Difference between revisions of "Leo J. Ryan"
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Davidklein (talk | contribs) (New page: Leo Ryan was a Democratic senator, sitting from 1973 until his murder in the Jonestown massacre in 1978 in Guyana. Ryan was a critic of cult activity, particularly those of [...) |
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Revision as of 23:24, December 6, 2008
Leo Ryan was a Democratic senator, sitting from 1973 until his murder in the Jonestown massacre in 1978 in Guyana. Ryan was a critic of cult activity, particularly those of Scientology and the Unification Church, lead by Sun Myung Moon. On hearing of events at the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, he lead a delegation to Guyana to investigate and to interview members of the cult. A few members of the cult expressed a desire to leave with Ryan. On November 18, under the orders of Jim Jones, members of the cult ambushed the party; Ryan was killed along with four other people.
In 1983, he was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.