So is David Lifton's Final Charade just going to be lost to history?

[Aaron Sharpe]

I've been revisiting Lifton recently. One of my original JFKa experiences, in the early 90s at the tender age of 19 or 20, was browsing the VHS tapes in a local video store and spotting a video called Best Evidence. I excitedly took it home and was enthralled by this little bald man whose eyes went slowly back and forth, obviously reading cue cards as he narrated. The material in the interviews was so explosive, and seemed so credible, I could hardly believe it. This went beyond anything even in Oliver Stone's movie. 

I'm sure everyone has a story about how they first became obsessed with the JFKa. My obsession began in my single-digit ages, with the 'official' facts as printed in a history book, published by an encyclopedia company, given to me by my grandfather. My other grandparents had some of the original Life magazines dedicated to the assassination that were published in the 60s. When I got a bit older and was a big-time movie buff, I heard that Oliver Stone was going to make a movie about the assassination. I was excited to see it, and though I understood that it was going to offer a 'conspiracy' point of view, that wasn't at all why. In fact, I knew nothing about the conspiracy beyond those few elements that had seeped into the popular culture. Ie, the term "grassy knoll,' and the idea that there was more than one shooter. I was simply excited at the prospect of a top-notch, Hollywood-level, big-budget recreation of the events. That's it.

I could write for days on how that movie changed my life, but I won't. I found the Lifton video shortly afterward, and as a result Best Evidence became one of the first 5 or 10 books I read on the subject. This was some years before Amazon (or the Internet, for that matter), and I must've gotten the book from a library because I don't seem to have a copy anywhere. It's disappointing that there is no Kindle/e-book version. I don't know why Lifton—or any author, for that matter—would let such an opportunity go by, but used copies aren't exactly cheap. 

Among the many authors and researchers I've come across, Lifton stands out for a few reasons. I believe his 'body alteration theory' is representative of the assimilation and maturing of evidence in the case over time. Simply put: What once seemed crazy now feels like yesterday's news. 

I spent most of 2023 reading Doug Horne's 5 volumes (again, no ebook??). It certainly appears to me that Lifton's primary "theory" is more than fully validated—to the point that we are no longer asking Did it happen? That's established. In fact, now we're even beyond asking How did it happen? (Yes, there are definitely holes, but the ARRB established a lot. I'm convinced Horne is correct that Lifton was wrong in one important respect—that the body was altered "between Dallas and Bethesda;" the body was most likely altered AT Bethesda, most likely by Humes himself). 

What once seemed crazy now feels like yesterday's news. 

I've been aware of Zapruder-alteration theories since at least 2000, but it always felt like a bridge too far. The explanations in favor of alteration provided by those who are "certain" of it are mostly buried in physics and not very accessible to the layman. On the other hand, the anti-alteration argument is straightforward ("...but the sprocket hole images man!" "There was no time!")

But what once seemed crazy ...

I recently read Lifton's long essay Pig on a Leash. I hadn't known that he suspected alteration, and in fact had for a very long time, practically since his first viewings of the film. I know he planned a book on the subject, to be the last in a trilogy after Final Charade, but that obviously won't happen.

Say this of Lifton: He was slow. Perhaps he was meticulous and wanted to produce the most reliable information possible, but sadly, he ran out of time. 

I'd be immensely interested in reading his thoughts on Oswald, and seeing what evidence he must have amassed over the years he worked on his unpublished book. He didn't appear to have much of a social life, but does he not have surviving family who are handling his estate? Either that, or surely he bequeathed his research to a trusted fellow researcher. I'd like to think that, after all this time, Final Charade was completed except for the index and cover art. But maybe not. 

Does anyone know anything about the status or future plans for his unpublished work?

Maybe we'll never see it. But what once seemed crazy ...

 

[David Von Pein]

1 hour ago, Aaron Sharpe said:

It certainly appears to me that Lifton's primary "theory" is more than fully validated—to the point that we are no longer asking Did it happen? That's established. In fact, now we're even beyond asking How did it happen?

Oh my goodness! You think a theory which has JFK's body being stolen off of Air Force One and his wounds secretly altered prior to the 8:00 PM Bethesda autopsy has been "more than fully validated" ???

Reprise: Oh my goodness!!

How could anyone possibly believe such a thing?

I think rather than asking "Did it Happen?" or "How did it happen?", a much better question to ask when it comes to David S. Lifton's body-alteration theory would be this one:

Given all of the obvious roadblocks and complications involved in such a covert chore, is it even remotely possible that it COULD have happened?

