Timothy Wray

[Ed Sherry]

In the recent book, Without Smoking Gun, by Kent Heiner, it was explained that Robin Palmer and Allan Eaglesham were in contact with Timothy Wray of the ARRB, to inquire as to the death of Lt. Cmdr. William Pitzer.

Since this correspondence was related directly to events surrounding the JFK event, and the complicity of government employees, including assassination training conducted at Ft. Bragg, this may have triggered a deeper cover up.

When we were at NARA on August 9, 2001 with Malcolm Blunt, I requested the files of Timothy Wray, and was told by Martha Murphy that they had no files on anybody by this name. He was not in the index, nor did they admit to his existence. Problem is that he generated many copies of emails and memos that were sent to others, and these copies are in the hands of many researchers.

So a major Military Analyst, Timothy Wray no longer exists. Poof, the magic dragon returns. Now we may know the reason why his files no longer exist.

[Francesca Akhtar]

Hi Ed,

That is indeed very strange and I can't see why they would not have files on him unless as you say things are being covered up. I just put his name into the NARA online search database and still comes up blank. I also put 'Fort Bragg' in just to see and that too came up blank.

Unless Wray's records are part of those being secretly 'reclassified' and taken off the shelves at NARA. Although not being an expert, I don't know if his name would still show up in the index even if this were the case.

[John Simkin]

Timothy Wray was Chief Analyst for Military Records for the Assassination Records Review Board. I have a document that shows he received a memorandum from Christopher Barger about an interview he carried out with Bradley Earl Ayers in 1995. It includes the following:

The purpose of this memo is to give you background on who Brad Ayers is and the story he tells. His story is accepted to differing degrees, depending on who one talks to, but the basics of his story check out, according to our research.

Ayers was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army during the early 1960's, specializing in paramilitary training. In early 1963, (records checks indicate it was in early April) Ayers was "loaned" by the Army to the CIA, which assigned him to the JMWAVE station. Ayers' job was to train Cuban exiles and prepare them for an invasion of Cuba. This much of his story is borne out by checks of his military and CIA files.

From here, the veracity of Ayers' claims are less easy to discern. He claims to have seen many figures at JMWAVE who were not there, according to the official record; these include Johnny Roselli and William Harvey (former Task Force W /SAS chief for CIA, who was removed from that position by Kennedy after Harvey overstepped his authority after the Missile Crisis). Ayers also claims to have gone on several raiding missions with his proteges, and to have come under fire from Castro's forces in the summer of 1963. This is significant because according to the official record, all government sanctioned action against Castro had ceased by that point.

Ayers says that many of his colleagues at the JMWAVE station built up a strong resentment of President Kennedy, and says that he believes several of them to have played roles in the assassination. Foremost among these, he says, was David Morales, the operations officer for CIA in Miami.

The HSCA interviewed Ayers, and performed searches for his records. In doing so, they discovered five sealed envelopes in his file, which HSCA staff was not allowed access to. The envelopes have ben the source of some speculation among those in the research community who believe Ayers' story.

On May 12, I interviewed Ayers at his home outside of St. Paul, Minnesota. At that point, the questions were based on information obtained from open sources only, as few of the staff had their clearances yet.

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

Tim Wray also had contact with Lt. Col. Daniel Marvin during his time with the ARRB:

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/marvin.htm

[Ed Sherry]

Thanks for this memo, some of us have more emails from him, to others, so we know he exists, but why are there no files at NARA? Could he legally have moved them elsewhere?

[Doug Horne]

In the recent book, Without Smoking Gun, by Kent Heiner, it was explained that Robin Palmer and Allan Eaglesham were in contact with Timothy Wray of the ARRB, to inquire as to the death of Lt. Cmdr. William Pitzer.

Since this correspondence was related directly to events surrounding the JFK event, and the complicity of government employees, including assassination training conducted at Ft. Bragg, this may have triggered a deeper cover up.

When we were at NARA on August 9, 2001 with Malcolm Blunt, I requested the files of Timothy Wray, and was told by Martha Murphy that they had no files on anybody by this name. He was not in the index, nor did they admit to his existence. Problem is that he generated many copies of emails and memos that were sent to others, and these copies are in the hands of many researchers.

So a major Military Analyst, Timothy Wray no longer exists. Poof, the magic dragon returns. Now we may know the reason why his files no longer exist.

He was my boss for a year and a half: he was the original boss of the Military Records Team, from sometime in autumn of 1995 until he left in March of 1997. Then I was promoted into his job. (“Kicked upstairs,” as they say.)

The files of individual workers were not assembled for retention until the last month, when we were shutting down. Since he left in March of 1997, and we started shutting down in September of 1998, that is probably why they have no “working papers.” (I’m not sure he would have kept any, anyway.)

However, there should be plenty of records of his former employment in the ARRB’s personnel records in the National Archives.

Tim was a “great guy,” a “hail fellow well met,” but was very anti-conspiracy theorist and very pro Warren Commission.

He left out of boredom and frustration.

[Dawn Meredith]

Tim was a “great guy,” a “hail fellow well met,” but was very anti-conspiracy theorist and very pro Warren Commission.

He left out of boredom and frustration.

Or perhaps he left because he could not stand that the WC was a house of cards, from the start.

Dawn

[John Simkin]

Or perhaps he left because he could not stand that the WC was a house of cards, from the start.

I suspect this might well have been the reason he wanted to leave his job. Interestingly, Earl Warren and Richard Russell fought like made to keep of the Warren Commission. They both knew LBJ was using it to cover-up the conspiracy. Russell was never convinced by the lone-gunman theory and initially refused to sign the report.

[Francesca Akhtar]

Thanks for this memo, some of us have more emails from him, to others, so we know he exists, but why are there no files at NARA? Could he legally have moved them elsewhere?

Perhaps someone like Larry Hancock might know something more?