Who killed John F. Kennedy?

[John Simkin]

Some people believe that William Greer, Kennedy’s driver, was a member of the conspiracy that killed Kennedy. Greer was a Protestant from Ireland. His son, Richard Greer, was interviewed in 1991. When asked, "What did your father think of JFK," Richard did not respond the first time. When asked a second time, he responded that his father was a Protestant and Kennedy was a Catholic.

Others have pointed out that when the firing started, instead of speeding away Greer hit the brakes making it easier for the gunman to kill Kennedy. William Manchester claims that Greer told Jackie Kennedy at Parkland Hospital: "Oh, Mrs. Kennedy, oh my God, oh my God. I didn't mean to do it, I didn't hear, I should have swerved the car, I couldn't help it.”

It has been estimated that 59 witnesses and the Zapruder Film indicated that Greer stopped after the first shot was fired. However, when interviewed by the Warren Commission, Greer claimed: "I heard this noise. And I thought that is what it was. And then I heard it again. And I glanced over my shoulder. And I saw Governor Connally like he was starting to fall. Then I realized there was something wrong. I tramped on the accelerator, and at the same time Mr. Kellerman said to me, "Get out of here fast." And I cannot remember even the other shots or noises that was. I cannot quite remember any more. I did not see anything happen behind me any more, because I was occupied with getting away."

Kellerman backed him up telling the Warren Commission that after hearing the first shot he said to Greer, "Let's get out of here; we are hit." He went on to say in a reply to a question by Gerald Ford that Greer's response was immediate: "I have driven that car many times, and I never cease to be amazed even to this day with the weight of the automobile plus the power that is under the hood; we just literally jumped out of the God - damn road."

My own view is that Greer and Kellerman were not involved in the conspiracy (although I think an another Secret Service agent, Winston Lawson, could well have been involved in the plot). I suspect Greer and Kellerman were just trying to cover up their own incompetence.

Later it emerged that both Kellerman and Greer believed that Kennedy had been a victim of a conspiracy. Kellerman's daughter told Harold Weisberg in the 1970's that "I hope the day will come when these men (Kellerman and Greer) will be able to say what they've told their families". After Roy Kellerman's death, his widow reported that her husband was convinced that there had been a conspiracy to kill Kennedy.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKgreerW.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKkellerman.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKlawsonW.htm

[John Simkin]

I am getting close to finishing the work on the assassination of President Kennedy. The idea is for the students to use the evidence to test out the different theories about the assassination. So far I have 15 different theories. Anybody else know of any others?

You can find a hypertexed version of this at:

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKtheories.htm

(1) Lee Harvey Oswald

The Warren Commission came to the conclusion that John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. This theory has been supported by several other investigators including Arlen Specter, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Hugh Aynesworth and Gerald Posner.

(2) The Mafia

David E. Scheim has published two books claiming that the Mafia were responsible for the assassination of Kennedy. He believes that it was organized by Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante and Jimmy Hoffa. This theory is based on the idea that the Mafia were angry with both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy for their attempts to destroy the Mafia. Scheim's theory was supported by Trafficante's lawyer, Frank Ragano, who published the book Mob Lawyer, in 1994. The theory is also supported by the investigative journalist, Jack Anderson.

(3) The Soviet Union

James Angleton believed that Nikita Khrushchev sought revenge after he had been humiliated by Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In his book, Khrushchev Killed Kennedy (1975), Michael Eddowes argued that Kennedy was killed by a Soviet agent impersonating Lee Harvey Oswald. In Legend: The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald (1978), Edward Jay Epstein argues that Oswald was a KGB agent.

(4) Right-Wing Activists in New Orleans

Jim Garrison, the district attorney of New Orleans, believed that a group of right-wing activists, including Guy Bannister, David Ferrie, Carlos Bringuier and Clay Shaw were involved in a conspiracy with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to kill Kennedy.

