Senior Physics - Reference material
JFK - The Case for the Lone Nut
The Unofficial JFK Assassination FAQ #17
Copyright (c) 1996 by John Locke
jxxl@netcom.com
Comments, additions and corrections to this outline of Frequently
Asked Questions are welcome. Thanks to those who have already con-
tributed. Undoubtedly, there are facts and myths that have not yet made
it in, and incorrect information is inevitable in a topic this broad. How-
ever, I'll be the final judge of what goes into this particular FAQ. Criti-
cisms which are independent of any coherent theory of the
assassination are useless and won't be included. (Don't like it, write
your own FAQ!) This document is not meant to be an exhaustive or
documented history of the assassination. Rather, it's intended to pro-
vide a quick, common sense overview of the events and theories sur-
rounding the case. More detailed information, if desired, is best
obtained in the sources noted.
* - Asterisk in outline indicates recently added or revised sections.
i. ABBREVIATIONS
1. THE MAIN ISSUES
1.1 Who killed JFK?
1.2 Was there a conspiracy?
2. GETTING MORE INFORMATION
2.1 Non-conspiracy sources
2.1.1 The Warren Commission (WC)
2.1.2 The Rockefeller Commission
2.1.3 The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)
2.1.4 Books
2.1.5 Articles
2.2 Conspiracy sources
2.2.1 Books
2.3 Periodicals
2.4 Film and video
2.4.1 "JFK," the Oliver Stone movie
2.4.2 "Executive Action"
2.4.3 Documentaries
2.5 CD-ROMs
2.6 Internet resources
2.6.1 Anonymous FTP archives
2.6.2 World-Wide Web pages (Mosaic)
2.6.3 The JFK Place
2.7 Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)
2.8 Public Interest Groups
2.9 Museums
2.10 Specialty Markets
3. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONTROVERSY
4. BRIEF LEE HARVEY OSWALD BIOGRAPHY
5. THE SHOOTING OF JFK
5.1 The number of shots
5.2 The source of the shots
5.3 The first shot
5.4 The second shot -- Single Bullet Theory (SBT)
5.5 The third shot
5.6 Miscellaneous
6. JACK RUBY
7. THE GARRISON PROSECUTION OF CLAY SHAW
8. COMMON CONSPIRACY BOOK DECEPTIONS
9. MYTHS AND FACTS OF THE ASSASSINATION
9.1 Oswald
9.1.1 Oswald was a nice, non-violent boy.
9.1.2 Oswald was "planted" at the TSBD.
9.1.3 Oswald could not have made the shots.
9.1.4 Oswald had an alibi.
9.1.5 Oswald could not have escaped from the sixth floor in time.
9.1.6 There is no record of Oswald's interrogation.
9.1.7 Oswald was a "patsy."
9.1.8 Oswald can't be deemed guilty without a known motive.
9.1.9 Oswald had an impostor.
9.1.10 The military taught Oswald to speak Russian.
9.1.11 Oswald contracted a venereal disease "in the line of duty."
9.1.12 The photos of Oswald holding a rifle are fakes.
9.1.13 Oswald failed a paraffin test.
9.2 The shooting
9.2.1 Oswald's rifle was inadequate.
9.2.2 Oswald's rifle had a misaligned scope.
9.2.3 The rifle found on the sixth floor was a Mauser.
9.2.4 There was a second shooter seen on the GK.
9.2.5 The so-called "magic bullet" was pristine.
9.2.6 The third (head) shot had to have come from the front.
9.2.7 The three shots were made in under six seconds.
9.2.8 JFK was shot by the limousine driver.
9.2.9 JFK was accidentally shot by a Secret Service agent.
9.2.10 The limousine had a bubble-top protector that was not used.
9.3 Medical Issues
9.3.1 The Dallas doctors differed with the autopsists.
9.3.2 JFK's body was altered before the autopsy.
9.3.3 The original autopsy notes were destroyed.
9.3.4 JFK's back wound was only an inch deep.
9.3.5 JFK's back wound was below his throat wound.
9.3.6 The autopsists had no experience with gunshot wounds.
9.4 Dealey Plaza and Dallas
9.4.1 JFK's parade route was changed to go past the TSBD.
9.4.2 JFK's body was illegally taken from Texas.
9.4.3 Three tramps arrested near Dealey Plaza were CIA agents.
9.4.4 A Dealey Plaza spectator faked an epileptic seizure.
9.5 Ruby
9.5.1 Ruby was seen near the GK with a rifle.
9.5.2 Ruby and Oswald were gay lovers.
9.6 The Tippit Murder
9.6.1 Officer Tippit's killer was unidentified.
9.6.2 Oswald's pistol was not linked to the crime.
9.6.3 Two individuals participated in the Tippit murder.
9.7 The Warren Commission
9.7.1 The WC was a prosecution.
9.7.2 The WC findings have been discredited.
9.7.3 Supporters of the WC are dupes or CIA agents.
9.7.4 The WC records are sealed for 75 years.
9.8 Was there a cover-up?
9.8.1 Why has information been classified by the government?
9.8.2 The media has helped cover-up a conspiracy.
9.8.3 The FBI engaged in a cover-up.
9.8.4 JFK's brain is missing.
9.8.5 Many witnesses to the assassination have died mysteriously.
9.8.6 Dan Rather misrepresented the Zapruder film on television.
9.8.7 News of Oswald's guilt predated his arrest.
9.9 The Garrison affair
9.9.1 Clay Shaw was a CIA agent.
9.9.2 Oswald knew David Ferrie.
9.9.3 Garrison was connected to the mob.
9.10 Miscellaneous
9.10.1 The assassination was predicted.
9.10.2 JFK was killed for opposing the Vietnam war.
9.10.3 Most Americans believe there was a conspiracy.
9.10.4 The D.C. phone system shut down after the assassination.
9.10.5 The Mafia had JFK killed.
9.10.6 RFK promised to reopen the investigation.
10. WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
i. ABBREVIATIONS
CIA Central Intelligence Agency.
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation.
GK Grassy knoll -- the area to the front right of the president's
limousine at the time of the shooting.
HSCA The House Select Committee on Assassinations -- a late
1970s Congressional investigation of the JFK and MLK
assassinations.
JFK John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th(?) president.
LHO Lee Harvey Oswald -- JFK's assassin.
MC Mannlicher-Carcano -- LHO's rifle.
RFK Robert Kennedy, JFK's brother and Attorney General.
SS The Secret Service -- a division of the Treasury Depart-
ment assigned to protect the president.
TSBD Texas School Book Depository -- LHO's place of employ-
ment; the source of the shots that killed JFK.
WC Warren Commission -- the official assassination investiga-
tion.
WR Warren Report -- the WC's published findings.
Z-film The Zapruder film -- an amateur movie of the assassina-
tion.
1. THE MAIN ISSUES
1.1 Who killed JFK?
There is no serious question that Lee Harvey Oswald shot President
Kennedy and Governor Connally. Oswald took an MC rifle into work,
claiming the long package contained curtain rods. There was no eye-
witness to him shooting the rifle from inside the building, though a wit-
ness (Howard Brennan) saw him from the street and gave a rough
description to the police. The rifle was found hidden on the sixth floor.
It was the same gun Oswald had ordered through the mail. It had Os-
wald's prints on it. The bullets causing the wound to JFK and John
Connally were matched to this gun. Boxes used to make the "sniper's
lair" had Oswald's prints on them. Oswald fled the scene and later shot
a patrolman (Officer Tippit) who had stopped him for routine question-
ing. While in detention, he told numerous easily-discoverable lies to
police interrogators.
1.2 Was there a conspiracy?
There is no evidence that anyone other than Oswald was involved in
the actual shooting. The only remaining question is whether anyone put
him up to it. There is no evidence of conspiracy, and Oswald's general
lack of associations argues against the likelihood of his working with
others. However, it will always be open to conjecture.
2. GETTING MORE INFORMATION
The core information consists of the government investigations--the
WC Report and 26 volumes of Hearings, the HSCA Report and Hear-
ings, and the Rockefeller Report. There have been an estimated thou-
sand-plus books written on the assassination. In addition, other books
written on JFK or the times touch on the subject. There have been
countless newspaper and magazine articles written on the subject.
Some of these have been in general interest publications; others are
buried in smaller or specialty publications. There are also low-circula-
tion publications that specialize in the assassination. A number of tele-
vision documentaries have aired, some of which are on video tape.
Numerous other videos, and a few CD-ROMs are available. Much of
this material is redundant, so the following descriptions will not aim for
completeness. There is not always a hard line between pro- and anti-
conspiracy books but they are grouped by their leanings.
2.1 Non-conspiracy sources
2.1.1 The Warren Commission (WC)
The WC Report and Hearings are the basic source. The Report, which
summarizes the findings, is freely available in new and used bookstores
and libraries. Only a few thousand copies of the Hearings were printed
by the government. Some are in private hands; the rest are in the larger
libraries.
2.1.2 The Rockefeller Commission
The Rockefeller Commission of 1975 looked into CIA misbehavior
and examined a few assassination-related issues along the way, includ-
ing the identity of the three tramps arrested after the assassination. Li-
braries with large collections of government studies are the best
sources for this material.
2.1.3 The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)
The JFK and Martin Luther King assassinations were formally investi-
gated by the HSCA in the late seventies. They essentially confirmed the
WC findings that Oswald fired three shots, two of which struck and
killed JFK. Based solely on a police radio recording, they detected a
fourth gunshot in Dealey Plaza and concluded there was another shoot-
er on the GK who fired and missed. The recording, and thus the con-
spiracy thesis, was later discredited by a National Academy of Science
study. The tape had cross-talk from two channels and the sounds initial-
ly identified as shots were recorded a minute after the assassination.
2.1.4 Books
Di Maio, J.M., "Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Bal-
listics, and Forensic Techniques"
Epstein, Edward J., "Counterplot": About the Garrison investigation of
the assassination. Exposes the weakness of Garrison's case and the
dubious methods used to develop the evidence. Published before
the actual trial of Clay Shaw. (Reprinted in "The Assassination
Chronicles")
Kirkwood, James, "American Grotesque": A novelist's reportage of the
Clay Shaw trial. The most complete account, exposes the weakness
of the case against Shaw.
Lattimer, John K., M.D., "Kennedy and Lincoln": Discusses the medi-
cal and ballistic aspects of both assassinations.
Moore, Jim, "Conspiracy of One": Moore is a converted conspiracy
theorist. Short book but makes a lot of good points. However,
Moore's writing is marred by his sarcasm toward the conspiracy
theorists.
Posner, Gerald, "Case Closed": Single best book on the assassination.
Provides a solid biography of Oswald and discusses all the evi-
dence that implicates Oswald, including a lengthy discussion of the
physical evidence, referencing much of the scientific confirmation
of the shots that has gone on behind the scenes. Also debunks the
most common conspiracy myths. (See Web page `http://our-
world.compuserve.com/homepages/posner'.)
2.1.5 Articles
Alvarez, Luis W., "A physicist examines the Kennedy assassination
film," American Journal of Physics, September 1976: The Nobel
Prize-winning physicist looks at three aspects of the Z-film: 1) the
"jiggle analysis" that correlates jiggles in the hand-held camera
with the gunshots, 2) why JFK's skull might have moved back to-
ward the direction of the shot, and 3) why the presidential limou-
sine slowed before the fatal head shot.
