JFK Assassination Documents to be released this year

[Fiver]

Burt Griffin and Leon Hubert were tasked to investigate Ruby for the WC. They stated that both Oswald and Ruby had ties to Cuban activities and Rubyvto the point of both gun sales and smuggling. Leads that neither WC nor HSCA followed up.

But others have and are.

"In fact, we believe that the possibility exists based on evidence already available that Ruby engaged in illegal dealings with Cuban clients who might have had contact with Oswald. The existence of such dealings can only be surmised since the present investigation has not focused on that area." - Burt Griffin

Mr Blakey: Let me ask you, then, a general point. As you know, the conclusion of the Warren Commission was that Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin of the President. Are you satisfied with that conclusion?
Judge Griffin: Yes. I am. There is no doubt about that.
Mr Blakey: The central conclusion from many people's point of view was that there was no evidence found of a conspiracy to assassinate the President. Are you satisfied with that conclusion?
Judge Griffin: I am satisfied that that statement is true.
Mr Blakey: Are you satisfied with the investigation that led to that conclusion?
Judge Griffin: I am not.

"We had no connections between Ruby and organized crime, or Ruby and Oswald, or Ruby and anybody else" - Burt Griffin (About 51:25)

“I made every effort to find evidence of Ruby’s involvement in a conspiracy. I found none." - Burt Griffin

[Fiver]

This post epitomises the standard of evidence proffered by the WC Apologists. Dougherty testifies that when he saw Oswald enter the building he was NOT carrying any sort of large package. But then we have some hearsay that Shelley "thought he saw him carrying a fairly good-sized package". How did this "fairly good-sized package" escape Dougherty's notice? Where is the testimony of "the fellows that said they did"? Somehow a negative is proposed to be a positive.

Buell Frazier and his sister Linnie Mae Randle testified that Oswald brought a package to work that day. That is not hearsay. Dougherty's statement shows that others, such as Shelly, claimed to have seen Oswald with a large package. This should have been followed up by the Warren Commission.

[Fiver]

Where was this package hidden and why did no one see it carried to the sixth floor.

Unless Frazier and Randle were lying, Oswald took a large package that wasn't his lunch to the TSBD.

What happened to Oswald's package of curtain rods? Why didn't Oswald take it with him when he left the TSBD? Why wasn't it found in the TSBD?

[Fiver]

Why did no one see him re-assemble the rifle, a task requiring time and at least a screwdriver.

Why did no one see Not-Oswald assembling the sniper's nest, or planting the rifle, cartridge cases, and bag?

The simple answer, regardless of whether you believe in a Conspiracy, is that people who want to get away with murder try to avoid being witnessed.

As to rifle assembly.

Mr. BALL. Let's take it out of the sack and put it before the Commission. Do you need any special tools to assemble this rifle?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. No, sir.
Mr. BALL. I notice you have a screwdriver there. Can you assemble it without the use of a screwdriver?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. What can you use?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Any object that would fit the slots on the five screws that retain the stock to the action.
Mr. BALL. Could you do it with a 10-cent piece?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. BALL. Will you do that--about how long will it take you?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I know I can do it, but I have never been timed as far as using a dime. I have been timed using a screwdriver, which required a little over 2 minutes.
Mr. BALL. 2 minutes with a screwdriver.
Try it with the dime and let's see how long it takes.
Okay. Start now. Six minutes.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I think I can improve on that.
Mr. BALL. And the only tool you used was a 10-cent piece?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. That is correct.

[Fiver]

It seems that as well as a magic bullet, there is a magic dis-appearing/re-appearing rifle that can also transform from a Mauser 7.65 to a Mannlicher 6.5..

That is one of the more nonsensical claims of the Conspiracists.

Either
* The Conspiracy planted the wrong rifle, let the wrong rifle be photographed by the police, let the wrong rifle be marked by the police, let a local TV station film the wrong rifle being carried across the 6th floor, let the wrong rifle be photographed by two journalists as it was carried out of the building, and then magically changed it for the right rifle without anyone noticing.

Or
* Some of the people who saw the rifle misidentified it.

Yet somehow the second option is the one the Conspiracists find ridiculous.

[Patrick Differ]

Ruby and Trafficante
Reference Michael Benson - Who's Who in JFK Assassination
And HSCA Volume 9

Ruby is tied to Trafficante in Cuba and Tresconia Prison in 1959. Witnessed by British Journalist John Wilson Hudson.
Michael Benson

The HSCA was unable to tie Trafficante and Ruby but stated " there was considerable evidence a meeting took place".

