"Known" (Verified) Vs. "Unknown" (Unverified) Evidence In The JFK Case
David Von Pein
Kennedy's Assassination -- Instead Of What Will Forever Remain
"Unknown"?
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The assassination of America's 35th President -- John F. Kennedy -- in
November of 1963 has probably been the most-studied and most-debated
murder case in the history of the United States (and perhaps the whole
world).
Many conspiracy theorists (aka CTers) seem to enjoy attempting to
exonerate a double-murderer named Lee Harvey Oswald when it comes to
the two killings he committed on 11/22/63 (President Kennedy's murder
and the slaying of Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit).
Rabid CTers will do everything they can to skew the reality of the
events that occurred on that autumn day in 1963 -- meaning: many CTers
will take the massive supply of physical and circumstantial evidence
(which is evidence that indicates, without any doubt, that a man with
the initials "LHO" murdered two people on November 22nd) and attempt to
taint all of this "official" evidence by casting doubt on the
reliability of every single scrap of it (particularly the
ballistics/bullet evidence in both the JFK and Tippit crimes, which is
evidence that leads to only guns owned by Lee Harvey Oswald).
Is that the way to realistically approach a murder case? Is it
reasonable to think that many, many people "plotted" to frame an
innocent man named Oswald by planting several pieces of evidence
favoring his guilt?
In my view, that crazy "CT-Kook" approach (as I refer to it) is just
downright silly. (Not to mention wholly unsupportable and unprovable.)
Many conspiracists believe that several shots fired in Dealey Plaza at
President Kennedy totally missed not only all vehicle occupants, but
also missed everything and everybody else in the entire Plaza.
But, instead of focusing forever and a day on the things that will
always and implacably fall into the "Unknown" basket regarding John
Kennedy's murder, why not focus more attention on the things that are
fairly ironclad in nature?
Things such as:
1.) Exactly three shots were fired in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63....
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/images/shots3.jpg
This is almost as ironclad a certainty as you can have, given the
hugely-one-sided chart linked above. And even if some people think that
that chart has been skewed toward "3 Shots" somehow, the 3-Shots figure
is still overwhelming, especially given the initial reports from
multiple on-air reporters who said they heard precisely three shots
fired (plus other wire-service reporters who relayed their "3 Shots"
beliefs to the world within minutes of the event as well).
2.) Three spent bullet shells (from Oswald's rifle) were found in the
Sniper's Nest in the Texas School Book Depository. This doesn't mean
much to the CT-Kooks of the world, but it should. Because it doesn't
take an Einstein to line up #1 and #2 here.
3.) Lee Harvey Oswald's own rifle was found on the 6th Floor of the
TSBD (the same floor where those 3 shells were also discovered). This
item doesn't seem to mean a whole lot to many CTers of the world
either. But it most certainly should. Because the mere odds of somebody
else (besides the known owner of that Mannlicher-Carcano rifle) having
used that rifle to kill the President are very low.
It's not impossible, quite obviously, for somebody else to have used
LHO's gun that day. But doesn't just ordinary Occam's Razor-style logic
tell us that it was PROBABLY the owner of that weapon who used it on
any given occasion (including November 22, 1963)?
4.) Lee Harvey Oswald murdered a policeman less than one hour after JFK
was killed right on the doorstep of Tippit's murderer's workplace. And
Tippit's murderer was positively inside that workplace (the TSBD) at
12:30 PM when JFK was being shot.
5.) A witness puts Lee Oswald in the sniper's window with a gun, firing
that gun toward JFK's car. This doesn't mean much to a lot of
conspiracists either, but it should.
6.) Lee Oswald had no alibi at all that holds up under any kind of
cross-checking scrutiny. This doesn't mean much to kooks of the CT
persuasion either; but it, too, should. Because it's obvious that
Oswald told some "alibi" lies after he was arrested for Tippit's
murder. And does a completely-innocent man need to lie as much as Lee
Oswald did?
Doesn't any CTer wonder why Oswald lied so darn much during the two
days he was in police custody? They had-oughta wonder (that is, if this
guy named Oswald was nothing but a proverbial "patsy", as many CTers
firmly believe was the case).
7.) Every last piece of ballistics evidence (guns, bullets, bullet
shells, and bullet fragments) leads straight to one killer in both the
JFK and JDT killings. Guess who?
Don't CT-Kooks ever wonder HOW the amazing plotters pulled off this
"All Oswald Bullets/Shells" feat if, in reality, additional guns were
truly involved in injuring not just one, but TWO, separate victims on
11/22/63 (including Governor John Connally)? They should wonder that.
(How often can conspiracy buffs fool themselves with the "Everything
Was Planted And/Or Manipulated" whitewash?)
8.) Lee Oswald had a history of wanting to kill political figures,
starting with General Edwin Walker in April of 1963 (which just
happened to coincide perfectly with the timeline of Oswald receiving
his Carcano rifle in the mail).
Don't CTers ever wonder about this "coincidence" either? They should.
We KNOW Oswald took a potshot at Walker -- because he told us so
(through his wife, Marina Oswald). Was Marina attempting to frame her
own husband? Apparently some conspiracists think so.
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In the final analysis......
Any "missed" shot that was fired in Dealey Plaza shall forever remain
just a "guess", whether you're an LNer or a CTer. But does that mean
the case is unsolvable? Or that a conspiracy MUST exist? No, it
doesn't.
Everything of a HARD EVIDENCE nature leads to one conclusion, and only
one -- i.e., Lee Harvey Oswald was performing a solo shooting act on
11/22/63.
The softer evidence, such as the forever-debatable "missed shot(s)",
shall always be soft, and as such shall always be focused on much more
by CTers than the stuff we know for certain (such as Lee Oswald's
proof-positive involvement in two different murders that November day
in Dallas, Texas).
David Von Pein
September 2006