% REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th President of the United States May 29, 1917-November 22, 1963 REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF President John F. Kennedy UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. t ^^:l. f . OL ^ 169234 GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY OCT 5 1S64 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1964 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402 Price $2,50 Paper Covers; $3.25 Cloth Bound PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY Chief Justice Earl Warren, Chairman Senator Richard B. Russell Representative Gerald R. Ford Senator John Sherman Cooper Mr. Allen W. Dulles Representative Hale Boggs Mr. John J. McCloy J. Lee Rankin, General Counsel Assistant Counsel Francis W. H. Adams Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Joseph A. Ball Wesley J. Liebeler David W. Belin Norman Redlich William T. Coleman, Jr. W. David Slawson Melvin Aron Eisenberg Arlen Specter Burt W. Griffin Samuel A. Stern Leon D, Hubert, Jr. Howard P. Wh-lens* Staff Members Phillip Barson Edward A. Conroy John Hart Ely Alfred Goldberg Murray J. Laulicht Arthur Marmor Richard M. Mosk John J. O'Brien Stuart Pollak Alfredda Scobey Charles N. Shaffer, Jr. Lloyd L. Weinreb *Mr. Willens also acted as liaison between the Commission and the Department of Justice. President's Commission ON THE Assassination op President Kennedy 200 Maryland Ave. N^. EAia WARREN, Warfiington. D.C. 20002 J. lee RANKIN. CiMirnwtl Ctntf*\ Catnul Telephone 543-1400 RICHARD B. RUSSELL JOHN SHERMAN COOPER HALE BOCGS GERALD R. FORD September 2h, I96U JOHN J. McCLOY ALUN W. DULLES The President The White Hoxxse Washington, D. C. Dear ^fe*. President: Your Cosmission to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963^ having completed its assignment in accordance vith Executive Order No. III30 of Noveinber 29, 1963* herewith submits its final report. Respectfully, •" )hn J. McCloy Foreword President Lyndon B. Johnson, by Executive Order No. 11130 dated November 29, 1963,^ created this Commission to investigate the assassination on November 22, 1963, of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. The President directed the Commission to evaluate all the facts and circumstances surrounding the assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged assassin and to report its findings and conclusions to him.^ The subject of the Commission's inquiry was a chain of events which saddened and shocked the people of the United States and of the world. The assassination of President Kennedy and the simul- taneous wounding of John B. Connally, Jr., Governor of Texas, had been followed within an hour by the slaying of Patrolman J. D. Tippit of the Dallas Police Department. In the United States and abroad, these events evoked universal demands for an explanation. Immediately after the assassination. State and local officials in Dallas devoted their resources to the apprehension of the assassin. The U.S. Secret Service, which is responsible for the protection of the President, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investiga- tion at the direction of President Johnson. Within 35 minutes of the killing of Patrolman Tippit, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested by the Dallas police as a suspect in that crime.Based on evidence pro- vided by Federal, State, and local agencies, the State of Texas arraigned Oswald within 12 hours of his arrest, charging him with the assassination of President Kennedy and the murder of Patrolman Tippit. On November 24, 1963, less than 48 hours after his arrest, Oswald was fatally shot in the basement of the Dallas Police Depart- ment by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner. This shooting took place in full view of a national television audience. The events of these 2 days were witnessed with shock and disbelief by a Nation grieving the loss of its young leader. Throughout the world, reports on these events were disseminated in massive detail. Theories and speculations mounted regarding the assassination. In many instances, the intense public demand for facts was met by partial and frequently conflicting reports from Dallas and elsewhere. After Oswald's arrest and his denial of all guilt, public attention focused both on the extent of the evidence against him and the possi- bility of a conspiracy, domestic or foreign. His subsequent death heightened public interest and stimulated additional suspicions and rumors. ix THE COMMISSION AND ITS POWERS After Lee Harvey Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby, it was no longer possible to arrive at the complete story of the assassination through normal judicial procedures during a trial of the alleged assassin. Alternative means for instituting a complete investi- gation were widely discussed. Federal and State officials con- ferred on the possibility of initiating a court of inquiry before a State magistrate in Texas. An investigation by the grand jury of Dallas County also was considered. As speculation about the existence of a foreign or domestic conspiracy became widespread, committees in both Houses of Congress weighed the desirability of congressional hearings to discover all the facts relating to the assassination. By his order of November 29 establishing the Commission, Presi- dent Johnson sought to avoid parallel investigations and to concen- trate factfinding in a body having the broadest national mandate. As Chairman of the Commission, President Johnson selected Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States, former Governor and at- torney general of the