Richard Hocking

I like the way you put "kidney" in quotes, Richard. Coincidences happen every day, but I have a theory that someone left Lee Oswald's jacket in the bathroom and someone else took it to Oak Cliff, and dropped it near the Tippit crime scene. The "old man" may not have been so old. The thing that bothers me about my own theory is that Arce said there were also ladies in the car (which, if I am not mistaken, was heading south, which would include Oak Cliff) as it drove away. One always assumes that JFK's assassins were males, but history and our experience (including the RFK assassination) tells us that women can sometimes be bad actors too. Ray, maybe they weren't "ladies"? Interesting idea about the jacket though.

We have reasonably established Prayer Man as a TSBD man, his clothing indicating a manual labor type employee as opposed to a managerial type that would be wearing suit and tie. The available candidates that meet these criteria are limited. They include order fillers, janitor, clerks, and warehousemen. Below is a list of TSBD employees who meet that description. I have added observations regarding their locations when the motorcade passed the TSBD, as claimed in testimony or revealed in film and photo evidence, along with some comments regarding their possibility of being Prayer Man. Danny Arce – Floor laying crew at the TSBD - Watched Presidential Limo from North side of Elm Street in front of TSBD, (to the West of the Entrance). Wrong location; not a candidate. Jack Dougherty - 5th floor of TSBD 10' from elevator; he is described by Roy Truly as being a “great big husky fellow”, Description and location disqualify him from consideration as Prayer Man. Buell Wesley Frazier - Top of front steps at the Center Rail. His precise description of his location, along with his tall thin physique rule him out. See earlier discussion about Frazier (and photos) in this thread. Charles Givens - Mullendorf's Cafe or Parking lot at Record Street. Being at least one block away means it could not have been Givens. James Jarman - 5th floor window below sniper's lair. Photo evidence shows he was on the 5th floor. Carl Edward Jones - sitting on the front steps / out by Elm Street with Truly, Campbell and Reid. Saw the President slump after being shot. He cannot be Prayer Man. Roy Edward Lewis - standing with some ladies in the middle of the front steps. Roy Edwards is almost certainly the African American watching from behind the West Column in Altgen’s. He is not Prayer Man. Billy Lovelady - front steps. Gone from the Steps well before the Darnell shot was taken. Corroborated testimony and film show he is not Prayer Man. Harold Norman - 5th floor window below sniper's lair. Photo evidence shows he was on the 5th floor. Eddie Piper – sitting on a box watching through the second window from the corner on the 1st floor. Location and other factors rule him out. Troy Eugene West - making coffee on the 1st floor. Did not know JFK had been shot until people rushed into building talking about it. He is not Prayer Man. Bonnie Ray Wiliams - 5th floor window below sniper's lair. Photo evidence shows he was on the 5th floor. Who's left?

I think it's a fair assumption, Ray, based on the combination of all the witness statements and testimonies, that there were no strangers on the steps themselves at the time of the assassination. Indeed as far as I can determine, everyone we see on the steps can be accounted for--everyone, that is, bar Prayer Man. I agree it's fair. The step witnesses and nearly every other employee of the TSBD was asked if they saw any stranger/ or anyone who was not known to them. They all agreed there were no strangers in the building that morning, with the single exception of Danny Arce. (Arce claimed he assisted an old man with "kidney" problems to a rest room, and then saw the old man get into a car and leave before the motorcade arrived.) One of the few items unanimously agreed upon by all witnesses in the TSBD was that they saw no strangers in the building.

Thanks to Bill and Randy. I have also picked up a few pictures from other sources. Still looking for some measurements of step riser height; porch floor to ceiling height; I know the probable door opening height, but it would be nice to verify.

