JFK JFK AssassinationAssassinationLone Gunman or ConspiracyLone Gunman or Conspiracy

John Fitzgerald KennedyJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy Elected in 1960Elected in 1960 35th President of U.S.35th President of U.S. 1st Catholic President1st Catholic President Served in WWIIServed in WWII Authorized the Authorized the

invasion of Cuba (Bay invasion of Cuba (Bay of Pigs) and sent of Pigs) and sent consultants to Vietnamconsultants to Vietnam

Appointed RFK as Appointed RFK as Attorney GeneralAttorney General

Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey Oswald AssassinAssassin Former MarineFormer Marine Worked at the Dallas Worked at the Dallas

Book DepositoryBook Depository Possible Communist Possible Communist

and friend of Cubaand friend of Cuba Tried to defect to USSRTried to defect to USSR Married Russian Married Russian

womanwoman Possible CIA operativePossible CIA operative

Jack RubyJack Ruby Killed Lee Harvey Killed Lee Harvey

OswaldOswald Night Club OwnerNight Club Owner Possible Mafia tiesPossible Mafia ties Died two years after Died two years after

shooting from cancershooting from cancer

John ConnallyJohn Connally Governor of TexasGovernor of Texas Was in the front seat Was in the front seat

of the car with his of the car with his wife, JFK and Jackie wife, JFK and Jackie were in the back seatwere in the back seat

Was wounded in the Was wounded in the assassinationassassination

Retained bullet Retained bullet fragments until fragments until deathdeath

Jim GarrisonJim Garrison

New Orleans New Orleans District AttorneyDistrict Attorney

Only person to Only person to prosecute an prosecute an individual in the individual in the assassination of assassination of JFKJFK

Main Character in Main Character in Oliver Stone movie Oliver Stone movie “JFK”“JFK”

Earl WarrenEarl Warren

Chief Justice of the Chief Justice of the Supreme CourtSupreme Court

Put in charge of the Put in charge of the committee to committee to investigate the JFK investigate the JFK assassinationassassination

Final 26 volume Final 26 volume report is known as report is known as the Warren the Warren Commission Report Commission Report (WCR)(WCR)

Warren Commission Warren Commission ScenarioScenario

Lee Harvey Oswald Lee Harvey Oswald acted aloneacted alone

He shot three times He shot three times at the president from at the president from the Book Depositorythe Book Depository

The first shot missedThe first shot missed The second shot was The second shot was

the “Magic Bullet”the “Magic Bullet” The third shot was The third shot was

the fatal JFK shotthe fatal JFK shot

Presidential CaravanPresidential Caravan

Magic BulletMagic Bullet

Path of the Magic BulletPath of the Magic Bullet

Path of BulletPath of Bullet Bullet also makes a Bullet also makes a

turn according to turn according to the WCRthe WCR

Whole scenario is Whole scenario is dependant on the dependant on the fact that both JFK fact that both JFK and Connally are and Connally are facing forwardfacing forward

Possible incorrect Possible incorrect assumptionassumption

Connally’s InjuriesConnally’s Injuries

Bullet entered Bullet entered back below the back below the shouldershoulder

Possibly hit a rib Possibly hit a rib and exited chestand exited chest

Bullet went Bullet went through the right through the right wrist (X-ray)wrist (X-ray)

Became lodged in Became lodged in his thighhis thigh

Kennedy’s InjuriesKennedy’s Injuries

Second Bullet Second Bullet passes through his passes through his neck, exiting below neck, exiting below the knot of his tie the knot of his tie and then entering and then entering ConnallyConnally

Third bullet passes Third bullet passes through the skull through the skull (photo)(photo)

House Select Committee House Select Committee on Assassinationon Assassination

Formed in 1977 and completed in 1978Formed in 1977 and completed in 1978 Investigated the Kennedy and MLK Investigated the Kennedy and MLK

assassinationsassassinations The HSCA concluded that, while President The HSCA concluded that, while President

Kennedy had probably been assassinated as a Kennedy had probably been assassinated as a result of a conspiracy, involving another result of a conspiracy, involving another gunman firing from the gunman firing from the "grassy knoll", "grassy knoll", in front in front and to the right of the President, the fatal and to the right of the President, the fatal shot, based on all the physical evidence shot, based on all the physical evidence reviewed, had been fired, as stated in the reviewed, had been fired, as stated in the WCR WCR , by Lee Harvey Oswald, firing from the , by Lee Harvey Oswald, firing from the "sniper's nest.""sniper's nest."

Conspiracy TheoriesConspiracy Theories Killing of Oswald left Killing of Oswald left

many unanswered many unanswered questionsquestions

Many believed that Many believed that there was a there was a conspiracy to kill the conspiracy to kill the president instead of president instead of a lone gunmana lone gunman

The WCR created as The WCR created as many questions as it many questions as it answeredanswered

Conspiracy QuestionsConspiracy Questions Could Oswald shoot three times, accurately in Could Oswald shoot three times, accurately in

under one minute?under one minute? Was there another gunman on the “grassy Was there another gunman on the “grassy

knoll?”knoll?” Was Oswald even involved in the Was Oswald even involved in the

assassination or was he just a patsy?assassination or was he just a patsy? Did Jack Ruby act alone or was he under Did Jack Ruby act alone or was he under

orders from the mafia to dispose of LHO?orders from the mafia to dispose of LHO? Could the “Magic Bullet” have injured both Could the “Magic Bullet” have injured both

Kennedy and Connally?Kennedy and Connally? Was there a cover up by the Government to Was there a cover up by the Government to

keep the identity of the real assassins secret?keep the identity of the real assassins secret?

Who Wanted to Kill JFKWho Wanted to Kill JFK

CastroCastro - Kennedy had tried to kill him - Kennedy had tried to kill him as well as over throw the communist as well as over throw the communist govt.govt.

MafiaMafia - RFK was putting the heat on - RFK was putting the heat on organized crimeorganized crime

FBIFBI - JFK wanted to get rid of Hoover - JFK wanted to get rid of Hoover CIA/MilitaryCIA/Military - JFK did not want to - JFK did not want to

escalate the US involvement in Vietnamescalate the US involvement in Vietnam ConservativesConservatives - JFK was seen as being - JFK was seen as being

weak against the growing communist weak against the growing communist aggressors and pushing Civil Rightsaggressors and pushing Civil Rights