State of California. From the U.S. Senate, he chose Richard B. Russell, Democratic Senator from Georgia and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, former Governor of, and county attorney in, the State of Georgia, and John Sherman Cooper, Republican Senator from Kentucky, former county and cir- cuit judge, State of Kentucky, and U.S. Ambassador to India. Two members of the Commission were drawn from the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives Hale Boggs, Democratic U.S. Representative from Lou- : isiana and majority whip, and Gerald R. Ford, Republican, U.S. Representative from Michigan and chairman of the House Republican Conference. From private life. President Johnson selected two lawyers by profession, both of whom have served in the administra- tions of Democratic and Republican Presidents: Allen W. Dulles, former Director of Central Intelligence, and John J. McCloy, former President of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Develop- ment, former U.S. High Commissioner for Germany, and during World War II, the Assistant Secretary of War. From its first meeting on December 5, 1963, the Commission viewed the Executive order as an miequivocal Presidential mandate to conduct a thorough and independent investigation. Because of the numerous rumors and theories, the Commission concluded that the public interest in insuring that the truth was ascertained could not be met by merely accepting the reports or the analyses of Federal or State agencies. Not only were the premises and conclusions of those reports critically re- assessed, but all assertions or rumors relating to a possible conspiracy, or the complicity of others than Oswald, which have come to the at- tention of the Commission, were investigated. On December 13, 1963, Congress enacted Senate Joint Resolution 137 (Public Law 88-202) ^ empowering the Commission to issue sub- poenas requiring the testimony of witnesses and the production of evi- dence relating to any matter under its mvestigation. In addition, the resolution authorized the Commission to compel testimony from wit- nesses claiming the privilege against self-incrimination under the fifth amendment to the U.S. Constitution by providing for the grant of immunity to persons testifying under such compulsion. Immunity under these provisions was not granted to any witness during the Commission's investigation. The Commission took steps immediately to obtain the necessary staff to fulfill its assignment. J. Lee Kankin, former Solicitor Gen- eral of the United States, was sworn in as general counsel for the Commission on December 16, 1963. Additional members of the legal staff were selected during the next few weeks. The Commission has been aided by 14 assistant counsel with high professional qualifications, selected by it from widely separated parts of the United States. This staff undertook the work of the Commission with a wealth of legal and investigative experience and a total dedication to the determina- tion of the truth. The Commission has been assisted also by highly qualified personnel from several Federal agencies, assigned to the Commission at its request. This group included lawyers from the Department of Justice, agents of the Internal Revenue Service, a senior historian from the Department of Defense, an editor from the Department of State, and secretarial and administrative staff supplied by the General Services Administration and other agencies. In addition to the assistance afforded by Federal agencies, the Com- mission throughout its inquiry had the cooperation of representatives of the city of Dallas and the State of Texas. The attorney general of Texas, Waggoner Carr, aided by two distinguished lawyers of that State, Robert G. Storey of Dallas, retired dean of the Southern Methodist University Law School and former president of the Amer- ican Bar Association, and Leon Jaworski of Houston, former presi- dent of the Texas State Bar Association, has been fully informed at all times as to the progress of the investigation, and has advanced such suggestions as he and his special assistants considered helpful to the accomplishment of the Commission's assignment. Attorney Gen- eral Carr has promptly supplied the Commission with pertinent infor- mation possessed by Texas officials. Dallas officials, particularly those from the police department, have fully complied with all requests made by the Commission. THE INVESTIGATION During December and early January the Commission received an increasing volume of reports from Federal and State investigative agencies. Of principal importance was the five-volume report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, submitted on December 9, 1963, which summarized the results of the investigation conducted by the Bureau immediately after the assassination. After reviewing this report, the Commission requested the Federal Bureau of Investigation to furnish the underlying investigative materials relied upon in the xi summary report. The first investigative reports submitted in re- sponse to this request were delivered to the Commission on Decem- ber 20, 1963. On December 18, the Secret Service submitted a detailed report on security precautions taken before President Kennedy's trip to Texas and a summary of the events of November 22, as witnessed by Secret Service agents. A few days later the Department of State submitted a report relating to Oswald's defection to the Soviet Union in 1959, and his return to the United States in 1962. On January 7 and 11, 1964, the attorney general of Texas submitted an extensive set of investigative materials, largely Dallas police reports, on the