William Pitzer: Reappraisal of Suicide

[Allan Eaglesham]

"When forensic expert Herbert MacDonell opined that the death-scene photograph shows a bullet wound in the left temple, I felt certain that William Pitzer had been murdered. However, my meeting with (Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent David) DiPaola, viewing of the autopsy photographs, and reconsideration of the available information have brought me to the belief that the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. In my opinion, there is no physical evidence indicative of homicide, just as there is no evidence that LCDR Pitzer was in possession of a movie film of the Kennedy autopsy beyond a few days after the Kennedy assassination."

For any interested in this case, the second part of a two-part article is now available:

http://www.manuscriptservice.com/reappraisal-2a.html

Comments and constructive criticism welcome.

Thank you.

Allan

[John Dolva]

Alan pure speculation on my part : I have no idea of his mental state or can imagine why he would : could it be a clue? film hidden wet baggie in the cistern??? anyway a very informative article, thanks for inviting comment. I wish I understood more about forensics, the bit about the pulsing is interesting, the us military conducted experiments and filmed them in high speed in 1945 study showing just such pulsing (and other aspects of wound ballistics) John

[Antti Hynonen]

Alan,

We have debated on this issue before. Perhaps you can discuss and give your view on the following "controversial" issues related to the Pitzer death: (I haven't read your article yet...)

* Pitzer's twisted and broken arm/hand (struggle)?

* The shot entered Pitzer's head from the right hand side, his friend D.- David claims he was left handed.

* Pitzer's immediate family and friends didn't seem to consider that there were any problems in their life (nor LTCDR Pitzer's), certainly none that would have driven him to commit suicide.

* Any idea what particular film Dennis David saw with Pitzer? And what happened to this film since?

Thanks.

Antti

[Allan Eaglesham]

Antti:

All of these aspects are dealt with in the two-part article.

Allan

[Antti Hynonen]

Ok, thanks Allan. In the mean time I have read your second article.

Below is a phone transcript between Mrs. Pitzer and Col. Dan Marvin. Many sections of the transcript seem to support the initial idea that Pitzer was murdered.

My opinions from the information from the transcript and your article, to the questions I asked earlier are here:

1) In the phone conversations Mrs. Pitzer still thinks (28 years after the fact) that she did not reveive her deceased husbands wedding band because his hand was so mangled, it could not be removed.

If this is a fake story, initiated by a family member, who went to obtain the ring, he/she must surely be a sick person to make up such a story. Why would anyone make up such a story?

2) Pitzer was mostly right handed, dealt cards with his left. Did he also shoot with his right?

From your article I am to understand that the person doing the autopsy, was so confused that in his report he confused left from right also? Also he was not a professional in this field?

3) Mrs. Pitzer doesn't think her husband was in a state in which he could have possibly committed suicide. Apparently Pitzer's sons are still in denial of what happened and also refused to believe the "official story". Apparently also many acquaintances can not believe that what happened was a suicide.

4) Alan, am I to understand that you claim there never was a film or that if there was a film, it was not among the possessions of Pitzer soon after 11/22/63?

Additional questions that arise after reading your article and re-reviewing the transcript:

1) Why would Dan Marvin make up such a story? He doesn't seem to be off his rocker to me....

2) Why would Dennis David bring up the film he saw, unless it actually existed? Do you think he is lying? You claim Pitzer didn't have a copy of the film soon after the autopsy of JFK, what do you base the assumption on? Where did it go?

3) Why was Mrs. Pitzer encouraged not to talk about her husband's death or anything surrounding it by high-ranking Navy officers?

4) Why was Mrs. Pitzer not allowed to have a copy of her husband's autopsy report until about 25 years after his death?

Perhaps you can comment and elaborate on these issues?

Thanks, Antti

TRANSCRIPT OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN LT. COL. DAN MARVIN AND MRS. JOYCE PITZER 5 JANUARY 1995

This is Colonel Dan Marvin; this is Thursday, the 5th day of January 1995, and I'm calling Mrs. Joyce B. Pitzer, the widow of Lieutenant Commander William Bruce Pitzer.

[phone rings]

Hello.