The HSCA also goes on to state they speculated that Ruby was a Mob courier.

The HSCA volume IX, pages 191 -196 was an analysis of Rubys phone calls during the weeks before the assassination. Including :
6 calls to Trafficante associate Lewis McWillie
Calls to Mob Bondsman Irwin S Weiner. Weiner connected to Jimmy Hoffa and Sam Giancana.
call on October 30 to Heroin Smuggler Nofio Peco, associate of Carlos Marcello.
Call on Nov 7 to Barney Baker for 14 minutes. Baker is associate of Jimmy Hoffa.
Call on Nov 8 to Dusty Miller an associate of Hoffa and Giancana.
In the summer of 1963 Ruby contacted assassin and Giancanna Lieutenant Lenny Patrick.

The HSCA also tied Ruby to James Henry Dolan an ex con and enforcer for Trafficante and Giancana.

HSCA - volume IX

Ruby tied to the Mob. Why did Blakey think Oswald was a Mob Hit ? I guess phone calls to the Mob and 100 Toll Free calls from September 1963 up to the Assassination ?

[Herlock Sholmes]

That is one of the more nonsensical claims of the Conspiracists.

Either
* The Conspiracy planted the wrong rifle, let the wrong rifle be photographed by the police, let the wrong rifle be marked by the police, let a local TV station film the wrong rifle being carried across the 6th floor, let the wrong rifle be photographed by two journalists as it was carried out of the building, and then magically changed it for the right rifle without anyone noticing.

Or
* Some of the people who saw the rifle misidentified it.

Yet somehow the second option is the one the Conspiracists find ridiculous.

Well summed up Fiver

[Fiver]

How did he re-assemble the rifle without getting fingerprints all over it?

" The most important fact dealing with the lack of fingerprints is that it neither suggests, implies, or establishes that any person did or did not touch the item of evidence." - Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Scientific Services Bureau

"Latent fingerprint examiners generally know that even when cutting edge technology such as cyanoacrylate fuming and laser/forensic light source examination are utilized, successful development of latent prints on firearms is difficult to achieve. In reality, very few identifiable latent prints are found on firearms, a fact that has been discussed in both the literature and the judicial system." - Mar/Apr 1997 issue of the Journal of Forensic Identification

[Fiver]

The FBI found no useable fingerprints, but Day said he found one smudged print and a palm print (which he did not photograph as was required). .

Mr. DAY. On the bottom side of the barrel which was covered by the wood, I found traces of a palmprint. I dusted these and tried lifting them, the prints, with scotch tape in the usual manner. A faint palmprint came off. I could still see traces of the print under the barrel and was going to try to use photography to bring off or bring out a better print. About this time I received instructions from the chief's office to go no further with the processing, it was to be released to the FBI for them to complete. I did not process the underside of the barrel under the scopic sight, did not get to this area of the gun.
Mr. BELIN. Do you know what Commission Exhibit No. 637 is?
Mr. DAY. This is the trace of palmprint I lifted off of the barrel of the gun after I had removed the wood.
Mr. BELIN. Does it have your name on it or your handwriting?
Mr. DAY. It has the name "J. C. Day," and also "11/22/63" written on it in my writing off the underside gun barrel near the end of foregrip, C-2766.

[Fiver]

When McCloy asked (WC Vol IV Page 262) Day if he had matched the fingerprints to Oswald, Day replied that he hadn't, but that in his opinion they would have matched.

That is not an accurate summary.

Mr. BELIN. Did you do anything with the other prints or partial prints that you said you thought you saw?
Mr. DAY. I photographed them only. I did not try to lift them.
Mr. BELIN. Do you have those photographs, sir? I will mark the two photographs which you have just produced Commission Exhibits 720 and 721. I will ask you to state what these are.
Mr. DAY. These are prints or pictures, I should say, of the latent--of the traces of prints on the side of the magazine housing of the gun No. C-2766.
Mr. BELIN. Were those prints in such condition as to be identifiable, if you know?
Mr. DAY. No, sir; I could not make positive identification of these prints.
Mr. BELIN. Did you have enough opportunity to work and get these pictures or not?
Mr. DAY. I worked with them, yes. I could not exclude all possibility as to identification. I thought I knew which they were, but I could not positively identify them.
Mr. BELIN. What was your opinion so far as it went as to whose they were?
Mr. DAY. They appeared to be the right middle and right ring finger of Harvey Lee Oswald, Lee Harvey Oswald.

