Steve Thomas

Bill, On your blogspot page, you wrote: "“Three years later, on June 20, 1978, the second chief counsel to the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) G. Robert Blakey, wrote to Mr. Scott Brekenridge, Principal Co-cordinator between the HSCA and the Office of Legislative Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, asking a series of requests for documentary records. “In connection with its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of President Kennedy, the House Select Committee on Assassinations requests access to the following information: 1. Any and all reports and documents, including indices and records under any pseudonyms, concerning or referring to Jose Luis Romero. Romero is believed to be a pseudonym. Romero reportedly served in the French military in Algeria in the 1950’s and worked with American intelligence. He was reportedly also an agent of the French secret military organization O.A.S." Romero is referenced in Fensterwald's, "A Possible French Connection" see page 19 https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=29226&search=%22Jose_Luis+Romero%22#relPageId=19&tab=page It says that Romero was of Spanish descent. I can't tell from this wording if Romero says he was hired in May, 1962; or if JFK was in Paris in May, 1962. Steve Thomas

Jim, I just wish they were keyword searchable. It just seems like in this day and age, that's inexcusable. Steve Thomas

deleted Steve Thomas

Jim, Thanks. I personally agree with LeFlem in his conclusions about Souetre. Ganis wrote, " “The actual sniper, or team of snipers, was directed by Jean René Souètre..." I just have never found any evidence of that. LeFlem writes, " To suggest, as Ganis does, that he (Jean René Souètre) was the lynchpin of the ground operations in and around Dealey Plaza, while ignoring the more probable Cuban exile culprits, seems strained." I agree. Steve Thomas

Larry, Thanks. That was pretty cool. If I'm reading that right, a closed fist pumped up and down is the signal for "hurry up". Maybe someone with better photography skills than I have could put together a short gif focusing on the DCM's right hand. Steve Thomas

Ron, I have read several times that the Dark Complected Man was pumping his fist up and down. Personally, I don't see that in the photos I have looked at. To me, it appears that he is waving with an open hand. The reason I mention it is that isn't holding your closed fist up in the air a sort of universal sign for soldiers in the brush to halt? (at least according to movies I've seen) *grin* Steve Thomas

David, Have you read Croy's WC testimony closely? Can you make heads or tails of exactly which affidavit they are talking about? I like this part: Mr. GRIFFIN. Was that prepared by hand? Mr. CROY. Yes, it was. Mr. GRIFFIN. Were you responsible for getting the typing done? Mr. CROY. No. Mr. GRIFFIN. Who did you turn that report over to? Mr. CROY. Captain Solomon. Mr. GRIFFIN. Then was it his responsibility to get the typing done? Mr. CROY. I don't know. I just turned it in. What he did with it, I don't know. Mr. GRIFFIN. Did it eventually come back to you? Mr. CROY. No. Mr. GRIFFIN. The typed copy never came back to you? Mr. CROY. No. The DPD brass didn't like what he had to say and had him come back and do another one. Mr. CROY. No; well, I will put it this way, that it took us 8 hours to get that up. That is how interested they were. Mr. GRIFFIN. You talked with them for 8 hours? Mr. CROY. On 2 different occasions. That day and the next day, for 4 hours each day. That is pretty interesting. Mr. CROY. No; we talked the entire thing over, and after we talked everything over and they brought the stenographer in and we went back over it again, then I left and she typed it up, and I came in the next day and we went back over it again and back over it and so on. Mr. CROY. What it was, the stenographer took it, and then she typed it up. Then the next day I went back down there and they re-read it to me and went over and over and over and over the same thing over and over again. And then I took it into Lieutenant Curtis and signed it and had it notarized. Steve Thomas