Hello, Mrs. Joyce B. Pitzer?

That's right.

This is Colonel Dan Marvin calling from Ithaca, New York. I don't know if Mr. Lesar has been in touch with you about me ...

No ...

He used to be your attorney at one time ... and I have some information about your husband's death personal information that I want to come out with but I wanted to either tell you or your son William B. Pitzer 11, who then would talk to you about it ... but it's all good news for you and your family ...

Well, to be truthful with you, it's been 28 years ... I ... I don't think I can there's been several books written I really I don't ...

Well this has nothing to do with a book ... I didn't know until a year ago November that I had was remotely involved in what had happened in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination until I saw a documentary I think it was by Jack Anderson on the Kennedy assassination and in there at the very end of it there was a roll of the film of the names of forty two different people that had died a violent death. And when I saw that it just it almost made me sick to my stomach because I saw your husband's name. And in 1965 in August of 1965 1 was approached by the Central Intelligence Agency to kill your husband. And I refused to do it because I was a United States Army Green Beret and we only did those things those kinds of things overseas. It was a simple matter. But they told me that your husband was a bad man which he wasn't, obviously which I've learned since with a lot of research with the help of a couple of friends of mine, and that's why I approached Lesar a few months ago and touch base with you And not just for you and your family I'll be honest with you this is something that there are other people who are affected in the same way because there are other people like myself who went around doing not too good things for our government. And this is not easy for me to do; my whole family has asked me not to come out with this ... because all of a sudden I've got eleven grandchildren all of a sudden I go from friendly Grandpa who walks around about seven days a week, practically, except when I'm in church in Oshkosh overalls (I do antique work ; a repairer of antiques) and then all of a sudden learn that Grandpa was an assassin. And I did not kill your husband. I did not accept that mission. But I know that it was who it was given by who wanted him killed.

Well, I understood that he had parts of a[n] autopsy that they wanted destroyed . . . [understood this from her husband or from a book she has read?]

Understand.

... and that he refused to do this. And knowing him, as a Naval officer for 28 years, I know that he would not do this [would not commit suicide, destroy the materials, or disobey higher authority?].

Amen.

But I sure would like to help clear his name, and I've done the same thing for South Vietnamese who were treated badly by the CIA, and I've won two major battles along that line, and both of them were against the CIA ... Ted Kennedy is interested in learning more information, and they could release the autopsy records but I think somebody like yourself would have to ask.

I have the autopsy the lawyer

On JFK? You have yours [your husband's]. Oh, wonderful.

The Navy refused it ... refused to give it to me. About 25 years later ...

That's a crying shame.

. . . when Livingstone wrote the book. . . the lawyer that worked with him sent it to me.

Understand.

And ... this is something I'd have to think about ... I have been ...

Would you like me to send you some information in writing? Some background on me?

That would be good. I have been ill with bronchitis ...

I'm sorry to hear that.

I have not ... I am not feeling myself, truthfully.

I hope you understand why I called you personally on this ...

Well, I appreciate it. Twenty eight years has been very difficult.

Right.

I am a nurse and I have been ... I went back to work for eighteen years after Bill died and now I am doing volunteer work at a local hospital three days a week assisting cancer patients. And I'm trying to keep busy, keep my mind occupied and think about somebody else ...

I understand. But I think it's important for all of us to get the truth out. It's extremely important. I by the way sent to Jim Lesar all kinds of information and I signed releases so that he could go to every agency in the United States government to corroborate the fact of where I took my training, you know, was there really a Dan Marvin so ...

Jim Lesar ... you're talking about the lawyer who's the head of the

Assassination Archives Research, or whatever ...

Archives'? Right. He came out here to see me once.

In the 80s. Right. 189.

Do you have my address'?

Is it 8603 Boston Avenue?

It's 603.

603, right. Takoma Park, Maryland ...

Right.

And your zip?

20912.

Well, it's indeed a pleasure to talk to you.

Well, thank you.

I just hope that some way not only can we clear the record for your husband, but and your family but also begin an investigation which would look into the deaths of some of the other people that were involved in that.

