Charles E. Touchette, better known as Charlie Touchette, was an Indianapolis native and met Jim Jones shortly before the Peoples Temple left Indiana (Serial 1304). He was the father of well-known Temple member Mike Touchette in addition to the infamous defector Mickey Touchette (Swinney Family Tree). Charlie drove buses full of missionaries for the Temple and was initially convinced to join due to Jim Jones warning him of his high likelihood of suffering from a heart attack (Serial 1304). He served as a member of the Planning Commission throughout his time in California (Dec 2, 78 • 0231 • FBI-Secret Service).
Charlie was one of the earliest members of the Temple to arrive at the mission in Guyana, assuming command over the operations when he arrived in the summer of 1974 (Reiterman, 400, Kindle version). Overseeing a variety of duties, Charlie acted as the chief planner and administrator of Jonestown and was well-liked by fellow Temple members, and noted for his hard work (Reiterman, 451-452, Kindle version). Previous to the mass exodus of the Temple to Guyana, Charlie, his wife, and his son struggled with the upkeep and maintenance of Jonestown due to a lack of funding and labor (Reitermann, 411, 454-456, Kindle version).
Nearly all the infrastructure of Jonestown ran through Charlie, including construction, mechanics, woodwork, and power (Reiterman, 563, Kindle version). Charlie’s disagreements with Jim Jones throughout his years at Jonestown, such as asking for financial assistance, making purchases without Jones’ knowledge, and defending children from punishment possibly led to him being drugged by Jones after the introduction of the Extended Care Unit (Reiterman, 454, 456, 569, 735, Kindle version).
Charlie was away from Jonestown during the massacre, doing his duties as administrator picking up supplies using the Temple’s boat (Charlie Touchette: Our Back Brace). After the massacre, he returned to California with his son and daughter-in-law (Reiterman, 941, Kindle version). He was briefly interviewed by the FBI, detailing his experience at Jonestown but otherwise had little information to offer about the circumstances of the revolutionary suicide or murder of Congressman Leo Ryan (Dec 2, 78 • 0231 • FBI-Secret Service). Charlie remained quiet about his experiences at Jonestown for the remainder of his life, and passed away in Las Vegas on March 30, 2007, at the age of 76 (Find a Grave).
“Charlie Touchette Cutting Steel, Jonestown, Guyana.” Charlie Touchette Cutting Steel, Jonestown, Guyana | California Revealed, California Historical Society, 1978, https://californiarevealed.org/islandora/object/cavpp%3A224995.
Dansei, Natalia, and Arlene Michelle. “Charles Eugene Touchette.” Find a Grave, 2008, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31388666/charles-e_-touchette.
“Dec 2, 78 • 0231 • FBI-Secret Service.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, 2022, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=96524.
Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People. J.P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2008.
“Serial 1304.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, 2022, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=91798.
Sly Hargrave, “Charlie Touchette: Our Back Brace,” The Jonestown Report 13 (2011). Accessed at https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=29454.
“Swinney Family Tree.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, 2022, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35869.