Artwohl, Robert R., M.D., "JFK's Assassination: Conspiracy, Forensic
Science, and Common Sense," Journal of the American Medical
Association, March 24/31, 1993: A physician clears up a number of
the misconceptions regarding the medical evidence in the case. [See
related articles in the same issue of JAMA.]
Ayoob, Massad, "The Ayoob Files - The JFK Assassination: A Shoot-
er's Eye View," American Handgunner, March/April 1993: Gun ex-
perts examine a number of issues related to Oswald's MC rifle, his
shooting skill, ballistics, and the reaction of Kennedy to the shots.
The single-assassin theory is found to be well within the limits of
plausibility.
Breo, Dennis L., "JFK's death--the plain truth from the MDs who did
the autopsy," Journal of the American Medical Association, May
27, 1992: The author interviews autopsists Humes and Boswell to
clear up a number of common misconceptions. [See related articles
in the same issue of JAMA.]
Breo, Dennis L., "JFK's death, part III--Dr Finck speaks out: `two bul-
lets, from the rear,'" Journal of the American Medical Association,
October 7, 1992: The author interviews autopsist Finck. [See relat-
ed articles, editorials, and letters to the editor in the same issue of
JAMA.]
Catton, Bruce, "A Historical Afterword," afterword to the book, Pref-
aces to History," Doubleday, 1970: A distinguished historian prais-
es the unprecedented contribution to history made by the WC.
Cohen, Jacob, "Conspiracy Fever," Commentary, October 1975: Excel-
lent debunking of the conspiracy theories.
Committee on Ballistic Acoustics [aka Ramsey panel], National Re-
search Council, "Reexamination of Acoustic Evidence in the
Kennedy Assassination," Science, October 8, 1982: Reexamines
the Dictabelt tape used by the HSCA to show that four shots were
fired on Dealey Plaza. Concludes that the tape contains two chan-
nels recorded at different times, that the sounds purported to be
gunshots were recorded a minute after the assassination at a loca-
tion other than Dealey Plaza.
Kaplan, John, "The Assassins," Stanford Law Review, May 1967; re-
printed as "The Case of the Grassy Knoll: The Romance of Con-
spiracy" in "The Historian As Detective," Winks, editor: Excellent
analysis of the facts and logic that govern the case, a lesson in clear
thinking. Debunks the best-selling conspiracy books of the time,
most notably "Rush to Judgment."
Lattimer, John K., M.D., "Experimental Duplication of the Important
Physical Evidence of the Lapel Bulge of the Jacket Worn by Gover-
nor Connally When Bullet 399 Went Through Him," Journal of the
American College of Surgeons, May 1994: Duplicates the Single
Bullet Theory. Proves the SBT is not only plausible, but inevitable.
Myers, Dale K., "Secrets of a Homicide: Exploring the JFK Assassina-
tion," Video Toaster User, November 1994: Presents a precise, de-
tailed 3D computer model of Dealey Plaza, the TSBD, and the
presidential limousine, using the Z-film and other photographs for
correlation. Sheds light on some assassination mysteries, particular-
ly the timing and direction of the gunshots. Confirms the WC and
HSCA conclusions. (Myers' work is scheduled to be packaged as a
TV documentary at some point.) (See Web page http://
www.rust.net/~dmyers/jfk.)
2.2 Conspiracy sources
2.2.1 Books
Epstein, Edward J., "Inquest": Study of how the WC operated is mildly
conspiratorial, labeling the Commission's findings as a "political
truth" intended to pacify the American people. Epstein's later rejec-
tion of conspiracy theories is an implicit disavowal of "Inquest."
Though the book itself is very interesting, some of the Warren staff-
ers have claimed Epstein misquoted them on key points.
Fonzi, Gaeton, "The Last Investigation": The former HSCA investiga-
tor takes a revisionist view of the hearings.
Garrison, Jim, "On the Trail of the Assassins": Garrison's description
of his assassination investigation and subsequent prosecution of
Clay Shaw is one of the most entertaining books on the subject.
However, it grossly distorts the facts of the case and Garrison's
role. The film "JFK" was primarily based on the book.
Groden, Robert, "The Killing Of A President": Contains many famous
assassination photos.
Lane, Mark, "Rush to Judgment": The best-selling conspiracy book of
the sixties. Replete with numerous distortions of the record, it fails
to prove any conspiracy or present any coherent counter-theory of
the assassination.
Lifton, David, "Best Evidence": Lifton's thesis is that JFK's body was
altered to make it appear that all his wounds were made from be-
hind. The defect in the theory--aside from its patent absurdity--is
that JFK's body was never left alone when such a feat could have
been performed.
Marrs, Jim, "Crossfire: The Plot that Killed Kennedy": An entertaining
overview of the major conspiracy theories, but shoddy journalism.
Marrs distorts the record badly and avoids dealing with the evi-
dence against conspiracy. Used as a key source for the film "JFK."
Scheim, David, "Contract on America": One of the leading books pur-
porting to show an organized crime link to the assassination.
Scott, Peter Dale, "Deep Politics and the Death of JFK": Attempts to
explain the JFK assassination through analysis of political forces.
Since the forces aren't linked to the assassination, the validity of the
thesis suffers accordingly.
Stone, Oliver and Sklar, Zachary, "JFK: The Book of the Film": The
first part is an annotated script of "JFK." The second part, which
makes this one of the best books in the field, contains virtually the
entire printed public debate about the film, as represented by arti-
cles and editorials from the major publications.
Summers, Anthony, "Conspiracy": A good compendium of conspiracy
theories.
Weisberg, Harold, "Whitewash I-IV": These books specialize in criti-
cizing every bit of evidence that points to Oswald's guilt without
ever supplying a counter-theory of the assassination that could jus-
tify the effort. Worthless and hard to read.
2.3 Periodicals
Fourth Decade
State University College
Fredonia, NY 14063
Edited by Jerry Rose. Bimonthly. $25/yr.
The JFK/Deep Politics Quarterly
P.O. Box 174
Hillsdale, New Jersey 07642
Edited by Walt Brown, Jan Stevens. $24/yr.
Probe
P.O. Box 5489
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413
Probe is a publication of the CTKA. $30/six issues. Back issues
2.4 Film and video
2.4.1 "JFK," the Oliver Stone movie
"JFK" is director Oliver Stone's passionate dramatization of New Or-
leans District Attorney Jim Garrison's crusade to expose a conspiracy
in the JFK assassination. It achieves its power through a straight-faced
confirmation of the beliefs of the cultish assassination buffs, much as
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" did for the UFO community. In
retelling the story of Garrison's investigation and subsequent celebrat-
ed trial of NO businessman, Clay Shaw, the film artfully blends drama
and news of the period, often blurring the distinction. The framework
of the story closely follows the historical events, at least as they are
chronicled in Garrison's memoir, "On the Trail of the Assassins"; how-
ever, the details are wrong in many instances leaving the audience ill-
prepared to separate fact from fiction. The film refers to numerous as-
sassination myths which are addressed elsewhere in this document, but
here are a number of key areas wherein the film distorts the historical
record:
1. The David Ferrie confession scene. This never occurred. To his
death, Ferrie denied any connection to the assassination, and no con-
nection was ever proved by Garrison or anyone else.
2. The Mr. X character. Garrison had no such informant. In the film,
Mr. X mouths the views of conspiracy author, L. Fletcher Prouty, a
former Pentagon official who advised Stone on the script of the film. In
an unintended irony, Mr. X is at the center of the mystery, but even he
can't say who killed JFK, making him, perhaps, the film's most rele-
vant metaphor.
3. Garrison's presence in the courtroom. In reality, Garrison aban-
doned his personal crusade and only appeared during the trial to make
opening and closing statements. Garrison questioned no witnesses, nor
did he make any courtroom demonstrations as depicted in the film.
4. The discussion among Garrison and his staff about potential mob
involvement in the assassination. This scene was a sop to conspiracy
theorists who suspect Mafia complicity. In reality, Garrison was
strangely circumspect about the mob even though David Ferrie, a cen-
tral figure in Garrison's conspiracy theory, was employed by New Or-
leans Mafia chieftain, Carlos Marcello, at the time of the assassination.
5. The Willie O'Keefe character. There was no such person. In reality,
Garrison's case against Shaw collapsed because of the weakness of the
witnesses against Shaw. They included an off-the-wall paranoiac and a
man who under hypnosis concocted a story about Shaw, Ferrie, and Os-
wald discussing the assassination at a party. Rather than undermine
Garrison's credibility, the film omits these characters, replacing them
and the more tantalizing aspects of their testimony with the more plau-
sible Willie O'Keefe composite.
6. The Oswald/Bannister relationship. The only factor ever linking
Oswald with ex-FBI agent Guy Bannister was an address on one of Os-
wald's political flyers that was in the same building as Bannister's of-
fice. In reality, Oswald's use of the building was brief and there's no
evidence the two men were acquainted.
7. The Oswald/Ferrie relationship. There is no link of Oswald to the
eccentric David Ferrie outside of Oswald's brief membership as a teen-
ager in the Civil Air Patrol unit that Ferrie led.
8. The Oswald/Shaw relationship. There's no evidence that Oswald
and Shaw were in any way acquainted.
9. The Ferrie/Shaw relationship. The only evidence that Ferrie and
Shaw were acquainted is a 1949 photograph which purports to show
the two men together at a party.
10. The implication that LBJ was behind a conspiracy. There is no evi-
dence that LBJ (or any government official) had foreknowledge of the
assassination.
11. Everybody was against Garrison. This is more or less true. Garrison
made a lot of enemies with his assassination activities. He depicts this
as being the corruption of The Establishment in defending the conspira-
cy. In reality, Garrison was so blinded by his conspiracy belief he em-
ployed unethical methods in pursuing a case against Clay Shaw. The
innocent Shaw was financially ruined defending himself and this is the
true legacy of Garrison's inquisition.
[Documentation for "JFK" can be found in the book "JFK: The Book
of the Film," which contains an annotated script.]
2.4.2 "Executive Action"
A low budget 1973 film based on Mark Lane's theories. Not very good.
2.4.3 Documentaries
"The Men Who Killed Kennedy," A&E 5-part series: A compendium
of conspiracy theories, with scant critical examination.
"Who was Lee Harvey Oswald?" Frontline, PBS: An engrossing three-
hour biography of LHO, including recent information obtained
about his stay in the USSR.
"Who Shot President Kennedy?" NOVA, PBS, 11/88: An examination
of scientific aspects of the case which lends no support to conspira-
cy theories. Main topics: 1) How the acoustic evidence cited by the
HSCA was determined to be invalid, 2) Whether the Parkland doc-
tors disagreed with the Bethesda autopsy conclusions, 3) Whether a
3-D computer simulation precluded shots from the sixth floor of the
TSBD.
2.5 CD-ROMs
JFK Assassination
Medio Multimedia Inc.
Redmond, Washington 98052-5515
800/788-3866
Seems to be the consensus best choice.
PowerCD - Encyclopedia of the JFK Assassination
ZCI Publishing
1950 Stemmons, Suite 6048
Dallas, Texas 75207-3109
800/460-0444, 214/746-5560 (fax)
Has a conspiracy slant.