Good observation. One wonders how many other instances there were of Truly "not-seeing someone", but failed to include in his report.The truth is, We know from the photo and film evidence that Truly and Baker would have passed right by Prayer Man (and numerous other people) as they entered the building. Mr. Hocking The WC seemed to put so much stock in these FBI "interviews". Interestingly, they are always written, by the agent, in the third person and I have yet to see one signed by the interviewee, as would be the case with a police statement. The FBI interview that intrigues me the most, and, to me, speaks volumes about FBI statements in general, is the interview with Linnie Mae Randle. In it, according to the FBI, she described the paper bag as being thirty-six inches long; yet in her testimony to the WC she adamantly maintained the bag was closer to twenty-seven inches in length. Could an overly eager FBI agent have added the "They saw no one there..." to this statement? Robert, I think that is what we are all pondering. Whether it was an FBI agent, or Truly himself, the remark "They saw no one there ..." sticks out oddly like a red flag. Especially when we know Truly and Baker had just passed the person whose identity is the subject of this thread. btw, "Richard" is fine.

I am nearly certain that the African American man by the West Column in Altgen's is Roy Lewis. Carl Jones claimed at one point in his testimony that he was on the steps, but then he continues on to say he was with Truly, Campbell, and Reid, which places him out by Elm St. He also stated he saw JFK slump down, a view that was impossible from Prayer Man's position.

For Sean, Bill, or any other forum members who might be able to help: I am trying to find out the measurements and distances of certain items in the TSBD Entry area • the height of the doorway opening • the height of the risers on the steps • number of steps • in fact any dimensions or measurements in this area would be helpful TIA if anyone can assist.

Good observation. One wonders how many other instances there were of Truly "not-seeing someone", but failed to include in his report. The truth is, We know from the photo and film evidence that Truly and Baker would have passed right by Prayer Man (and numerous other people) as they entered the building.

Diagram of TSBD First Floor

The man in the blue shirt, raising his arms in the air, is on the opposite side of Elm St. from the TSBD. I believe that person is actually standing on the pergola wall. And I believe it is a girl. She is much closer to the camera, so she appears larger than the figures in the doorway. Add Edit: And her name is Toni Glover. If anyone is interested, here is a link to the girl on the pedestal: http://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php?topic=6209.120;wap2

Hello Mr. Adams I have heard before, as you stated, that Oswald said he went outside to see what the excitement was all about following the shots, but I have never been able to find the source of this. Do you know when and to whom he was supposed to have said this? More specifically, did Oswald actually refer to the excitement as being the commotion following the assassination? He may have been referring to the crowd outside the TSBD seeing JFK coming down Houston St. and the resulting elevation in excitement. What a pity Oswald never lived to stand trial. Hello Robert, here is what I found on that; WC testimony of postal inspector Harry D. Holmes on the score of what Oswald said in custody on the Sunday morning: Mr. BELIN. By the way, where did this policeman stop him when he was coming down the stairs at the Book Depository on the day of the shooting? Mr. HOLMES. He said it was in the vestibule. Mr. BELIN. He said he was in the vestibule? Mr. HOLMES. Or approaching the door to the vestibule. He was just coming, apparently, and I have never been in there myself. Apparently there is two sets of doors, and he had come out to this front part. Mr. BELIN. Did he state it was on what floor? Mr. HOLMES. First floor. The front entrance to the first floor. ... Mr. HOLMES. There was a commotion outside, which he later rushed downstairs to go out to see what was going on. He didn't say whether he took the stairs down. He didn't say whether he took the elevator down. But he went downstairs, and as he went out the front, it seems as though he did have a coke with him, or he stopped at the coke machine, or somebody else was trying to get a coke, but there was a coke involved. He mentioned something about a coke. But a police officer asked him who he was, and just as he started to identify himself, his superintendent came up and said, "He is one of our men." And the policeman said, "Well, you step aside for a little bit." Then another man rushed in past him as he started out the door, in this vestibule part of it, and flashed some kind of credential and he said, "Where is your telephone, where is your telephone, and said I am so and so, where is your telephone." And he said, "I didn't look at the credential. I don't know who he said he was, and I just pointed to the phone and said, 'there it is,' and went on out the door." Excellent find, Terry. You have to wonder what Oswald meant by "vestibule". Did he mean the area between the inner and outer doors, or was he referring to the covered Entry steps and porch (which I have been referring to as an "alcove")? If it is the latter, it would be strong evidence of Baker encountering Oswald at Prayer Man's location. Even if LHO meant inside the door, it is still only a couple steps away. Another item that comes to mind: Greg Parker and, I believe, Lee Farley (both contributors to this site) some time ago presented a strong case that the 2nd floor encounter between Oswald and Baker never happened on the 2nd floor, but rather somewhere else ... food for thought. If I can find the link, I will post it. I think that the mention of "vestibule" refers to what is known as the vestibule of the Second Floor Lunchroom, a small three door entrance way - one door leading West - that Oswald would have had to go through if he was the Sixth Floor Sniper, another door leading South,which is the door that he left by with the coke in hand that leads to the offices and steps to the front door, and the East door that is always open and is the entrance to the lunchroom. The case against the Second Floor Lunchroom encounter is based primarily on the fact that in his Nov. 22 statement, Baker said that he encountered a man on the fourth floor, and makes no mention of the Second Floor encounter, though this would require both Baker and Truly to lie, and the motive - to implicate Oswald, actually exonerates him. And this subject should be discussed further in the treads devoted to that subject - including the one I started Doors of Perception - JFKcountercoup: THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION - WHY OSWALD IS NOT GUILTY - and not here. I think we can and should positively identify the man in the brown shirt in the TSBD doorway as seen in the two/three? films taken in the immediate 1-5 minutes aftermath of the assassination, aka "Prayer Man." As for the height measurements, I think it could be worthwhile for someone who knows the numbers to try to figure it out, but I can't do it. BK You are referring to the vestibule on the second floor. In my reply to Terry Adams, I was referring to the vestibule on the first floor entrance where Oswald had an encounter with a police officer and a reporter as referenced by Terry in his quote of Harry Holmes.