There was another doctor that was killed at the hospital at that time, but there's no information

Do you have his name and everything?

Yes, it's in the book, but I don't ...

Oh.

It's in Livingstone's book.

But your husband wasn't the kind of man that would commit suicide, was he?

Ha. No way... no, he wasn't.

Would you by chance allow me to in a letter to Jim Lesar ask him to release all the stuff I sent to go to you, and also ask him to give me a copy of the autopsy?

Well ... with his judgement.

Yes.

If he thinks that is a good idea.

Right. One step at a time, like my friend says.

I trust him, and he was very good to me, and I don't want to step out of line. I am a Navy dependent. I don't really use the Navy for much. I will tell you that the captains and the admirals that were close friends of Bill's have been very good to me ...

Wonderful.

... and one of the admirals' wives said, "I am very proud of you."

Oh, praise the Lord. Did any of the navy intelligence people actually contact you and tell you to be quiet about whole thing?

They did. They told me not to talk....

And when was that?

... to anyone. After his death. But the navy intelligence [people] were here, and at the house, and everything and for twenty five years, I did not really discuss it ...

Right.

Only a few close friends have I ever discussed it with.

Except for the bronchitis, I'd say you' re a very strong and courageous woman, and I just want to be one of the there's two other people who are working on this with me: Robin Palmer and Alan Eaglesham two very courageous men. And, the good Lord willing I am a Christian, born again Christian and I pray every day about this and I'm just so pleased that I was able to talk to you.

The only thing is that I was ... Bill was given a top military funeral everything. And I was given full compensation from the Navy.

Wonderful.

And we have wondered, if more was said about this, if my compensation might be stopped.

No. No, it cannot be and I would fight anybody ... and I have a couple of Senators on my side on things like that. Because some of the members of my team my A team who were threatened by the CIA in Vietnam were told the same thing and I got it squared away, and they're still getting their retirement pay. So I wouldn't worry about that.

I am eighty years old at this time, and I

Oh, for heaven's sake, you don't sound it. I'm sixty one. Well, praise the Lord.

I don't I really need You know, I'm not earning at this time.

Right.

And I would hate to see that stopped.

Yes.

I loved the Navy. We had wonderful duty on Guam, we had it in Hawaii, we had it in California, and we loved it.

Which one of your sons is closest to you that you would like me to send a copy of this letter to.

Well, I'm having problems with this now. The older son I think both sons were terribly troubled by their father's death. They have never been the same. They're both in California. I . . . I'm not in touch with the older son. I am in touch with my grandsons in California, and they are grown and wonderful.

Oh, great. So there's no one I can send a copy of this to support you?

No, not at this time.

Okay.

I think that their lives were even more damaged than mine.

I'll be darned. I think I can understand that.

Because they respected their father so highly and ...

Well, the CIA did the same thing to your husband's reputation as they did to a friend of mine, a former ARVN General, Quang Van Dang and it took me almost a year to just get his name cleared, and it was harder to convince his children than anybody else, because they'd just seen so much written. And I read a hundred and twenty books, and they all had nothing but bad things to say that the CIA had planted. So I'm familiar with that kind of situation. Now let me give you my telephone number, if you wanted to write it down.

Okay.

It's Colonel Dan Marvin, M A R V I N. And it's area code 607 ...

Right ...

272 ...

272 ...

0473.

0473.

And you should expect something in the mail within three or four days.

All right. Thank you.

My pleasure talking to you. God bless you.

Thank you very much. Bye bye.

Bye bye.

TRANSCRIPT OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN LT. COL. DAN MARVIN AND MRS. JOYCE PITZER EVENING OF 31 JANUARY 1995

Hello?

Hello, Mrs. Pitzer?

Yes.

This is Col Dan Marvin. How are you this evening?

Well, pretty good.

Did you by chance get my last letter?

No, I just got the first one.

Oh, you just got the first one.

Yeah.

Well, you’ve got another one coming to you, dated the 28th of January. I talked to Jim Lesar . . .

Yeah . . .

And he said that he would be sending the autopsy to me.

Okay.