(5) Antoine Guerini and the Marseilles Mafia

Stephen Rivele argued in the 1988 television documentary, The Men Who Killed Kennedy that the Kennedy's assassination had been organized by Antoine Guerini, the Corsican crime boss in Marseilles. He also claimed that Lucien Sarti had been one of the gunmen.

(6) Lyndon B. Johnson and Texas Oil Millionaires.

Madeleine Brown claims that she was Johnson's mistress. In her autobiography, Texas in the Morning (1997) Brown claims that the conspiracy to kill Kennedy involved Lyndon B. Johnson, Clint Murchison, Haroldson L. Hunt and J. Edgar Hoover. This theory was supported by David Lifton in his book The Texas Connection.

(7) David Atlee Phillips and the CIA

Gaeton Fonzi was a staff investigator for the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In his book, The Last Investigation, Fonzi takes the view that the assassination was organized by David Atlee Phillips, head of the CIA's Western Hemisphere Division.

(8) Rogue Members of the CIA

David Atlee Phillips, head of the CIA's Western Hemisphere Division, told Kevin Walsh, a former investigator with the House Select Committee on Assassinations: that Kennedy had been "done in by a conspiracy, likely including rogue American intelligence people."

(9) Jack Ruby and the Mafia

The journalist, Dorothy Kilgallen, believed that the assassination of Kennedy had involved Jack Ruby and the Mafia. She also suggested that J. D. Tippet and Bernard Weismann were involved in the conspiracy.

(10) E. Howard Hunt and the CIA

In his book, Plausible Denial (1991), Mark Lane argues that CIA agents killed Kennedy. He claims that the conspiracy involved E.Howard Hunt and Frank Sturgis.

(11) The Mafia, Anti-Castro Activists and the CIA

Anthony Summers is the author of The Kennedy Conspiracy. He believes that Kennedy was killed by a group of anti-Castro activists, funded by Mafia mobsters that had been ousted from Cuba. Summers believes that some members of the CIA took part in this conspiracy. Summers speculated that the following people were involved in this conspiracy: Johnny Roselli, Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante, Sam Giancana, David Ferrie, Gerry Patrick Hemming, Guy Bannister and E.Howard Hunt. Sylvia Meagher in her book, Accessories After the Fact, also supported the theory that Kennedy had been killed by Anti-Castro exiles.

(12) CIA and Executive Action

Executive Action, was a CIA secret plan to remove unfriendly foreign leaders from power. In his book The Secret Team (1973) Leroy Fletcher Prouty claimed that elements of the CIA were worked on behalf of the interests of a "high cabal" of industrialists and bankers. He also claimed that the Executive Action unit could have been used to kill Kennedy. Prouty named CIA operative, Edward Lansdale, as the leader of the operation.

(13) Secret Service Conspiracy

In his book, Best Evidence, David Lifton claims that members of the Secret Service agents were involved in the killing of Kennedy. This included providing the assassins with a good opportunity to kill Kennedy. Lifton was highly critical of the behaviour of William Greer, Roy Kellerman and Winston G. Lawson during the assassination. Lifton believes that after the assassination of Kennedy they hijacked the body in order to alter the corpse. In the book, Mortal Error, Bonar Menninger, claims that SS agent George Hickey killed Kennedy by accident.

(14) J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover was concerned that Kennedy would force him into retirement when he reached the age of 70. Mark North (Act of Treason) and George O'Toole (The Assassination Tapes) both believe that Hoover either knew of plans to kill Kennedy and did nothing to stop them, or he helped to organize the assassination.

(15) John Birch Society

Harry Dean was an undercover agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1962 he infiltrated the John Birch Society. He later reported that the society hired two gunman, Eladio del Valle and Loran Hall, to kill President John F. Kennedy.

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

So far I have 15 different theories. Anybody else know of any others?

Fantastic work. There can't be any other interpretations can there?

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

There can't be any other interpretations can there?

Just remembered...

Red Dwarf - Kennedy shot himself from the grassy knoll

In a philosophical episode about counterfactual history and time travel, Kennedy a president never assassinated, is a politician ruined by scandal. Offered the opportunity to guarantee his martyrdom he takes it.

