.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 112.]

"Reward" and the birth of John

After working hard for the Temple, Jim Jones granted Stoen a "reward" by suggesting that he engage in sexual relations with certain willing female Temple members, such as Sharon Amos, to help him with stress.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 129.] Early in the summer of 1971, Jones then told Grace Stoen about the philandering, never mentioning that he originally suggested it. At around this time, Grace became pregnant. Grace resisted Temple members' pressure to abort the child for reasons including that child birth purportedly furthers "overpopulation." In January of 1972, John Stoen was born.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 130.]

On February 1, 1972, the Stoens received the birth certificate listing Tim and Grace as John's parents. On February 6, 1972, Tim secretly signed a document stating that Jim had fathered the child with Grace at Tim's suggestion because Tim had been unable "to sire one myself."Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 131.] The document was signed by Tim "under penalty of perjury" and witnessed by Jim Jones' wife, Marceline. Tim did not tell Grace about the document and stated that he assumed that the document would be placed in a safe. Tim has since acknowledged signing the letter, but stated that its contents are false. He refuses to say why he signed it. Stoen stated "I signed it, and I was a fool," and "it was an immoral thing to do and it was a sinful thing to do."

train in the Temple

Although Jones stated that all one-on-one relationships were "counterrevolutionary", he promoted interracial marriage.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 174.] Thus, Jones suggested that various Temple members of differing racial backgrounds, including those with no romantic relationship, should marry to show their commitment to the cause. However, Jones also stated that child bearing was wrong and "greedy", which frustrated many Temple members in their child bearing years.

Because of this, Grace Stoen was subjected to abuse, with Temple members referring to her as an "elitist bitch." Jones did not trust Grace and, in 1974, he elevated her to a position on the Temple's top governing body, the Planning Commission, in order to attempt to keep her close to the Temple. Jones also pressured Grace into quitting her job and working for the Temple full time.

At the same time, Grace and Tim grew apart as Tim turned his attention to Temple activities and referred to Grace as a shabby socialist.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 175.] Grace did not know that Jones had instructed Tim to pay less attention to her to "make her a better socialist."

an Francisco Assistant District Attorney

Jones supported George Moscone, Joseph Freitas and Richard Hongisto in successful election bids.Taylor, Michael, "Jones Captivated S.F.'s Liberal Elite", San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 1998] Shortly thereafter, San Francisco District Attorney Freitas hired Tim Stoen as an Assistant District Attorney in the consumer frauds division. Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 270.]

After the election, Moscone and others believed that votes and campaign efforts by Temple members were instrumental in Moscone's close victory. Rapaport, Richard, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/11/16/INGEM3070J1.DTL&type=printable "Jonestown and City Hall slayings eerily linked in time and memory"] , San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 2003] Some suspected that Moscone was helped by illegal voting by Temple members that were bussed in from outside San Francisco, as well as help through alleged voting by illegal immigrants. cite book |author=Hall, John R. |title=Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History |publisher=Transaction Publishers |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |year=1987 |isbn=0-88738-124-3 page 166]

Freitas named Stoen to lead the special unit to investigate election fraud charges. [Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. page 270.] The Temple was not mentioned in the proceedings that followed.Kinsolving, Kathleen and Tom. [http://www.rickross.com/reference/jonestown/jonestown43.html "Madman in Our Midst: Jim Jones and the California Cover Up."] 1998.]

Years later, Temple members revealed to the New York Times that the Temple arranged for "busloads" of members to be bussed from Redwood Valley to San Francisco to vote in the election.Crewdson, John, "Followers Say Jim Jones Directed Voting Frauds", New York Times, December 16, 1978] A former Temple member stated that many of those members were not registered to vote in San Francisco, while another former member said "Jones swayed elections." Another former Temple member stated of Jones that "he told us how to vote." She stated that Temple members were required to produce booth stubs to prove that they voted, and members that could not produce such stubs were "pushed around, shoved and physically abused." When asked how Jones could know for whom they voted, the member responded "You don't understand, we wanted to do what he told us to." Stoen later stated that he was not aware at the time of voter fraud but that it could have happened without his knowledge because "Jim Jones kept a lot of things from me."

Defections

Grace defects

Grace Stoen had grown to greatly dislike the Temple. She had given up her son John to have him raised communally, been berated in Planning Commission meetings for not stating that Jim Jones was the father of John, watched John be paddled in Temple proceedings, listened to Jones portray Tim as a homosexual, experienced Jones once waiving a gun at her in Planning Commission meeting threatening to shoot her if she fell asleep and witnessed the beating of a 40 year old woman who had claimed the Temple turned members into robots. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 286-7.] Grace and Temple member Walter Jones, known as Smitty, agreed to leave together.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 287.]

