In November 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan led a fact-finding mission to Jonestown to investigate allegations of human-rights abuses.
His delegation included relatives of Temple members, an NBC camera crew, and reporters for various newspapers.
The group arrived in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown on November 15.
Two days later, they traveled by airplane to Port Kaituma, then were transported to the Jonestown encampment in a limousine.
Jones hosted a reception for the delegation that evening at the central pavilion in Jonestown.

The delegation left hurriedly the afternoon of November 18, after Temple member Don Sly attacked Ryan with a knife, though the attack was thwarted.
Ryan and his delegation managed to take along 15 Temple members who had expressed a wish to leave, and Jones made no attempt to prevent their departure at that time.
In November 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan led a fact-finding mission to Jonestown to investigate allegations of human-rights abuses. His delegation included relatives of Temple members, an NBC camera crew, and reporters for various newspapers. The group arrived in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown on November 15. Two days later, they traveled by airplane to Port Kaituma, then were transported to the Jonestown encampment in a limousine. Jones hosted a reception for the delegation that evening at the central pavilion in Jonestown.
The delegation left hurriedly the afternoon of November 18, after Temple member Don Sly attacked Ryan with a knife, though the attack was thwarted. Ryan and his delegation managed to take along 15 Temple members who had expressed a wish to leave, and Jones made no attempt to prevent their departure at that time.
Jim Jones