Man who bought gun used to kill Oswald dies

[Ron Bulman]

On 7/4/2008 at 1:38 PM, Jack White said:

Mary Ferrell was suspicious of Joe Cody because he was a pilot and the

morning of the assassination flew to east Texas for undisclosed reasons,

if I recall correctly. Maybe to establish an alibi?

Jack

I know Jack White left us many years ago.  But if "Mary Ferrell was suspicious of Joe Cody because he was a pilot and the morning of the assassination flew to east Texas for undisclosed reasons,".  Has anyone ever asked the question, was it maybe early afternoon?  Did Joe Cody fly George Herbert Walker Bush to Tyler after the assassination?  No I think.  But?

[Ron Bulman]

On 7/10/2008 at 12:41 PM, Steve Thomas said:

On April 24, 1959 the FBI was informed that Officers Joe Cody, C.D. Dellinger and Sam F. Tuck were employed in their off-hours by a company called Truth Verification, Inc.; and that while thus employed, had placed an illegal wiretap on an official of the AFL-CIO. At their hearing, the officers took the 5th. Cody was represented by attorney, William O. Braecklein. Braecklein also represented Candy Barr and Joe Civello.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=5

During her trial for possession of marijuana, Attorney Braecklein alleged that prior to her arrest on 10/25/57, a telephone company employee during a routine circuit check had discovered on 10/15/57 that Candy’s Barr's telephone had been tapped and that her calls were being relayed to another apartment in the same building rented by one, James Daniels. At her trial, Detective Pat Gannoway testified that James Daniels was an alias for Detective H.W. Totten.

Braecklein told the FBI that on 10/25/57 a telephone call between Candy Barr and one Helen K. Smith was intercepted and that call was what led to Candy Barr’s home search and arrest. Helen K. Smith was also known as Pixie Lynn.

http://www.maryferrell.org/mffweb/archive/...amp;relPageId=4

On 11/22/63 Pixie Lynn allegedly told Travis Benkendorfer at the Midnight Lounge in Houston that she had attended some “swinging parties” at Jack Ruby’s. She would later go on to deny that she had told Benkendorfer this.

DPD Archives Box 18, Folder# 11, Item# 3.

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box18.htm

I had read somewhere that Joe Cody was one of the first, if not the first officer to arrive at the scene of Tippit’s shooting, but I don’t have a source for this.

Steve Thomas

Steve, regarding that last sentence, do you remember ever hearing anything more about Cody being the first officer on the scene of Tippit's shooting? 

Today I read through the 1968 William Turner article in Ramparts on Garrison (Outstanding, unbelievable for the time).  That's where Mal Hyman's book Burying the Lead attributes Cody "escorting Oswald".  In the article it states Cody was a homicide detective at the time and he was the partner of Leavelle, who escorted Oswald.  I think Hyman misinterpreted the statement.  But the "homicide detective" and "Leavelle's partner" set off bells in relation to your statement.

The obituary I linked in an earlier post mentions Cody saying on November 24 1963 he was in a grocery store with a TV in Louisiana going to a gar fish rodeo when they showed the shooting of Oswald and mentioned the name Ruby.  He says he thought Oh My God.  He'd known Ruby over 10 years.  I guess its not totally inconceivable but I find it incredible that a homicide detective, the partner of Leavelle, would be given the day off the day Oswald was being transferred.  The President's assassin?  Standard procedure, arrested by DPD, taken to the City Jail, then charged with a felony, transferred to the Sheriff's Department/County Jail.  Standard procedure.  How does Joe Cody get the day off?  They say Oswald shot the President.  He's a 13 year veteran of the force with military intelligence experience from the Korean war.  Homicide detective.  Partner of Leavelle, handcuffed to Oswald when he was shot.  It doesn't make sense Fritz or Curry would give him the day off.

Then again...  If he was friendly with Ruby and Civello, talked to Marcello from Campisi's Egyptian Steakhouse, and, bought the gun for Ruby that he used to off Oswald...  Maybe They wanted him out of town.  If he might have been the first officer on the scene of Tippit's assassination, or who knows, there waiting on him (?), maybe even more so?  Speculating again I am.  Reasonably?  If I was investigating a crime I'd want to know more.

The only things I could find on Garfish Rodeos were about one in Madisonville in August and this one in late July.

https://www.livingstonparishnews.com/garfish-rodeo/image_bea4d1fa-9046-11e8-bba5-6fa6dcaae9d5.html

Maybe they have them in late November too ???

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Ron Bulman

[Stephanie Goldberg]

I found an article in a Louisiana paper saying that there would be a garfish rodeo on November 17, 1963 on Goose Bayou near New Orleans.  It's listed as a one day event.  

 

https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01110315025538081401559615186

[Ron Bulman]

23 hours ago, Stephanie Goldberg said:

I found an article in a Louisiana paper saying that there would be a garfish rodeo on November 17, 1963 on Goose Bayou near New Orleans.  It's listed as a one day event.  