In July of 1976, Grace and Smitty fled to Lake Tahoe. Jim Jones became furious at her, telling her over the telephone that she had selfishly abandoned the cause. Jim Jones vowed that he would never give her John, who had been trained at the Temple in the image of Jones. After a series of telephone calls and meetings, in November of 1976, Grace learned that John had been relocated to Jonestown. Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 292.] Jim Jones had earlier pressured both Grace and Tim Stoen to sign documents giving Jones permission to bring John to Jonestown, which comported with Jones' frequent practice pressuring Temple members to sign documents that Jones could later use against them.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 316]

In February of 1977, Grace threatened to legally divorce Tim. Fearing that a possible contempt citation against Tim would make public the dispute, Jones sent Tim to Jonestown.

Tim defects

After Tim Stoen traveled to Jonestown in February of 1977, he discovered that Jones had turned John against his mother.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 317] Stoen had quit his job as Assistant District Attorney and worked long hours in Jonestown as well as in the Temple's headquarters in Guyana's capital Georgetown.

In Georgetown, Temple members secretly examined Stoen's briefcase.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 323] In it, they discovered, among other things, a second passport and Stoen's notes of traveling to East Berlin as a college student, stating harsh things about the living conditions of the communist country. Temple members became convinced that Tim was a "dual" agent working for the United States government.

On June 12, 1977, Stoen disappeared from the Temple's Georgetown headquarters.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 324]

Battling the Temple

White Nights

In July of 1977, Jim Jones and several hundred Temple members moved to Jonestown to escape building pressure from media investigations.Layton, Deborah. (1998) "Seductive Poison". Anchor, 1999. ISBN 0-3854-8984-6. p. 113.] Jones left the same night that an editor at "New West" magazine read Jones an article to be published by Marshall Kilduff detailing allegations by former Temple members. [Kilduff, Marshall and Phil Tracy. [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/newWestart.htm "Inside Peoples Temple."] "Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple". Jonestown Project: San Diego State University. August 1, 1977.] Tim Stoen had actually designed the exodus plan long before defecting.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 339] Most politicians broke ties with Jones,. [Liebert, Larry, "What Politicians Say Now About Jones", San Francisco Chronicle, November 20, 1978] although a rally against Jones' enemies was held at the Temple attended by Willie Brown, Harvey Milk and Art Agnos, among others. [Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. page 327]

Jones felt especially vulnerable after the defection of Tim Stoen because Stoen had designed, and had knowledge of, the Temple's complex system of covertly transferring millions of dollars into foreign bank accounts.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 334]

After this exodus, Tim and Grace Stoen began a custody battle for John that would shake the Jonestown community like nothing else until its ultimate demise. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 360] In September of 1977, the Stoens' battle in a Georgetown court produced an order for the Temple to show cause why a final order should not be issued compelling the return of John to Grace Stoen. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 361] A few days later, that same court issued a second order for the arrest of John by authorities. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 366] The fear of possibly being held in contempt of the orders caused Jones to set up a false sniper attack upon himself and begin a series of "White Night" ralles, called the "Six Day Seige", where Jones spoke to Temple members about attacks from outsiders and had members surround Jonestown with guns and machetes. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 360-72] The fiery rallies took an almost surreal tone as Angela Davis and Huey Newton communicated via radio-telephone to the Jonestown crowd, urging them to hold strong against the "conspiracy." [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 369] Jones made radio broadcasts stating "we will die unless we are granted freedom from harassment and asylum." [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 367] Deputy Minister Ptolemy Reid finally assured Jones' wife Marceline that Guyanese Defense Forces would not invade Jonestown. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 370]

After this initial round of the Stoen custody dispute, Jones no longer believed the Guyanese government could be trusted.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 371] He directed Temple members to write over a dozen foreign governments inquiring about immigration policies relevant to another exodus by the Temple. He also wrote the U.S. State department inquiring about North Korea and Stalinist Albania.