[Fiver]

Oswald's fingerprints were not identified as being on ... the revolver from the theatre

Correct. Oswald's prints were not found on the revolver that a couple dozen people saw Oswald hold in his hand and try to shoot the police with.

"Jurors are generally under the impression that every item that is touched by fingers or palms will be left with an identifiable latent print impression. If an offender is arrested for possession of a firearms, jurors therefore expect his/her prints to be on it. In fact, most of the time, fingerprint specialists find no identifiable latent prints on firearms. Accordingly, attorneys often call on the fingerprint specialist to explain to the jury the many reasons for the absence of identifiable latent prints. The following reasons make latent print recovery from firearms difficult and when they are recovered, the time of deposition can seldom be determined." - Mar/Apr 1997 issue of the Journal of Forensic Identification.

[Fiver]

Oswald's fingerprints were not identified as being on the rifle, the expended cases, the live round, the ammo clip, the revolver from the theatre or the cases allegedly dumped at the Tippet murder site. Solid evidence indeed.

Oswald's palm print was found on the rifle. Partial fingerprints consistent with, but not exclusive to Oswald, were found on the rifle. Neutron analysis matched bullet fragments taken from JFK's head with a larger fragment found in the limo. Ballistics showed that the larger fragment came from Oswald's rifle to the exclusion of all other rifles. Neutron analysis matched bullet fragments taken from Connally's wrist with the stretcher bullet. Ballistics showed that the stretcher bullet came from Oswald's rifle to the exclusion of all other rifles. Oswald's wife testified that she took pictures of Oswald with the rifle. Photographic analysis showed that the rifle in the pictures was consistent with, but not exclusive to Oswald's rifle. Analysis of the photo negative showed that the photo was taken with Oswald's camera, to the exclusion of all other cameras.

Oswald's palm print was found on the paper bag.

Oswald's revolver had no prints on it, but it was take from his hand in front of a couple dozen witnesses at the Texas Theater when he tried to shoot the police with it. One of the shell cases discarded by the murderer of JD Tippit was match to Oswald's revolver, to the exclusion of all other revolvers. The other three the shell cases discarded by the murderer of JD Tippit were consistent with, but not exclusive to Oswald's revolver. Several witnesses identified Oswald as the man they saw shoot Tippit or the man they saw running from the scene. The bullets taken from Tippit's body were a mix of Western and Remington-Peters. The shell cases discarded by the murderer were a mix of Western and Remington-Peters. The bullets in the gun Oswald tried to use on the police at the Texas Theater were a mix of Western and Remington-Peters.

Solid evidence indeed.

[Fiver]

When three expended cases were allegedly found way in front of the shooter's position, Day placed them in an envelope without scratching his name on the brass as is required for a chain of custody.

The three expended cases found in the sniper's nest on the 6th floor of the TSBD were observed by multiple witnesses and photographed before they were picked up. The three cases were placed in a marked envelope and were later directly marked by Day.

[Fiver]

There is a written statement, and a typed statement, and a photograph that shows that the FBI received only two expended cases. When Day received the envelope and cases back at ten o'clock that night he belatedly scratched his name in the brass. Only two of the cases entered into evidence have Day's name on the case. So we also have a magic dis-appearing cartridge case.

It's not magic if you read the evidence.

Mr. BELIN. In other words, you didn't put the writing in that says, "Two of the three spent hulls."
Mr. DAY. Not then. About 10 o'clock in the evening this envelope came back to me with two hulls in it. I say it came to me, it was in a group of stuff, a group of evidence, we were getting ready to release to the FBI. I don't know who brought them back. Vince Drain, FBI, was present with the stuff, the first I noticed it. At that time there were two hulls inside. I was advised the homicide division was retaining the third for their use. At that time I marked the two hulls inside of this, still inside this envelope.

[Fiver]

Oswald's prints were found on boxes on the sixth floor. How is this extraordinary? He worked there moving those boxes.

Oswald certainly moved those boxes. The question is if he did so as part of his work or if he did so as part of assembling the sniper's nest. The palm print was in a location that was unlikely to have occurred from just moving boxes.