And he said he would be glad to work with me to help you, and one of the main reasons I called tonight was to let you know that there has been a contract signed between a major network and a British producer named Nigel Turner who is very famous for documentaries on the JFK assassination. He’s a good man. I talked to him.

Yeah.

And he’s developing a documentary to be put together this year and then made public in October or November this year . . . and it would be very good – I believe – to get your husband’s record cleared completely if you were to be a part of that. I am already a part of it. And we also – by the way – I just found out yesterday – and this is another major reason for my call – found out yesterday that the people who are putting this documentary together have a friend of your husband’s (who will be in the documentary with me) that personally saw the film and slides that your husband had of the JFK autopsy – and that alone should do very well towards clearing your husband. And of course the whole reason for the documentary is to get this on a worldwide basis so we can get pressure on Congress to have hearings to clear your husband and to clear other people who are affected the same way.

Yeah.

Especially – I tell you, one of the most beautiful things about it would be if we were able to somehow get a good relationship between you and your sons again.

Well, that – the thing of it is, that’s impossible, right now. I don’t know where the older son is and he evidently wants to be lost at this time. I am very close to his son, my grandson. And I haven’t heard from the older son for about 2 ½ years.

I see.

But he’s done this before.

Well, do you think it would help if I were to contact him personally through the grandson?

Well, they can’t find him either. They . . .

Oh, I see.

They’ve tried, and he is not in touch with anyone.

How about your younger son?

Well, he . . . we don’t get along too well. We don’t see eye to eye on things. He’s out in Hollywood, and he’s very different from the rest of the family. He was very close to his father, and I think that his father’s death had quite an effect on him.

I have some very close friends in Los Angeles who – if I were to find out from you where he lives, I could write him and have – especially Marilyn Rider who is working with me on a book about some of my Vietnam experiences – could have her contact him. And I think maybe if we could get the truth to him and let him know that – hey, we know and we’re trying to get this all public . . . that perhaps there would be a good relationship between you and him.

Well, the only thing is . . . I had talked with my husband’s sister, and she really is against opening this up. She thinks that we went through so much and it’s been so long that – and of course, none of the family felt that he took his own life anyway.

I understand. Was Bill right-handed or left-handed?

He was right-handed.

Right-handed.

And they couldn’t give me the wedding ring because – they said – his left hand was damaged.

I wonder how it got damaged.

Well, that’s – they never were able to explain .

For heaven’s sake.

And . . .

Would it do any good to write your sister-in-law?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I have to think about this.

Right.

To be truthful, I’m not sure I’m up to going through all this again.

Oh, I understand.

I . . . I don’t know. I really don’t know.

You started to say something about his left hand.

Well, his left hand was damaged, and they said – the navy said – they couldn’t give me his wedding ring.

Right. That’s a shame.

So . . . have you seen the autopsy report?

No, Jim Lesar said he would send it to me real quickly . . .

There’s not much . . . there’s nothing, really, in it. And of course, the navy never said he took his life. They just said he died suddenly.

Yes. I assumed that would be the case. But . . . Nigel Turner – please try and remember that name – he will be calling you. Now, it will be completely up to you, but I recommend that you at least give him a chance to talk to you, because he’s very sincere. We are all just trying to help you . . .

The only thing is . . . Colonel, I don’t want to do anything that turns the navy against me. I have been president of the navy wives , I have been very active since Bill died, I was president of 240 members when he died, and then I have been second vice president for quite a few years and they have been very wonderful to me.

I understand. And deservedly so. But don’t you think that the navy would want to clean up something that’s dirty?

Well, the only thing is, several of the captains and one of the admirals . . . told me when Livingstone was writing the book . . . to stay out of it.

Well, I can understand that, because Livingstone was trying to get to the truth and too many people could get hurt, you know?

Well, I’m going to have to think about this, okay?

Yeah. Could I just ask you a couple more questions please?

Yeah.

Harrison Livingstone in his book wrote that your husband carried a gun with blanks the last year of his life.

Well, the only thing . . . (laughs)

That’s funny.

Well, he did eleven trips . . . secret warfare for Vietnam. And he made eleven trips that year. And he did have to carry a gun that was blank; it had no . . .

