Article on JFK researchers in the UK in the Times (18/11/2006)

[John Simkin]

I cannot understand why our American friends cannot find a sympathetic journalist to write a similar article for a mass circulation US newspaper or magazine. Maybe Bill Kelly would like to write one.

[Steve Thomas]

Raymond,

The Dallas police files and the testimony of Forrest Sorrels show that Brennan DID attend a witness lineup on Friday night, but "failed to identify" anyone. Lee Oswald was in that lineup, according to Sorrels and Dallas police records.

I think Fritz could have strangled Sorrels.

When he testified to the WC, Fritz said:

Mr. McCLOY. Were you present at the showup at which Brennan was the witness?

Mr. FRITZ. Brennan?

Mr. McCLOY. Brennan was the alleged----

Mr. FRITZ. Is that the man that the Secret Service brought over there, Mr. Sorrels brought over?

Mr. McCLOY. I don't know whether Mr. Sorrels----

Mr. FRITZ. I don't think I was present but I will tell you what, I helped Mr. Sorrels find the time that that man--we didn't show that he was shown at all on our records, but Mr. Sorrels called me and said he did show him and he wanted me to give him the time of the showup. I asked him to find out from his officers who were with Mr. Brennan the names of the people that we had there, and he gave me those two Davis sisters, and he said, when he told me that, of course, I could tell what showup it was and then I gave him the time.

If you look at the lineups in the DPD Archives, sure enough, Brennan does not appear in any of their listings, except one - that one you'll find in Box 6, Folder# 1, Item# 73, page 3.

http://jfk.ci.dallas.tx.us/box6.htm

In all other listings of the lineups, you find the witnesses, followed by the officers, followed by those in the lineup.

In this one case, Brennan is added at the bottom of the page, as though he was added as an afterthought.

When Brennan "failed to identify" Oswald, the DPD tried to write him out of the whole case.

Sorrels' ID of Brennan at a lineup forced the DPD to add him back in to the picture.

Fritz testified on April 22, 1964 and Sorrels testified on May 6th and 7th.

I think as Sorrels was getting prepared for his testimony, he called Fritz on the Brennan matter.

Steve Thomas