Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was born on October 18, 1939 in New Orleans. Oswald was the main suspect in the investigation to John Kennedy's death, and was arrested for assassinating Kennedy and killing Officer Tippit in his rush to get away from the crime scene. Oswald claimed he was a 'patsy' in this event, but the Warren Commission insisted he was the man responsible for murdering America's president. Before he could go on trial, Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby during a transfer to the county jail. There was no special occasion when Oswald was buried; his gravestone reads simply, "OSWALD".
The Warren Commission's Case Against Oswald - Background
The Warren Commission had an extensive case against Oswald. They used background information on him to pin him as a man who would have the aim to shoot three bullets within 6 seconds with two hitting Kennedy.
Lee Oswald was a former Marine who had lived for some time in the Soviet Union. He was also involved in pro- and anti-Castro activities in New Orleans. He also purchased weapons by mail order.
Oswald was one of many former US military personnel to went to the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1960. He had a very good understanding of the Russian language which he apparently learnt at a specialist military language school called the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.
He returned to the USA in 1962. He spoke to US authorities and revealed he had promised to hand over state secrets to the Soviets. Oswald and his Russian wife settled in Dallas where they befriended a man called George de Mohrenschildt who had connections to US intelligence. They got involved with a strong anti-Soviet Russian community in Dallas. Oswald applied for a new passport in June 1963, stating on the application form that he was planning to travel to the Soviet Union. The passport was granted.
Oswald moved to New Orleans in April 1963 to find work. He contacted several Cuban anti-Castro activists, including Carlos Bringuier, who was in charge of public relations for the Cuban Revolutionary Council. He offered to assist with a paramilitary training camp, but Bringuier declined. A few days later Oswald was seen by Bringuier handing out 'Hands Off Cuba!' leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, which was a pro-Castro organisation specifically targeted by Bringuier's organisations. Oswald and Bringuier got into an argument, and police kept Oswald in jail overnight. After he was released from jail, Oswald hired assistants to briefly hand out FPCC leaflets. The session was televised. After he was interviewed on a local radio station, Oswald was invited to take part in a radio debate on the Cuban issue. He claimed that he was a Marxist and a member of the FPCC.
The FPCC leaflets used by Oswald were traced back to 544 Camp Street; a building that was strongly associated with anti-Castro activity, and was not connected to the FPCC. The building housed a private detective agency run by W. Guy Banister, who was a former FBI agent working with the FBI and other federal agencies involved in anti-Castro activity. Oswald was frequently seen in Banister's office and with the man himself in public. Banister opposed the FPCC and pro-Castro activity.
Oswald was very much into purchasing weapons by mail order while in New Orleans and in Dallas. As well as the rifle found on the sixth floor in the Book Depository and the revolver found on Oswald when he was arrested, Dallas police also found among his possessions several complete advertisements fro weapons and at least five mail order coupons. One of these coupons, for a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle from Klein's Sporting Goods of Chicago, was matched to a specific copy of the June 1963 issue of American Rifleman which had his thumb print on it. This copy was taken by FBI and the Secret Service the same day as the assassination in a garage in New Orleans. The owner of the garage claimed that Oswald had often spoken to him about guns and specifically about how to get them by mail order. A man named 'A. Hidell' ordered a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle the same model as the rifle found in the Book Depository several months before, using a coupon in the February 1963 issue of American Rifleman. Coincidently, an 'A. J. Hidell' had bought Oswald's revolver by mail order in January 1963.
American Nazi Party members whose names were found in Oswald's address book and Cuban exile organisations involving Oswald were being investigated with the growing trade in mail order weapons.
Lee Oswald was a former Marine who had lived for some time in the Soviet Union. He was also involved in pro- and anti-Castro activities in New Orleans. He also purchased weapons by mail order.
Oswald was one of many former US military personnel to went to the Soviet Union between 1958 and 1960. He had a very good understanding of the Russian language which he apparently learnt at a specialist military language school called the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.
He returned to the USA in 1962. He spoke to US authorities and revealed he had promised to hand over state secrets to the Soviets. Oswald and his Russian wife settled in Dallas where they befriended a man called George de Mohrenschildt who had connections to US intelligence. They got involved with a strong anti-Soviet Russian community in Dallas. Oswald applied for a new passport in June 1963, stating on the application form that he was planning to travel to the Soviet Union. The passport was granted.
Oswald moved to New Orleans in April 1963 to find work. He contacted several Cuban anti-Castro activists, including Carlos Bringuier, who was in charge of public relations for the Cuban Revolutionary Council. He offered to assist with a paramilitary training camp, but Bringuier declined. A few days later Oswald was seen by Bringuier handing out 'Hands Off Cuba!' leaflets for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, which was a pro-Castro organisation specifically targeted by Bringuier's organisations. Oswald and Bringuier got into an argument, and police kept Oswald in jail overnight. After he was released from jail, Oswald hired assistants to briefly hand out FPCC leaflets. The session was televised. After he was interviewed on a local radio station, Oswald was invited to take part in a radio debate on the Cuban issue. He claimed that he was a Marxist and a member of the FPCC.