Concerned Relatives press for action

The Stoens participated in meetings at the home of Jeannie Mills with others related to Jonestown residents.Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. page 408] The group began calling themselves the "Concerned Relatives." They shared details of their encounters with the Temple, interviewed Temple defectors and went over short wave radio transcripts containing communications between Jonestown and the Temple's San Francisco headquarters. Meanwhile, Temple surveillance teams checked license plates in front of the Mills' house to determine the identity of their "enemies." Tim's addition to the group was vital because of his knowledge of Temple operations, his letter writing campaigns to the Secretary of State and the government of Guyana and his travels to Washington to attempt to begin an investigation. After pressing for legal action in the United States, in November of 1977, an order was issued in a San Francisco court granting Grace Stoen custody of John.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 379] In January of 1978, Tim Stoen traveled to Georgetown, Guyana with hopes to gain Guyanese actions to take custody of the child, but he was unsuccessful.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 380] A Guyanese official approached him and told him he had to leave within one day, one week before his visa expired.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 414] While at the airport, three Temple members surrounded Stoen and threatened his life unless he dropped his legal action. Although Stoen wanted to travel to Jonestown to retrieve John himself, he thought "if I went back, I thought I would probably be a corpse within 30 days."

After Stoen returned to Washington D.C. from Georgetown in January of 1978, he visited with nine Congresssman, including Leo Ryan.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 250.] Unbeknownst to Stoen, after his visits, the Temple sent members to visit eight of the nine Congressman in order to discredit Stoen.

Stoen also wrote a "white paper" to Congress detailing Jones' alleged illegal kidnapping of John.cite book |author=Hall, John R. |title=Gone from the Promised Land: Jonestown in American Cultural History |publisher=Transaction Publishers |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |year=1987 |isbn=0-88738-124-3 page 227] The white paper stated that any action by the Guyanese Army to retrieve the child could result in harm to John or others and that members of Congress should write Guyanese Prime Minister Forbes Burnham to take action but to be cognizant of the potential dangers of confrontation. Congressman Leo Ryan's interest was aroused by the Stoen custody fight and he wrote a letter on Stoen's behalf.Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. page 458] Several Congressman in total wrote Burnham about the concerns raised by Stoen.

At the end of January, Stoen and fellow Concerned Relative Steven Katsaris met with State Department officials. Stoen communicated his concern that Jones' mental condition was deteriorating and that he was suffering from "paranoid megalomania." He urged that the State Department move Guyana to "speedily enforce" the custody orders that that Stoens' had won.

Media spotlight

Feeling pressure from the United States, on February 17, Jones submitted to an interview with San Francisco Examiner journalist Tim Reiterman over a radio-telephone. [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 380-3] Reiterman immediately wrote a story about the Stoens' attempts to gain custody of their son in the San Francisco Examiner, which appeared in the Saturday February 18 preview editions of the Sunday paper.

The exchange of claims by Jones and Stoen in the article tore Jones' credibility beyond mending. The repercussions were devastating for the Temple's reputation, and made most former supporters even more suspicious of the Temple's claim that it was being subjected to a "rightist vendetta." The bizarre carnal transaction upon which Jones purportedly based his custody cast doubt on Jones' prior statements. Temple attorneys immediately sent a letter to the Examiner stating "this is the straw that broke the camel's back" and "we . . will litigate."Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 383] Jones told the San Francisco Temple staff to prepare for the media blast.

One day later, on Sunday February 19, 1978, San Francisco Board of Supervisor member Harvey Milk wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter supporting Jones and making statements about the Stoens.Milk, Harvey [http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg"Letter Addressed to President Jimmy Carter, Dated February 19, 1978"] ] [Coleman, Loren, "The Copycat Effect", Simon & Schuster, 2004, page 68] [Fishwick, Marshall, "Great Awakenings: Popular Religion and Popular Culture", Routledge, 1994, page 73] [Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1, page 315-16, 378-79 and 415-16] After the Temple assisted in Milk's 1976 election race to became a California State assembly member,Shilts, Randy, "The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk", St. Martin's Press. 1982 ISBN 0312523300, page 139] Milk had visited and spoke at rallies at the Temple, [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919893-1,00.html "Another Day of Death."] "Time Magazine". 11 December 1978.] [Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. page 327] , though he privately had told friends he saw them as "weird" and "creepy."

In the letter to President Carter, Milk wrote "Rev. Jones is widely known in the minority communities and elsewhere as a man of the highest character." Regarding the Stoens, Milk wrote "Timothy and Grace Stoen, the parties attempting to damage Rev. Jones reputation". Milk also wrote " [i] t is outrageous that Timothy Stoen could even think of flaunting this situation in front of Congressman with apparent bold-faced lies." The letter ended with "Mr. President, the actions of Mr. Stoen need to be brought to a halt. It is offensive to most in the San Francisco community and all those who know Rev. Jones to see this kind of outrage taking place."

In order to attempt to combat the damage, the Temple sent to various newspapers the February 6, 1972 Temple document Stoen had signed detailing the alleged strange events surrounding John's conception.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 249.] Herb Caen reprinted the document in his San Francisco Chronicle column.