I suppose some might consider this theory only slightly more outlandish than one or two of those offered above.

[John Simkin]

Red Dwarf - Kennedy shot himself from the grassy knoll

In a philosophical episode about counterfactual history and time travel, Kennedy a president never assassinated, is a politician ruined by scandal. Offered the opportunity to guarantee his martyrdom he takes it.

There is indeed a theory that Kennedy arranged his own assassination. This is based on the idea that he discovered he was dying from an incurable disease and that it would be far better to die as a political martyr. I have not include it as no one has come up with any evidence to support the theory.

[Marco Koene]

Well it is indeed very thorough. i know of two 'humoristic' ones, from some texan oil baron whose name i cannot remember.

1. The coca cola theory

LHO had drunk to much coca cola , had a sugar rush and shot JFK

2. The was machine theory

LHO had a broken down wasmachine, got so angry about that and shot JFK.

This one has been proven 'wrong' because of the fact that there was a laundrette in the street LHO lived, apperantely.

Not vey serious but perhaps nice for students to brighten this subject.

[John Simkin]

While researching the assassination of Kennedy one name keeps cropping up. It is David Atlee Phillips, head of the CIA’s Western Hemisphere Division. Gaeton Fonzi was a staff investigator for the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In his book, The Last Investigation, Fonzi takes the view that the assassination was organized by Phillips. He denied the charge and for a while he threatened legal action against Fonzi.

Phillips later told Kevin Walsh, a former investigator with House Select Committee on Assassinations: "My private opinion is that JFK was done in by a conspiracy, likely including rogue American intelligence people."

David Atlee Phillips died of cancer on 7th July, 1988. He left behind an unpublished manuscript. The novel is about a CIA officer who lived in Mexico City (that is where Phillips was in 1963). In the novel the character states: "I was one of those officers who handled Lee Harvey Oswald... We gave him the mission of killing Fidel Castro in Cuba... I don't know why he killed Kennedy. But I do know he used precisely the plan we had devised against Castro. Thus the CIA did not anticipate the president's assassination, but it was responsible for it. I share that guilt."

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKphillips.htm

This fits in with the story supplied by the CIA agent Harry Dean. He claims that he was working with Lee Harvey Oswald in a plot to kill Fidel Castro. However, this was switched to an attack on Kennedy (the CIA working with the John Birch Society).

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/JFKdeanH.htm

[John Simkin]

If anyone is interested, I have ranked the different theories in the order I think they are likely to be true. In fact, it is possible that the first 11 could all be true. It seems a combination of organizations were involved in the conspiracy. All these groups had been working together in an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. By 1963 it was clear that the only way Castro could be removed was by an American invasion. That was something that would not happen while Kennedy was president.

Theory 10 only concerns who carried out the deed, rather than who ordered it. Bringing in outside hit men is very common in Mafia killings.

(1) The Mafia, Anti-Castro Activists and the CIA

Anthony Summers is the author of The Kennedy Conspiracy. He believes that Kennedy was killed by a group of anti-Castro activists, funded by Mafia mobsters that had been ousted from Cuba. Summers believes that some members of the CIA took part in this conspiracy. Summers speculated that the following people were involved in this conspiracy: Johnny Roselli, Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante, Sam Giancana, David Ferrie, Gerry Patrick Hemming, Guy Bannister and E.Howard Hunt. Sylvia Meagher in her book, Accessories After the Fact, also supported the theory that Kennedy had been killed by Anti-Castro exiles.

(2) The Mafia

David E. Scheim has published two books claiming that the Mafia were responsible for the assassination of Kennedy. He believes that it was organized by Carlos Marcello, Santos Trafficante and Jimmy Hoffa. This theory is based on the idea that the Mafia were angry with both John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy for their attempts to destroy organized crime. (This policy ended with the death of Kennedy).Scheim's theory was supported by Trafficante's lawyer, Frank Ragano, who published the book Mob Lawyer, in 1994. The theory is also supported by the investigative journalist, Jack Anderson.

