# Is the Kennedy Assassination a closed case as far as the US Government is concerned? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 23, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528 "2015-10-23T12:38:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/81 "2015-10-28T20:07:46Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > That he appears to have had no plan, not even to run in panic, after pulling the trigger is extremely odd… and IMHO it would be interesting if he’d said or written anything to give us insight into that aimless behavior. Oswald’s not alone in [not having a fully thought out plan.](http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uSr5jOU_Pks/TqrwRyaJF2I/AAAAAAAAAmo/cOoJ_owNv2Y/s1600/Wile%252520E%252520Coyote%252520catches%252520Road%252520Runner%2525203.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/82 "2015-10-28T22:45:35Z")
Maybe he just never thought it would happen. He hated the President and brought his rifle that day but maybe he never believed he would actually go all the way through with it. He probably didn’t think he would succeed either. I mean, if you tried to do the same thing today, you would reasonably expect for either the armor on the President’s car to block the shot or to get counter-sniped before you could make it. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/83 "2015-10-29T01:51:02Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > [Pretty much ALL conspiracy theories claim this](http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1068&context=public_law_and_legal_theory). > > As [Steven Clarke](http://www.bep.ox.ac.uk/our_people/stephen_clarke/stephen_publications) wrote You have a page # for the reference??? A quote, perhaps? Why not just cite the internet? Or Google? Holy shit. I’m not going to read a fucking treatise for one point, which probably isn’t even in the accursed thing. I can’t do your work to refute myself. Also, WGAF what Stephen Clarke’s opinion is??? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/84 "2015-10-29T02:14:13Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > You have a page # for the reference??? A quote, perhaps? Why not just cite the internet? Or Google? > Holy shit. I’m not going to read a fucking treatise for one point, which probably isn’t even in the accursed thing. I can’t do your work to refute myself. > > Also, WGAF what Stephen Clarke’s opinion is??? You have a problem with my cite? Post your evidence there is a conspiracy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/85 "2015-10-29T04:18:35Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > You have a page # for the reference??? A quote, perhaps? Why not just cite the internet? Or Google? > Holy shit. I’m not going to read a fucking treatise for one point, which probably isn’t even in the accursed thing. I can’t do your work to refute myself. > > Also, WGAF what Stephen Clarke’s opinion is??? Yeah, those things are called “books”. Perfectly acceptable cite. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/86 "2015-10-29T14:05:59Z")
The reason why I am interested in the CIA files, there is a whole web of intrigue around Castro, the Mafia, and Oswald. How much of it might be relevant, we don’t know until ALL the CIA files are declassified. I would guess that by 2023, everybody connected to the event will be dead .I cannot see why the files could not be made available then. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/87 "2015-10-30T12:27:40Z")
If there was a conspiracy, the credible conspirators have remained very close lipped. I suggest reading “Case Closed”. Or if you have time and resources “Reclaiming History”. A conspiracy theory is just so much horse shit. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/88 "2015-10-30T12:43:40Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > Maybe he just never thought it would happen. He hated the President and brought his rifle that day but maybe he never believed he would actually go all the way through with it. He sure acted like he was going to go thru with it. He left almost all his remaining money, and his wedding ring, with his wife. Then he went up to the sixth floor and built a sniper’s nest out of boxes, and ate his lunch while he was waiting for the President to be driven by. Seems a little premeditated, more so than “maybe I will, maybe I won’t”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/89 "2015-11-02T10:11:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah, those things are called “books”. Perfectly acceptable cite. To whom? ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/90 "2015-11-02T13:23:11Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > To whom? This reminds me of the adage "if the facts are against you, argue the law, if the law is against you, argue the facts, if the facts and the law are against you, just yell. I’d think if you had a valid conspiracy claim to make you’d make it, instead of arguing about how narrowly defined a site should be. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/91 "2015-11-02T15:25:15Z")
Leaving the wallet at Marina’s place is typical of people expecting to be arrested. OTOH, leaving the ring behind suggests to me he wasn’t expecting to live. As to the OP, I’ve been thinking (I know, dangerous). The Watergate-Post Watergate era was quite different from today. Mistrust of government was high. A lot of people were interested into digging into things. Hence we eventually got the [Church Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee), the House Assassination Committee, etc. Things aren’t like that anymore. No one in DC is really interested into digging up the truth about things that matter. (Minor stuff whose truth is already known is another thing. Those are good for honing political grievances.) Note that a lot of people _say_ they don’t trust the government, but the re-election rates of incumbents is phenomenal. Actual skepticism of government statements is, sadly, quite low. And an individual/private group’s ability to find out what the government is doing is negligible thanks the the Patriot Act and such. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/92 "2015-11-02T17:48:07Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Leaving the wallet at Marina’s place is typical of people expecting to be arrested. OTOH, leaving the ring behind suggests to me he wasn’t expecting to live. > > As to the OP, I’ve been thinking (I know, dangerous). The Watergate-Post Watergate era was quite different from today. Mistrust of government was high. A lot of people were interested into digging into things. Hence we eventually got the [Church Committee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee), the House Assassination Committee, etc. > > Things aren’t like that anymore. No one in DC is really interested into digging up the truth about things that matter. (Minor stuff whose truth is already known is another thing. Those are good for honing political grievances.) > > Note that a lot of people _say_ they don’t trust the government, but the re-election rates of incumbents is phenomenal. Actual skepticism of government statements is, sadly, quite low. And an individual/private group’s ability to find out what the government is doing is negligible thanks the the Patriot Act and such. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. You’re saying people don’t trust the government. But at the same time you’re saying nobody is interested in investigating the government. Isn’t a lack of skepticism about the government evidence of trust? And the examples you gave are also contradictory. The Watergate hearings, the Church committee, the House assassination committee were all government investigations. Aren’t they evidence that the government as a whole has more interest in finding out the truth than hiding it? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/93 "2015-11-02T18:11:28Z")