And I think the answer to that last question is a most resounding and definitive "No" (as discussed in detail at the link below).

In other words, what once seemed crazy....is still very very crazy (not to mention impossible).

http://jfk-archives.blogspot.com/2013/07/David Von Pein vs. David Lifton

 

Edited February 2 by David Von Pein

[Pat Speer]

4 hours ago, Aaron Sharpe said:

I've been revisiting Lifton recently. One of my original JFKa experiences, in the early 90s at the tender age of 19 or 20, was browsing the VHS tapes in a local video store and spotting a video called Best Evidence. I excitedly took it home and was enthralled by this little bald man whose eyes went slowly back and forth, obviously reading cue cards as he narrated. The material in the interviews was so explosive, and seemed so credible, I could hardly believe it. This went beyond anything even in Oliver Stone's movie. 

I'm sure everyone has a story about how they first became obsessed with the JFKa. My obsession began in my single-digit ages, with the 'official' facts as printed in a history book, published by an encyclopedia company, given to me by my grandfather. My other grandparents had some of the original Life magazines dedicated to the assassination that were published in the 60s. When I got a bit older and was a big-time movie buff, I heard that Oliver Stone was going to make a movie about the assassination. I was excited to see it, and though I understood that it was going to offer a 'conspiracy' point of view, that wasn't at all why. In fact, I knew nothing about the conspiracy beyond those few elements that had seeped into the popular culture. Ie, the term "grassy knoll,' and the idea that there was more than one shooter. I was simply excited at the prospect of a top-notch, Hollywood-level, big-budget recreation of the events. That's it.

I could write for days on how that movie changed my life, but I won't. I found the Lifton video shortly afterward, and as a result Best Evidence became one of the first 5 or 10 books I read on the subject. This was some years before Amazon (or the Internet, for that matter), and I must've gotten the book from a library because I don't seem to have a copy anywhere. It's disappointing that there is no Kindle/e-book version. I don't know why Lifton—or any author, for that matter—would let such an opportunity go by, but used copies aren't exactly cheap. 

Among the many authors and researchers I've come across, Lifton stands out for a few reasons. I believe his 'body alteration theory' is representative of the assimilation and maturing of evidence in the case over time. Simply put: What once seemed crazy now feels like yesterday's news. 

I spent most of 2023 reading Doug Horne's 5 volumes (again, no ebook??). It certainly appears to me that Lifton's primary "theory" is more than fully validated—to the point that we are no longer asking Did it happen? That's established. In fact, now we're even beyond asking How did it happen? (Yes, there are definitely holes, but the ARRB established a lot. I'm convinced Horne is correct that Lifton was wrong in one important respect—that the body was altered "between Dallas and Bethesda;" the body was most likely altered AT Bethesda, most likely by Humes himself). 

What once seemed crazy now feels like yesterday's news. 

I've been aware of Zapruder-alteration theories since at least 2000, but it always felt like a bridge too far. The explanations in favor of alteration provided by those who are "certain" of it are mostly buried in physics and not very accessible to the layman. On the other hand, the anti-alteration argument is straightforward ("...but the sprocket hole images man!" "There was no time!")

But what once seemed crazy ...

I recently read Lifton's long essay Pig on a Leash. I hadn't known that he suspected alteration, and in fact had for a very long time, practically since his first viewings of the film. I know he planned a book on the subject, to be the last in a trilogy after Final Charade, but that obviously won't happen.

Say this of Lifton: He was slow. Perhaps he was meticulous and wanted to produce the most reliable information possible, but sadly, he ran out of time. 

I'd be immensely interested in reading his thoughts on Oswald, and seeing what evidence he must have amassed over the years he worked on his unpublished book. He didn't appear to have much of a social life, but does he not have surviving family who are handling his estate? Either that, or surely he bequeathed his research to a trusted fellow researcher. I'd like to think that, after all this time, Final Charade was completed except for the index and cover art. But maybe not. 

Does anyone know anything about the status or future plans for his unpublished work?

Maybe we'll never see it. But what once seemed crazy ...

 

The book was supposedly lost in a computer crash, shortly before David's passing. While I believe efforts have been made to restore the book, or even put it back together from drafts, I'm not aware of any progress in that area. I can say that most everyone was looking forward to reading whatever David had on Oswald, as he had performed a number of interviews with Marina which should have proved enlightening. But I think a lot of us were dreading the release of his final ideas on the medical evidence, as he had  come to accept a theory--that some of the Parkland doctors were in on the plot against Kennedy--that most researchers would find embarrassing, and the vast majority of the public would find reprehensible. 