Hello Mr. Adams I have heard before, as you stated, that Oswald said he went outside to see what the excitement was all about following the shots, but I have never been able to find the source of this. Do you know when and to whom he was supposed to have said this? More specifically, did Oswald actually refer to the excitement as being the commotion following the assassination? He may have been referring to the crowd outside the TSBD seeing JFK coming down Houston St. and the resulting elevation in excitement. What a pity Oswald never lived to stand trial. Hello Robert, here is what I found on that; WC testimony of postal inspector Harry D. Holmes on the score of what Oswald said in custody on the Sunday morning:Mr. BELIN. By the way, where did this policeman stop him when he was coming down the stairs at the Book Depository on the day of the shooting? Mr. HOLMES. He said it was in the vestibule. Mr. BELIN. He said he was in the vestibule? Mr. HOLMES. Or approaching the door to the vestibule. He was just coming, apparently, and I have never been in there myself. Apparently there is two sets of doors, and he had come out to this front part. Mr. BELIN. Did he state it was on what floor? Mr. HOLMES. First floor. The front entrance to the first floor. ... Mr. HOLMES. There was a commotion outside, which he later rushed downstairs to go out to see what was going on. He didn't say whether he took the stairs down. He didn't say whether he took the elevator down. But he went downstairs, and as he went out the front, it seems as though he did have a coke with him, or he stopped at the coke machine, or somebody else was trying to get a coke, but there was a coke involved. He mentioned something about a coke. But a police officer asked him who he was, and just as he started to identify himself, his superintendent came up and said, "He is one of our men." And the policeman said, "Well, you step aside for a little bit." Then another man rushed in past him as he started out the door, in this vestibule part of it, and flashed some kind of credential and he said, "Where is your telephone, where is your telephone, and said I am so and so, where is your telephone." And he said, "I didn't look at the credential. I don't know who he said he was, and I just pointed to the phone and said, 'there it is,' and went on out the door." Excellent find, Terry.You have to wonder what Oswald meant by "vestibule". Did he mean the area between the inner and outer doors, or was he referring to the covered Entry steps and porch (which I have been referring to as an "alcove")? If it is the latter, it would be strong evidence of Baker encountering Oswald at Prayer Man's location. Even if LHO meant inside the door, it is still only a couple steps away. Another item that comes to mind: Greg Parker and, I believe, Lee Farley (both contributors to this site) some time ago presented a strong case that the 2nd floor encounter between Oswald and Baker never happened on the 2nd floor, but rather somewhere else ... food for thought. If I can find the link, I will post it. Mr. Hocking I was just thinking the same thing and was about to put it in a post. You are correct, I do recall hearing that the 2nd floor encounter may never have occurred on the 2nd floor at all. I can't quite recall where I heard it but, someone also claimed there was reference to a 4th floor meeting. Does this sound familiar to you? Anyone? Robert, I can tell you some of the basics I recall from memory: - The Oswald 2nd floor lunch room encounter with Baker was not in Baker's original report. - The same report listed an encounter on the 4th floor between Baker and a man that Roy Truly vouched for as being an employee. - A few days after the original report, Baker issued a "revised" report that now contained the famous lunch room encounter. I know Oswald's encounter with Mrs. Reid and the coke was also discussed ...