The FPCC leaflets used by Oswald were traced back to 544 Camp Street; a building that was strongly associated with anti-Castro activity, and was not connected to the FPCC. The building housed a private detective agency run by W. Guy Banister, who was a former FBI agent working with the FBI and other federal agencies involved in anti-Castro activity. Oswald was frequently seen in Banister's office and with the man himself in public. Banister opposed the FPCC and pro-Castro activity.
Oswald was very much into purchasing weapons by mail order while in New Orleans and in Dallas. As well as the rifle found on the sixth floor in the Book Depository and the revolver found on Oswald when he was arrested, Dallas police also found among his possessions several complete advertisements fro weapons and at least five mail order coupons. One of these coupons, for a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle from Klein's Sporting Goods of Chicago, was matched to a specific copy of the June 1963 issue of American Rifleman which had his thumb print on it. This copy was taken by FBI and the Secret Service the same day as the assassination in a garage in New Orleans. The owner of the garage claimed that Oswald had often spoken to him about guns and specifically about how to get them by mail order. A man named 'A. Hidell' ordered a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle the same model as the rifle found in the Book Depository several months before, using a coupon in the February 1963 issue of American Rifleman. Coincidently, an 'A. J. Hidell' had bought Oswald's revolver by mail order in January 1963.
American Nazi Party members whose names were found in Oswald's address book and Cuban exile organisations involving Oswald were being investigated with the growing trade in mail order weapons.
The Warren Commission's Case Against Oswald - 22 November 1963
There are three main claims made by the Warren Commission to place Oswald as the killer:
The Mannilicher-Carcano rifle and empty bullet shells were found at the sixth floor window not long after Kennedy was rushed to hospital. Many eye-witnesses heard one or more shots from the book Depository building and they saw a lone man on one of the upper floors. The bullet that hit Kennedy's head were soft-nosed bullets that are designed to break apart on impact. The shells found in the Book Depository were from metal-shelled bullets designed to remain intact that caused the non-fatal shots. Apparently one killed the President. However, the bullet shells matched the wounds.
One witness named Buell Frazier was driven Oswald to work the morning of November 22, and he claimed Oswald had been carrying a paper bag. Dallas police found a paper bag on the sixth floor that would have fit the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, but the bag had not been handled by Oswald nor had it been in contact with the rifle.
The first sighting of Oswald after the shooting was by a policeman and the building supervisor on the second floor very shortly after they hard gunshots. While this suggested Oswald was not on the sixth floor due to the timing, the Commission brushed aside evidence from other eye-witnesses in the building who would have seen or heard anyone running down the stairs but they failed to do so.
Several people witnessed at least one person with a rifle on the sixth floor in the building, but only one witness, Howard Brennan, identified a person close to Oswald's appearance. Other witnesses claim to see a person in the sixth floor window, but no identification was given.
Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman because:
For this to work, the Warren Commission developed the 'Magic Bullet' theory.
- All of the shooting came from the easternmost south-facing window on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository
- Lee Harvey Oswald had brought the rifle to work, and was at the sixth floor window with the rifle at the same time of the shooting
- It was physically possible for a lone gunman to have caused all the known injuries with only three shots.
The Mannilicher-Carcano rifle and empty bullet shells were found at the sixth floor window not long after Kennedy was rushed to hospital. Many eye-witnesses heard one or more shots from the book Depository building and they saw a lone man on one of the upper floors. The bullet that hit Kennedy's head were soft-nosed bullets that are designed to break apart on impact. The shells found in the Book Depository were from metal-shelled bullets designed to remain intact that caused the non-fatal shots. Apparently one killed the President. However, the bullet shells matched the wounds.
One witness named Buell Frazier was driven Oswald to work the morning of November 22, and he claimed Oswald had been carrying a paper bag. Dallas police found a paper bag on the sixth floor that would have fit the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, but the bag had not been handled by Oswald nor had it been in contact with the rifle.
The first sighting of Oswald after the shooting was by a policeman and the building supervisor on the second floor very shortly after they hard gunshots. While this suggested Oswald was not on the sixth floor due to the timing, the Commission brushed aside evidence from other eye-witnesses in the building who would have seen or heard anyone running down the stairs but they failed to do so.
Several people witnessed at least one person with a rifle on the sixth floor in the building, but only one witness, Howard Brennan, identified a person close to Oswald's appearance. Other witnesses claim to see a person in the sixth floor window, but no identification was given.
Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone gunman because:
- There were at least 2.3 seconds between each shot
- No more than three bullets caused all injuries caused to Kennedy and Connally
- All shots were fired within 6 seconds
For this to work, the Warren Commission developed the 'Magic Bullet' theory.