Tommy Bogue
Born in 1961, Thomas Bogue had been involved in Peoples Temple from age seven. After leaving the Mormon church, his parents Jim and Edith joined the Temple in the Redwood Valley. However, throughout his adolescence, Tommy remained rebellious against the church. By the time he was 13 years old, Bogue was living in the Peoples Temple headquarters on Geary Blvd. This was punishment from running away in rebellion, as he absolutely hated the church. Because of his actions, he was forced by the elders to live in the “controlled environment,” and spent time doing menial tasks, such as pulling lint out of the carpet. During this time, he lived with Brian Davis, another teen about the same age. Though Davis revolted with Bogue, unfortunately he did not make it out of Jonestown alive.
If Bogue had been of legal age, he surely would have defected from the church sooner. His father had tried once before, and it caused a rift in his parents’ relationship, as his mother, Edith, was a member of the Planning Commission. While living in the San Francisco Temple, Tommy spent time trying to find ways to rebel and escape. During his final escape attempt in June 1976, he ended up isolated in the church for two weeks before being escorted to Jonestown by Rev. Jones himself. Upon his arrival, he worked with his father building cottages in the settlement.
About the same time Tommy moved into the church, Jim Bogue made his way to Guyana to help set up Jonestown. While he left in July 1974, his family remained at home in California. Jim and Edith still owned their family home until 1976, at which time it was given to the church. In the summer of 1977, Edith, her remaining children (Teena, Juanita, and Marilee), made their way to Jonestown. Her new partner, Howard Cordell, made it to Jonestown in January 1978.
While in Jonestown, Tommy worked as a physical therapist for about 70 hours/week, although it is unclear where he received any training. During his time at Jonestown, Tommy unsurprisingly tried to run away with Brian Davis. The boys were chained together and were forced to complete hard labor eighteen hours a day for three weeks.
The citizens of Jonestown, including Edith Roller, were not fans of Thom Bogue and Brian Davis. They were accused of a number of small crimes and misdemeanors during their time in San Francisco and Jonestown (Edith Roller Journals of spring 1976 and spring 1978; Tape Q940). Thom also had his run-ins with Jones and the congregation on a White Night in the spring of 1978 and was immediately invited to drink the potion (Reiterman 391, Jonestown Institute).
During Congressman Leo Ryan’s visit, most of the Bogues defected. Marilee and her husband stayed in Jonestown and were counted among those who perished. Jim Bogue had asked his ex-wife Edith and her partner Howard Cordell if he could leave with them and their children. Ryan told the Bogues they would be on the next flight out, and they were off on a truck with other defectors and Larry Layton. They boarded the larger of the two planes at the airstrip, which were shot at by Peoples Temple personnel shortly afterwards. Thom and his sister were shot and ran into the jungle, hiding for three days until they were found by local authorities who connected the two with their parents. and Jim, Tommy, Teena, Juanita Bogue, Edith Bogue, and Howard Cordell, along with many others, eventually made it back into the United States on December 21, 1978.
Thom returned to San Francisco after the atrocities in Jonestown. He turned to drugs and was homeless for a period of time. He now lives in Dixon, CA, with his wife and nine children. Thom owns an automotive repair shop and served on the City Council until 2015, including a term as Vice Mayor, and served as mayor of Dixon from 2015-2021. He did not run for re-election in 2020 after a scandal revolving around the COVID-19 pandemic.
All photos courtesy of the Jonestown Institute.