Jim, I did a piece on Secret Service Agents that had been reported in places other than Dealey Plaza a while back. You can read a copy here if you like: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/12084-secret-service-on-the-knoll-and-beyond/ Of Marvin Buhk, I wrote: "As Buhk wrote in his after-action report to Police Chief Jesse Curry on December 3, 1963, “We converged on that location and there were Secret Service men and other patrol and CID officers present when all the people were ordered out of the building. One of the Secret Service men stated the person who came out of the basement with the others was not the suspect and that he had already talked to him a few minutes previously.”15. Notice that Marvin Buhk speaks of more than one Agent being present. The “Agent” Buhk spoke to was also a primary catalyst in shifting attention away from the branch library. At 1:32PM, Patrolman C.T. Walker broadcasts on Channel 2 that the suspect is in the Library. At approximately 1:40 Sergeant C.B. Owens tells Dispatch, and the Dispatcher broadcasts to all cars to “Disregard all information on the suspect arrested, it was the wrong man.”16. This is only about an eight-minute window of opportunity. When did these “secret service men” arrive at the Library, how did they know to go there, and when did one of them have time to “talk to the man previously”? I would also note that Marvin Buhk was a Detective and he distinguished between the "Secret Service" men, and officers of the Criminal Intelligence Division of the DPD. I think he would be able to tell the difference between the Secret Service and the Special Service Bureau of the DPD. 15. From Report to Chief J. E. Curry, by Marvin A. Buhk. Report concerning the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald, (Original), 12/03/63. Dallas Police Archives, Box 2 Folder # 7: as cited in the City of Dallas Archives – JFK Collection http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box2.htm 16. Transcript of Radio Log, Channel 2. Warren Commission Hearings and Exhibits, Sawyer Exhibit A, volume XXI, pp. 396-397, as cited in the History Matters Archive, http://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk...Vol21_0211a.htm Steve Thomas

Jim, What do you think the chances are that these are the same gas station? Warren Commission testimony of Ray Hawkins on April 3, 1964: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/hawkins.htm Hawkins responds to the Tippit shooting, but doesn't stop at 10th and Patton. He goes to the Library neighborhood at Jefferson and Marsalis (where the Library is, about six blocks east of where Tippit has been shot) ) and starts circling the area. He drives back to 10th and Patton, picks up Thomas Hutson, and then he and Baggett stop and make a phone call from a Mobil Gas Station at 10th and Beckley, leaving Hutson in the car. When Hutson blows the siren to let them know that a suspect has been seen at the Library, they go rushing back over there. When Kenneth Croy testified to the Warren Commission on March 26, 1964, he said, http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/croy.htm Mr. GRIFFIN. Where do you live? Mr. CROY. 1658 Glenfield Dallas, Tex. “Mr. GRIFFIN. What is your occupation? Mr. CROY. I have several. Mr. GRIFFIN. Let's have them in order. Mr. CROY. I am in the real estate business. I have a Mobil service station...” 1658 Glenfield is roughly a mile southwest of the Texas Theater posting by an unknown author in the ReopenKennedyCase Forum 1/29/2014: “Croy’s home by the way was 1658 Glenfield. This was the same street that J. D. Tippit lived on until 1961. Glenfield was also the same street that Carl Amos Mather used to live on a few blocks from Tippit’s house when they first became friends. For those unfamiliar with Mather he is connected to proceedings becuase a license plate number was taken down by garage mechanic T. F. White close to the Texas Theater immediately after Oswald’s arrest that was traced back to Carl Amos Mather’s car. The occupant of the car seen by White bore an uncanny resemblance to Lee Harvey Oswald and Carl Mather, when interviewed, told of his friendship with J. D. Tippit. Tippit's old house of 1919 Glenfield, even though he and his family no longer lived there in 1963, was still in his possession and the property was rented out. As far as I'm aware it was never investigated who it was rented out to. Croy’s house was three blocks from the house Tippit owned. During his Warren Commission testimony it is interesting to note that Croy was not asked if he knew Officer Tippit.” No explanation for Hawkins' mysterious phone call has ever been provided. I have also tried unsuccessfully to locate this Mobile gas station on Google Maps at any of the four corners of that intersection. Do you know hos to search property records? Steve Thomas

Ken, No, he doesn't. And I don't believe that the BDM is a black couple. Steve Thomas

