The Chilling Execution of Jonestown Defectors: A Mystery That Remains Unsolved for Over 40 Years
On the morning of February 27, 1980, police officers entered a modest cottage in Berkeley, California, and stumbled upon a crime scene straight out of a nightmare. Al and Jeannie Mills lay lifeless in their bedroom, both shot execution-style in the head. Beside them, their teenage daughter, Daphene, still clung to life, a bullet wound mirroring those of her parents. She succumbed to her injuries three days later.
This triple murder wasn’t just another crime—it was a sinister twist in the aftermath of one of history’s most infamous cult tragedies: the Jonestown Massacre. The Mills family had once been devout members of Jim Jones’ Peoples Temple, only to turn against the cult and become vocal critics. Their betrayal had made them targets, but did their past connection to Jonestown seal their fate?
From Devotion to Defection
The Millses, originally known as Elmer and Deanna Mertle, were once trusted confidants of Jim Jones. They weren’t just members—they were enforcers. Rising through the ranks, they carried out Jones’ bidding, including spying on and punishing defectors.
But their faith began to waver when Jones refused to return several California properties they had handed over to the church. Their trust shattered entirely when their daughter Linda was subjected to a brutal public beating, a punishment sanctioned by Jones himself. The Millses knew they had to escape.
In 1975, they fled with their children and assumed new identities, but they didn’t just vanish. They waged war against the cult. Through the Berkeley Human Freedom Center and the Concerned Relatives of Peoples Temple Members, the Millses publicly condemned Jones, exposing his manipulations and illegal activities. Their crusade played a pivotal role in prompting Congressman Leo Ryan to investigate Jonestown—a mission that ended in his assassination just hours before the Jonestown Massacre on November 18, 1978.
The Threats Were Real—Or Were They?
Jones had long boasted of a ‘hit squad’ that would hunt down defectors and enemies. After the Jonestown tragedy, the Millses were placed under police protection, fearing retaliation. In his final recorded message before his death, Jones even mentioned Jeannie Mills by her former name, ominously declaring that his followers “will not take our death in vain.”
Yet, when the Mills family was gunned down nearly two years later, law enforcement found no direct links to the cult. Instead, their suspicions took a shocking turn—to someone within the very house.
A Suspect in the Shadows
The only surviving member of the Mills household on that fateful night was Eddie Mills, Al and Jeannie’s 17-year-old son. Eddie claimed he heard nothing. Investigators, however, were skeptical. His fingers tested positive for gunpowder residue, but without a murder weapon, they had no solid case.
Despite inheriting nearly half of his parents’ $500,000 estate in 1983, Eddie remained a free man. Then, in 2005, more than two decades after the brutal killings, Berkeley police arrested him for the murders. But prosecutors refused to press charges, citing insufficient evidence. The case was officially closed.
A Mystery That Refuses to Die
Today, Eddie Mills resides in Japan, avoiding the spotlight. His surviving half-siblings insist on his innocence, and no new evidence has surfaced to reignite the investigation.
Was the Mills family murdered by remnants of the Jonestown cult seeking revenge? Or was this a far more intimate betrayal, hidden behind a carefully crafted alibi?
After more than 40 years, the truth remains buried—along with the Mills family.