LMP Systems
10420 Plano Road, Suite 101
Dallas, Texas 75238
214/343-8338
One CD contains the complete text of the first fifteen WC volumes;
another has complete text and most exhibits of the HSCA hearings.
2.6 Internet Resources
2.6.1 Anonymous FTP archives
1) John McAdams, a political science professor at Marquette, main-
tains an archive of graphic images and text files. Most serve to debunk
a variety of myths about the case, but there are some pro-conspiracy
items, too.
Instructions: FTP to FTP.NETCOM.COM (command: ftp ftp.net-
com.com). Login with "anonymous" for name and email address for
password. Change directory to pub/jm/jmcadams (cd pub/jm/jmcad-
ams). Retrieve file filelist.txt (get filelist.txt) for a list of files and in-
structions.
2) Lisa Pease maintains an archive slanted toward conspiracy theories.
FTP to FTP.NETCOM.COM as above. Change directory to pub/lpease.
3) A general archive which has some conspiracy material is at
FTP.ETEXT.ORG. Change directory to pub/Politics/Conspiracy/JFK.
2.6.2 World-Wide Web
(Additional Web pages are listed elsewhere where relevant.)
1) A-albionic Research maintains a WWW page of general conspiracy-
related material, including some JFK stuff. A-albionic has a book ser-
vice for new and out of print conspiracy books. Use URL:
http://gopher.a-albionic.com:9006/
If you don't have Web access, FTP to ftp.a-albionic.com or email them
at majordomo@mail.msen.com with "info prj" in the message.
2) Fair Play Magazine is a conspiracy-related site. Use URL:
http://rmii.com/~jkelin/fp.html
3) The JFK Assassination Fascination is a conspiracy-related site, real-
ly just an advertizement for some taped lectures. It has links to other
sites of interest. Use URL:
http://smartnet.net/jfk/
4) The JFK Assassination Home Page is a conspiracy-related site main-
tained by Robert Harris. It has links to other sites of interest. Use URL:
http://www.rt66.com/~rharris/1.html
5) John McAdams' home page has information regarding the single-as-
sassin (LHO) theory. Use URL:
file://ftp.netcom.com//pub/jm/jmcadams/home.html
5) The 50 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time includes some nicely-pre-
sented information on the JFK case. Use URL:
http://www.webcom.com/~conspire
6) JFK-Lancer Productions Publications. They publish a quarterly on
on the JFK assassination. They have a mail-order service for assassina-
tion books, videos, etc. They also a nice set of links to other JFK sites.
Use URL:
http://server.snni.com/~jfklancr
2.6.3 The JFK Place
Deanie Richards (x1wbr@vm1.cc.uakron.edu) maintains The JFK
Place on the Akron Regional Free-Net, a nice menu-driven system that
covers all aspects of the assassination. Features include conferences
and other news, book reviews, alt.conspiracy.jfk access, and other fo-
rums for exchanging information. Also available is general info about
JFK's presidency, other Kennedys, other assassinations, and other fea-
tures under construction.
Use Gopher to access or:
telnet riker.neoucom.edu
Enter "visitor" for login name and follow the instructions. When the
first menu comes up, select #16, Special Interest Groups, then go to
The JFK Place.
2.7 Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)
Conspiracy BBS - Milford, MA
508/473-0503 (14,400 baud)
508/473-1958 (2400 baud)
508/473-0767 (voicemail support)
Contact: Paul Brady
Offers SpyNet for conspiracy news.
2.8 Public Interest Groups
Assassination Record Review Board
600 E Street NW
2nd Floor, Suite 208
Washington, D.C. 20530
202/724-0088 (voice)
202/724-0457 (fax)
This is the group set up to review and declassify, where possible, the
remaining classified government files on the assassination.
CTKA - Citizens for Truth about the Kennedy Assassinations
2139 N. Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90068
213/463-6792
http://www.webcom.com/~ctka/
2.9 Museums
The Conspiracy Museum
Dallas, TX
Located near Dealey Plaza. Covers a variety of conspiracies.
The Sixth Floor
411 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75202-3301
214/653-6666
The sixth floor of the former TSBD has been converted to a museum
devoted to the assassination. The sniper's lair has been reconstructed
and enclosed in plexiglass (Dealey Plaza can be viewed from the ad-
jacent window). The museum includes exhibits and a book store and
is well worth visiting. Spooky.
2.10 Specialty Markets
Tom Davis Books
PO Box 1107
Aptos, CA 95001-1107
408/475-8341
davibook@aol.com
Specializes in a wide variety of conspiracy and political materials.
The Last Hurrah Bookshop
937 Memorial Avenue
Williamsport, PA 17701
717/327-9338
JFK Resource Group
332 NE 5th St.
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
214/264-2007
University Microfilms International
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
313/973-9821, ext. 708
313/973-1540 (fax)
Sells the 26-volume set of WC documents on microfilm.
3. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONTROVERSY
A murder of the chief executive is ample cause for people to conclude
that conspiracies are afoot. Political leaders, particularly national lead-
ers, possess the power to change many lives with the stroke of a pen,
thus there is no difficulty imagining any number of aggrieved parties
who might seek vengeance for past wrongs or forestall anticipated
ones.
Speculations regarding conspiracy were here to stay after Jack Ruby
shot Oswald. Oswald had been permanently silenced, perhaps by de-
sign. The WC was formed to investigate the assassination and, if peo-
ple were convinced a conspiracy would be uncovered, they were sorely
disappointed by the Commission's findings that Oswald, acting alone,
perpetrated the crime; and that Jack Ruby had acted on his own as well.
The Report did little to dampen speculation, as far as most people were
concerned. Conspiracy books hit the newsstands before the WC re-
leased its findings; new theories are published frequently as the assassi-
nation has spawned a cottage industry of media products.
In trying to spare the Kennedy family's dignity, the Commission did
not enter some of the autopsy materials into evidence, relying instead
on witness testimony and artist recreations. This led critics of the find-
ings to charge that the autopsy materials were being kept secret to con-
ceal the evidence of gunshots from more than one location. In 1969, the
Clark Panel was convened to address the charges. The autopsy materi-
als were confirmed as demonstrating two shots from the rear, as stated
in the WR. Undeterred, the critics shifted their charge, arguing instead
that the X-rays and photographs were fakes designed to conceal evi-
dence of multiple shots. These issues were officially revisited by the
HSCA in the late seventies and the WC's findings were again affirmed.
Taking the tit-for-tat a step farther, author David Lifton concocted the
theory that the X-rays and photographs were indeed authentic, but that
JFK's body itself had been altered to conceal shots from multiple direc-
tions.
In 1975, the Rockefeller Commission investigating domestic CIA ac-
tivities confronted a few JFK assassination issues, but found no con-
spiracy. The HSCA investigated the case thoroughly, calling many
experts, but found no conspiracy. Their conclusion suggested the prob-
ability of a second gunman on the GK whose only shot missed. The po-
lice channel recording that led to this conclusion was discredited in
1982 in a National Academy of Science study.
The next big boost to the controversy was spurred by Oliver Stone's
big-budget film "JFK" (1991), largely based on Jim Garrison's prose-
cution of New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw. Numerous articles
were published in a contentious public debate. Congress attempted to
assuage public anxieties by legislating to declassify as much of the
WC, HSCA, and other assassination files as possible, a laborious effort
which is underway. In a separate move, the CIA began to declassify
some of their own files on the assassination. Books based on the newly-
released material have appeared.
The most recent burst of activity in the field came in late 1993, as doz-
ens of new books were published for the thirtieth anniversary of the as-
sassination. The best-seller of the bunch was Gerald Posner's
exhaustive "Case Closed," which presented the first comprehensive
case that Oswald had indeed been the sole assassin.
4. BRIEF LEE HARVEY OSWALD BIOGRAPHY
LHO, by any measure, is one of the strangest figures to step onto histo-
ry's stage. He grew up in a broken home, raised by his mother. He was
from New Orleans, but they moved to New York and then back.
He dropped out of high school to join the Marines. He was trained as a
radar operator and eventually stationed at a base in Atsugi, Japan,
where secret U2 planes embarked for flights over the Soviet Union. In
his spare time, he read about and idealized communism, even teaching
himself rudimentary Russian.
After his discharge, he paid his own way to Moscow in 1959, traveling
through Finland. At the US consulate in Moscow, he threatened to give
away military secrets (codes, frequencies, etc.), which by then was out-
dated. He demanded to renounce his US citizenship but failed to return
for an appointment. The Soviet authorities distrusted him and rejected
his request to settle in the country. When he slashed his wrists in his ho-
tel room, they relented, presumably fearing the bad publicity his death
might bring. He was given superior quarters in Minsk, a job at a radio
factory, and was kept under surveillance. He was happy for a time and
married a Russian woman, Marina. He eventually became disgruntled
when Soviet life failed his ideals and asked to leave the country with
his wife and child. Still a US citizen, the State Department fronted him
the money to return in 1962, which he eventually repaid.
At various times, he lived in Dallas and New Orleans working in a se-
ries of low-paying jobs. In New Orleans, he started his own chapter of
the pro-Castro Fair Play for Cuba Committee, without explicit authori-
zation from the actual organization. The only member, he handed out
leaflets and appeared in media debates. He planned to hi-jack a plane to
Cuba, but Marina dissuaded him. At one point he took a bus to Mexico
City and visited the Cuban and Soviet embassies, attempting unsuc-
cessfully to get entrance to Cuba and perhaps return to the Soviet
Union.
In Dallas in early 1963, Oswald shot at General Edwin Walker, an out-
spoken right-winger, through Walker's home window. Later that year,
the abusive Oswald separated from Marina, living under an assumed
name in a rooming house while Marina stayed with a Russian-speaking
friend, Ruth Paine. Oswald got a job at the TSBD through a reference
from Paine's neighbor.
Though he had previously only stayed with Marina at the Paine's on
weekends, Oswald spent the Thursday night before the President's visit
there. He left most of his money and his wedding band on Marina's
dresser. He wrapped his disassembled rifle in paper and rode to the
TSBD with a co-worker, claiming the long package contained curtain
rods. Late in the morning, Oswald constructed a barricade with boxes
on the sixth floor of the TSBD. He assembled the rifle and shot three
times as the President passed by. The first shot missed, the second--the
so-called "magic bullet"--hit JFK and Connally, causing seven wounds,
and the third hit JFK in the back of the head.
After the shooting, Oswald hid the rifle on the sixth floor and descend-
ed to the second floor lunchroom, where he was soon confronted by a
cop who ignored him on the advice of the TSBD supervisor. He left the
TSBD, walked two blocks away and caught a bus that was coming
back towards to the TSBD and from there on to the neighborhood
where he lived. When the bus became snarled in traffic, he got off,
walked several blocks and caught a cab. He had the driver drop him off
a few blocks past the rooming house and walked back. He retrieved his
pistol and walked toward a commercial district. On a side street he was
stopped by a cop, Officer Tippit, for questioning, since Oswald
matched a description broadcast by the police. Oswald fatally shot him
as he stepped out of his patrol car and then ran off. In the commercial
district, he ducked into the entrance of a shoe store after hearing sirens.