assassination of President Kennedy and the killing of Oswald. As these investigative reports were received, the staff began analyz- ing and summarizing them. The members of the legal staff, divided into teams, proceeded to organize the facts revealed by these investi- gations, determine the issues, sort out the unresolved problems, and recommend additional investigation by the Commission. Simul- taneously, to insure'that no relevant information would be overlooked, the Commission directed requests to the 10 major departments of the Federal Government, 14 of its independent agencies or commissions, and 4 congressional committees for all information relating to the assassination or the background and activities of Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Euby. After reviewing the accumulating materials, the Commission di- rected numerous additional requests to Federal and State investiga- tive agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service executed the detailed requests for statements of witnesses and examinations of physical evidence with dispatch and thorough- ness. All these reports were reviewed and analyzed by the Commis- sion. Additional investigative requests, where appropriate, were handled by Internal Revenue Service, Department of State, and the military intelligence agencies with comparable skill. Investigative analyses of particular significance and sensitivity in the foreign areas were contributed by the Central Intelligence Agency. On occasion the Commission used independent experts from State and city govern- ments to supplement or verify information. During the investigation the Commission on several occasions visited the scene of the assassina- tion and other places in the Dallas area pertinent to the inquiry. The scope and detail of the investigative effort by the Federal and State agencies are suggested in part by statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secret Service. Immediately after the assassination more than 80 additional FBI personnel were trans- ferred to the Dallas office on a temporary basis to assist in the investi- gation. Beginning November 22, 1963, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted approximately 25,000 interviews and reinter- views of persons having information of possible relevance to the in- vestigation and by September 11, 1964, submitted over 2,300 reports totaling approximately 25,400 pages to the Commission. During the same period the Secret Service conducted approximately 1,550 inter- views and submitted 800 reports totaling some 4,600 pages. xn Because of the diligence, cooperation, and facilities of Federal in- vestigative agencies, it was unnecessary for the Commission to employ investigators other than the members of the Commission's legal staff. The Commission recognized, however, that special measures were re- quired whenever the facts or rumors called for an appraisal of the acts of the agencies themselves. The staff reviewed in detail the actions of several Federal agencies, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investiga- tion, the Secret Service, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of State. Initially the Commission requested the agencies to furnish all their reports relating to the assassination and their rela- tionships with Oswald or Ruby. On the basis of these reports, the Commission submitted specific questions to the agency involved. Members of the staff followed up the answers by reviewing the relevant files of each agency for additional information. In some instances, members of the Commission also reviewed the files in person. Finally, the responsible officials of these agencies were called to testify under oath. Dean Rusk, Secretary of State; C. Douglas Dillon, Secretary of the Treasury Jolm A. McCone, Director of the Central Intelligence ; Agency; J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investi- gation and James J. Rowley, Chief of the Secret Service, appeared ; as witnesses and testified fully regarding their agencies' participation in the matters under scrutiny by the Commission. COMMISSION HEARINGS In addition to the information resulting from these investigations, the Commission has relied primarily on the facts disclosed by the sworn testimony of the principal witnesses to the assassination and related events. Beginning on February 3, 1964, the Commission and its staff has taken the testimony of 552 witnesses. Of this number, 94 appeared before members of the Commission 395 were questioned ; by members of the Commission's legal staff; 61 supplied sworn affi- davits; and 2 gave statements.* Under Commission procedures, all witnesses were advised that they had the right to the presence and the advice of their lawyer during the interrogation, with the corollary rights to raise objections to any questions asked, to make any clarifying statement on the record after the interrogation, and to purchase a copy of their testimony.