No ammunition.

No.

I see. Did he go to Virginia by chance? On those trips?

I don’t know. He was in Florida, he was in Texas, he was many places and he was still to go in December to New London.

I see.

Connecticut. And he had made eleven trips. And I think that this has a lot to do with his thought of retiring.

I see.

He had already been offered a position .

Yes, you told me.

And . . . so . . . I don’t know.

Did your husband . . . your husband was an MSC, right? Not a doctor.

No, an MSC, Lieutenant Commander.

Did he normally wear civilian clothes to work?

He what?

Did he normally wear civilian clothes to work?

Oh no, no, no, no.

I didn’t think so. He was found in civilian clothes, I understand.

Sure, that was on a Saturday afternoon, and he had been raking leaves here at home. . . and he just went out there to write a speech at the office.

Well, for heaven’s sake. I’ll be darned.

He was very much a naval officer, and always in uniform. Except when – you know – he wasn’t on duty, that afternoon, he was just going out there to write this speech that he was to make at the college on Wednesday.

Now this was the college where he had been offered the job?

Yes, it was out in Rockville, at Montgomery Junior College. He was going to teach educational television.

I see. That would have been great.

He was quite enthused about it.

Did you know anything more about this Doctor Raymond that also was killed there?

No, all I knew was what I read in the book.

Oh, I see.

Now whether he was in – at the autopsy – he could have been.

Right. I wonder if – you wouldn’t happen to know any old friends of your husband’s . . . who could – who I could contact – to maybe find out if there was in fact a Doctor Raymond?

No, because I talked with several of them, and no one seemed to know him.

I’ll be darned. Isn’t that something, though? It’s a funny thing to happen . . .

I don’t know . . . he evidently was not a naval officer.

I see. Oh, a civilian doctor.

Evidently.

Yeah. Well, please wait until you get the information that I’ve sent you – it’s a letter dated 28th of January.

All right. . .

And read a little bit and I think you’ll find, by reading it, how sincere I am. There’s another gentleman who – a gentleman who was under the gun of the CIA for 24 years and it took . . . and we freed him from that last year – and he’s sixty-some years old but he still felt it was worth the effort. And I’d just like to see your husband’s name cleared.

My wife told me today – told my oldest daughter today – that she doesn’t like the idea of our grandchildren finding out that I was an assassin for the United States Army. You know, it’s not easy on this end either

I know . . .

. . . but when I saw your husband’s name up there I had to do it. So please do think it over .. .

I will think about it and . . . it just seems, I made it through these 28 years and I don’t know whether I can go through this again.

I understand. But you know that we’ll help you all we can . And we’re with you on it.

I had so much calling and everything when Livingstone was writing the book and . . . I don’t know. It wasn’t easy.

I understand. . . I can’t understand completely, any more than you can understand completely how my family feels about my . . . particular thing right now.

Yeah.

I’ll be praying on it.

Yeah, I know.

And please do let me know one way or another, would you?

Okay. Thank you for calling.

You’re very welcome.

Okay.

Bye-bye.

Bye-bye.

Edited July 4, 2005 by Antti Hynonen

[Allan Eaglesham]

Ok, thanks Allan. In the mean time I have read your second article.

Below is a phone transcript between Mrs. Pitzer and Col. Dan Marvin. Many sections of the transcript seem to support the initial idea that Pitzer was murdered.

ANTTI:

I HAVE AUDIOTAPE COPIES OF BOTH TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS.

My opinions from the information from the transcript and your article, to the questions I asked earlier are here:

1) In the phone conversations Mrs. Pitzer still thinks (28 years after the fact) that she did not reveive her deceased husbands wedding band because his hand was so mangled, it could not be removed.

If this is a fake story, initiated by a family member, who went to obtain the ring, he/she must surely be a sick person to make up such a story. Why would anyone make up such a story?

THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION IS THAT THE PERSON JUST PLAIN FORGOT.

2) Pitzer was mostly right handed, dealt cards with his left. Did he also shoot with his right?

From your article I am to understand that the person doing the autopsy, was so confused that in his report he confused left from right also? Also he was not a professional in this field?

