Who was the founder of the People's Temple church, 914 of whose members committed suicide in the jungle of Guyana in 1978?
Suicide in Guyana Suicide in Guyana Suicide in Guyana is a serious social problem, as Guyana is ranked first in suicides per capita worldwide. About 40% of people who commit suicide in Guyana poison themselves by consuming agricultural pesticides. The most famous case of suicide in Guyana was the mass suicide of over 900 members of Jim Jones' Peoples Temple in 1978, although some sources regard the events as a mass murder. Although this occurred in Guyana, the leader of this cult along with the followers were all foreigners and not Guyanese nationals. Domestic data on suicide in Guyana is limited, as the
Guyana: Crime of the Century Congressman is "Lee O'Brien" (Barry) rather than Leo Ryan. In early 1977, Reverend James Johnson, the fanatic and paranoid leader of an independent church in San Francisco, moves his 1,000-strong congregation to the jungles of South American in the country of Guyana to create their own utopia free of the so-called corruption of the civilized world. Life at the jungle commune, called "Johnsontown", becomes unbearable as there are featured acts of brutally and cruelty that Johnson inflicts on his followers. In November 1978, when California Congressman Lee O'Brien investigates several reports of commune members being held against their will, he