Suspicious, the shoe store clerk followed Oswald and saw him sneak
into a movie theater. The clerk informed the ticket taker and the police
were called. Oswald was arrested in the theatre after pulling his pistol.
He was held on suspicion of murdering the cop and later on shooting
the President. On Sunday, he was shot to death in the police department
basement by Jack Ruby as he was being transferred to the County jail.
5. THE SHOOTING OF JFK
The core of the case must be a determination of what happened on Dea-
ley Plaza at 12:30pm, November 22, 1963. The President was shot and
killed. How many shots were fired, by who, and from where? Where
did they go? What damage did they do? The government's conclusion
is that one man, LHO, shot three times from the sixth floor of TSBD,
his place of employment, killing the President and wounding Governor
Connally. The conspiracy theories, generally, flow from the idea that
the narrow timing of the shots, the misalignment of the wounds, and
other medical and ballistic factors prove that one man could not have
done the deed, thus a conspiracy.
5.1 The number of shots
Of the approximately 200 witnesses whose statements were taken by
the WC, 88%said they heard three shots, 5% said they heard more than
three. Only 2% reported hearing shots coming from more than one lo-
cation, but the issue is complicated somewhat by the echoes created by
the buildings surrounding the Plaza. Three shells were discovered on
the sixth floor "sniper's lair" to bolster the theory that three shots were
fired.
5.2 The source of the shots
Of the earwitnesses who stated an opinion as to the source of the shots,
most thought the shots came from their end of the plaza; people on the
uphill end of Dealey Plaza tended to think the shots came from the di-
rection of the TSBD; people at the other end, tended to think the shots
came from the GK area. However, the consensus was the shots all orig-
inated from a single source.
5.3 The first shot
The current consensus is that the first shot was a miss, perhaps because
Oswald shot through the canopy of the tree in front of the TSBD. He
may have done this out of anxiety, or because he was aiming through an
opening in the canopy, or because the tree suddenly loomed before his
scope as he tracked the limousine. The bullet may have been deflected
by a branch.
5.4 The second shot -- Single Bullet Theory (SBT)
The second shot hit JFK in the back of the neck and emerged from the
bottom of the throat (a lower point). Since a bullet loses some 15% of
its speed when it passes through skin, it is slowed by about 30% when
it emerges. It also tumbles, its travel having been disrupted by the neck.
It hits Connally's back mid-tumble, causing an elongated wound, and
"slap fractures" Connally's rib. It emerges below Connally's right nip-
ple, considerably slowed now. It passes through the right wrist at about
half its muzzle velocity, too slow for the bullet to be damaged by con-
tact with the wrist bone. The wrist deflects the bullet which ends its
path shallowly embedded in Connally's right thigh.
This determination of the bullet's path was not obvious to the WC in-
vestigators. They had a minimum of information and were limited by
time and the analytical technology of the day. Certain aspects of the
shot, as revealed by the amateur Z-film, were ambiguous, especially the
question of whether JFK and Connally were hit at the same time. Ulti-
mately, the confidence of the investigators in the SBT arose from pro-
cess of elimination or, as Sherlock Holmes said, "When one has
eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improba-
ble, is the truth." Today, though, the SBT has been more thoroughly
studied and tested, using modern technology, and has been affirmed as
not only plausible, but the only likely solution to the puzzle.
Conversely, the critics of the SBT have failed to quantify their criticism
by showing how far from possible they consider the SBT to be. Nor
have they supplied a counter-explanation that accounts for the physical
and medical evidence.
5.5 The third shot
Oswald's third shot hit JFK in the cowlick area of the back of the head.
JFK's head moved forward for a brief fraction of a second and then his
body fell back and slumped to the left side. The explanation for the
non-intuitive backwards reaction relies on many possible factors which
would be almost impossible to duplicate in a single experiment. Some
of the factors are: 1) JFK's nervous system had already been damaged
by his first wound, which grazed his spinal cord, 2) the head shot creat-
ed instant, massive damage to the nervous system, 3) the bullet made a
small hole on entry, then created a forward-moving wave of pressure in
the soft tissue, causing a large exit wound and the escape of pressure to
the front (referred to as the "jet effect"), 4) JFK was wearing a back
brace which stiffened his upper body, 5) the vehicle was moving.
5.6 Miscellaneous
A bystander on the other side of Dealey Plaza, James Tague, was hit on
the cheek by shrapnel. There's no consensus on whether it came from
the first shot hitting the pavement or from the head shot.
6. JACK RUBY
Jack Ruby was a lightweight hustler with a history of failed business
ventures, tax problems, explosions of temper, and arrests for petty vio-
lations by the Dallas police. In 1963, he operated a Dallas strip joint,
the Carousel Club. People who knew Ruby report that he spent the
weekend following the assassination in a state of anguish over the trag-
edy. A newsman, Seth Kantor, saw him in Parkland Hospital, where the
President was taken, in the minutes following the assassination. He was
also a spectator at the Friday night Police press conference. On the Sun-
day morning following the assassination, he entered the basement of
the Dallas Police Department when Oswald was being transferred to
the County Jail. He pulled a pistol and shot Oswald to death.
Ruby's motives are confused since he stated different reasons to ex-
plain his act, some on the advice of his attorney. Variously, he said he
wanted to spare Mrs. Kennedy the pain of Oswald's trial, and that he
wanted to show the world that a Jew, which he was, could be tough and
patriotic, and that Jews abhorred the assassination as much as other
Americans. There is no evidence that he was part of any conspiracy or
otherwise put up to the murder. He was not in the Mafia but may have
had peripheral connections resulting from his running a strip club and
dealing with labor organizations.
7. THE GARRISON PROSECUTION OF CLAY SHAW
Jim Garrison was the District Attorney of New Orleans. On the Sunday
following the assassination, he interrogated a local figure, David Ferrie,
whom he heard had made a car trip to Texas on the afternoon (Friday)
of the assassination. Nothing came of the questioning. In the ensuing
years, Garrison became fascinated with the assassination and believed
there had been a conspiracy. Oswald was from New Orleans and had
lived there at various times in the year preceding the assassination.
In 1967, Garrison began to investigate the assassination out of the DA's
office, looking for a local angle. When a reporter exposed Garrison for
spending public funds on the investigation, the DA reacted by charging
Ferrie with conspiracy to assassinate the president. Several days later,
the anxiety-ridden Ferrie died of a brain aneurism. Garrison then shift-
ed his charge to a prominent local businessman, Clay Shaw.
Shaw was eventually tried in 1969, the evidence against him laughably
weak. It included a witness, Perry Russo, who testified to overhearing
Shaw, Ferrie, and Oswald at a party discuss a plan to kill JFK. Howev-
er, Russo's memory of the alleged party was only obtained by leading
questions asked of Russo while he was under hypnosis and/or sodium
pentothal. Another witness, a heroin addict, testified to seeing Shaw
hand Oswald money on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Another wit-
ness, Charles Spiesel, made a farce of the trial when he admitted finger-
printing his own daughter to verify her identity. Much of the trial was
devoted to demonstrating suspicious aspects of the assassination, but
no evidence connected Shaw. Garrison, himself, scarcely attended the
trial, only appearing to make opening and closing arguments. The jury
acquitted Shaw after a thirty minute deliberation. However, he was fi-
nancially ruined.
8. COMMON CONSPIRACY BOOK DECEPTIONS
The circumstances surrounding the JFK assassination have always
seemed suspicious--a former defector to the Soviet Union is charged
with the crime before he, himself, is quickly murdered. However suspi-
cious a crime seems, though, however many rumors are swirling about,
a sober accounting of the event can only follow a thorough understand-
ing of the evidence. Unfortunately, this caution has rarely been ob-
served by the public in regards to the assassination. Before virtually
anything was known about the assassination, many people became con-
vinced that a conspiracy of some sort was behind it. Thus, disappoint-
ment greeted the WC's conclusion--ten months following the
assassination--that LHO, acting alone, was guilty.
Before the WR was released, authors were already exploiting the cli-
mate of suspicion with books arguing that a conspiracy had existed.
Whatever effect the report had on dampening those suspicions was
soon overwhelmed by a new wave of books denouncing the report. The
myth of conspiracy became firmly planted in the public mind. Over
three decades later, and after the publication of hundreds of conspiracy
books, a number of them bestsellers, the JFK assassination remains a
topic of intense curiosity.
The only catch is that the central conclusion of the WC--that LHO
alone committed the crime--remains unchallenged by responsible,
competent scholarship. The countless conspiracy books which strenu-
ously argue to the contrary constitute one of the largest bodies of fraud-
ulent work ever created. That is not to say that they don't make for
compelling reading. They often do. They have much more to offer in
the way of intrigue and excitement than the mundane conclusion that a
loser stuck a gun out the window and shot the president.
Since the WC had irrefutable physical evidence on its side, and since
their theory is the only conceivable one that fits that evidence, the ap-
proach of the conspiracy authors has been to pretend the WC perpetrat-
ed a lie of monstrous proportions. They have attacked the WC on
virtually every front to promote wholesale disbelief that a single indi-
vidual could have committed the crime. They present no clear affirma-
tive proof of conspiracy, relying instead on an inverse conclusion: if
one individual could not have done it, then more than one must have.
They leave the who, what, when, where, and why to the reader's will-
ing imagination and exhort others--the government--to get the com-
plete "truth" out.
Rather than rebutting specific charges, which is done elsewhere
throughout the FAQ, this section lists a number of the dizzying array of
deceptive techniques used in conspiracy books to make the case. These
techniques are unacceptable because they violate the fundamental
methodologies of responsible research which all competent scholars
and journalists follow. That approach, in short, requires examining all
relevant evidence, weighing it carefully, forming conclusions where
possible, and only then speculating on what can't be determined from
the facts. The reader is not discouraged from examining conspiracy
books for whatever interest they may yield, but is instead encouraged to
be aware of the techniques used and to hold all authors to the highest
standards of research before putting any faith in their work.
The accompanying examples have been chosen not because they are
the only, best, or most significant applications, but rather because they
are typical, brief, somewhat self-contained, and easily characterized.
The typical conspiracy book is an artful blend of fact and distortion
which contains numerous examples of bad research and argument. To
be convinced of this point, the reader is encouraged to independently
check the claims made in the conspiracy books against the documenta-
ry record.
1. Sell emotion first.
If a conspiracy had killed JFK, and if the government had covered it up,
it would certainly be an outrage. It would defile the memory of JFK, a
much-admired man, that his killers went free. If the conspiracy had
been a government plot, it would throw the very legitimacy of the gov-
ernment into question and create the uneasy sensation that the news re-
ported from Washington is a mere cover for the real operation. At any
rate, powerful emotions flow from the belief in a conspiracy. When
these feelings can be established upfront by the conspiracy author, typ-
ically by enjoining the reader in the author's own passion, the reader
may be persuaded to drop his natural skepticism regarding fantastic
plots.
Example. Garrison, "On the Trail of the Assassins," introduction: "This
book is really about [my] process of change--of growing disillusion-
ment, anger and knowledge."
Example. Marrs, "Crossfire," preface: "I seek not only the killers of
President Kennedy, I seek the persons who killed Camelot--who killed
the confidence and faith of the American people in their government
and institutions."