 

https://www.genealogybank.com/nbshare/AC01110315025538081401559615186

Maybe they had another one in a different town a week later.  But I still don't see Fritz not having one of his top homicide detectives, Leavelle's partner on hand for the transfer of the sole lone nut they had a "cinched" case on killing the President and a DPD Officer.  It smells a bit fishy to me.

[Stephanie Goldberg]

24 minutes ago, Ron Bulman said:

Maybe they had another one in a different town a week later.  But I still don't see Fritz not having one of his top homicide detectives, Leavelle's partner on hand for the transfer of the sole lone nut they had a "cinched" case on killing the President and a DPD Officer.  It smells a bit fishy to me.

Found it.  

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/217204432/

In No More Silence, there is an interview with Joe R. Cody (pp. 467-480).  He doesn't say anything in this piece about being at the scene of Tippit's arrest.  He says that he and his partner, Charlie Dellinger, were at the TSBD.  The book then says:

"I was back at the office by 1:30 and was there when Oswald was brought in by Hill, Bentley, and McDonald from the case in Oak Cliff where had shot the officer."  

The book also says that he - "...joined the Dallas Police Department in 1950 serving as a patrol officer until 1954, then as a detective in Narcotics and Vice.  Later, he and Red Souter helped create the Criminal Intelligence Section.  Cody was a detective in Burglary and Theft in 1963."

It does discuss the incident about buying the gun for Jack Ruby, including - "Jack Ruby was a friend of mine and that I had bought that pistol for him, and the pistol was in my name."  

The book also mentions that Cody had an airplane and that his uncle's name (Kenneth Cody) was listed in Oswald's notebook.  

 

 

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

23 minutes ago, Stephanie Goldberg said:

Found it.  

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/217204432/

In No More Silence, there is an interview with Joe R. Cody (pp. 467-480).  He doesn't say anything in this piece about being at the scene of Tippit's arrest.  He says that he and his partner, Charlie Dellinger, were at the TSBD.  The book then says:

"I was back at the office by 1:30 and was there when Oswald was brought in by Hill, Bentley, and McDonald from the case in Oak Cliff where had shot the officer."  

The book also says that he - "...joined the Dallas Police Department in 1950 serving as a patrol officer until 1954, then as a detective in Narcotics and Vice.  Later, he and Red Souter helped create the Criminal Intelligence Section.  Cody was a detective in Burglary and Theft in 1963."

It does discuss the incident about buying the gun for Jack Ruby, including - "Jack Ruby was a friend of mine and that I had bought that pistol for him, and the pistol was in my name."  

The book also mentions that Cody had an airplane and that his uncle's name (Kenneth Cody) was listed in Oswald's notebook.  

 

 

 

 

Thank you Stephanie.  I feel a little more vindicated in my suspicions.  I have No More Silence but didn't think to look there.  

So he was involved in the initial investigation at the TSBD, but he was "back in the office by 1::30", an hour after JFK was shot.  That was a quick investigation of the scene.  But he was there on 11/22.  Not yet off gar fishing for the weekend.

The having an airplane part is interesting in light of Jack White's recall of Mary Ferrell's interest in Cody flying to East Texas on 11/22/63.

Somewhere in the last few days I read about Joe's uncle Kenneth being in Oswald's notebook, Maybe the Ramparts January 68 article.

Interesting guy.  Pilot.  Military Intelligence during the Korean War.  Ruby/Civello/Campisi/Marcello contact.

On the side he ran a scuba diving company/school (?) in Dallas Texas in 1963.  300 miles from the coast.  Not that many lakes close by at the time.  Where did a Dallas not well to do  homeboy develop such an interest growing up in the 1930's.  He was a gunner's assistant on board ship in the Navy in WWII if I remember right.  

[Ron Bulman]

The story about Cody buying Ruby the gun is misleading to say the least.  Ruby was thinking of buying a safe, Cody suggested getting a gun instead, then bought him one.  Like this was ruby's first gun?  From Kantor's The Ruby Cover-Up:

"According to one report, Rubenstein pulled a gun one day when attempting to organize a group of scrap-paper workers..."  pg. 198.  Source: FBI interview, Harry Young, asst. foreman,  Lissner Paper Grading Company, Chicago.

"I always carry a gun".  He told the FBI.  "I have no permit and the Dallas police know I carry a gun to protect my business."  He was arrested once in 1953 on a charge of attempted murder with a concealed weapon, after he beat a man unmercifully with his gun. … police found him in a restaurant booth with the gun in his pocket … arrest sheet showed arrested only for possessing a concealed weapon … released when no charge was filed.

"used his gun to slug an off duty Dallas policeman over the head in a fight inside the Carousel.  No charges were brought against him." 

Edited June 16, 2019 by Ron Bulman