P.S. I should note that while I disagreed with many of David's conclusions, I met him a few times and enjoyed our time together, and considered him a valued resource. RIP.

Edited February 2 by Pat Speer

[David Butler]

Paging @Steven Kossor who might know more about this subject...

[Tony Krome]

JFK body alteration = garbage

[Sandy Larsen]

4 hours ago, Aaron Sharpe said:

I've been aware of Zapruder-alteration theories since at least 2000, but it always felt like a bridge too far.

 

So you believe the Parkland doctors and nurses were all wrong when they said the gaping wound was on the back of the head? I ask because the Zapruder film contradicts them all and shows that the wound was on top of the head.

 

[Sandy Larsen]

6 minutes ago, Tony Krome said:

JFK body alteration = garbage

 

What evidence do you have for that conclusion?

 

[Roger Odisio]

2 hours ago, David Von Pein said:

Oh my goodness! You think a theory which has JFK's body being stolen off of Air Force One and his wounds secretly altered prior to the 8:00 PM Bethesda autopsy has been "more than fully validated" ???

Reprise: Oh my goodness!!

How could anyone possibly believe such a thing?

I think rather than asking "Did it Happen?" or "How did it happen?", a much better question to ask when it comes to David S. Lifton's body-alteration theory would be this one:

Given all of the obvious roadblocks and complications involved in such a covert chore, is it even remotely possible that it COULD have happened?

And I think the answer to that last question is a most resounding and definitive "No" (as discussed in detail at the link below).

In other words, what once seemed crazy....is still very very crazy (not to mention impossible).

http://jfk-archives.blogspot.com/2013/07/David Von Pein vs. David Lifton

 

How unfortunate, Aaron, that the first response you've gotten to your thoughtful piece on the inanity of, and the many holes in, the official story is an attempt by Von Pein to discourage further inquiry.  He has all of the answers.

Carry on. Do not be discouraged.  You're on (several) right tracks. 

Welcome to this place where some good information is discussed amid a lot of nonsense. 

Let me respond to one argument you mentioned you said about there not being enough time to alter the Zapruder film. It's a common misconception.

The weekend of the murder, the film was diverted from its supposed destination at Life's headquarters in Chicago, after Life purchased limited rights to it, to the CIA's photo  lab in DC.  Dino Brugioni enlarged key frames and made briefing boards, so the CIA could tell just how much the film  contradicted their Oswald from the window with 3 shots story. Turns out it destroyed their fairy tale.

They (the CIA) then flew it to Hawkeye Works early Sunday morning, a then secret CIA lab in Rochester to try to alter the film.  Think about that.  They were already offering the story about a lone gunman firing 3 shots from behind when they knew, and evidence would later show, that JFK was murdered in a crossfire.  The Zapruder film was already becoming known as a record of the murder. They had no choice but to try to alter it.

They made some changes but failed in their main task, given the technology they had to work with. 

So Life, acting as a front for the CIA, went back to Zapruder that Sunday and bought the rest of the rights to the film, including the right show it in full as a film. Then they buried it from public view.

The public did not see it until a bootleg copy was shown in 1975 on Geraldo Rivera's show. The gasps in the audience were palpable.  Imagine what the reaction would have been had they seen the real version of the head shots instead, as described by what Brugioni said he saw that night instead of the one frame depiction in the extant film at NARA.

Point is, the work on the film was not confined to the ten hours or so it was at at Hawkeye Works.  This is partially confirmed by Homer McMahon when he told Doug Horne that work on the second set of briefing boards (Brugioni's set from the original film were later destroyed) continued after he left Sunday night.

[Sandy Larsen]

Just now, Sandy Larsen said:

7 minutes ago, Tony Krome said:

JFK body alteration = garbage

What evidence do you have for that conclusion?

 

Tony, how do you think the top of Kennedy's scalp got all shredded up between the time his body was in Parkland hospital and when the autopsy started?

 

[David Von Pein]

10 minutes ago, Sandy Larsen said:

how do you think the top of Kennedy's scalp got all shredded up between the time his body was in Parkland hospital and when the autopsy started?

It didn't. The scalp isn't "shredded" at all. You're just misinterpreting what is seen in the top-of-the-head autopsy photo.