2. Scare the reader away from primary documents.
The central debate of the controversy is between the WR and the conpi-
racy argument, which usually consists in large measure of a ferocious
attack on the report. A careful reader would examine the report to
check whether it is being accurately represented in the conspiracy
books. (It's frequently not.) To forestall this examination, which risks
exposing the author's deceit, the report is described as unreadable or ut-
terly worthless. In point of fact, the report is well-written, interesting,
and objective in its analysis of the evidence.
Example: DiEugenio, "Destiny Betrayed," Chapter 14: "The American
people had been lied to before, but the Warren Report moved this phe-
nomenon to a higher plane. The lie was so big, the attendant praise so
lavish, the holes in the story so gaping..."
3. Distort the evidence.
Since most people will trust a book, and not double-check its claims
against the source material, it is a simple matter to alter the import of
the evidence by eliminating key details.
Example. Bullet CE399 of the SBT is often described as "pristine,"
which doesn't accord with the WC's contention that it struck John Con-
nally's rib and wrist bone. DiEugenio, "Destiny Betrayed," Chapter 7:
"No bullet fired through any obstacle--not even through cotton and gel-
atin--could emerge as intact as the pristine CE 399." Lifton, "Best Evi-
dence," Chapter 9: "I still thought that bullet 399, because of its
undamaged...condition, must have been planted." Groden and Living-
stone, "High Treason," Chapter 3: "[Connally] was still holding on to
his Stetson hat long after the `pristine' or `magic' bullet supposedly
shattered his wrist..." What the authors omit is that CE399 is damaged.
It's bowed along its longitudinal axis and compressed on its base, both
effects requiring a significant force. The SBT postulates the bullet tum-
bled (as a result of the passage through JFK's neck), hit Connally's rib
sideways and at reduced speed, and hit the wrist at an even slower
speed, all of which is consistent with the deformation to CE399.
Example. It is frequently charged that the WC insisted that three shots
had to have been fired within six seconds, a difficult feat with the mur-
der weapon. DiEugenio, "Destiny Betrayed," Chapter 7: "[The WC]
concluded that the time span for Oswald's alleged series of shots could
be no more than 5.6 seconds." Marrs, "Crossfire," preface: "Do you be-
lieve government experts who state that a man...hit a man...with three
shots in less than six seconds?" In actuality, the WC predicated their
time estimate on which of the three shots missed, a factor they were not
certain of: "The Commission concluded...that the three shots were fired
in a time period ranging from approximately 4.8 to in excess of 7 sec-
onds." (Chapter III) What the conspiracy authors have done is to select
a figure from the least charitable end of the Commission's time range
and mischaracterize it as their sole estimate.
4. Emphasize eyewitness testimony.
Evidence is often contradictory and confusing and must therefore be
evaluated piece-by-piece for its relative worth. The best evidence tends
to be physical evidence--murder weapons, bullets, fingerprints, and so
forth. This evidence, once collected, doesn't change over time. Photo-
graphic evidence is useful but is subject to interpretation since it reduc-
es the four-dimensional world to two-dimensional snapshots.
The weakest major class of evidence is eyewitness testimony. This is
because of the inherent unreliability of human memory. Not only does
memory change over time, even surprisingly short periods, but it is sel-
dom accurate in the first place. Numerous studies have shown that
memory can be altered by many forms of suggestion, including police
line-ups and mug books, television and media reports, and even leading
questions. Contrary to popular opinion, stress makes accurate memory
less likely, not more. Memory is very poor at recalling details that wer-
en't significant at the time of observation. Memory is problematic in
accurately recalling duration of time, or sequence of events. This is
what modern science tells us about memory. (See, especially, the work
of Elizabeth Loftus.) Nevertheless, we tend to place misguided faith in
our own memories and the memories of others. This isn't to say that
eyewitness testimony should be ignored altogether, rather that it has to
be accepted for its relative worth. It can never be regarded as incontro-
vertible truth, regardless of the confidence of the witness.
As a predominant technique, conspiracy books emphasize discrepan-
cies in eyewitness testimony to establish doubt about the state of the
evidence.
Example. Weisberg, "Whitewash," Chapter 6, The Tippit Murder: "The
witnesses on the shell-dropping episode were not consistent on details.
Some had him tapping them out on one hand, some the other; some had
him shaking them out. One even saw him rolling a fresh cartridge un-
der his thumb from a half-block away." Following a collection of such
discrepancies, Weisberg adds sarcastically, "This is a sample of the ac-
curate observers from whom the Commission drew its witnesses."
Another technique is to emphasize recollections that come to light
many years after the event.
Example. Summers, "Conspiracy," Chapter 5: Carolyn Arnold, a secre-
tary at the TSBD, told Summers in 1978 that she recalled seeing LHO
in the lunchroom at "about 12:15" or later, a time which cuts into his
window of opportunity to set up the sniper's lair and assemble his gun.
But her recollection is at odds with her signed statement to the FBI in
1963, when she said she wasn't sure whether she had sighted him be-
fore the assassination. There's no reason to doubt her honesty, but
there's also no reason to believe her memory has improved fifteen years
after the fact.
5. Emphasize unsworn witnesses.
Legal procedures, such as the calling of witnesses before the Warren
Commission, follow strict guidelines to ensure their integrity, not the
least of which is swearing the witnesses to an oath of honesty. This has
the two-fold benefit of impressing upon the witness the gravity of testi-
fying as well as activating laws against perjury. Additionally, such tes-
timony is typically recorded in full.
This must be contrasted with interviews given to authors. These are
usually conducted in an informal atmosphere, where freewheeling
speculation and factual recollection may become mingled. The subject
is under no obligation to be truthful, and the author has the freedom to
follow suggestive lines of inquiry. The author can also quote out of
context since his notes are a private document.
Given this context, it's fair to ask why a witness would give one story
under oath and a more sensational story to an author. Or why a witness
would give evidence of a crime to an author without ever having come
forward to give the same evidence to the legal authorities.
Example: Lane, "Rush to Judgment," Chapter 15: "Mrs [Acquilla]
Clemons told several independent investigators that she saw two men
standing near the police car just moments before one of them shot Tip-
pit. The killer then waved to the other man, she said, and they ran away
in different directions...Mrs Clemons told one independent investigator
that she had been advised by the Dallas police not to relate what she
knew to the Commission, for if she did she might be killed." There are
a number of problems with this witness. 1) Her story of seeing two kill-
ers is inconsistent with the testimony of twelve other witnesses who
saw a single individual either shooting Tippit or fleeing the scene. 2)
She revealed this story to Lane a year after the assassination rather than
reporting it to the police at the time. 3) The WC employed no "indepen-
dent investigators," so this expression, supplied by Lane, covers for the
fact she didn't talk to the police. 4) The death threat, which none of the
other witnesses reported receiving, is probably Clemons' rationaliza-
tion for not talking to the police when it would have mattered.
Example. Crenshaw, "Conspiracy of Silence": Crenshaw, both witness
and author, was a resident physician at Parkland Hospital in 1963. In
his book he claims the emergency room physicians knew Kennedy had
been shot from the front but kept quiet. One of those physicians, Mal-
colm Perry, said, "Crenshaw says that the rest of us are part of a con-
spiracy of silence and that he withheld his information for 29 years
because of a fear his career would be ruined. Well, if he really felt he
had valuable information and kept it secret for all those years, I find
that despicable."
6. Raise non-essential issues.
Since the WC had substantial evidence against LHO, overturning their
conclusion requires an across-the-board attack to convince the reader
that the Commission was thoroughly unreliable, not just sporadically
inaccurate. Every peice of evidence has to be challenged. Raising
doubts about the Commission, even when it is of no import, contributes
to that goal.
Example. Weisberg, "Whitewash," Chapter 6: William Whaley was the
cab driver who drove LHO from downtown Dallas to his rooming-
house. Weisberg criticizes Whaley's testimony on a broad front, for
misidentifying LHO's garments, for misstating LHO's position in the
police lineup, for being unclear about the address where he dropped off
LHO, and so forth, as if his entire story is suspect. Then Weisberg
moves on to the next witness, the housekeeper who was present when
LHO showed up at the roominghouse. Since he takes no issue with the
housekeeper on this point, agreeing that LHO showed up near where
Whaley said he dropped him off, his attack on Whaley's credibility has
amounted to nothing.
7. Omit the complete context of the evidence.
To be as objective as possible, a scholar must acknowledge contradicto-
ry views, if only to rebut them. It is not enough to state why one is cor-
rect. One must also state why competing views are incorrect, else the
reader may be led into believing the author's views are not in dispute.
Conspiracy authors omit much of the context of their evidence, only it
is usually for worse motives than concealing controversy. It is more of-
ten to make the evidence sound more sinister than it is.
Example. Lifton, "Best Evidence," Chapter 4: "The Governor's wrist
was a major problem. And the Commission, in conducting tests, simply
developed more evidence which went against its own thesis...Bullets
were fired at the wrists of cadavers--and a picture of such a bullet, bad-
ly smashed up, with its nose considerably flattened, was published as
[CE856]. It made a striking contrast with [CE399, of the SBT]." Lifton
is suggesting that because CE399 was not "smashed up," it couldn't
have struck Connally's wrist, as the SBT requires. Lifton leaves out
two very crucial details, though. The test bullet hits the wrist both at
full speed and nose first. CE399, on the other hand, is moving at about
half its muzzle velocity, having passed through JFK's neck and Connal-
ly's torso, and is tumbling, so very likely did not strike the wrist head
on. Rather than disproving the SBT, the test actually bolsters it by dem-
onstrating that CE399, in lacking a smashed nose, could not have hit
the wrist directly.
8. Promote yourself to expert.
The vast majority of conspiracy books are written by laymen, persons
with no relevant expertise to the technical issues in the case. This is not
necessarily a bar to writing a well-researched book. Many generalists
make excellent journalists. However, such writers know their limita-
tions and rely on unbiased experts in the various fields. Too many con-
spiracy authors, on the other hand, pass judgment on technical issues
without consulting the real experts. The books of these self-appointed
experts are often riddled with inaccurate interpretations of the evi-
dence. In the absence of objective guidance, these authors, whose aim
is to discover as large a number of unusual circumstances as possible,
simply supply whatever interpretation sounds most sinister.
Example. DiEugenio, "Destiny Betrayed," Chapter 7: "How could a ri-
fle shot from the sixth floor of the depository enter the President's up-
per back and then exit out the base of his throat? How could it be an
exit wound? The trajectory would be wrong. The only way this would
make sense is if the bullet had hit some thick bone and been seriously
deflected upward." Later, in mocking the SBT, he continues, "Consid-
er: A bullet is fired at a downward angle; it hits Kennedy's body; with-
out striking a bone it reverses course upward and exits the throat." A
simple example, but if DiEugenio had consulted a medical professional
who possessed the discipline to examine the issue cautiously before
forming an opinion, he would have discovered what in retrospect seems
fairly obvious, that the location of the entrance wound, the upper back-
-described in the autopsy report as the base of the neck--is several inch-
es above the exit wound at the bottom of the throat, and therefore con-
sistent with a shot from above and behind.
