How did Jim Jones die? Details explored ahead of Cult Massacre: One Day at Jonestown on Hulu

Hulu’s Cult Massacre: One Day at Jonestown is a brand new mini series that premiered recently on the platform on June 17, 2024. The series attempts to shed light on the harrowing acts of Jim Jones, former cult leader and mass murderer who led the Peoples Temple between 1955 and 1978.

On November 17, 1978, Jim led members of the inner circle of the Peoples Temple on a mass murder-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana, leading to the death of hundreds of members who followed suit. The event concluded with his suicide, with the series set to focus on the kind of psychological manipulation and the events that led to one of the most harrowing events in the Christian Church's history.

The series largely revolves around the specific day on which Jim and hundreds of his followers ended their lives. Here, we explore the events that the series will delve into and expose the harrowing details behind them.

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Jim Jones’ death kickstarted mass suicide among members of the Peoples Temple

The series features a range of interviews from Jones’ son, Stephan Jones, as well as a range of surviving followers, such as Yulanda Williams. The series is set to delve into the kind of psychological manipulation that Jim engaged in, to convince the community that he was a messenger of God.

Born in May 1931, in Indiana, Jim was deeply involved in various church activities right from when he was a teenager. He graduated from Butler University, and entered the Church Ministry straight after, initially gaining a reputation around the state as a preacher with various psychic and magical abilities to heal his followers.

Furthermore, he was a huge supporter of racial integration, which initially won his extraordinary support. In 1955, he established the Peoples Temple, initially as the Wings of Deliverance. The cult leader initially worked to spread the message of racial equality and focussed on various humanitarian causes to win a firm following.

However, with growing power, various allegations of abuse and financial misconduct followed, which prompted Jim to eventually move to Guyana along with his followers, in 1977. This allowed him complete control over the members, as they built their own town, which they named Jonestown.

Here, Jim found isolation from external factors and ended up influencing a range of measures to ensure that his influence was unmatched. This included violence-based rituals and the confiscation of passports, which was a part of his ploy to make his followers work, as he continued to accumulate further influence and wealth.

The cult came to a head on November 17, 1978, when the cult leader started a "revolutionary suicide," which was following a range of investigations that were initiated against him. First, he ordered the killing of US Congressman Leo Ryan and his team, who had visited their town in Guyana to get to the bottom of the crimes he had committed.

However, this was followed by him ordering his followers to drink cyanide-lased drinks, which led to the deaths of a total of 900 people, including 304 children. Jim himself succumbed to death after shooting himself in the head, which brought an end to one of the most harrowing cult-based crimes ever committed.

Hulu’s Cult Massacre will delve into the incredible psyche of Jim Jones and focus on how Jim, via his charismatic presence, was able to convince hundreds of people to follow a lifestyle that he promised would provide them with enlightenment.

Currently, all three episodes of Cult Massacre: One Day at Jonestown are available on Hulu.