Earlene Roberts disappeared in the middle of the night

[Guest Mark Valenti]

Mrs. Johnson, owner of of the home where LHO was living, testified that Earlene Roberts, who had seen LHO rush into the house on 11-22, suddenly quit her job without any advance warning.

Roberts was reportedly "harrassed" by police investigators so it's possible she left to remove herself from a stressful situation. But given her proximity to the details of the case, her actions remain noteworthy.

Subsequently, Earlene Roberts was fired from several housekeeping jobs in the next years and died of a heart attack in January, 1966.

Her WC testimony fixes LHO"s whereabouts after the shooting, which aids the official story. But she also stated that a police cruiser honked twice after LHO rushed into the house, a detail which remains a loose end to this day.

Mr. BALL. She quit 3 weeks ago?

Mrs. JOHNSON. Yes, sir; I didn't know she was going.

Mr. BALL. Where did she go?

Mrs. JOHNSON. I do not know. I called her sister to try to find out. I don't think she knows.

Mr. BALL. Who is her sister?

Mrs. JOHNSON. Mrs. Bertha Cheek.

Mr. BALL She lives here in Dallas?

Mrs. JOHNSON. Yes; on Swiss, I think.

Mr. BALL. Have you talked to her within the last few days?

Mrs. JOHNSON. A number of times. I talked to her trying to find Earlene. I thought it was important we did come to this Commission and I wanted to ask Earlene just why she did leave because I didn't know there was a thing in the world wrong. Well, I carried her to Pleasant Grove to a doctor and spent a half day that I should have been even with my brother that had had a heart attack, been assisting my sister-in-law and her chores that day.

Mr. BALL. When was this?

Mrs. JOHNSON. Three weeks ago Saturday.

Mr. BALL. That's the day you took her to the doctor?

Mrs. JOHNSON. Yes; I took her every 2 weeks just as regular.

Mr. BALL. She quit that day?

Mrs. JOHNSON. That night, and everything was just as agreeable; I went and shopped for vegetables and her special meats for her diet. She is a diabetic, too, while she was in the doctor's office, and I had everything for another week for her diet.

Mr. BALL. Did she come to you and tell you she was going to quit?

Mrs. JOHNSON. No; she never mentioned such a thing. I thought everything was just agreeable.

Mr. BALL. What did she do, move out?

Mrs. JOHNSON. After midnight, after everyone was in bed.

Mr. BALL. She didn't tell you she was going?

Mrs. JOHNSON. She didn't tell me she was going.

Mr. BALL. You haven't see her since?

Mrs. JOHNSON. I haven't seen her since.