Double barreled assassins names

[John Geraghty]

I posted this on the forum of my website http://s10.invisionfree.com/KennedyAssassi...hp?showtopic=13

but since there are far more members here I thought I would post it here as I have been thinking about this for quite a while. Its interesting.

Lets look at three supposed lone-nut assassins. Lee harvey Oswald, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, James Earl Ray.

What do they have in common (apart from being accused of killing the three most influential men in liberal politics) , they all have double barreled surnames.

Before the assassinations of JFK,RFK,MLK were their accused assassins known by their shortened names, Lee Oswald, James Ray and Sirhan Sirhan.

If they were then that would tend to indicate that we might not have remembered their names due to the ordinary nature of them.

Was the press given the names in full and told to use the full name whenever making reference to them?

I think that these names were used so that they would stick in peoples minds and they would associate these names with the assassination a lot easier.

Also the three victims all were remembered in a double barreled name. JFK, RFK, MLk.

It would be interesting to hear a linguists or psychologists analysis of this.

Food for thought.

John Geraghty

[Guest Stephen Turner]

And one further back in history, John Wilkes Booth.

[John Dolva]

and John Wilkies Booth's accomplice is largely forgotten 2 names Dean Harold. (What about Jack Ruby ?)

[Christopher T. George]

Hi John

I have thought that more often than not the double-barrelled name is a legalism -- though John Wilkes Booth is a clear example of a killer known by that name in life before his famous crime. In other words, Lee Harvey Oswald is known by that name now but pre-assassination, he was Lee Oswald. Similarly, the man who shot John Lennon is known to us as Mark David Chapman but prior to Lennon's shooting on December 9, 1980, he was Mark Chapman. And another example, the 1950's London serial killer and necrophiliac known as John Reginald Christie was simply John Christie before he was arrested.

This is from the rules for criminal law and procedure for Colorado but would I think be standard for criminal prosecutions in most states and countries: "A law enforcement agency, when requesting the filing of any criminal case, shall submit to the district attorney the arresting agency's name, the offender's full name and date of birth. . ."

Best regards

Chris

Edited July 2, 2005 by Christopher T. George

[Jack White]

and John Wilkies Booth's accomplice is largely forgotten 2 names Dean Harold. (What about Jack Ruby ?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Jacob Leon Rubenstein.

[John Geraghty]

Christopher,

Excellent points. One would assume then that the media simply saw the arrest record and latched onto the full name.

John