9. Don't solicit the other side of the story.
Often in conspiracy books, the author cites a quote or two, or a memo
or handwritten notation, from some person involved with case, and tells
us that the person is inconsistent and must therefore be incompetent ot
have something sinister to hide. This fails a fundamental standard of
journalism. Fairness to the person, and fairness to the story, requires
that the subject be given a chance to respond before accusations are
leveled. In many cases, the author would find out that such-and-such a
statement was an error, or that what seemed to be an error was actually
a subtlety of the case requiring more knowledge on the author's part.
Any professional resercher will make the phone call, or write the letter.
Naturally, if the subject refuses to cooperate, or is otherwise unavail-
able, that might allow some license for speculation but, even then, the
author must document attempts to reach the subject and be cautious to
avoid false accusations.
Example. Weisberg, "Whitewash II," Chapter 2: "The Dallas Secret
Service Investigation says [Tippit] was hit by two bullets; [Secret Ser-
vice] Inspector Kelley, by three. The [Warren] Report says four bullets
were taken from Tippit's body and suggests five were fired. All these
statements and those similarly varying and contradictory by the police
can be regarded as nothing less than deliberate lies." For Kelley's
views, Weisberg relies on a report he has recovered from the WC's
files. Is Weisberg right? Was Kelley deliberately lying? Or simply mis-
taken? Or has Weisberg misunderstood the document? We don't know
because there's no indication that Kelley or the Secret Service were
ever asked to clarify the issue. Indeed, a complete reading of the text
seems to indicate that the Weisberg's research consists of nothing more
than searching documents for discrepancies. On this alone, Inspector
Kelley is branded a liar in print but given no chance to defend himself
to the reader. This fails both journalistic integrity and common consid-
eration.
10. Accuse the defenseless.
In the great conspiracy hunt, many innuendos get tossed around, sug-
gestive of lying, cover-up, of acquiesence and complicity in extremely
serious crimes. However, there is a risk for the conspiracy author of li-
bel sanctions. The careful reader will therefore discern a measure of
caution in the way things are worded. Outright accusations are seldom
made unless the victim is unable to defend themselves, either because
they are public figures who can't legally retaliate, or they are dead.
Example. Stone and Sklar, "JFK: The Book of the Film," screenplay of
"JFK": Jim Garrison says to his staff, "[The assassination] was a mili-
tary-style ambush from start to finish...a coup d'etat with Lyndon
Johnson waiting in the wings." Johnson, of course, was long dead be-
fore the film came out.
11. Emphasize preliminary information.
Unlike eyewitness recollection, which degenerates with age, reasoned
judgments tend to improve with time and reflection. Conversely, hasty
judgments are often poor judgments. If such judgments are made to the
press, whether right or not, they become immortalized in print or on
film. Today, public figures or other people who deal with the media,
seem to be aware of the danger of extemporaneous speculation. The
modern, and judicious, approach is to wait until the facts have been
carefully examined before speaking out in detail. In 1963, though, peo-
ple weren't quite so savvy, and many people made uninformed state-
ments to the press regarding their own observations. They didn't know
it at the time, but they were creating grist for the conspiracy book mills.
Conspiracy authors spend most of their research looking for the inevi-
table discrepancies which they use, not as evidence of human fallibility,
but instead as "proof" of deceit, incompetence, or treachery. When a
person can be discovered as having made contradictory statements--be-
fore and after studying a problem, say--then the conspiracy author can
argue with great outrage that the person has become part of the "cover-
up." Or the author can simply quote the first opinion and ignore the lat-
ter.
Example. Lane, "Rush to Judgment," Chapter 3: "Dr Charles Carrico,
the first to attend the wounded President in [Parkland Hospital] Trauma
Room 1, drafted and signed a hospital report during the afternoon of
November 22 also describing the throat wound as one of entrance." If
the throat wound was an entrance, it would contradict the WC's theory
of the case that the shots came from behind. But Carrico's opinion of
the 22nd was based only on a superficial observation. The President
hadn't been autopsied in Dallas. Nor had Carrico discovered the wound
in the base of Kennedy's neck. Lane neglects to inform the reader that
Carrico later testified to the WC that the wound could have been either
an entrance or an exit. As he told the Journal of the American Medical
Association in 1992, "Nothing we observed contradicts the autopsy
finding that the bullets were fired from above and behind by a high-ve-
locity rifle."
12. Recycle discredited evidence.
Issues have been raised regarding virtually every aspect of the case.
Anything that doesn't look quite right has been questioned in an appar-
ent fishing expedition for anything that will unambiguously establish a
conspiracy. In many cases, these issues have been resolved and no
longer constitute open questions to scholars of the case. In one of the
most seriously deceptive techniques employed by conspiracy books,
old issues are raised to provoke the readers' anxiety, but the reader is
not informed of the resolution to the issue. It's one thing to dispute the
resolution, it's another to conceal it from the unwitting reader.
Example. In 1979, the HSCA, using a recording of a police communi-
cations channel, concluded that there had been a second shooter on
Dealey Plaza (who missed). They also recommended further study of
the recording which, indeed, was undertaken by a blue ribbon panel of
scientists under the auspices of the National Academy of Science, their
report published in 1982. (See Committee on Ballistic Acoustics in the
bibliography.) As a result, the original finding was completely discred-
ited, in no small part because the recording was found to contain two
channels recorded at different times. But see how Jim Garrison de-
scribed the issue in his 1988 book, "On the Trail of the Assassins,"
Chapter 20: "The House Committee was left with no other alternative
[than to conclude there had been a conspiracy] after its acoustics ex-
perts discovered that, in addition to the shooting from behind President
Kennedy, a rifle had been fired from the grassy knoll in front of him."
True enough, but Garrison never writes a word about the subsequent
study; instead he leaves the reader with obsolete knowledge. Similarly,
from Stone and Sklar, "JFK: The Book of the Film," screenplay of
"JFK": "A Congresional Investigation from 1976-1979 found a `proba-
ble conspiracy' in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and recom-
mended the Justice Department investigate further. As of 1991, the
Justice Department has done nothing." Also true, but also grossly mis-
leading. There was no reason for the Justice Department to act when
the NAS had done a definitive study.
* * *
Further analysis along this line can be found in the Kaplan and Cohen
essays cited in the bibliography.
9. MYTHS AND FACTS OF THE ASSASSINATION
9.1 Oswald
9.1.1 Oswald was a nice, non-violent boy.
False. Oswald had a history of violent acts preceding his shooting of
JFK. They include brandishing a kitchen knife against his mother,
shooting his arm while in the Marines to avoid a transfer, striking his
wife, and the attempted murder of Dallas notable, General Edwin
Walker.
9.1.2 Oswald was "planted" at the TSBD.
False. Oswald had been working at the TSBD for about six weeks at
the time of the assassination. When he began working there, the specif-
ics of JFK's trip through Dallas had not yet been planned.
9.1.3 Oswald could not have made the shots.
False. Two points enter in: Oswald's skill and the difficulty of the shots.
Oswald's marksmanship twice passed the Marine Corps requirements.
By their standards, he was an average shot, but he was more than quali-
fied to use a gun and hit a target. The difficulty of the shots has been
overstated. Dealey Plaza is smaller than it appears in photographs or
film. Oswald's longest shot was eighty-eight yards to the target. The
limousine was moving slowly past Oswald when the first shot was
fired. The car turned slightly to go down the inclined portion of the
street, moving slowly up and to the right across Oswald's field of view
when the second and third shots were fired. Despite the relative ease of
the shots, Oswald hit the presumed target (JFK's head) only once out of
three attempts.
9.1.4 Oswald had an alibi.
False. Oswald has no alibi for the time of the shooting. He was seen by
fellow employees approximately thirty minutes before the shooting;
and in the second floor lunchroom by the TSBD supervisor and a cop
approximately ninety seconds after the shooting. In the late seventies, a
former TSBD employee (Carolyn Arnold) told author Anthony Sum-
mers that she had seen Oswald fifteen minutes before the shooting, but
her fellow employees dispute her account.
9.1.5 Oswald could not have escaped from the sixth floor in time.
False. The TSBD is 30x30 yards square. A cop approximated he saw
Oswald in the second floor lunchroom ninety seconds after the shoot-
ing. Considering that a reasonably fit young man like Oswald can run at
least 400 yards in ninety seconds, there is no reason to believe he
couldn't have gone from the sixth to the second floor in that time and
still had time to conceal the gun behind boxes. At any rate, the route
was timed and verified as possible.
9.1.6 There is no record of Oswald's interrogation.
False. It was not the policy of the Dallas Police Department to tape
record interrogations. And since Oswald wasn't saying much, it was
not deemed necessary at the time to take verbatim notes. However, a
half dozen persons who sat in on different portions of the interrogations
wrote affidavits (reprinted in the WR) describing their observations.
9.1.7 Oswald was a "patsy."
Probably false. After capture, Oswald claimed to be a "patsy," though
he never explained what he meant. He also lied about a number of easi-
ly verifiable details. For instance, he denied living at the rooming house
he was known to reside in. Given his general deceptiveness, his claim
of being a "patsy" can't be given much weight.
9.1.8 Oswald can't be deemed guilty without a known motive.
False. For the forensics expert, who determines what physically hap-
pened in a crime, motive is irrelevant; in a criminal prosecution, de-
monstrable motive is an important but not necessarily essential factor.
No precise motive is known for Oswald's actions, but given the young
man's history of unusual, ideologically-motivated acts--idealizing com-
munism, teaching himself Russian, defecting to the Soviet Union, try-
ing to defect to Cuba, attempting to assassinate right-wing figurehead
General Edwin Walker--some political component can be assumed.
9.1.9 Oswald had an impostor.
False. After the assassination, there were various pre-assassination
sightings of Oswald reported. For instance, a car salesman reported let-
ting Oswald take a test drive, though, as we know, Oswald couldn't
drive. Such reports are commonplace after a high-profile crime and can
usually be attributed to mistaken identity. However, an author postulat-
ed a second Oswald from an analysis of these reports. Another theory is
that the real Oswald didn't return from the Soviet Union, but that a
"Manchurian candidate" impostor came back in his place. Oswald's
body was exhumed in the early 1980s and determined to be the real Os-
wald from scars, teeth, etc. The exhumation was not actually necessary
for the determination, though, since ear matches show every photo-
graph of Oswald to be of the same person. (Ear shapes are as distinctive
as fingerprints.)
9.1.10 The military taught Oswald to speak Russian.
False. Oswald taught himself rudimentary speaking Russian while he
was in the Marines. The WC did receive a tip that Oswald had attended
the Monterey School of the Army (now called the Defense Language
Institute), one of the country's top Russian language schools. This
proved to be false and there is no "missing" period in Oswald's biogra-
phy wherein he could have attended the intensive, months-long course.
9.1.11 Oswald contracted a venereal disease "in the line of duty."
False. However, a military medical report on Oswald's VD (reprinted
in Marrs, "Crossfire") has a notation that the disease was contracted in
the line of duty, which has been taken as evidence that Oswald was
some sort of espionage agent. In reality, contracting VD was a punish-
able offense at that time under military law and it was commonplace
for commanders to use the bogus "line of duty" argument to avoid the
nuisance of a legal procedure.
9.1.12 The photos of Oswald holding a rifle are fakes.
False. It was originally charged that the famous "backyard" photos of
Oswald holding his MC rifle and a communist newspaper were fakes,
that Oswald's face had been pasted over someone else's body. Howev-
er, these charges were based on third generation copies of the photos
which appear to show an unnatural line below Oswald's chin. Sharp,
first generation copies show no such defect. Additionally, scratches and
marks on the rifle in the photograph match those on the rifle used in the
assassination; and the photographs were matched to Oswald's camera.