IT ISN'T TRUE TO SAY THAT HE WAS "MOSTLY" RIGHT-HANDED. HE WAS RIGHT-HANDED, AND WHEN PLAYING CARDS HE HAD AN AMUSING PARLOR TRICK WITH WHICH HE DEALT THE CARDS SINGLE-HANDEDLY, USING HIS LEFT HAND, SKIMMING THEM OFF WITH HIS THUMB. I DON'T THINK I SAID THAT EITHER OF THE AUTOPSY DOCTORS WAS CONFUSED ON THIS ISSUE.

ACCORDING TO HAROLD RYDBERG, NONE OF THE BETHESDA PATHOLOGISTS WAS EXPERIENCED IN FORENSICS.

3) Mrs. Pitzer doesn't think her husband was in a state in which he could have possibly committed suicide. Apparently Pitzer's sons are still in denial of what happened and also refused to believe the "official story". Apparently also many acquaintances can not believe that what happened was a suicide.

ONE OF THE SONS TOLD ME THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF HIS FATHER HAVING BEEN MURDERED DID NOT COME UP UNTIL HE READ GRODEN + LIVINGSTONE'S "HIGH TREASON." AS STATED IN THE ARTICLE, AT LEAST ONE FAMILY MEMBER THOUGHT THAT SUICIDE WAS POSSIBLE.

4) Alan, am I to understand that you claim there never was a film or that if there was a film, it was not among the possessions of Pitzer soon after 11/22/63?

DENNIS DAVID HAS SAID THAT HE SAW THE MOVIE OF THE JFK AUTOPSY IN PITZER'S POSSESSION WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF 11/22/63. CONTINUED POSSESSION OF THAT MOVIE BY PITZER WAS A MATTER OF OPINION ON MR. DAVID'S PART.

Additional questions that arise after reading your article and re-reviewing the transcript:

1) Why would Dan Marvin make up such a story? He doesn't seem to be off his rocker to me....

WHAT STORY? I MADE NO REFERENCE TO A STORY BY LTC MARVIN IN MY ARTICLE.

2) Why would Dennis David bring up the film he saw, unless it actually existed? Do you think he is lying? You claim Pitzer didn't have a copy of the film soon after the autopsy of JFK, what do you base the assumption on? Where did it go?

I DID NOT SAY THAT NO SUCH FILM EXISTED. THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT IT EXISTED IN PITZER'S POSSESSION BEYOND A FEW DAYS AFTER THE JFK ASSASSINATION.

3) Why was Mrs. Pitzer encouraged not to talk about her husband's death or anything surrounding it by high-ranking Navy officers?

OBVIOUSLY I CANNOT GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THIS. ONE POSSIBILITY: TO PROTECT HER FROM FINDING OUT THAT HER HUSBAND WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR AT THE TIME OF THIS DEATH.

4) Why was Mrs. Pitzer not allowed to have a copy of her husband's autopsy report until about 25 years after his death?

WHEN JIM LESAR APPLIED FOR IT ON HER BEHALF, HE WAS GIVEN IT. WHEN DAN MARVIN APPLIED FOR IT, HE WAS GIVEN IT.

ALLAN

[Antti Hynonen]

Allan Eaglesham Posted Today, 01:39 PM

Ok, thanks Allan. In the mean time I have read your second article.

Below is a phone transcript between Mrs. Pitzer and Col. Dan Marvin. Many sections of the transcript seem to support the initial idea that Pitzer was murdered.

ANTTI:

I HAVE AUDIOTAPE COPIES OF BOTH TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS.

My opinions from the information from the transcript and your article, to the questions I asked earlier are here:

1) In the phone conversations Mrs. Pitzer still thinks (28 years after the fact) that she did not reveive her deceased husbands wedding band because his hand was so mangled, it could not be removed.

If this is a fake story, initiated by a family member, who went to obtain the ring, he/she must surely be a sick person to make up such a story. Why would anyone make up such a story?

THE MOST LIKELY EXPLANATION IS THAT THE PERSON JUST PLAIN FORGOT.

