In the chaotic aftermath of the Jonestown massacre, one artifact continues to defy explanation: Tape Q875, the so-called “November 19 mystery tape.” Discovered among hundreds of recordings recovered from the scene, Q875 is unique as it appears to have been recorded after the mass murder-suicide when every resident of Jonestown was presumed dead. Who made this recording—and why?

Its static-filled audio and eerie, found-footage quality have fueled decades of speculation. Some believe it was created by the CIA or accidentally made by the GDF. Others claim to hear the voices of Jim Jones or Maria Katsaris long after their confirmed deaths. Is Q875 a final transmission from beyond the grave, a covert operation, or a planted act of psychological warfare?

In this episode of our true crime audio documentary, we’re joined by an anonymous contributor with a bold theory, one he believes finally solves the mystery of Q875. Join us as we examine one of the most controversial artifacts tied to the Jonestown tragedy, and challenge the official timeline of November 18, 1978.

40 years ago, 918 Americans died in the largest mass murder/suicide in modern history. Defined by the last day of their lives, the people of Jonestown became a part of true crime lore, overshadowed by their charismatic leader Jim Jones.  We all know how the Peoples Temple died, but how did they live? The Attention Span Recovery Project is proud to present this memorial special, honoring the lives of the people of Jonestown, told by the survivors who knew and loved them.

In the aftermath of Jonestown, details emerged of the Temple’s deepening relationship with the Soviet Union, a secret petition to emigrate, and the political paranoia that turned the settlement into a Cold War powder keg. Jim Jones promised salvation behind the Iron Curtain inviting Soviet officials to tour his model socialist community and negotiating an escape plan should Jonestown come under attack.

Decades later, an artifact buried among hundreds of recovered audio tapes would challenge the official timeline and cast doubt on Jim Jones’ death, the inner circle’s final moves, and the possibility of an elaborate cover-up. Tape Q875: the mystery tape, conjures theories that challenge what we think we know leaving more questions than answers.  

What if everything you thought you knew about Jonestown was a lie?

Truth often demands we accept coincidence as a force of nature. But what if the connections aren’t coincidences at all? On this episode we follow the trail from Jonestown to MKUltra, exploring the tangled web that links Jim Jones, Patty Hearst, Jack Ruby, and Sirhan Sirhan. Was Jonestown a failed utopia or a covert CIA mind control experiment? From the brainwashing of cult members to the psychological manipulation of political assassins, we dive deep into government-sponsored behavior modification, the Layton family's dark history, and the secret experiments.

Out of the ruins of postwar Germany, hundreds of ex-Nazi scientists were quietly recruited by the U.S. government under Operation Paperclip bringing with them the blueprint for psychological warfare. At the heart of that blueprint: MKUltra, a covert CIA program designed to explore mind control, chemical manipulation, and behavioral modification. From LSD-laced brothels in San Francisco to electroshock treatments in mental institutions, MKUltra used unsuspecting American citizens as test subjects for decades. 

What does this have to do with Jonestown? 

As the world struggled to comprehend the horror of the Jonestown tragedy questions emerged: Was this truly mass suicide or a clandestine experiment gone wrong? Survivors spoke of drugs in their food, electroshock punishments, and psychiatric abuse. Investigators uncovered ties to the Langley-Porter Neuropsychiatric Institute, CIA-funded hospitals, and a possible connection between Jim Jones and Dan Mitrione. 

In this episode, we examine the CIA’s influence on cults, the striking parallels between MKUltra and the practices inside Jonestown, and the theory that Peoples Temple was part of a psychological operation aimed at discrediting leftist movements. Was Jim Jones a deranged cult leader or a weapon wielded by the deep state?  

Join us as we investigate CIA mind control programs, Project Monarch, Operation CHAOS, and the dark possibility that Jonestown was a Cold War-era experiment in behavioral control. 

Beneath Guyana’s lush canopy lies a complicated history. A land where historically, dreams of paradise spiral into madness and ruin. In this episode, we unravel the tangled roots connecting colonial violence, CIA intrigue, Cold War paranoia, with the Jonestown massacre. From the racial and political upheavals that birthed modern Guyana to the dark alliances that paved the way for Jonestown, we trace how an ancient landscape steeped in myth, blood, and betrayal became the final stage for one of the greatest tragedies in American history. 

Was Jim Jones a pawn in a greater geopolitical game? Did Jonestown serve a hidden purpose beyond revolutionary dreams? Why does Guyana, long romanticized as the lost world of El Dorado, harbor such a devastating history of mass suicide? 

Follow us into the heart of a land where secret wars, broken revolutions, and restless spirits collide.  

What happened to the survivors of Jonestown? In the wake of the mass suicide, the killing did not stop. This episode investigates the devastating aftermath of the Peoples Temple tragedy as we investigate the suicides, murders, and mysterious deaths that followed the survivors home. Long after the cries in the jungle faded to silence, a dark reckoning began stateside that echoed the final warnings of Jim Jones. On this episode we trace the fate of those who escaped the Temple only to be haunted by what they left behind. A family gunned down in their home, suicide by cop, a sniper on a freeway, and the public execution of two high-ranking government officials in broad daylight. How far does the shadow of Jonestown fall?

Join us as we examine the disturbing fate of Tyrone Mitchell, Chris O'Neal, Paula Adams, Elmer, Deanna, and Daphene Mertle (Jeannie and Al Mills), George Moscone, Harvey Milk, Mike Prokes, Joe Mazor, and the Chad Rhodes highway sniper incident.

Of all the evidence recovered in the aftermath of the Jonestown massacre, one artifact confirmed the unthinkable: an audio tape found in the pavilion, surrounded by the bodies of over 900 Peoples Temple members. This 7-inch reel-to-reel recording captured the final moments as Jonestown residents debated what they called “revolutionary suicide.” At the command of Reverend Jim Jones, men, women, and children drank a cyanide-laced concoction in a mass ritual now etched into true crime history. 

For decades, this tape has served as the definitive record of what happened on November 18, 1978. But what if it wasn’t the whole story? 

What if the tape was edited-spliced together from earlier suicide drills, known as White Nights or manipulated to craft a final illusion? What if some voices were never meant to be heard, and others were carefully removed? Could this recording, long regarded as irrefutable evidence, have been one final act of control? 

In this episode, we analyze the infamous Death Tape searching for cuts, anomalies, and buried truths. Was it tampered with? Who had the motive and the means to alter it and why? 

Join Transmissions from Jonestown as we examine this tragic piece of Temple history through archival documents, survivor testimony, and audio forensics. After our investigation, you’ll hear the full tape, uninterrupted and in its entirety. 

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. 

Leading up to the release of the New West exposé Jim Jones fled to his jungle compound bringing several hundred Peoples Temple members with him. Jonestown ballooned from a small settlement to a makeshift city of over 900. As food dwindled and supplies vanished, Jones's voice echoed day and night through Jonestown’s public address system as he ranted paranoid warnings of a coming siege. Under the blistering sun, Temple members worked endlessly while their leader spiraled into a drug-fueled psychosis. The truth hit hard the moment new residents surrendered their passports: there would be no escape. Join us as we investigate the grim realities of life in the Promised Land.