We know Oswald (via Fritz's vague notes) made reference to being out front with Bill Shelley. We also know Shelley was out on the steps several minutes before and during the assassination, but then left with Lovelady for the Rail yard within a few seconds of the last shot. How could LHO have known Shelley's location if he had not seen him there? If Oswald had indeed been with Shelley, it had to occur during the time referenced above when Shelley was on the steps.

It's a good idea Bill, but there are some important unknown variables that will make this very difficult -- - is Prayer Man on the very top step or one step down? - is Prayer Man standing straight up or is he slouching a bit? - the distance from Prayer Man to the Lens compared to the distance from the door to the Camera Lens will be a factor I am sure there are more considerations, but you can see where any of the above is capable of throwing off the measurement.

Hello Mr. Adams I have heard before, as you stated, that Oswald said he went outside to see what the excitement was all about following the shots, but I have never been able to find the source of this. Do you know when and to whom he was supposed to have said this? More specifically, did Oswald actually refer to the excitement as being the commotion following the assassination? He may have been referring to the crowd outside the TSBD seeing JFK coming down Houston St. and the resulting elevation in excitement. What a pity Oswald never lived to stand trial. Hello Robert, here is what I found on that; WC testimony of postal inspector Harry D. Holmes on the score of what Oswald said in custody on the Sunday morning: Mr. BELIN. By the way, where did this policeman stop him when he was coming down the stairs at the Book Depository on the day of the shooting? Mr. HOLMES. He said it was in the vestibule. Mr. BELIN. He said he was in the vestibule? Mr. HOLMES. Or approaching the door to the vestibule. He was just coming, apparently, and I have never been in there myself. Apparently there is two sets of doors, and he had come out to this front part. Mr. BELIN. Did he state it was on what floor? Mr. HOLMES. First floor. The front entrance to the first floor. ... Mr. HOLMES. There was a commotion outside, which he later rushed downstairs to go out to see what was going on. He didn't say whether he took the stairs down. He didn't say whether he took the elevator down. But he went downstairs, and as he went out the front, it seems as though he did have a coke with him, or he stopped at the coke machine, or somebody else was trying to get a coke, but there was a coke involved. He mentioned something about a coke. But a police officer asked him who he was, and just as he started to identify himself, his superintendent came up and said, "He is one of our men." And the policeman said, "Well, you step aside for a little bit." Then another man rushed in past him as he started out the door, in this vestibule part of it, and flashed some kind of credential and he said, "Where is your telephone, where is your telephone, and said I am so and so, where is your telephone." And he said, "I didn't look at the credential. I don't know who he said he was, and I just pointed to the phone and said, 'there it is,' and went on out the door." Excellent find, Terry. You have to wonder what Oswald meant by "vestibule". Did he mean the area between the inner and outer doors, or was he referring to the covered Entry steps and porch (which I have been referring to as an "alcove")? If it is the latter, it would be strong evidence of Baker encountering Oswald at Prayer Man's location. Even if LHO meant inside the door, it is still only a couple steps away. Another item that comes to mind: Greg Parker and, I believe, Lee Farley (both contributors to this site) some time ago presented a strong case that the 2nd floor encounter between Oswald and Baker never happened on the 2nd floor, but rather somewhere else ... food for thought. If I can find the link, I will post it.

