Michael Jon Touchette was first introduced to Peoples Temple as a child when his parents, Carol Joyce Touchette (Joyce Swinney) and Charles E. Touchette joined the Temple in Indianapolis.
Touchette and his family would go on to move to California with the Temple and become even more active. After high school, Touchette worked as a forklift operator (Reiterman).
Being athletic and able to work machinery, Jones picked Touchette to be part of the first group of 6 to move from California to Guyana in March of 1974 (Reiterman). Later that summer, Touchette’s parents would join him and become leaders in the planning committee of Jonestown effectively running the settlement.
While Michael Touchette worked in many different capacities in Jonestown, many of his jobs consisted of clearing land for development, construction, and operating machinery (Edith Roller May 15, 1978; Klapperich).
On November 18th, 1978, Touchette, accompanied by his wife Debbie Touchette, was in Georgetown, Guyana with his basketball team playing the Guyanese national team. After that night unlike many members of Peoples Temple, Touchette decided to stay in South America working on a boat until November of 1979 (Klapperich).
Touchette still speaks highly of much of his time in Guyana noting the beautiful nature, comradery, and ideals of Jonestown.
“Edith Roller Journals: May 1978.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=35696.
Klapperich, Katherine. “An Interview with Mike Touchette.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=111236.
“Reflections and Articles by Mike Touchette.” Alternative Considerations of Jonestown Peoples Temple, https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=17050.
Reiterman, Tim, and John Jacobs. Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People. J.P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2008.