Tim Smith's book on the HSCA

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Paul Cummings said:

"That he failed to do so over 6 hours of Oliver Stone documentaries remains a mystery"

Doesn’t “Oliver Stone documentaries” indicate that Oliver Stone was the director?

Jim won’t follow thru, but perhaps you can cite for me the instances in the 2 Oliver Stone documentaries where the clothing evidence is cited.

Edited March 5 by Cliff Varnell

[Pat Speer]

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

Paul,

I was the writer and we did address this issue. More than once.

Pat, that actually sounds like its logical to me about Blakey's reliance on Guinn to influence Baden.

But its odd that Blakey still backs the SBT even though he admits today that Guinn was full of it.

 

It's worse than that. I talked to Blakey at the 2014 Bethesda Conference and he said he wanted me to send him some of what I had on Guinn and Canning. He gave me his email address at Cornell. I sent him some prime stuff, including that Guinn changed the number for silver from his HSCA testimony when he moved on to sell his conclusions to his colleagues in forensic journals. Guinn didn't perform new tests--he just changed his number. I also went through Canning's conclusions, step by step, and showed Blakey that Canning concluded JFK was leaning forward when struck in the back, then sat up before being struck in the head.

I never received a response from Blakey, if even to tell me what I sent was unconvincing. 

I suspect the man has a hard time admitting he was wrong... Like most of us. 

[Paul Cummings]

48 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Doesn’t “Oliver Stone documentaries” indicate that Oliver Stone was the director?

Jim won’t follow thru, but perhaps you can cite for me the instances in the 2 Oliver Stone documentaries where the clothing evidence is cited.

I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. Directors typically have final say. 

 

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Paul Cummings said:

I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish. Directors typically have final say. 

 

I’m critical of the writer ignoring the physical evidence.  Unless you can point out where the clothing evidence is cited.

[Paul Cummings]

1 minute ago, Cliff Varnell said:

I’m critical of the writer ignoring the physical evidence.  Unless you can point out where the clothing evidence is cited.

Yet, he gets your attention on this subject. Are you as dogmatic with the other researchers on this subject?

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Paul Cummings said:

Yet, he gets your attention on this subject. Are you as dogmatic with the other researchers on this subject?

Absolutely!  Those who do not grasp the primacy of physical evidence in a cold case murder investigation are utterly incompetent.

[Paul Cummings]

Just now, Cliff Varnell said:

Absolutely!  Those who do not grasp the primacy of physical evidence in a cold case murder investigation are utterly incompetent.

Who else?

[Sandy Larsen]

Hey Jim,

When writing the scripts for Stone's two documentaries, what evidence did you give for the back wound being at approximately T3? Do you recall?

 

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Paul Cummings said:

Who else?

Tink Thompson, David Mantik, Gary Aguilar, Pat Speer, Roger Feinman, Stu Wexler, John Hunt...that’s just off the top of my head.

[Paul Cummings]

42 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Tink Thompson, David Mantik, Gary Aguilar, Pat Speer, Roger Feinman, Stu Wexler, John Hunt...that’s just off the top of my head.

Most of those aren't in here so do you write them about the clothing? What's the response they give you?

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Paul Cummings said:

Most of those aren't in here so do you write them about the clothing? What's the response they give you?

At one time or another the gentlemen I mentioned either put the back wound at T1 or insist the issue isn’t settled.

IOW, they ignore the physical evidence.

[Vince Palamara]

21 hours ago, Pat Speer said:

Just curious. A lot of what we know about the behind the scenes goings on of the HSCA comes from John Hunt. Is he mentioned in the book? Or did Smith just read the testimony, and put his own spin on it, without making note of what others have discovered, including Hunt and myself? 

I will check it out again to confirm, but my first impression is that it is a detailed witness-by-witness critique and review. What Walt Brown (a friend and hero of his) did with the Warren Commission, Tim did the same with the HSCA.

[Vince Palamara]

3 hours ago, Pat Speer said:

It's worse than that. I talked to Blakey at the 2014 Bethesda Conference and he said he wanted me to send him some of what I had on Guinn and Canning. He gave me his email address at Cornell. I sent him some prime stuff, including that Guinn changed the number for silver from his HSCA testimony when he moved on to sell his conclusions to his colleagues in forensic journals. Guinn didn't perform new tests--he just changed his number. I also went through Canning's conclusions, step by step, and showed Blakey that Canning concluded JFK was leaning forward when struck in the back, then sat up before being struck in the head.

I never received a response from Blakey, if even to tell me what I sent was unconvincing. 

I suspect the man has a hard time admitting he was wrong... Like most of us. 

Tim Smith's very detailed 560-plus page book doesn't have an index (!), so I am not 100 percent sure if John Hunt was mentioned, but my first impression after finishing it about a month ago is "no." It is basically Walt Brown's The Warren Omission but done for the HSCA volumes and witnesses.

[Pat Speer]

11 minutes ago, Vince Palamara said:

Tim Smith's very detailed 560-plus page book doesn't have an index (!), so I am not 100 percent sure if John Hunt was mentioned, but my first impression after finishing it about a month ago is "no." It is basically Walt Brown's The Warren Omission but done for the HSCA volumes and witnesses.

Thanks, Vince. Now, a related question.

A number of the depositions were televised, and a number of the interviews were recorded. I have compared a few of these recordings (e.g. Baden, Sturdivan, Canning, Finck) against the transcripts of their testimony, and found that the transcripts are at times inaccurate and/or misleading. Does Smith get into those weeds--what was actually said vs. what the transcripts claim was said? 

[Vince Palamara]

30 minutes ago, Pat Speer said:

Thanks, Vince. Now, a related question.

A number of the depositions were televised, and a number of the interviews were recorded. I have compared a few of these recordings (e.g. Baden, Sturdivan, Canning, Finck) against the transcripts of their testimony, and found that the transcripts are at times inaccurate and/or misleading. Does Smith get into those weeds--what was actually said vs. what the transcripts claim was said? 

Smith claims to have all the video, audio and transcripts that are available, so I would say "yes." In general, he definitely gets into the weeds a la Walt Brown when it comes to the HSCA. It is an appealing book for the advanced person but not John Q. Citizen.