(3) David Atlee Phillips and the CIA

Gaeton Fonzi was a staff investigator for the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In his book, The Last Investigation, Fonzi takes the view that the assassination was organized by David Atlee Phillips, head of the CIA's Western Hemisphere Division.

(4) Rogue Members of the CIA

David Atlee Phillips, head of the CIA's Western Hemisphere Division, told Kevin Walsh, a former investigator with the House Select Committee on Assassinations: that Kennedy had been "done in by a conspiracy, likely including rogue American intelligence people."

(5) E. Howard Hunt and the CIA

In his book, Plausible Denial (1991), Mark Lane argues that CIA agents killed Kennedy. He claims that the conspiracy involved E.Howard Hunt and Frank Sturgis.

(6) CIA and Executive Action

Executive Action, was a CIA secret plan to remove unfriendly foreign leaders from power. In his book The Secret Team (1973) Leroy Fletcher Prouty claimed that elements of the CIA were worked on behalf of the interests of a "high cabal" of industrialists and bankers. He also claimed that the Executive Action unit could have been used to kill Kennedy. Prouty named CIA operative, Edward Lansdale, as the leader of the operation.

(7) Jack Ruby and the Mafia

The journalist, Dorothy Kilgallen, believed that the assassination of Kennedy had involved Jack Ruby and the Mafia. She also suggested that J. D. Tippet and Bernard Weismann were involved in the conspiracy.

(8) Right-Wing Activists in New Orleans

Jim Garrison, the district attorney of New Orleans, believed that a group of right-wing activists, including Guy Bannister, David Ferrie, Carlos Bringuier and Clay Shaw were involved in a conspiracy with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to kill Kennedy.

(9) John Birch Society

Harry Dean was an undercover agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1962 he infiltrated the John Birch Society. He later reported that the society hired two gunman, Eladio del Valle and Loran Hall, to kill President John F. Kennedy.

(10) Antoine Guerini and the Marseilles Mafia

Stephen Rivele argued in the 1988 television documentary, The Men Who Killed Kennedy that the Kennedy's assassination had been organized by Antoine Guerini, the Corsican crime boss in Marseilles. He also claimed that Lucien Sarti had been one of the gunmen.

(11) Lyndon B. Johnson and Texas Oil Millionaires.

Madeleine Brown claims that she was Johnson's mistress. In her autobiography, Texas in the Morning (1997) Brown claims that the conspiracy to kill Kennedy involved Lyndon B. Johnson, Clint Murchison, Haroldson L. Hunt and J. Edgar Hoover. This theory was supported by David Lifton in his book The Texas Connection.

(12) J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover was concerned that Kennedy would force him into retirement when he reached the age of 70. Mark North (Act of Treason) and George O'Toole (The Assassination Tapes) both believe that Hoover either knew of plans to kill Kennedy and did nothing to stop them, or he helped to organize the assassination.

(13) Lee Harvey Oswald

The Warren Commission came to the conclusion that John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. This theory has been supported by several other investigators including Arlen Specter, Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Hugh Aynesworth and Gerald Posner.

(14) The Soviet Union

James Angleton believed that Nikita Khrushchev sought revenge after he had been humiliated by Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In his book, Khrushchev Killed Kennedy (1975), Michael Eddowes argued that Kennedy was killed by a Soviet agent impersonating Lee Harvey Oswald. In Legend: The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald (1978), Edward Jay Epstein argues that Oswald was a KGB agent.

(15) Secret Service Conspiracy

In his book, Best Evidence, David Lifton claims that members of the Secret Service agents were involved in the killing of Kennedy. This included providing the assassins with a good opportunity to kill Kennedy. Lifton was highly critical of the behaviour of William Greer, Roy Kellerman and Winston G. Lawson during the assassination. Lifton believes that after the assassination of Kennedy they hijacked the body in order to alter the corpse. In the book, Mortal Error, Bonar Menninger, claims that SS agent George Hickey killed Kennedy by accident.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who disagrees with me.