Yes, Lovelady appears to make a turn to the right at the very end of this clip. And using your questions as a cue, I think it is possible to propose that as the Limo turns the corner onto Elm, Prayer Man and Lovelady begin to adjust their positions to the locations seen in Altgens and Weigman. With Prayer Man making a late entrance to his spot, when all eyes are focused on JFK and Jackie, no one is going to turn around and look behind them on the steps. After shots are fired and chaos erupts, it would be even less likely for witnesses to turn around and focus their attention to the back of the alcove.

In addition to the testimony of their locations on the steps, Molina was a Credit Manager, and Williams was a Book Keeping Supervisor. Both of these men would be expected to wear Tie/Dress Shirt/Suit to work. Prayer Man is wearing an unbuttoned shirt and has the appearance of a manual laborer. I think it is safe to dismiss Molina and Williams from consideration.

Oh sure. That center rail is MILES from where "Praying Man" is saying grace. Oh dear. Let's have a look at what Wesley actually said, shall we? Mr. BALL - When you stood out on the front looking at the parade, where was Shelley standing and where was Lovelady standing with reference to you? Mr. FRAZIER - Well, see, I was standing, like I say, one step down from the top, and Mr. Shelley was standing, you know, back from the top step and over toward the side of the wall there. See, he was standing right over there, and then Billy was a couple of steps down from me over toward more the wall also. Question for you, David: who would you say is closer to the wall--Lovelady or Prayer Man? Correct you are, Sean. BWF was precise in describing his position at the center rail and locating both Shelley and Lovelady to his right, closer to the wall. On another note, Prayer Man has a body posture that could also be construed as nervous or anxious (clasping his hands together, as opposed to leaving his arms calmly at his sides). He has also chosen a location in a dark corner of an alcove of a buiding. There is an old concept in Psychology called Protection Motivation Theory. If an individual perceives a possible threat to their well-being, they will seek out a secure location. If someone wanted to watch the motorcade go by, but was also aware there was a possibility of bullets being fired at the Limo, the alcove in the entrance to the TSBD might be a reasonable viewing location. Not proposing this as a theory. Just a passing thought. At any rate, I like the ring of "Prayer Man" and will continue to use it to reference this individual.

But that's just the problem--no-one can say who this man is. It seems reasonable to assume him a TSBD employee. Yet he's none of the TSBD men we know, from all the pertinent snippets of testimony, to have been on the steps at that time: he's not Lovelady he's not Shelley he's not Frazier he's not Otis Williams he's not Joe Molina. Any ideas who he might be, David? If you look closely at the picture/film clip, there is a tall man with dark hair standing at the top of the steps (shadow area) in the center of the stairway where the rail is. This is exactly where Frazier claimed he stood in his WC testimony. Frazier was just over 6' tall.

Excerpt from Will Fritz notes of Oswald interrogation link: http://www.jfklancer.com/docs.maps/fritz1-5.jpg ... claims 2nd floor Coke when off came in to 1st floor had lunch out with Bill Shelley in front lft wk opinion nothing be done that day etc. ...