In the past, I have tried to make the case that the DCM is Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro. He was the President of the Alpha 66/SNFE group that met at the house on Harlendale. One of the Directors of the Group, Raoul Castro owned a Rambler Station Wagon. I believe that Orcarberro was also the dark-complected driver of the Rambler that Roger Craig saw pick up Lee Harvey Oswald after the shooting. David Boylan has affirmed to me that the DCM is Vidal Santiago based on assertions of the Santiago family. Would you say that this man is 5'11", 158 lbs, has brown hair, wears dark glasses, and has a dark complexion? The physical description provided above is not that of the Dark Complected Man, but of Manuel Rodriguez Orcarberro. See 5/26/64 FBI Report of SA Wallace Heitman, page 5 http://www.maryferre...p;relPageId=223 an INS description of Rodriguez here: https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11250#relPageId=7&tab=page lists him at 69” tall, 145 lbs, brown hair, brown eyes and born in 1928 in Santiago, Cuba. Report of Wallace Heitman dated May 26, 1964 regarding Manuelel Rodriguez Orcarberro. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=11481#relPageId=219&tab=page This is CD 1085 page 219. His report says that Manuel Rodriguez was voluntarily interviewed on February 10th and May 20th, 1964. On page 2 of Heitman's report (page 220 of CD 1085), it says that “Rodriguez registered as an alien of Dallas, Texas on September 6, 1963, at which time his address was reflected as 1208 Hudspeth Street. His last prior address was listed as listed as 5310 Columbia Street, Dallas.” The report says, “A photograph of Rodriguez appears in this file.” I haven't found this photograph, so I can't compare it to the Dark Complected Man. Steve Thomas

I had never read this account before and am just passing it along for historical sake. Among other things, he talks about "the football". Milton Wright drove the car carrying Mr. and Mrs. Cabell in the motorcade. http://www.texaspress.com/sites/default/files/2014WinnersCircle.pdf See page 19 of this pdf file. Steve Thomas

Lance, It's possible that the poster confused the Rio Grande National Life Insurance Company with the Republic Investment Company. https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=77654&relPageId=20&search=Rio_Grande Building The owners of the Republic Investment Company, located at 848 Rio Grande Building were suspected of bookmaking operations in Dallas with close ties to Campisi and Vincent Marcello of New Orleans. See also https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=83307&relPageId=6&search=Rio_Grande%20Building concerning an investigation of Raymond Cosmo Terranella and James Henry Dolan. I agree. The poster should have been more careful. No matter where you fall on the conspiracy vs. lone assassin argument, there is no excuse for poor scholarship. Steve Thomas

I think Castorr's name is wrong. It should be L. Robert Castorr. His wife's name at the time was Gertrude A. Castorr. Steve Thomas

Here's a better idea of what I'm thinking about the BDM man leaving the steps and heading east after the shots: Steve Thomas

Ron, My own personal belief is that you can see this BDM person moving from left to right, or west to east in the various shots below. I think a photographic technique was used on the negatives to blot out his identity. That's my belief anyway. Steve Thomas

Jim, Yep. It's pretty much all speculation (although he does have some footnotes). Steve Thomas

I hadn't heard of this book before. Go to the website cited below, and click on the image to read a preview of the book. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AM3IGZU/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1 Hogwash: an Idiot's Guide to the JFK Assassination: Chronicle of a Death Foretold Kindle Edition by James Hepburn II Steve Thomas

Denny, You quoted, " The whole Castro assassination plot, from the Jim Wave, and mongoose, and all that, Roselli was aware of what was going on on those particular things because in some cases the shooters and people that were involved in those things, particularly Truillio, came out of organized crime." I tend to dismiss a lot of what Fletcher Prouty says. I find him bombastic. But he did say one thing that struck me. I was watching a conference with him and John Judge and a few other people (there was one guy who was a big advocate of the idea that organized crime was responsible... but I can't remember his name right now). Anyway, Prouty was asked if he was ever involved in any assassination plots or other skullduggery. He paused for a long five or ten seconds, and replied with one word, "Trujillo". I thought that was poignant. Steve Thomas PS: Many people think that the "Colonel" involved in the Nancy Perrin Rich affair was L. Robert Castorr. The Mexia Daily News from Mexia, Texas · Page 1 November 7, 1957 https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/11876796/ Mexia Man Receives Appointment Earl McKeilh, (center) is pictured with L. Robert Castorr, of Dallas, Southwestern division manager of the National Federation of Independent Business, and Si N. Meadow, district manager of the organization from Austin. “Earl McKeith was coming out of a local bank Tuesday and came face to face with a man who was one of his fellow Army officers in the early thirties. Earl didn't recognize him but L. Robert Castorr, of Dallas, immediately grabbed Earl's arm and said "I know you." Mr. Castorr. who is now a- colonel in the Active Reserve serving as inspector and advisor to the 90th Division in Texas., and Mr. McKeith, a Reserve. Army captain, were first lieutenants when they served with each other in the Second Infantry Division. They last saw each other in 1930. Col. Castorr served with Merrill's Marauders in Burma during World War II.” “Mr. Meadow was accompanied to Mexia by L. Robert Castorr, the Southwestern division manager for the National Federation of Independent Business. Mr. Castorr formerly served in the U. S. Army with Mr. McKeilh.” Steve Thomas