^ Commission hearings were closed to the public unless the witness appearing before the Commission requested an open hearing. Under these procedures, testimony of one witness was taken in a public hear- ing on two occasions. No other witness requested a public hearing. The Commission concluded that the premature publication by it of testimony regarding the assassination or the subsequent killing of Oswald might interfere with Ruby's rights to a fair and impartial trial on the charges filed against him by the State of Texas. The Commission also recognized that testimony would be presented before it which would be inadmissible in judicial proceedings and might xiii prejudice innocent parties if made public out of context. In addition to the witnesses who appeared before the Commission, numerous others provided sworn depositions, affidavits, and statements upon which the Commission has relied. Since this testimony, as well as that taken before the Commission, could not always be taken in logical sequence, the Commission concluded that partial publication of testi- mony as the investigation progressed was impractical and could be misleading. THE COMMISSION'S FUNCTION The Commission's most difficult assignments have been to uncover all the factsconcerning the assassination of President Kennedy and to determine if it was in any way directed or encouraged by unknown persons at home or abroad. In this process, its objective has been to identify the person or persons responsible for both the assassination of President Kemiedy and the killing of Oswald through an examina- tion of the evidence. The task has demanded miceasing appraisal of the evidence by the individual members of the Commission in their effort to discover the whole truth. The procedures followed by the Commission in developing and assessing evidence necessarily differed from those of a court conducting a criminal trial of a defendant present before it, since under our system there is no pro^dsion for a posthumous trial. If Oswald had lived he could have had a trial by American standards of justice where he would have been able to exercise his full rights mider the law. A judge and jury would have presumed him innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He might have furnished infor- mation which could have affected the course of liis trial. He could have participated in and guided his defense. There could have been an examination to determine whether he was sane under prevailing legal standards. All witnesses, including possibly the defendant, could have been subjected to searchmg examination under the adver- sary system of American trials. The Commission has functioned neither as a court presiding over an adversary proceeding nor as a prosecutor determined to prove a case, but as a factfinding agency committed to the ascertainment of the truth. In the course of the investigation of the facts and rumors surrounding these matters, it was necessary to explore hearsay and other sources of information not admissible in a court proceeding obtained from persons who saw or heard and others in a position to observe what occurred. In fairness to the alleged assassin and his family, the Commission on February 25, 1964, requested Walter E. Craig, president of the American Bar Association, to participate in the investigation and to advise the Commission whether in his opinion the proceedings conformed to the basic principles of American justice. Mr. Craig accepted this assignment and participated fully and with- out limitation. He attended Commission hearings in person or through his appointed assistants. All working papers, reports, and xiv other data in Commission files were made available, and Mr. Craig and his associates were given the opportunity to cross-examine wit- nesses, to recall any witness heard prior to his appointment, and to suggest witnesses whose testimony they would like to have the Com- mission hear. This procedure wa« agreeable to counsel for Oswald's widow. THE COMMISSION'S REPORT In this report the Commission submits the results of its investiga- tion. Each member of the Commission has given careful considera- tion to the entire report and concurs in its findings and conclusions. The report consists of an initial chapter summarizing the Commis- sion's basic findings and conclusions, followed by a detailed analysis of the facts and the issues raised by the events of November 22, 1963, and the 2 following days. Individual chapters consider the trip to Dallas, the shots from the Texas School Book Depository, the identity of the assassin, the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald, the possibility of a conspiracy, Oswald's background and possible motive, and arrange- ments for the protection of the President. In these chapters, rather than rely on cross references, the Commission on occasion has repeated certain testimony in order that the reader might have the necessary information before him while examining the conclusions of the Com- mission on each important issue. With this report the Commission is submitting the complete testi- mony of all the witnesses who appeared before the Commission or gave sworn depositions or affidavits, the accompanying documentary exhibits, and other investigative materials which are relied upon in this report. The Commission is committing all of its reports and working papers to the National Archives, where they can be perma- nently preserved under the rules and regulations of the National Archives and applicable Federal law. XV 2 Contents Page LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL vii FOREWORD ix Chapter I. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1 Narrative of Events 1 Conclusions 18 Recommendations 25 Chapter II. THE ASSASSINATION 28 Planning the Texas Trip ' 28 Advance Preparations for the Dallas Trip 29 Preventive Intelligence Activities 29 The Lmicheon Site 30 The Motorcade Route 31 Dallas Before the Visit 40 Visits to Other Texas Cities 42 Arrival at Love Field 42 Organization of the Motorcade 43 The Drive Through Dallas ..." 46 The Assassination 48 The Time 48 Speed of the Limousine 49 In the Presidential Limousine 49 Reaction by Secret Service Agents 50 Parkland Memorial Hospital 52 The Race to the Hospital 52 Treatment of President Kennedy 53 Treatment of Governor Connally 56 Vice President Johnson at Parkland 56 Secret Service Emergency Security Arrangements ... 