I agree with Duncan IN PRINCIPLE, and I for one have always valued Duncan's input, especially on matters photographic, but in fairness to Mr. Prudhomme he was just reporting something that happened on another forum. He does not abuse people the way Jim Di Eugenio used to do. Yea, I neither take credit for being the first to call attention to this photo frame or think any forum rules were broken, as ridicule and sarcasm are valid forms of critique, if used correctly. I didn't even recognize it as a backhand slap at Duncan and his forum. If they have discussed this issue over there, the direct links to the subject should be made, so we don't have to duplicate the research, but i couldn't find it on the board on the link previously presented. If this is Oswald, and Baker has yet to enter the TSBD, then Oswald must have gone up the front stairs or taken the front elevator to the second floor in order to greet Baker in the 2nd floor lunchroom before he purchased the coke. And if Duncan and those on his forum are familiar with the photo evidence, perhaps they can tell us about the other photos and films that precede and follow this one or if there are any other photos or films that include this person. And as for Mr. Hocking's quote of Williams' actions, Williams couldn't have taken the warehouse elevator to the fourth floor immediately after the third shot because it was on the fifth floor. He must have taken the front elevator, that didn't go to the sixth floor but only went to the fourth floor, which is where he said he went. BK Bill, Otis Williams claimed he climbed the stairs that were next to the warehouse elevator(s). I agree with you that he could not have taken either elevator since they were both stuck on the 5th floor at that time. The important part of his quote for the current topic is that he went inside immediately after hearing the 3rd shot. If true, that means he could not have been the figure on the front steps. From the testimony of the group on the stairs and the photographic and film evidence, I am of the opinion that "prayer man" is not any of the 14 individuals that testified they were on the steps at that time. All of the employees also testified that there were no strangers in the TSBD that day. This leads me to believe "prayer man" is an employee of the TSBD who is not included in anyone of the 14 individuals testimony. A mystery that merits further attention. And another good topic as the 50th approaches. Excellent work, Mr. Hocking. I really like the process of elimination you used to narrow down and eliminate the possibilities. Thanks Robert. Another thought about "Prayer Man" and his resemblance to Oswald ... how many employees of the TSBD resembled LHO? We know about Lovelady, but we have sworn testimony from Lovelady and Shelley and supportive film evidence that Lovelady was gone by the time the Prayer Man appears in the film clip, bearing a resemblance to Oswald. So who else looked like Oswald? If there was another look-alike working at the TSBD, I believe that person would have received some serious attention from the Dallas Police, possibly the press, and perhaps even the Warren Commission. If you go through the 73 employees of the TSBD and eliminate women, African Americans, and male employees that we have pictures of, the pickings are very thin for Oswald doppelgängers.

I agree with Duncan IN PRINCIPLE, and I for one have always valued Duncan's input, especially on matters photographic, but in fairness to Mr. Prudhomme he was just reporting something that happened on another forum. He does not abuse people the way Jim Di Eugenio used to do. Yea, I neither take credit for being the first to call attention to this photo frame or think any forum rules were broken, as ridicule and sarcasm are valid forms of critique, if used correctly. I didn't even recognize it as a backhand slap at Duncan and his forum. If they have discussed this issue over there, the direct links to the subject should be made, so we don't have to duplicate the research, but i couldn't find it on the board on the link previously presented. If this is Oswald, and Baker has yet to enter the TSBD, then Oswald must have gone up the front stairs or taken the front elevator to the second floor in order to greet Baker in the 2nd floor lunchroom before he purchased the coke. And if Duncan and those on his forum are familiar with the photo evidence, perhaps they can tell us about the other photos and films that precede and follow this one or if there are any other photos or films that include this person. And as for Mr. Hocking's quote of Williams' actions, Williams couldn't have taken the warehouse elevator to the fourth floor immediately after the third shot because it was on the fifth floor. He must have taken the front elevator, that didn't go to the sixth floor but only went to the fourth floor, which is where he said he went. BK Bill, Otis Williams claimed he climbed the stairs that were next to the warehouse elevator(s). I agree with you that he could not have taken either elevator since they were both stuck on the 5th floor at that time. The important part of his quote for the current topic is that he went inside immediately after hearing the 3rd shot. If true, that means he could not have been the figure on the front steps. From the testimony of the group on the stairs and the photographic and film evidence, I am of the opinion that "prayer man" is not any of the 14 individuals that testified they were on the steps at that time. All of the employees also testified that there were no strangers in the TSBD that day. This leads me to believe "prayer man" is an employee of the TSBD who is not included in anyone of the 14 individuals testimony. A mystery that merits further attention. And another good topic as the 50th approaches. How do we know that "Prayer Man" is not Billy Lovelady? Can Lovelady be seen somewhere else in that photo/film? --Tommy We know from the testimony of Billy Lovelady to WC counsel Joseph Ball. Lovelady said he was 25 steps away from the entrance when he looked back and saw Truly and the policeman (Baker) running into the building. Link below Lovelady and Shelley left the steps to go down toward the tracks to the west of the building together. A few months ago, Gerda Dunkel posted a film clip showing figures that look like Lovelady and another man (Shelley) walking away from the steps towards the west. Unfortunately I do not have the link. EDIT: Sorry, I just saw that Duncan had already posted the link above in his post. Here it is again: http://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php/topic,6724.0.html Lovelady testimony link: http://jfkassassination.net/russ/testimony/lovelady.htm ... Mr. BALL - By the time you left the steps had Mr. Truly entered the building? Mr. LOVELADY - As we left the steps I would say we were at least 15. maybe 25. steps away from the building. I looked back and I saw him and the policeman running into the building. Mr. BALL - How many steps? Mr. LOVELADY. Twenty, 25. Mr. BALL. Steps away and you looked back and saw him enter the building? Mr. LOVELADY. Yes.