2) Pitzer was mostly right handed, dealt cards with his left. Did he also shoot with his right?

From your article I am to understand that the person doing the autopsy, was so confused that in his report he confused left from right also? Also he was not a professional in this field?

IT ISN'T TRUE TO SAY THAT HE WAS "MOSTLY" RIGHT-HANDED. HE WAS RIGHT-HANDED, AND WHEN PLAYING CARDS HE HAD AN AMUSING PARLOR TRICK WITH WHICH HE DEALT THE CARDS SINGLE-HANDEDLY, USING HIS LEFT HAND, SKIMMING THEM OFF WITH HIS THUMB. I DON'T THINK I SAID THAT EITHER OF THE AUTOPSY DOCTORS WAS CONFUSED ON THIS ISSUE.

ACCORDING TO HAROLD RYDBERG, NONE OF THE BETHESDA PATHOLOGISTS WAS EXPERIENCED IN FORENSICS.

3) Mrs. Pitzer doesn't think her husband was in a state in which he could have possibly committed suicide. Apparently Pitzer's sons are still in denial of what happened and also refused to believe the "official story". Apparently also many acquaintances can not believe that what happened was a suicide.

ONE OF THE SONS TOLD ME THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF HIS FATHER HAVING BEEN MURDERED DID NOT COME UP UNTIL HE READ GRODEN + LIVINGSTONE'S "HIGH TREASON." AS STATED IN THE ARTICLE, AT LEAST ONE FAMILY MEMBER THOUGHT THAT SUICIDE WAS POSSIBLE.

4) Alan, am I to understand that you claim there never was a film or that if there was a film, it was not among the possessions of Pitzer soon after 11/22/63?

DENNIS DAVID HAS SAID THAT HE SAW THE MOVIE OF THE JFK AUTOPSY IN PITZER'S POSSESSION WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF 11/22/63. CONTINUED POSSESSION OF THAT MOVIE BY PITZER WAS A MATTER OF OPINION ON MR. DAVID'S PART.

Additional questions that arise after reading your article and re-reviewing the transcript:

1) Why would Dan Marvin make up such a story? He doesn't seem to be off his rocker to me....

WHAT STORY? I MADE NO REFERENCE TO A STORY BY LTC MARVIN IN MY ARTICLE.

2) Why would Dennis David bring up the film he saw, unless it actually existed? Do you think he is lying? You claim Pitzer didn't have a copy of the film soon after the autopsy of JFK, what do you base the assumption on? Where did it go?

I DID NOT SAY THAT NO SUCH FILM EXISTED. THERE IS NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT IT EXISTED IN PITZER'S POSSESSION BEYOND A FEW DAYS AFTER THE JFK ASSASSINATION.

3) Why was Mrs. Pitzer encouraged not to talk about her husband's death or anything surrounding it by high-ranking Navy officers?

OBVIOUSLY I CANNOT GIVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THIS. ONE POSSIBILITY: TO PROTECT HER FROM FINDING OUT THAT HER HUSBAND WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR AT THE TIME OF THIS DEATH.

4) Why was Mrs. Pitzer not allowed to have a copy of her husband's autopsy report until about 25 years after his death?

WHEN JIM LESAR APPLIED FOR IT ON HER BEHALF, HE WAS GIVEN IT. WHEN DAN MARVIN APPLIED FOR IT, HE WAS GIVEN IT.

ALLAN

Thanks

[Allan Eaglesham]

Antti:

I think you repeated my last post. Did you intend to add something?

Allan

[Bernice Moore]

Antti:

I think you repeated my last post. Did you intend to add something?

Allan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

****************

Hi Allan:

Do you think that Robert will ever release the autopsy photos...?? I was just wondering what or whom would cause him to renege at the last moment ....about handing them over....to the lawyers....

Thanks

B

[Allan Eaglesham]

Hi Allan:

Do you think that Robert will ever release the autopsy photos...?? I was just wondering what or whom would cause him to renege at the last moment ....about handing them over....to the lawyers....

Thanks

B

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bernice:

This is a complex issue that is hard to deal with here. In a nutshell: it's a matter of control.

Allan