9.1.13 Oswald failed a paraffin test.
The paraffin test is used for detecting traces of nitrate on a suspect's
skin, indicating that the suspect had recently shot a gun. Oswald tested
positive on his hands and negative on his cheeks, suggesting that he
had not fired a rifle from the shoulder. However, the test is considered d
unreliable (and was considered so in 1963). It was mostly used to in-
timidate a suspect into a confession. False positives and false negatives
are possible from substances other than gunpowder. Thus the test of
Oswald is scientifically inconclusive.
9.2 The shooting
9.2.1 Oswald's rifle was inadequate.
False. Oswald used an Italian WWII surplus MC carbine which he
bought cheaply through mail order. It's a powerful rifle with an approx-
imate muzzle velocity of 2100 ft./sec. Its age is not a detriment--old
guns work as well as new as long as they haven't rusted or otherwise
deteriorated.
9.2.2 Oswald's rifle had a misaligned scope.
True. But it is not known whether the scope was out of alignment be-
fore the assassination, or after, either from Oswald jamming the gun be-
tween boxes, or by police mishandling. The scope was slightly
misaligned down and left which, if it had been misaligned before the
assassination, may have aided Oswald in hitting JFK, who was moving
up and right across Oswald's field of view for the last two shots.
It's possible Oswald did not use the side-mounted scope, relying in-
stead on the iron sights on top of the weapon. He may also have used
the scope for the first shot, missed, and then switched to the sights.
9.2.3 The rifle found on the sixth floor was a Mauser.
False. A news film of the rifle's discovery shows it to be the MC. How-
ever, a policeman who didn't handle the gun initially described it as a
Mauser, a rifle which resembles Oswald's MC and is more common-
place.
9.2.4 There was a second shooter seen on the GK.
False. From the sound, some people thought the GK was the source of
the shots. A policeman drove his motorcycle up the embankment and
some bystanders followed. However, there was no contemporaneous
report of a gun or gunman being seen there.
There are enhanced photos that purport to show figures in the shadows
and foliage behind the wall at the top of the GK. However they're too
grainy and ambiguous to prove anything.
9.2.5 The so-called "magic bullet" was pristine.
False. The bullet was slightly bowed, flattened on its base, and some of
the core material was extruded from the base. The lack of greater dam-
age results from the fact that the bullet went through the flesh of JFK's
neck, tumbled, hit Connally's rib sideways, then finally struck Connal-
ly's wrist at a speed too low to further damage the bullet. Most photo-
graphs of the bullet shown in books are taken from an angle that
conceals the bowing; the flattening of the base is best seen from an end
view.
9.2.6 The third (head) shot had to have come from the front.
False. From a forensics point of view, the direction of the head shot is
unambiguous. 1) A bullet causes the skull to "dish," i.e. a beveled por-
tion of bone will be knocked out away from the direction of the bullet,
like the dishing caused by a bullet going through a pane of glass. Both
the dishing at the back of JFK's skull and at the right-front reveal a shot
from behind. 2) All the bullet fragments in JFK's skull were right of the
centerline, precluding a shot from the right front (GK). 3) There was no
exit wound on the left of JFK's skull.
Considering physical forces alone, a bullet lacks the force to violently
push a human body, such as we see in movies. Such force would also
have to recoil against the gunman when firing.
9.2.7 The three shots were made in under six seconds.
Since Connally reacted to the Magic Bullet eight-tenths of a second af-
ter JFK (so far as they could see in the Z-film), the WC determined two
possible times for the shot. They said the unambiguous head shot there-
fore occurred from 4.8 to 5.6 seconds later. This is where the six-sec-
ond figure comes from. They also said another shot missed, but they
weren't sure whether it came first, second, or third in the sequence.
They argued the merits of all three scenarios. If the second shot was the
miss, the 4.8 to 5.6 seconds would be the overall time for all three
shots. If the first or third shot was the miss, the minimum time to reload
the rifle (2.3 seconds) had to be added to the overall time, giving a min-
imum time for all three shots of from 7.1 to 7.9 seconds. Much study
has now determined the first shot to be the miss. Furthermore, the am-
biguity about the time of the Magic Bullet has been resolved. At about
the time JFK reacts to the shot, the lapel of Connally's suit coat flips
forward. Dr. Lattimer has proven experimentally that this could only
have been caused by a tumbling bullet. Thus, 5.6 seconds becomes the
differential between the Magic Bullet and the head shot, with the over-
all minimum for the three shots established at about eight seconds.
9.2.8 JFK was shot by the limousine driver.
False. In an exhibition frequently given at New Age fairs and other
events, a black and white version of the Z-film is shown which appears
to show the limousine driver pointing a gun at JFK. This effect is a fig-
ment of the poor black and white reproduction. What appears to be a
handgun is actually sunlight reflected off the hair of the front seat pas-
senger. The effect is easily seen to be false in the color original.
9.2.9 JFK was accidentally shot by a Secret Service agent.
The book "Mortal Error" presents the theory that the fatal head shot ac-
cidentally came from the weapon of an SS agent in the car following
the limousine. There is no substantial evidence for this theory--no wit-
nesses, no ballistics match of bullet fragments, etc., and the SS rifle, the
AR-15, is too loud to have gone unnoticed by bystanders.
9.2.10 The limousine had a bubble-top protector that was not used.
True, however the bubble top was only for weather protection. It was
not bullet-proof and, if used, may not have saved the President's life.
The purpose of the trip was political--for JFK to be seen by the people-
-so the bubble top was not used.
9.3 Medical Issues
9.3.1 The Dallas doctors differed with the autopsists.
True at the time. The Dallas doctors spent twenty minutes laboring in
vain to save the President's life. The President's wounds were covered
with blood. They never turned JFK over. Consequently, some of their
initial descriptions of the wounds differed from the official determina-
tion of the autopsy. However, upon review most of the Dallas doctors
agree with the findings of the autopsy.
9.3.2 JFK's body was altered before the autopsy.
False. There was no period of time when the body was left alone to al-
low such alteration to occur, even if we made the leap in believing such
a thing was possible.
9.3.3 The original autopsy notes were destroyed.
True. After the autopsist, Navy Commander Humes, transcribed his
notes, he burned the originals. He testified this was because he had
once seen an exhibit of the apparently blood-stained chair Lincoln was
sitting in when shot. Not wanting to leave a similarly gruesome souve-
nir, he burned his blood-stained notes.
9.3.4 JFK's back wound was only an inch deep.
Yes and no. The wound could only be probed a small distance with the
finger. However, this is not evidence of a shallow shot. A bullet through
flesh doesn't leave a clear path like a bullet through firmer material
would. When the body is moved, muscle mass shifts to obscure the bul-
let track. Furthermore, a round from a high-powered rifle would not
penetrate an inch through flesh and stop, and it would make little sense
for assassins to shoot at the president with a non-lethal weapon.
JFK's chest could have been sectioned to reveal the complete path of
the bullet, however the Kennedy family opposed it. Not only were they
rushing the autopsy, but JFK was the victim of Addison's disease, a
malfunction of the adrenal gland. Prior to an experimental treatment
developed in the fifties, it was a life-threatening condition. JFK had
been saved by the treatment, but he denied any health problems during
the 1960 election to prevent voter apprehension. The Kennedy family
had wanted to conceal this deceit.
9.3.5 JFK's back wound was below his throat wound.
False. At first thought, it would seem that a wound at the top back/low-
er neck would be below a wound at the bottom of the throat, indicating
that a downward shot from the front made both wounds. However, this
is easily disproved by placing fingers in each location--the bottom of
the throat will be clearly seen to be the lower point. The effect is even
more pronounced for JFK, who had unusually well-developed shoul-
ders.
9.3.6 The autopsists had no experience with gunshot wounds.
False. Though not forensic pathologists, autopsists Humes and Boswell
both had prior experience with gunshot wounds. At the time, the impor-
tance of employing a forensic rather than a general pathologist was not
properly understood, hence overlooked. The autopsy did achieve its
primary purpose--to determine the cause of death--but at the expense of
unneeded controversy.
9.4 Dealey Plaza and Dallas
9.4.1 JFK's parade route was changed to go past the TSBD.
False. However, in one edition one of the Dallas papers printed an in-
correct map that showed the route going straight through Dealey Plaza
rather than going around the side. The straight-through route does not
allow access to the freeway.
9.4.2 JFK's body was illegally taken from Texas.
True, strictly speaking. In 1963, killing the President was not a Federal
offense. Thus the proper jurisdiction for the autopsy, crime investiga-
tion and prosecution was the State of Texas. Though there's no real pre-
cedent for the crisis, JFK's representatives violated the law by taking
the body back to Washington. However, this particular legality would
have been an insignificant consideration to people perhaps in fear that
some cataclysmic political event was underway. Additionally, a sinister
interpretation of the act would implicate many of JFK's key aides in the
alleged conspiracy.
9.4.3 Three tramps arrested near Dealey Plaza were CIA agents.
False. There were three tramps arrested in a box car near the plaza
about an hour after the assassination. Their arrests raised eventual sus-
picions on three fronts: 1) They were clean-shaven with fresh haircuts
and new shoes. This was because they had spent the previous night in a
charity home and had received the grooming and shoes. 2) There were
no arrest records for the tramps. This is false. The Dallas Police Depart-
ment turned over the records in response to press queries in 1992. Two
of the three tramps were located in other parts of the country. The third
is presumed dead. 3) Two of the tramps bore striking resemblances to
Watergate burglars and former CIA employees, E. Howard Hunt and
Frank Sturgis. This is false. The Rockefeller Commission studied the
photographs of the tramp's arrest. The two alleged to resemble the Wa-
tergate figures are the wrong height (which can be determined accurate-
ly from photos).
9.4.4 A Dealey Plaza spectator faked an epileptic seizure.
False. There was a man who had an epileptic seizure on Dealey Plaza
about fifteen minutes before the President's motorcade came through.
Conspiracy theorists have speculated that he created a diversion while
assassins took their place. The man was taken to Parkland Hospital and
treated. In the commotion that attended the arrival of the wounded JFK,
the man left the hospital. He was later identified and he was in fact an
epileptic.
9.5 Ruby
9.5.1 Ruby was seen near the GK with a rifle.
A witness (Julie Ann Mercer) reported having seen on the morning of
the assassination a truck parked on the curb in front of the GK, with a
driver resembling Jack Ruby. The hood on the truck was up and work-
men took toolboxes from the rear, suggesting the vehicle was disabled.
Three policemen stood nearby. Mercer said one of the boxes "appeared
to be a gun case." This was one of a large number of ominous sightings
reported to the authorities after the assassination.
9.5.2 Ruby and Oswald were gay lovers.
False. There is no evidence that Oswald was gay. Ruby has been ru-
mored to have been gay simply because he was middle-aged and never
married. More to the point, there is no credible evidence of acquain-
tance between the two men.
9.6 The Tippit Murder
9.6.1 Officer Tippit's killer was unidentified.
False. Twelve witnesses positively identified Oswald as the man they
saw either shooting Tippit or fleeing the scene.