I agree with Duncan IN PRINCIPLE, and I for one have always valued Duncan's input, especially on matters photographic, but in fairness to Mr. Prudhomme he was just reporting something that happened on another forum. He does not abuse people the way Jim Di Eugenio used to do. Yea, I neither take credit for being the first to call attention to this photo frame or think any forum rules were broken, as ridicule and sarcasm are valid forms of critique, if used correctly. I didn't even recognize it as a backhand slap at Duncan and his forum. If they have discussed this issue over there, the direct links to the subject should be made, so we don't have to duplicate the research, but i couldn't find it on the board on the link previously presented. If this is Oswald, and Baker has yet to enter the TSBD, then Oswald must have gone up the front stairs or taken the front elevator to the second floor in order to greet Baker in the 2nd floor lunchroom before he purchased the coke. And if Duncan and those on his forum are familiar with the photo evidence, perhaps they can tell us about the other photos and films that precede and follow this one or if there are any other photos or films that include this person. And as for Mr. Hocking's quote of Williams' actions, Williams couldn't have taken the warehouse elevator to the fourth floor immediately after the third shot because it was on the fifth floor. He must have taken the front elevator, that didn't go to the sixth floor but only went to the fourth floor, which is where he said he went. BK Bill, Otis Williams claimed he climbed the stairs that were next to the warehouse elevator(s). I agree with you that he could not have taken either elevator since they were both stuck on the 5th floor at that time. The important part of his quote for the current topic is that he went inside immediately after hearing the 3rd shot. If true, that means he could not have been the figure on the front steps. From the testimony of the group on the stairs and the photographic and film evidence, I am of the opinion that "prayer man" is not any of the 14 individuals that testified they were on the steps at that time. All of the employees also testified that there were no strangers in the TSBD that day. This leads me to believe "prayer man" is an employee of the TSBD who is not included in anyone of the 14 individuals testimony. A mystery that merits further attention. And another good topic as the 50th approaches.

Hi Sean, I know we have discussed "prayer man" in previous postings, but the enhanced film clip has thrust this figure to a higher level of interest. We know the fourteen individuals who identified themselves in testimony as being on the TSBD steps during the assassination. We can use the process of elimination to narrow down the choices of who prayer man might be: 7 women were on the steps, so we can eliminate all of them. As you noted, we can eliminate Shelley, Lovelady and BWF. We can also eliminate the 2 African American males That narrows the field down to 2 men, Joe Molina and Otis Williams. In a letter from Shirley Martin to Harold Weisberg, (7/8/67, Weisberg Archives) (Quoting Shirley) Joe Molina claims to be the man in suit standing next to Lovelady-Oswald figure in Altgens photo. Since prayer man appears to be wearing a shirt, that should eliminate Molina. (For myself, I have serious doubts that Molina was even on the steps. No one else in the step group identified him as being there. But that is another discussion ...) That leaves Otis Williams. But there are also some issues with Williams. He was a "Bookkeeping supervisor" at the TSBD. Would a supervisor be wearing an unbuttoned shirt at work? In a quote from No More Silence, by Larry Sneed, pp 117-118, Williams says: "Fact is, as soon as the third shot happened, and everybody commenced milling around, I thought it came from the underpass. I entered the building immediately, climbed up the stairs where the warehouse elevator was which led to the 6th floor and went up to the 4th floor, which was the first one I could see from to see the underpass ..." This makes is highly unlikely the man in the photo is Williams. Any photos of Otis Williams or Joe Molina would have been valuable for comparison, but from the available information, I don't believe either of them match the visible requirements of prayer man.

... and Fats Domino found his thrill on Blueberry Hill