57 Removal of the President's Body 58 The End of the Trip 59 Swearing in of the New President 59 Retiu-n to Washington, D.C 59 The Autopsy 59 Chapter III. THE SHOTS FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY 61 The Witnesses 61 Near the Depository 63 On the Fifth Floor 68 At the Triple Underpass 71 The Presidential Automobile 76 xvii 730-900 0-64— Chapter III. THE SHOTS FROM THE TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITOEY— Continued Page Expert Examination of Rifle, Cartridge Cases, and Bullet Fragments 79 Discovery of Cartridge Cases and Rifle 79 Discovery of Bullet at Parkland Hospital 79 Description of Rifle 81 Expert Testimony 84 The Bullet Wounds 85 The President's Head Wounds 86 The President's Neck Wounds 87 The Governor's Wounds 92 The Trajectory 96 Films and Tests 96 The First Bullet That Hit 97 The Subsequent Bullet That Hit 109 Number of Shots 110 The Shot That Missed Ill The First Shot Ill The Second Shot 115 The Third Shot 115 Time Span of Shots 117 Conclusion 117 Chapter IV. THE ASSASSIN 118 Ownership and Possession of Assassination Weapon 118 Purchase of Rifle by Oswald 118 Oswald's Palmprint on Rifle Barrel 122 Fibers on Rifle 124 Photograph of Oswald With Rifle 125 Rifle Among Oswald's Possessions . 128 Conclusion 129 The Rifle in the Building 129 The Curtain Rod Story 129 The Missing Rifle 130 The Long and Bulky Package 131 Location of Bag 134 Scientific Evidence Linking Rifle and Oswald to Paper Bag 135 Conclusion 137 Oswald at Window 137 Palmprints and Fingerprints on Cartons and Paper Bag 140 Oswald's Presence on Sixth Floor Approximately 35 Minutes Before the Assassination 143 Eyewitness Identification of Assassin 143 Oswald's Actions in Building After Assassination .... 149 Conclusion 156 xviii Chapter IV. THE ASSASSIN— Continued Page The Killing of Patrolman J. D. Tippit 156 Oswald's Movements After Leaving Depository BuHding 157 Description of Shooting 165 Eyewitnesses 166 Murder Weapon 171 Ownership of Revolver 172 Oswald's Jacket 175 Conclusion 176 Oswald's Arrest 176 Statements of Oswald During Detention 180 Denial of Rifle Ownership' 180 The Revolver 181 The Aliases ^'HideU" and '^O. H. Lee" 181 The Curtain Rod Story 182 Actions During and After Shooting 182 Prior Attempt To KiU 183 The Attempt on the Life of Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Walker 183 Richard M. Nixon Incident 187 Oswald's Rifle Capability 189 The Nature of the Shots 189 Oswald's Marine Training 191 Oswald's Rifle Practice Outside the Marines 192 Accuracy of Weapon 193 Conclusion 195 Conclusion 195 Chapter V. DETENTION AND DEATH OF OSWALD ... 196 Treatment of Oswald in Custody 196 Chronology 198 Interrogation Sessions 199 Oswald's Legal Rights 200 Activity of Newsmen 201 On the Thhd Floor 201 Oswald and the Press 206 The Abortive Transfer 208 Possible Assistance to Jack Ruby in Entering the Base- ment 216 Adequacy of Security Precautions 225 News Coverage and Police Policy 231 Responsibility of News Media 240 ChapterVL INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE CON- SPIRACY 243 Circumstances Surrounding the Assassination 245 Selection of Motorcade Route 245 Oswald's Presence in the Depository Building 246 Bringing Rifle Into Building 247 xix Chapter YI. INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE CON- SPIRACY—Continued — Circumstances Surrounding the Assassination Con. Page Accomplices at the Scene of the Assassination 248 Oswald's Escape 252 Background of Lee Harvey Oswald 254 Residence in the Soviet Union 254 Associations in the DaUas-Fort Worth Community . . 280 Political Activities Upon Retiu'n to the United States 287 Contacts With the Cuban and Soviet Embassies in Mexico City and the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C 299 Investigation of Other Activities 312 Oswald Was Not an Agent for the U.S. Government 325 Oswald's Finances 328 Possible Conspiracy Involving Jack Ruby 333 Ruby's Activities From November 21 to November 24, 1963 333 Ruby and Oswald Were Not Acquainted 359 Ruby's Background and Associations 365 Conclusion 374 Chaptee VII. LEE HARVEY OSWALD: BACKGROUND AND POSSIBLE MOTIVES 375 The Early Years 377 New York City 378 Return to New Orleans and Joining the Marine Corps . . . 383 Interest in Marxism 388 Defection to the Soviet Union 390 Return to the United States 394 Personal Relations 400 Employment 402 Attack on General Walker 404 Political Activities 406 Interest in Cuba 412 Possible Influence of Anti-Kennedy Sentiment in Dallas. 415 Relationship With Wife 416 The Unanswered Questions 421 Conclusion 423 Chapter VIII. THE PROTECTION OF THE PRESIDENT. 425 The Nature of the Protective Assignment 426 Evaluation of Presidential Protection at the Time of the Assassination of President Kennedy 428 Intelligence Functions Relating to Presidential Pro- tection at the Time of the Dallas Trip 429 Liaison. With Other Government Agencies 444 Other Protective Measures and Aspects of Secret Service Performance 444 XX Chapter VIII. THE PEOTECTION OF THE PRESI- DENT— Continued Page Recommendations 454 Assassination a Federal Crime 454 Committee of Cabinet Officers 456 Responsibilities for Presidential Protection 457 General Supervision of the Secret Service 460 Preventive Intelligence 461 Liaison With Local Law Enforcement Agencies 465 Inspection of Buildings 466 Secret Service Personnel and Facilities 466 Manpower and Technical Assistance From Other Agencies 467 Conclusion 468 Appendix I. EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 11130 471 Appendix IL WHITE HOUSE RELEASE 472 Appendix III. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 137 473 Appendix IV. BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 475 Members of Commission 475 General Counsel 476 Assistant Counsel 476 Staff Members 477 Acknowledgments 481 Appendix V. LIST OF WITNESSES 483 COMMISSION PROCEDURES FOR THE Appendix VI. TAKING OF TESTIMONY 501 Resolution Governing Questioning of Witnesses by Mem- bers of the Commission Staff 501 Appendix VIL A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL PROTECTION 504 Before the Civil War 504 Lincoln 505 The Need for Protection Further Demonstrated 507 Development of Presidential Protection 510 FROM DOCTORS Appendix VIIL MEDICAL REPORTS AT PARKLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, DALLAS, TEX 516 Appendix IX. AUTOPSY REPORT AND SUPPLE- MENTAL REPORT 538 xxi Page Appendix X. EXPERT TESTIMONY 547 Firearms and Firearms Identification 547 General Principles 547 The Rifle 553 Rifle Cartridge and Cartridge Cases 555 The Rifle Bullets 557 The Revolver 558 Revolver Cartridges and Cartridge Cases 559 Revolver Bullets 559 The Struggle for the Revolver 560 The Paraffin Test 560 The Walker Bullet 562 Fingerprints and Palmprints 563 General Principles 563 Objects in the Texas School Book Depository Build- ing 556 Questioned Documents 566 The Mail Order for the C2766 Rifle, the Related En- velope, and the Money Order 569 Mail Order for the V510210 Revolver 570 Post Office Box Applications and Change-of-Address Card 570 The Spurious Selective Service System Notice of Classification and U.S. Marine Corps Certificate of Service 571 The Hidell Notice of Classification 571 The Hidell Certificate of Service 576 The Vaccination Certificate 577 The Fair Play for Cuba Committee Card 578 The Unsigned Russian-Language Note 578 The Homemade Wrapping Paper Bag 579 Wound Ballistics Experiments 580 Purpose of the Tests 580 The Testers and Their Qualifications 580 General Testing Conditions 581 Tests on Penetration Power and BuUet Stability. ... 581 Tests Simulating President Kennedy's Neck Wound 582 Tests Simulating Governor Connally's Chest Wounds. 582 Tests Simulating Governor Connally's Wrist Wounds 583 Conclusions From Simulating the Neck, Chest, and Wrist Wounds 584 Tests Simulating President Kennedy's Head Wounds 585 Hairs and Fibers 586 General Principles 588 Photographs 592 Appendix XL REPORTS RELATING TO THE INTER- ROGATION OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD AT THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT 598 xxii Page Appendix XII. SPECULATIONS AND RUMORS 637 The Source of the Shots 639 The Assassin 642 Oswald's Movements Between 12:33 and 1:15 p.m 648 Murder of Tippit 650 Oswald After His Arrest 654 Oswald in the Soviet Union 655 Oswald's Trip to Mexico City 658 Oswald and U.S. Govermnent Agencies 659 Conspiratorial Relationships 661 Other Rumors and Speculations 664 Appendix XIII. BIOGRAPHY OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD 669 Early Years , . 669 Marines 681 Soviet Union 689 Fort Worth, Dallas, New Orleans 713 Mexico City 730 Dallas 737 Appendix XIV. ANALYSIS OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD'S FINANCES FROM JUNE 13, 1962, THROUGH NO- VEMBER 22, 1963 741 Appendix XV. TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN LEE HAR- VEY OSWALD AND MARINA OSWALD, AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE IMMIGRA- TION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 746 Issuance of Passport in 1959 746 Oswald's Attempts To Renounce His U.S. Citizenship 747 Return and Renewal of Oswald's 1959 Passport 752 Negotiations Between Oswald and the Embassy 752 Legal Justification for the Return and Reissue of Oswald's Passport 759 Authorization for Marina Oswald To Enter the United States 761 Negotiations Between Oswald and the Embassy 761 Legal Justification for the Decisions Affecting Marina Oswald 766 Oswald's Letter to Senator Tower 769 The Loan From the State Department 770 Oswald's Return to the United States and Repayment of His Loan 773 Issuance of a Passport in June 1963 773 Visit to the Russian Embassy in Mexico City 777 Conclusion 777 xxiii Page Appendix XVI. A BIOGRAPHY OF JACK RUBY 779 Family Background 779 Childhood and Youth (1911-33) 780 Psychiatric Report 781 Placement in Foster Homes 782 Subsequent Home Life 783 Education 784 Activities 784 Temperament 785 Young Manhood (1933-43) 786 San Francisco (1933-37) 786 Occupations and Activities 786 Chicago (1937-43) 787 Military Activities (1943-46) 790 Postwar Chicago (1946-47) 791 Dallas (1947-63) 792 The Move to Dallas 792 The Change of Name 793 Nightclub Operations 794 Employee Relationships 796 Financial Data and Tax Problems 797 Other Business Ventures 799 Arrests and Violations 800 Police Associations 800 Underworld Ties 801 Travels 801 Character and Interests 802 Family Relationships 802 Social Relationships 803 Affection for Dogs 804 Religious Interests 804 Physical Activities and Violence 804 Generosity to Friends and the Need for Recognition 806 Appendix XVII. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION OF JACK RUBY 807 Preliminary Arrangements 807 Administration of the Test 809 Interpretation of the Test 813 Appendix XVIII. FOOTNOTES 817 INDEX 880 XXIV CHAPTER I Summary and Conclusions THE ASSASSINATION of John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was a cruel and shocking act of violence directed against a man, a family, a nation, and against all mankind. A young and vigorous leader whose years of public and private life stretched before him was the victim of the fourth Presi- dential assassination in the history of a country dedicated to the con- cepts of reasoned argument and peaceful political change. This Commission was created on November 29, 1963, in recognition of the right of people everywhere to full and truthful knowledge concerning these events. This report endeavors to fulfill that right and to appraise this tragedy by the light of reason and the standard of fair- ness. It has been prepared with a deep awareness of the Commission's responsibility to present to the American people an objective report of the facts relating to the assassination. NARRATIVE OF EVENTS At 11 :40 a.m., c.s.t., on Friday, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, Mrs. Kennedy, and their party arrived at Love Field, Dallas, Tex. Behind them was the first day of a Texas trip planned 5 months before by the President, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, and John B. Connally, Jr., Governor of Texas. After leaving the White House on Thursday morning, the President had flown initially to San Antonio where Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson joined the party and the President dedicated new research facilities at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Following a testimonial dinner in Houston for U.S. Representative Albert Thomas, the President flew to Fort Worth where he spent the night and spoke at a large breakfast gathering on Friday. Planned for later that day were a motorcade through downtown Dallas, a Imicheon speech at the Trade Mart, and a flight to Austin where the President would attend a reception and speak at a Demo- cratic fundraising dinner. From Austin he would proceed to the Texas ranch of the Vice President. Evident on this trip were the — varied roles which an American President performs Head of State, Chief Executive, party leader, and, in this instance, prospective candi- date for reelection. The Dallas motorcade, it was hoped, would evoke a demonstration of the President's personal popularity in a city which he had lost in the 1960 election. Once it had been decided that the trip to Texas would span 2 days, those responsible for plamiing, primarily Governor Connally and Kenneth O'Donnell, a special assistant to the Presi- dent, agreed that a motorcade through Dallas would be desirable. The Secret Service was told on November 8 that 45 minutes had been allotted to a motorcade procession from Love Field to the site of a luncheon planned by Dallas business and ci\dc leaders in honor of the President. After considering the facilities and security problems of several buildings, the Trade Mart was chosen as the luncheon site. Given this selection, and in accordance with the customary practice of affording the greatest number of people an opportunity to see the President, the motorcade route selected was a natural one. The route was approved by the local host committee and \Yhite House representa- tives on November 18 and publicized in the local papers starting on November 19. This advance publicity made it clear that the motor- cade would leave Main Street and pass the intersection of Elm and Houston Streets as it proceeded to the Trade Mart by way of the Stemmons Freeway. By midmorning of November 22, clearing skies in Dallas dispelled the threat of rain and the President greeted the crowds from his open limousine without the "bubbletop," which was at that time a plastic shield furnishing protection only against inclement weather. To the left of the President in the rear seat was Mrs. Kennedy. In the jump seats were Governor Connally, who was in front of the President, and Mrs. Connally at the Governor's left. Agent William K. Greer of the Secret Service was driving, and Agent Koy H. Kellerman was sitting to his right. Directly behind the Presidential limousine was an open "followup" car with eight Secret Service agents, two in the front seat, two in the rear, and two on each running board. These agents, in accordance with normal Secret Service procedures, were instructed to scan the crowds, the roofs, and windows of buildings, overpasses, and crossings for signs of trouble. Behind the "followup" car was the Vice-Presidential car carrying the Vice President and Mrs. Johnson and Senator Kalph W. Yarborough. Next were a Vice-Presidential "followup" car and sev- eral cars and buses for additional dignitaries, press representatives, and others. The motorcade left Love Field shortly after 11 :50 a.m., and pro- ceeded through residential neighborhoods, stopping twice at the President's request to greet well-wishers among the friendly crowds. Each time the President's car halted, Secret Ser^dce agents from the "followup" car moved forward to assume a protective stance near the President and Mrs. Kennedy. As the motorcade reached Main Street, a principal east-west artery in downtown Dallas, the welcome became — tumultuous. At the extreme west end of Main Street the motorcade turned right on Houston Street and proceeded north for one block in order to make a left turn on Elm Street, the most direct and convenient approach to the Stemmons Freeway and the Trade Mart. As the President's car approached the intersection of Houston and Elm Streets, there loomed directly ahead on the intersection's northwest cor- ner a seven-story, orange brick warehouse and office building, the Texas School Book Depository. Eiding in the Vice President's car. Agent Eufus W. Youngblood of the Secret Service noticed that the clock atop the building indicated 12:30 p.m., the scheduled arrival time at the Trade Mart. The President's car which had been going north made a sharp turn toward the southwest onto Elm Street. At a speed of about 11 miles per hour, it started down the gradual descent toward a railroad over- pass under which the motorcade would proceed before reaching the Stemmons