Paul Michael McCann was born in Los Angeles on September 26th, 1951. He was a member of the Peoples Temple when he was arrested in San Fransisco while meeting with his friend, Beatrice Bell. Jones openly disapproved of this friendship. He was arrested for robbery and faced a potential 5 year sentence. Despite having 3 or 4 witnesses to the robbery, he maintained his innocence, claiming that he was framed. Jones agreed with his innocence and even hired a lawyer to defend him—the charges were eventually dropped. He states in an affidavit that he would have spent 5 years in prison if it weren’t for Jones (FF-3-105).
Jones told McCann during a catharsis session that he had a “high and mighty attitude.” Jones also called him a liar, which annoyed his lawyers and angered Jones. According to Jones, Paul’s job was to wake up security guards to begin their shifts but, oftentimes, he made them late (Edith Roller journal–December 10, 1976)
McCann’s son was born disabled, his “leg was bent and his foot bent upwards”. He took him to a specialist who told him his foot would straighten up in 10 to 12 years. Jones told him not to worry about his son’s leg; it would be all right, he said. His son’s leg got better by the time he was 3 years old, proving the doctor wrong and Jones right. His son would later die at age 4 (FF-3-106).
He lived until July of 2011, he spent his years moving between Nevada and California. His friend, Mike Touchette wrote a remembrance of him stating that his reputation was as a “drug addict, lazy, and troubled,” but when he got to know him he was “warm, caring, and fun-loving.” In his remembrance, Touchette would describe McCann as his “brother.” This was just a term of endearment. They were just friends, not siblings. His death, he says, was painful.
McCann had a wife, Mary Louise McCann , and a son Michael Angelo McCann. They both died on November 18, 1978 during the massacre. McCann was at a movie theater in Georgetown the night of the massacre while his wife and son died.