Affidavits and lawsuits

On March 14, 1978, the Peoples Temple member Pam Moten sent an open letter to Congress, suggesting that members of the Concerned Relatives group were conspiring with the FCC and IRS against the Temple.Peoples Temple, [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/OpenLettertoCongress.htm "TO ALL U. S. SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS"] , Jonestown Alternative Considerations, San Diego State University, March 14, 1978] It stated "radical Trotskyite elements which defected from our organization when we refused to follow their violent course have been orchestrating a campaign against us." Matching later more direct statements the Temple would make to Congressman Ryan in November, the Temple suggested that Soviet overtures to assist the Temple might embarrass the U.S.: " [i] n fact, several overtures have been made from Russia, which sees our current harassment as a form of political persecution. We do not want to take assistance from any people nor do we want to become an international issue."

On April 11, 1978, the Concerned Relatives distributed a packet of documents, including letters and affidavits, many of which were drafted by Stoen, that they titled an "Accusation of Human Rights Violations by Rev. James Warren Jones" to the Peoples Temple, members of the press and members of Congress. [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/concerned.htm "Accusation of Human Rights Violations by Rev. James Warren Jones. April 11, 1978.] "Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple". Jonestown Project: San Diego State University.] The accusations chronicled mistreatment in Jonestown, which it portrayed as an armed camp, hard labor, passport confiscation and statements about Jones' speeches speaking of suicide and conspiracies against the Temple.

On May 10, 1978, the Peoples Temple fired back with their own "Open Statement" alleging the Concerned Relatives were part of a massive conspiracy and attacking the "so called Free Enterprise system" and "racist" "corporate power." Peoples Temple, [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/PTtoConcernedRelatives.htm "Open Statement by Members of Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, South America"] , Jonestown Alternative Considerations, San Diego State University, May 10, 1978] It portrayed the Concerned Relatives as just the "latest ploy" of a larger conspiracy that has was "growing desperate" and had a "total inability to understand the dynamics of a collective unit." It further portrayed the group as lying and attempting to "destroy us."

In June of 1978, Stoen assisted Peoples Temple defector Deborah Layton in drafting an a further affidavit detailing alleged crimes by the Peoples Temple and substandard living conditions in Jonestown.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 260.] [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/PrimarySources/BlakeyAffidavit.htm "Affidavit of Deborah Layton Blakey."] "Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple". Jonestown Project: San Diego State University.] What became somewhat problematic for later investigation attempts was that Layton's affidavit exaggerated some claims about Jonestown.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 261-2.] As was customary, the Temple had also previously directed Layton to sign affidavits when she was a member denigrating Stoen, making such claims as that Stoen possessed "capitalist selfishness", mistreated "black truckers" and was not the father of John Stoen.Stoen and other Concerned Relative members had monitored Temple shortwave radio broadcasts and Stoen filed complaints with the FCC in the Fall of 1977 for Temple regulation violations.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 298.] In later affidavits and lawsuits filed in 1978, Stoen cited communications the group had intercepted through their monitoring.

Stoen also acted as the lawyer in three different lawsuits filed in May and June of 1978 on behalf of members of the Concerned Relatives against Jim Jones and other Temple members collectively seeking over $56 million in damages.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 259.] Somewhat interesting for former Temple member Stoen is that he was representing Steven Katsaris, whose daughter Stoen had previously urged to flee to Jonestown, and Jim Cobb, whom Stoen had previously attempted to frighten into silence after Cobb defected in 1973.

On July 10, 1978, the Temple sued Stoen for $150 million, charging that Stoen violated his attorney-client relationship with the Temple by using privileged information in his suits against the Temple.Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 268.] Charles R. Garry represented the Temple in the suit. The suit alleged that Stoen was attempting to "harass and oppress" his former client and sought to enjoin Stoen from soliciting former members as clients in suits against the Temple. Garry believed that a court would issue a temporary restraining order. Moore, Rebecca. "A Sympathetic History of Jonestown". Lewiston: E. Mellen Press. ISBN 0-8894-6860-5. p. 270.]

Final trip

By October of 1978, all of the former defectors had allied with Tim Stoen and the Concerned Relatives.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 464] On October 3, Stoen told the State department that he would retrieve John from Jonestown by force if necessary. Three days later he sent a telegram reiterating the threat and warning of the danger of mass suicide at Jonestown.