 

Edited February 2 by David Von Pein

[Tony Krome]

7 minutes ago, Sandy Larsen said:

 

Tony, how do you think the top of Kennedy's scalp got all shredded up between the time his body was in Parkland hospital and when the autopsy started?

 

I don't think you will find anything related to the autopsy by me on this forum, maybe just a passing comment. As far as I'm concerned, all the mysteries, including the multiple caskets etc, have been solved long ago in my research. I may release all that one day. One thing I will say, is that the photos you refer to support the top of head bullet strike and not the occipital strike. And for the record, the injury was just as the Parkland doctors described. Think about that.

[David Von Pein]

FYI....

Here's a brief recap of this 14-part video series featuring David S. Lifton, which was recorded in November of 2013:

Here's a partial list of some of the preposterous things that Mr. Lifton believed happened on November 22, 1963:

1.) A Secret Service agent was, indeed, killed on 11/22/63. And the body of this dead SS agent was then placed on board Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas. And apparently nobody noticed this occurring at all.

2.) All of the films taken in Dealey Plaza on November 22 were altered/faked (e.g., the Zapruder Film, the Nix Film, the Muchmore Film, etc.). A direct quote from David Lifton in 2013: "All the films have been altered."

3.) Prior to departing Dallas, JFK's body was evidently (per Lifton) placed on some sort of "ledge" in the cargo area of Air Force One, and then, sometime during the flight, his body fell from this ledge, resulting in a situation where one of JFK's arms was left dangling toward the floor of the cargo hold. And as a result of this, at the start of the autopsy at Bethesda, Kennedy's arm (due to the onset of rigor mortis) was sticking up, stiff as a board, and could not be lowered until Dr. Humes actually got up on the autopsy table (per Lifton's account, which comes via an interview with autopsy eyewitness Richard Lipsey) and forced the stiffened arm down by JFK's side.

4.) To avoid the prying eyes of the media, Air Force One made an unscheduled stop near the end of the runway after landing at Andrews Air Force Base. This was done so that JFK's corpse could be secretly taken out of the airplane's cargo hold and transferred to a helicopter.

5.) Secret Service agent John Ready "threw himself" into the Presidential limousine after the shooting, and (according to Mr. Lifton) it is Ready's foot we see sticking out of the back seat of the car in the David Miller photograph.

For this theory of Lifton's to be correct, it would mean that John Ready lied in this report.

6.) Quoting David Lifton in 2013: "He [John Connally] got shot as a result of this fight in the car [with Secret Service agent John Ready]."

I think it's now time for one of these:

WTF?!

So now we know how David Lifton managed to keep John Connally from sustaining any wounds from the rear during the period when the assassination of JFK was taking place on Elm Street. He (Lifton) merely invented this fantasy story about Secret Service agent John Ready leaping into the limousine and shooting Connally. And then John Connally, in all of his many post-1963 interviews, decided to never once mention this "fight" that he had with Ready.

Oh, brother.

7.) Lifton, as of 2013, apparently believed that President Kennedy's wounds were altered (with lightning-like speed evidently) while JFK was still aboard Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas.

I had always thought Lifton believed that the body-altering surgery was performed at Walter Reed Hospital. But I guess David decided to change the location of that part of his fanciful tale. ~shrug~

8.) Lee Harvey Oswald did, indeed, fire a rifle from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository Building on November 22nd....but David Lifton thinks it was merely a "mock attack" and Lee was only firing "blanks".

Well, have you had enough of this fantasy stuff for today?

Yeah, me too.

David Von Pein
December 9, 2022


[More discussion about David Lifton's bizarre theories can be found HERE.]
 

[Sandy Larsen]

11 minutes ago, David Von Pein said:

The scalp isn't "shredded" at all. You're just misinterpreting what is seen in the top-of-the-head autopsy photo.

 

Call it what you want... it was apparently created by multiple lacerations with a knife. And not a soul noticed it in Dealey Plaza or Parkland. Yet very pronounced at Bethesda.

 

[David Von Pein]

[Post Deleted By Author.]

 

Edited February 4 by David Von Pein

[Paula Botan]

As someone who assisted Lifton with his research for a couple of years in the early 2000s, I can say that I highly doubt a manuscript exists. At any rate, I never saw one. He was doing research that is true, but his ideas were becoming increasingly far-fetched for me. I think he painted himself into a very tight corner with his theories and could not get himself out.