9.6.2 Oswald's pistol was not linked to the crime.
False. However, a ballistic match of the bullets in Tippit's body to Os-
wald's pistol was difficult because the bullets were under-sized for the
barrel leaving them with few of the microscopic markings that are used
for identification. One bullet was matched, though. Additionally, the
four shell casings found at the crime scene were matched to Oswald's
pistol by firing pin impressions.
9.6.3 Two individuals participated in the Tippit murder.
False. All of the contemporaneous witnesses saw only one man, Os-
wald, shooting Tippit or fleeing the scene. However, a year after the as-
sassination, a woman told author Mark Lane she had seen two men kill
Tippit.
9.7 The Warren Commission
9.7.1 The WC was a prosecution.
False. The WC was a fact-finding body, pure and simple. They found
ample evidence to support Oswald's guilt and no evidence of any con-
spiracy. Their findings reflect this.
9.7.2 The WC findings have been discredited.
The WC has been criticized on a number of grounds, not always fairly.
There is no evidence they did less than an honest job. They were
rushed, however, since LBJ wanted no lingering doubts hanging over
the 1964 election. Perhaps Chief Justice Warren should have insisted
on taking more time. Perhaps he should have released a preliminary re-
port and continued to work through the investigation. Because of the
time and the daunting task, the WC elected to employ the FBI's investi-
gative resources rather than establish their own, giving doubters the op-
portunity to claim the WC's work was controlled from without. But
despite these and other problems, the essence of the WC's findings--
that Oswald acting alone killed JFK--though frequently questioned,
have suffered no serious challenges. Indeed, further examination has
strengthened the findings.
9.7.3 Supporters of the WC are dupes or CIA agents.
Very few people have objectively examined both sides of the assassina-
tion debate. Most aficionados have garnered their evidence and beliefs
from the conspiracy books which, in the main, employ shoddy journal-
istic techniques and faulty logic to make their case. But these books do
generate powerful emotional responses in their readers to the idea of
conspiracy. They encourage readers to abandon the responsible disci-
pline of examining all sides of an issue before taking a stand. Thus con-
spiracy belief quickly leaves the realm of historical analysis and enters
a netherworld of bizarre ideology in which left and right wings join to-
gether in fear of invisible forces that control society through secret
murders. On the other hand, people who withhold judgment before see-
ing the full story find that there is more than enough evidence to con-
vict Oswald and no genuine evidence of conspirators. Dissenters are
invited to present a coherent theory of the conspiracy using all the evi-
dence they accept. It has never been done.
9.7.4 The WC records are sealed for 75 years.
This was initially true, but it is not unusual for historical materials to be
classified until such time as most of the principals will be presumed
dead. Even then, the government may dawdle in releasing documents
since the process tends to be labor-intensive and of low priority. For in-
stance, many papers pertaining to WWI have still not been made avail-
able to historians. Despite the policy, now all but a very few WC
records have been released.
9.8 Was there a cover-up?
9.8.1 Why has information been classified by the government?
It depends on the information. Investigative records are often kept se-
cret for fairly mundane reasons. Witnesses may be promised secrecy in
return for their cooperation; false leads must be kept secret to protect
falsely accused persons; and sometimes secrecy must be employed to
conceal informants or other methods of gathering information. Os-
wald's tax returns were kept secret simply because there was no law
that authorized the IRS to release them. The CIA and FBI are often pre-
sumed to be secretive for its own sake.
9.8.2 The media has helped cover-up a conspiracy.
The media should not be considered as a single entity. It's a vast indus-
try made up of many organizations with a variety of aims. While its
true that major national news organizations do tend to base a lot of their
government reporting on government sources, it's not realistic to be-
lieve that a sensational story like the killing of the president by conspir-
acy would be ignored, deliberately or otherwise. There are too many
reporters who would jump at the chance for the fame and fortune re-
porting such a story would bring.
9.8.3 The FBI engaged in a cover-up.
True. Because of his past, Oswald was under surveillance by the FBI.
When Oswald moved to Dallas in 1963, James Hosty of the FBI tried
unsuccessfully to contact him. Feeling harassed, Oswald left a threaten-
ing note with Hosty's secretary. Oswald, as a suspected subversive,
should have been under close scrutiny by the FBI when the President
visited Dallas. At the time, Hosty and his boss destroyed Oswald's note
and agreed to remain silent.
9.8.4 JFK's brain is missing.
True. The brain (what remained of it), slides, X-rays, photographs, and
other medical materials were in the possession of the Kennedy family
after the autopsy. In 1968, congressional legislation mandated that
these materials be turned over to the National Archives; but the brain
and a few other items were not among the returned materials. It is pre-
sumed that Bobby Kennedy disposed of the brain to avoid it becoming
an object of public curiosity.
9.8.5 Many witnesses to the assassination have died mysteriously.
Not really true. Over 25,000 persons were interviewed by the FBI in
the course of their investigation. Some of these people died from vari-
ous causes--illness, suicide, auto accidents, etc.--in the few years fol-
lowing the assassination. However, the number of deaths have not been
shown to exhibit any statistically significant difference from the num-
ber of deaths that would occur in a randomly chosen group of 25,000.
Furthermore, few of the deaths are actually mysterious, there is no pat-
tern of foul play, and the people who have died are much less signifi-
cant as witnesses than many who have lived.
9.8.6 Dan Rather misrepresented the Zapruder film on television.
True. At that time, Rather was CBS's field correspondent in Dallas. He
viewed the Z-film once in a lawyer's office where the sale of the film
was being negotiated. Rather rushed back to the television studio and
described the film as showing that JFK fell forward from the fatal head
shot when actually he fell backwards.
9.8.7 News of Oswald's guilt predated his arrest.
False. This rumor was started by conspiracy author, L. Fletcher Prouty,
who claims to have seen a paper in New Zealand with an Oswald photo
and story that couldn't have been available so soon after the assassina-
tion. In reality, archival background information on Oswald was avail-
able from the times he defected and returned to the US. There was no
technical prohibition in transmitting this information quickly in 1963.
Furthermore, there are no accounts from other countries that could es-
tablish some pattern of premature dissemination of the story.
9.9 The Garrison Affair
9.9.1 Clay Shaw was a CIA agent
False. Shaw was never an agent of the CIA. However, he reported to
the CIA's Domestic Contacts Division on numerous occasions. Appar-
ently, this is not unusual for businessmen who work abroad.
9.9.2 Oswald knew David Ferrie.
As a teenager in 1955, Oswald briefly joined the Civil Air Patrol youth
group while Ferrie was its leader. There is a photograph showing the
two at the same picnic, but no other evidence of association.
9.9.3 Garrison was connected to the mob.
As District Attorney of New Orleans, Garrison referred to well-known
Mafia chieftain Carlos Marcello as a "tomato salesman" and steadfastly
denied the existence of organized crime in New Orleans. This demon-
strates, at a minimum, tolerance on Garrison's part for the mob, though
there's no evidence he conducted his JFK probe at their behest.
9.10 Miscellaneous
9.10.1 The assassination was predicted.
Rose Cheramie, a heroin addict and prostitute, was in the hospital at the
time of the assassination. She claimed that she had been pushed out of a
car by two men who had confided that they were going to Dallas to as-
sassinate JFK. However, these claims were made after the assassina-
tion.
Joseph Milteer was a right-wing figure in Miami who was heard on a
wiretap predicting that JFK would be shot in Miami. He also made oth-
er crackpot remarks about there being fifteen JFK doubles traveling
with JFK, and that the right wing had manipulated Oswald into killing
JFK to discredit communists.
9.10.2 JFK was killed for opposing the Vietnam war.
False. There is no chain of connections that link U.S. foreign policy
with the lone assassin, LHO.
During JFK's presidency, American military advisors to the South Viet-
namese government mushroomed from a few hundred to sixteen thou-
sand. A month before JFK's death, optimistic (and unrealistic) reports
regarding the South Vietnamese political situation caused JFK to order
a thousand advisors withdrawn. After the assassination, President
Johnson cancelled the order. These facts have led some to conclude that
JFK had begun a complete withdrawal from Vietnam and that, concom-
itantly, his death allowed the Vietnam war to occur with Johnson's
blessing. We can never know for sure, but since Johnson kept many of
JFK's advisors and continued many of his policies, it's entirely possible
the war would have occurred had JFK lived.
It has been further suggested that political forces actually wanted the
war to occur, to be a boon to defense industries. This conclusion is ob-
tained by working backwards from the fact that large amounts of mate-
rial were lost during the lengthy conflict. In reality, the tactical defect in
American policy was the failure to recognize that political tensions
with the Soviet Union would inhibit fighting an all-out war. Policymak-
ers actually thought American might would resolve the war in short or-
der. No one expected it to become the longest war in U.S. history.
9.10.3 Most Americans believe there was a conspiracy.
True. Public opinion polls taken since the assassination consistently
show that a majority believe JFK was killed as a result of a conspiracy,
with results as high as 85%. This makes it clear the WC failed in its
mission to resolve questions about the assassination to the satisfaction
of the public. However, relatively few people have studied all sides of
the controversy in depth, and the polls have no mechanism for dis-
counting the effect of the vast quantity of erroneous information dis-
seminated by the publishing and broadcast media.
9.10.4 The D.C. phone system shut down after the assassination.
True. The system was so flooded with calls after the assassination that
it was disabled for a couple of hours. Since the phone system is a finite
resource, this phenomenon still occurs, typically after natural disasters.
9.10.5 The Mafia had JFK killed.
The only known potential connection between Oswald and organized
crime was Oswald's New Orleans uncle, Dutz Murret. However, Os-
wald wasn't close to his uncle and there's no evidence of Oswald work-
ing for the mob.
There have been numerous theories suggesting a Mafia connection, but
they all hinge on plausible motive, not direct evidence. JFK's Attorney
General, RFK, angered the mob with a vigorous campaign of investiga-
tion and prosecution. It has been suggested that JFK was therefore
killed to eliminate RFK's harassment. We can surmise that the mob ap-
preciates these rumors since it makes them appear dangerous and pow-
erful.
9.10.6 RFK promised to reopen the investigation.
False. At a speech at a California college, during his presidential cam-
paign, Robert Kennedy was asked whether he would reopen the WC ar-
chives. Kennedy said, "I stand by the Warren Commission."
10. WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
The assassination controversy is huge and rages on into its fourth de-
cade. Most people find the assassination suspicious--which indeed it
was, by any measure. Most people are introduced to the topic through
conspiracy books and become convinced of the certainty of conspiracy
without considering both sides of the issue. The quest to discover a
conspiracy can be interesting, though, leading one into the study of bal-
listics, forensics, law, Cold War history, American government, orga-
nized crime, and a host of other areas. But the quest is ultimately
frustrating for, in fact, no substantial evidence of conspiracy has sur-
faced, only a collection of tantalizingly suspicious circumstances with
no obvious theory to organize them into a plausible story. When all is
said and done, when all the anecdotes that have no provable connection
to the assassination are stripped away, all that is left is a very simple
event. A malcontent--for reasons that died with him--took a gun into
work and shot the President of the United States out the window. Once
the veils of distraction are lifted from the case, that simple crime is all
there now is and probably all there ever will be.
--- THE END ---