After pressure grew, the Temple learned that Stoen would accompany a Congressional investigatory trip by Leo Ryan to Guyana.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 466] On November 15, 1978, Grace and Tim Stoen both traveled with the Ryan delegation to Georgetown.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. '. Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 480] Knowing Jones would never allow Tim and Grace to enter Jonestown, they were not permitted to accompany the delegation on its November 17 trip to settlement.Reiterman, Tim and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 485] While the Stoens remained in Guyana, the delegation was attacked on November 18 at an airstrip near Jonestown. Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 529-31.] Congressman Ryan and three others were killed at the airstrip by Temple members wielding rifles and shotguns, while several others were injured. The murder of Congressman Ryan was the first and only murder of a Congressman in the line of duty in the history of the United States. [Brazil, Jeff. [http://www.rickross.com/reference/jonestown/jonestown9.html "Jonestown's Horror Fades but Mystery Remain."] "Los Angeles Times". December 16, 1999.]

Tim Stoen encountered an angry Stephan Jones in his Georgetown hotel, while neither knew that the tragedy was unfolding in Jonestown.Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1. p. 544.] As they spoke, 200 miles away in the Temple's final "White Night", 909 inhabitants of Jonestown, [ [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/WhoDied/whodied_list.php "Who Died?"] , Alternative Considerations of Jonestown, San Diego State University] 276 of them children, died of apparent cyanide poisoning, mostly in and around a pavilion. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/18/newsid_2540000/2540209.stm "1978: Mass suicide leaves 900 dead"] , BBC, November 18, 2005]

Specific references to Tim Stoen, including the logistics of possibly murdering him, are made on a recording of the final death meeting made by the Temple. Jones stated: [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/Tapes/Tapes/DeathTape/death.html "Jonestown Audiotape Primary Project."] "Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple". San Diego State University.] cquote|It's suicide. Plenty have done it. Stoen has done it. But somebody ought to live. Somebody -- Can they talk to -- and I've talked to San Francisco -- see that Stoen does not get by with this infamy -- with this infamy. He has done the thing he wanted to do. Have us destroyed. . . .
Tim Stoen has nobody else to hate. He has nobody else to hate. Then he'll destroy himself.|20px|20px|Jim Jones on the final "death tape"

Jones also discussed whether the Temple should include John Stoen among those committing "revolutionary suicide." When the discussion of including children occurred, Jones stated: cquote|do you think I'd put John's life above others? If I put John's life above others, I wouldn't be standing with Ujara [a man who attempted to stab Congressman Ryan] . I'd send John out -- out, and he could go out on the driveway tonight. . . .
I know, but he's no -- he's no different to me than any of these children here. He's just one of my children. I don't prefer one above another. I don't prefer him above Ujara. I can't do that. I can't separate myself from your actions or his actions.|20px|20px|Jim Jones on the final "death tape"John Stoen was found poisoned in Jim Jones' cabin. [Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. "". Dutton, 1982. ISBN 0-525-24136-1, p. 565] The tragedy at Jonestown was the greatest single loss of American civilian life in a non-natural disaster until the incidents of September 11, 2001. [Rapaport, Richard, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/11/16/INGEM3070J1.DTL&type=printable "Jonestown and City Hall slayings eerily linked in time and memory"] , San Francisco Chronicle, November 16, 2003]

Career after Jonestown

From 1980 to 1984, Stoen was Corporate Counsel for Pacific Energy & Minerals, Ltd. For some time thereafter, Stoen worked at a private practice. In 1998, Stoen ran for the California State Senate and lost in the Democratic Party primary, receiving 34.5% of the party vote. [ [http://www.smartvoter.org/1998jun/ca/state/race/casen02/ "SmartVote Results"] , State of California, June 2, 1998] On his political philosphy page, Stoen listed the following: [Stoen, Timothy Oliver, [http://www.smartvoter.org/1998jun/ca/state/vote/stoen_t/philosophy.html "SmartVote - Timothy Oliver Stoen - Political Philosphy"] , State of California, 1998]

Later, Stoen went on to work for the district attorneys offices in Humboldt and Mendocino counties. Regardless of his considerable career accomplishments, Stoen has never been able to completely leave his history behind.

Colleagues say that Stoen is an excellent attorney. Mendocino County District Attorney Norm Vroman, who hired Stoen back to the Ukiah office in 2000, stated "frankly, I've never seen him lose a case."

Stoen never gave up on his dream of entering politics, and is now a Republican because he opposes abortion and he feels that Republicans have an easier time accepting an environmentalist than Democrats do a pro-life candidate.

References

External links

*, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/jonestown/ "Jonestown: The Life And Death Of Peoples Temple"] , shown on PBS
* [http://employees.oneonta.edu/downinll/mass_suicide.htm Transcript of Jones' final speech, just before the mass suicide]