And then there is: The Incredible Story of Mike Robinson by Walt Brown Reprinted from "Treachery in Dallas" http://reopenkennedycase.forumotion.net/t732-the-incredible-story-of-mike-robinson Steve Thomas

Researchers of this topic might be interested in : OSWALD-TIPPIT ASSOCIATES Staff Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations U.S. House of Representatives Ninety-fifth Congress Second Session March 1979 http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/jfkinfo4/jfk12/hscalojt.htm Steve Thomas

Gene, Yeah, that Brian Castle guy made a lot of claims in that Forum group, with nothing to back them up. I had the same skepticism that that other poster, Hasan had. Steve Thomas

Gene, Just some FYI's This supposedly is a photo of Westbrook on page 26 of this book. The Missing Chapter. by Jack Swike I am not vouching for the author or his book. It's just something I ran across. Swike apparently served at Atsugi in the Marines. https://books.google.com/books?id=64ji-mF2oaAC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&dq="William+R.+Westbrook"&source=bl&ots=0xdb2t1bTz&sig=YT8bpNEzyNXWrzg4hG-pY_ooQI0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjAu-KAtOLSAhWB6oMKHR-JADY4ChDoAQgmMAQ#v=onepage&q=%22William%20R.%20Westbrook%22&f=false Dallas Morning News, The (TX) - February 21, 1996 Deceased Name: Rites set for William Ralph Westbrook Services for William Ralph "Pinky" Westbrook , a retired Dallas Police Department captain, will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Go Ye Village in Tahlequah, Okla. Mr. Westbrook , 78, died Monday of cancer at his home in Tahlequah. He worked for the Dallas Police Department from 1940 to 1965. He 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. She said Mr. Westbrook wanted to do something that would benefit all the people of Dallas. "He would do just about anything for anybody because he was a very generous person," she said. "He also liked working back in the early days because he said it was not as dangerous as it is today." Mr. Westbrook is also survived by his son, Ralph Westbrook Jr. of Dallas; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren His son, Ralph Westbrook, responding to a question from a Brian Castle in the Reopen Kennedy Case Forum 10/22/2015 http://www.prayer-man.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/rokc%20forum/www.reopenkennedycase.org/apps/forums/topics/show/13102710-addendum-to-my-essay-on-westbrook4658.html?page=2 “Yes, I tried to edit that in, but it doesn't show up. He only spent a very short time in the milatary (sic)(less than six months) because of bleeding stomach ulcers. I don't remember ever hearing about any reserve activities, of course I wasn't around at that time. Dec, 1941 would have been about the right time.” Steve Thomas

Gene, Just an FMI (For my information) *grin*, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Public_Safety “The Office of Public Safety (OPS) was a U.S. government agency, established in August 1962 by president John F. Kennedy to train police forces of America's allies.[1] It was officially part of USAID (US Agency for International Development), and was close to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[2] Police-training teams were sent to South Vietnam, Iran, Taiwan, Brazil, Uruguay and Greece.[3] Courses were held in French, Spanish and English.[3] According to a 1973 document revealed in the Family jewels CIA documents, around 700 police officers were trained a year, including in handling of explosives.[4] It was dissolved in 1974.” CIA "Family Jewels," June 25, 2007 Release Current Section: CI/Police Group https://www.maryferrell.org/showDoc.html?docId=60409#relPageId=607&tab=page page 607 Steve Thomas

Paul, Nothing more than what I've already shared with you in our many discussions. From here on in, I think it will take somebody going through the State Archives at the Texas State Library in Austin, and/or The Texas Military Forces Museum located in Building 6 on Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas. The street address of Camp Mabry is 2200 West 35th Street. The mailing address is P.O. Box 5218, Austin, TX 78763. The current entrance is on Maintenance Drive. Steve Thomas