Freeway. The front of the Texas School Book Depository was now on the President's right, and he waved to the crowd as- — sembled there as he passed the building. Dealey Plaza an open, landscaped area marking the western end of downtown Dallas stretched out to the President's left. A Secret Service agent riding in the motorcade radioed the Trade Mart that the President would arrive in 5 minutes. Seconds later shots resounded in rapid succession. The President's hands moved to his rieck. He appeared to stiffen momentarily and lurch slightly forward in his seat. A bullet had entered the base of the back of his neck slightly to the right of the spine. It trav- eled downward and exited from the front of the neck, causing a nick in the left lower portion of the knot in the President's necktie. Before the shooting started. Governor Connally had been facing toward the crowd on the right. He started to turn toward the left and suddenly felt a blow on his back. The Governor had been hit by a bullet which entered at the extreme right side of his back at a point below his right armpit. The bullet traveled through his chest in a downward and forward direction, exited below his right nipple, passed through his right wrist which had been in his lap, and then caused a wound to his left thigh. The force of the bullet's impact appeared to spin the Governor to his right, and Mrs. Connally pulled him down into her lap. Another bullet then struck President Kennedy in the rear portion of his head, causing a massive and fatal wound. The President fell to the left into Mrs. Kennedy's lap. Secret Service Agent Clinton J. Hill, riding on the left running board of the "followup" car, heard a noise which sounded like a fire- cracker and saw the President suddenly lean forward and to the left. Hill jumped off the car and raced toward the President's limousine. In the front seat of the Vice- Presidential car. Agent Youngblood heard an explosion and noticed unusual movements in the crowd. He vaulted into the rear seat and sat on the Vice President in order to protect him. At the same time Agent Kellerman in the front seat of the Presidential limousine turned to observe the President. See- 3 ing that the President was struck, Kellerman instructed the driver, "Let's get out of here we are hit." He radioed ahead to the lead car, ; "Get us to the hospital immediately." Agent Greer immediately ac- celerated the Presidential car. As it gained speed, Agent Hill man- aged to pull himself onto the back of the car where Mrs. Kennedy had climbed. Hill pushed her back into the rear seat and shielded the stricken President and Mrs. Kennedy as the President's car proceeded at high speed to Parkland Memorial Hospital, 4 miles away. At Parkland, the President was immediately treated by a team of physicians who had been alerted for the President's arrival by the Dallas Police Department as the result of a radio message from the motorcade after the shooting. The doctors noted irregular breathing movements and a possible heartbeat, although they could not detect a pulsebeat. They observed the extensive wound in the President's head and a small wound approximately one-fourth inch in diameter in the lower third of his neck. In an effort to facilitate breathing, the physicians performed a tracheotomy by enlarging the throat wound and inserting a tube. Totally absorbed in the immediate task of try- ing to preserve the President's life, the attending doctors never turned the President over for an examination of his back. At 1 p.m., after all heart activity ceased and the Last Rites were administered by a priest, President Kennedy Avas pronounced dead. Governor Connally under- went surgery and ultimately recovered from his serious wounds. Upon learning of the President's death. Vice President Johnson left Parkland Hospital under close guard and proceeded to the Presiden- tial plane at Love Field. Mrs. Kennedy, accompanying her husband's body, boarded, the plane shortly thereafter. At 2:38 p.m., in the central compartment of the plane, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 86th President of the United States by Federal District Court Judge Sarah T. Hughes. The plane left immediately for Washington, D.C, arriving at Andrews AFB, Md., at 5 :58 p.m., e.s.t. The Presi- dent's body was taken to the National Naval ^Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., where it was given a complete pathological examination. The autopsy disclosed the large head wound observed at Parkland and the wound in the front of tlie neck which had been enlarged by the Park- land doctors when they performed the tracheotoni}'. Both of these wounds were described in the autopsy report as being "presumably of exit." In addition the autopsy revealed a small wound of entry in tlie rear of the President's skull and another wound of entry near the base of the back of the neck. The autopsy report stated the cause of death as "Gunshot wound, head,*' and the bullets which struck the President were described as having been fired "from a point behind and somewhat above the level of the deceased." At the scene of the shooting, there was evident confusion at the out- set concerning the point of origin of the shots. Witnesses differed in their accounts of the direction from which the sound of the shots em- anated. Within a few minutes, however, attention centered on the Texas School Book Depository Building as the source of the shots. The building was occupied by a private corporation, the Texas School Book Depository Co'., which distributed school textbooks of several publishers and leased space to representatives of the publishers. Most of the employees in the buildin