Gene Kelly Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Westbrook is clearly a person of interest. Why would a personnel officer - one who conducts background investigations, vets Police Academy recruits, and investigates personnel complaints - be at a crime scene? We are led to believe that Westbrook sent officers from his Personnel Research Bureau to the Texas School Book Depository immediately after the assassination. He then shows up at the Tippit scene (in civilian clothes), after allegedly walking to the Book Depository to "help start the search". His whereabouts for the next hour are mighty intriguing, to say the least, yet he didn’t have much to say subsequently to the Warren Commission, and they didn’t have much interest in putting him on the record. Oswald was arrested and placed in the back seat of Captain Westbrook's unmarked police car at the Texas Theatre. Westbrook controlled all of the important evidence ... the light-colored jacket, the 2nd Oswald wallet, and the .38 caliber revolver. It’s difficult to believe an escaping assassin would carelessly leave all of that evidence in his path, particularly after shooting a police officer. The wallet comes out of nowhere, into Croy's hands and then to Westbrook ... where it then disappears from the record. Nonetheless, this illusive wallet links the identity of Oswald with the Hidell alias ...and ties the Tippit crime scene and the Carcano rifle. Oswald and Hidell were then infamously (and forever) tied together by the rifle and the wallet. Westbrook drove his unmarked police car from the Texaco parking lot to the Texas Theater (where it was parked out front) accompanied by a DPD Sergeant and a news reporter ... yet he lied about this to the Warren Commission, and did everything he could to distance himself from the evidence and Tippit’s murder. The proximity of Captain Westbrook (and his subordinate Gerry Hill) to all of this drama is a coincidence that's hard to ignore. Westbrook's ruddy complexion earned him the nickname "Pinky" from his fellow officers. The Arkansas native moved to Dallas in 1937 and joined the DPD in 1940. Westbrook retired from DPD in 1966 after 25 years on the force. Researcher Jones Harris wrote that when Westbrook left the Dallas police in 1966, he went to work overseas at the Office of Public Safety, an agency that worked at the liaison between the CIA and the South Vietnamese police forces. Information in the 1998 Larry Sneed book "No More Silence" indicates that Westbrook worked for the United States Agency for International Development (i.e. CIA). Westbrook died at age 78 of cancer in Tahlequah. He was with the Dallas Police Department from 1940 to 1965, and also worked as a special investigator for the Dallas County district attorney's office from 1970 to 1983. His wife, Anna Fern Westbrook, said he liked his job but he did not talk about it to his family. Not much information exists for William Ralph Westbrook on Google search ... it's almost as if he didn't exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hargrove Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 Beautiful summary, Gene. Thanks! Don’t forget to add that when Westbrook died on Feb. 21, 1996, Hosty’s Assignment: Oswald was surely already in galleys, his revelation about the 10th and Patton wallet in the process of becoming public knowledge. This is a suspicious death, despite Westbrook’s advanced age and the fact that cancers are normally slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Josephs Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 10 hours ago, Paul Brancato said: Following this thread with great interest. The reason I keep asking for more biographical info/research on Westbrook and many other DP is that there is almost nothing in the record. If Westbrook was part of the conspiracy to frame Oswald, and I agree there is good reason to think he was, who were his fellow conspirators? Some thoughts on that.... Known members of the 488th include: Jack Crichton, Lumpkin, Revill, Gannaway, Westbrook, Brandstetter, Jack EarnestLikely members of the 488th include: Boise B Smith, Gerald Hill (transferred to WESTBROOK as Oswald was hired in October), Don StringfellowLikely assets of the 488th include: George de Mohrenschildt(interesting note on Lumpkin: he was Frank Brandstetter's commanding officer during the war) The FBI trained members of police forces across the US.. as well as kept close tabs on their assets within these departments... There also appears to be some serious connections to the WACKENHUT CORP of Florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Brancato Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Lumpkin was Brandstetter’s commanding officer? Interesting indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) On 10/10/2018 at 2:38 PM, Paul Brancato said: Lumpkin was Brandstetter’s commanding officer? Interesting indeed. Paul, Brandy, Our Man in Acapulco: The Life and Times of Colonel Frank M. Brandstetter. A Biography by Rodney P. Carlisle and Dominic J. Monetta. University of North Texas Press, 1999. https://books.google.com/books?id=QLdqgDsVio4C&pg=PA122&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false p. 128. “As was common for Brandy, he received a fine commendation for his work from his commanding officer, at this time, Colonel George Lumpkin....” This would be in the 1950's. Steve Thomas Edited August 17, 2022 by Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Josephs Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hargrove Posted October 10, 2018 Author Share Posted October 10, 2018 DJ, Who made those notes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Jim Hargrove said: DJ, Who made those notes? I'd bet DJ himself. Very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bulman Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 More than two cops had to be involved in the Tippitt shooting. You've already got Westbrook, Hill, and apprentice cop Croy. Who was driving the cop car in the driveway Tippitt stopped in front of. Who got out of it and walked over to make sure Tippitt was dead? Who really killed Tippitt? An undercover officer, a CIA agent/the other Oswald, some have even speculated Ruby but I don't buy that. Somebody above Westbrook, Hill and Croy within the DPD had to have instructed/authorized their actions. Somebody with higher government authorization provided the second, or third wallet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 18 hours ago, Gene Kelly said: Westbrook... was with the Dallas Police Department from 1940 to 1965, and also worked as a special investigator for the Dallas County district attorney's office from 1970 to 1983. Gene, You wrote, "Westbrook... was with the Dallas Police Department from 1940 to 1965, and also worked as a special investigator for the Dallas County district attorney's office from 1970 to 1983." I found what you wrote about Westbrook to be very interesting because... https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13030510/ernest-roneal-beck Ernest Roneal (“E.R.”) Beck: “He was a member of the "Cracker Jacks". A group of detectives under the leadership of Capt. Will Fritz. The CAP's division investigated the Kennedy Assassination and the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. Mr. Beck honorably retired from the Dallas Police Department on October 10, 1965. On October 11, 1965, his service career continued, joining the Dallas Co. District Attorney's Office as an investigator for District Attorney Henry Wade. He was lovingly known as "POB" (Poor Old Beck). Mr. Beck retired from Dallas County District Attorney's office, in 1979.” I read somewhere that Beck became Henry Wade's personal driver. E.R. Beck would sign the release forms of the Three Tramps, John Elrod and Daniel Wayne Douglas in what I view as the purge of the Dallas City jail that took place at 9:00 AM on the 26th of November See Box 3, Folder# 20 in the DPD Archives. http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm It makes me wonder who else went from the Dallas Police Department to Henry Wade's Office after JFK's assassination. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hargrove Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 12 hours ago, Ron Bulman said: More than two cops had to be involved in the Tippitt shooting. You've already got Westbrook, Hill, and apprentice cop Croy. Who was driving the cop car in the driveway Tippitt stopped in front of. Who got out of it and walked over to make sure Tippitt was dead? Who really killed Tippitt? An undercover officer, a CIA agent/the other Oswald, some have even speculated Ruby but I don't buy that. Somebody above Westbrook, Hill and Croy within the DPD had to have instructed/authorized their actions. Somebody with higher government authorization provided the second, or third wallet. Hill may have been just following Westbrook's orders. Just a few hours after the assassination, Hill was on television talking about Oswald's defection and life in the Soviet Union. When asked how he knew all that, he answered that Westbrook told him. We think Westbrook and Croy were in the car hidden in the narrow driveway near 10th and Patton and that Westbrook got out to look at Tippit's body and probably told LEE to make sure the job was finished. Westbrook was in charge of personnel for the DPD. That's a pretty high-ranking official. Later, he's advising Saigon Police in an obviously intel-related post. Paul Brancato, David Josephs, and probably others here think he was, or at least may have been, a member of Jack Crichton's 488th MI outfit. I'd love to know who gave Westbrook the wallet. Croy apparently lied about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Josephs Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 13 hours ago, Ron Bulman said: I'd bet DJ himself. Very interesting. Yes, I did... thx... Since I'm visually oriented for the best retention of memory... I write these things out which in turn solidifies it in my memory... DJ FWIW As I did for the Bethesda players and their connections At the top here is the JCS (which I should now add ACIS) I tried to follow the players along Military Lines... Army, Navy, AF, Marines (still part of the AF?) and then within Bethesda who was above who.... The 6:45 arrival time from HUMES... and the 7:17 empty casket entrance with Sibert/O'Neill Greer and Kellerman... just screams at me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Jim Hargrove said: Paul Brancato, David Josephs, and probably others here think he was, or at least may have been, a member of Jack Crichton's 488th MI outfit. Jim, I have yet to see a single piece of paper with Crichton's 488th name on it. I have yet to see a primary source of information from someone claiming to belong to it. I have yet to see anyone claiming that they reported to Crichton on anything. The closest I have come to someone believed to belong to a 488th MID is an obituary of a Jack E. Ernest: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?pid=160976735#sthash.mX3LJS6E.dpuf obit of Jack E. Earnest: "He enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 1948 and served as an enlisted man in various units attaining the rank of Master Sergeant, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in September, 1953 and assigned to the 847th CIC Detachment. In June 1956, he was assigned to the 488th Strategic Intelligence Detachment until 1962, achieving the rank of Captain. This latter assignment was primarily concerned with providing intelligence on Russian and other countries' status in exploration and production of oil and natural gas for use with other intelligence units in preparing and updating National Intelligence Summaries." (This global strategic focus was the primary mission of Military Intelligence Detachments, by the way). There was a real 488th MID, but I don't believe it was Crichton's. See page 14 of Thomas Cagley's Study - page 21 of the pdf file http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a233391.pdf Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Josephs Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 6 hours ago, Steve Thomas said: E.R. Beck would sign the release forms of the Three Tramps, John Elrod and Daniel Wayne Douglas in what I view as the purge of the Dallas City jail that took place at 9:00 AM on the 26th of November Tramps on the arrest reports were Gedney, Abrahms and Doyle... And it was CHAMBERS who initially filled out these Arrest Reports... 'cept he don't remember it that way Daniel Wayne Douglas - wasn't he the man, top row 2nd from left? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Thomas Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 2 hours ago, David Josephs said: Tramps on the arrest reports were Gedney, Abrahms and Doyle... David, At the time of his arrest, Daniel Douglas told the police he was from Memphis, that he had been in Dallas for two weeks, but refused to tell them where he was staying. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/elrod.htm “John Elrod, a 31-year-old cook was living in Memphis in 1964. He was an admitted alcoholic who "After drinking an unknown amount of beer and vodka, [he] wound up at the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in downtown Memphis. There he volunteered that something was preying on his mind." What the LaFontaines believe was preying on John's mind is revealed in the article based on their interviews and additional research Ray and Mary say Elrod was arrested November 22, 1963 at 2:45 p.m. by the Dallas Police and as such became the fourth tramp. He was placed in a cell with two other men. Within a few paragraphs we discover the men are Lee Harvey Oswald and a nineteen year old car thief from Memphis, Daniel Douglas.” Arrest Reports of John Elrod and Daniel Wayne Douglas DPD Archives, Box 3, Folder# 20 http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box3.htm I wonder what the possibility is that Douglas was staying with Elrod. Steve Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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