There are two nagging questions. Why was the reported condition of Kennedy’s body at Parkland hospital different from his autopsy at Bethesda? [Doctors at Parkland aren’t consistent with each other.](http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/faceup.htm) Even worse the [Texas coroner was not allowed to do his job.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Rose_%28coroner%29) Autopsy photos should have been taken immediately. Before anyone had a chance to tamper with it. This case was so badly and shockingly bungled. Purposely or just appalling incompetence? The abysmal handling of the case gave rise to the conspiracy theories. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/94 "2015-11-02T18:27:39Z")
I too have wondered if this is still considered an open case. There are so many lingering questions. But they seem unanswerable with the poor handling of the case and passage of time. I accept that LHO was the sole gunman. But the handling of the case leaves some nagging doubt. This was the most important murder investigation in modern history and it was pure amateur hour. Allowing LHO to be shot, the autopsy, handling of evidence (the miracle bullet on the stretcher). just a mess. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/95 "2015-11-02T21:31:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I too have wondered if this is still considered an open case. There are so many lingering questions. But they seem unanswerable with the poor handling of the case and passage of time. > > I accept that LHO was the sole gunman. But the handling of the case leaves some nagging doubt. This was the most important murder investigation in modern history and it was pure amateur hour. Allowing LHO to be shot, the autopsy, handling of evidence (the miracle bullet on the stretcher). just a mess. You’ve now twice written that there are “so many linger (or nagging) questions,” and yet in the last two posts you haven’t written any of them (or at most one). If there are so many, perhaps you could share a few. Before you call the bullet “miracle” (I think you meant magic actually) you should take a look at a picture of it and you’ll see it isn’t pristine or magic at all. Either from the deformity of it or from the trajectory of it. What will some additional autopsy photos do for you? When last I read (a while ago I’d admit) the doctors didn’t always agree with the verbal descriptions. But when shown the photos from Bethesda, the Texas doctors answered with variation of “yeah, that’s how I remember it.” But if you really think the Secret Service was at the back of the plane with a flashlight taking a scalpel to the President’s head, then really, what is going to convince you it didn’t happen?? Bottom line is these questions have all be asked and answered ad nauseam. If you are really looking for answers, you can find them readily. If you are only looking to remain forever a skeptic, no matter what the evidence is, you can also choose to ignore all of the evidence, because nothing will suffice. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/96 "2015-11-02T21:34:42Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. You’re saying people don’t trust the government. But at the same time you’re saying nobody is interested in investigating the government. Isn’t a lack of skepticism about the government evidence of trust? > > And the examples you gave are also contradictory. The Watergate hearings, the Church committee, the House assassination committee were all government investigations. Aren’t they evidence that the government as a whole has more interest in finding out the truth than hiding it? 1. Exactly. People are weird. 2. That was to contrast then with now. Now is not then, in case you hadn’t noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/97 "2015-11-02T21:44:30Z")
The CTers have been so successful at hammering the “it’s all a mess, and unproven, and contradictory, and shoddy, and covered up and yadda yadda yadda” that even reasonable people who accept the basic theory believe all of this. Most such beliefs are rooted in calculated BS, such as CTer’s propagating the one photo of the second bullet that shows it to be almost undamaged (and not the two that show clear impact and distortion), and comparing the autopsy sketch of the gaping head wound with the photo showing the rear of JFK’s head apparently intact, and… well, if you only tell part of the truth, like most paranormal TV shows do these days, you can make spooky nonsense out of anything. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/98 "2015-11-02T23:44:52Z")
This is typical of the investigation of this case. One roadblock after another gets thrown up. They had a chance to finally put to rest any questions about the single bullet. Such a simple request and it couldn’t be done? Isn’t obtaining bullet fragment evidence pretty common in shootings? They couldn’t safely remove it while Connally was alive. It would have been a trivial procedure at the morgue. It frustrates me that an opportunity to finally settle a basic issue in this case was denied. > **[John Connally](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Connally)** > > John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917 – June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas (1963–1969) and as the 61st United States Secretary of the Treasury (1971–1972). He began his career as a Democrat and later became a Republican in 1973. > Born in Floresville, Texas, Connally pursued a legal career after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. During World War II, he served on the staff of James Forrestal and Dwight D. Eisenhower before trans... > [@](#): > > When Connally died, forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht and the Assassination Archives and Research Center petitioned Attorney General Janet Reno to recover the remaining bullet fragments from Connally’s body, contending that the fragments would disprove the Warren Commission’s single-bullet, single-gunman conclusion. The Justice Department replied that it “…would have no legal authority to recover the fragments unless Connally’s family gave [it] permission.” Connally’s family refused permission. > [@](#): > > Connally did not dispute this conclusion but did for the rest of his life question the single bullet theory.[18] In 1966, he told the press, “I am convinced beyond any doubt that I was not struck by the first bullet,” and added, “but just because I disagree with the Warren Commission on this one finding does not mean I disagree with their over-all findings.” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/99 "2015-11-03T01:24:58Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This is typical of the investigation of this case. One roadblock after another gets thrown up. They had a chance to finally put to rest any questions about the single bullet. Such a simple request and it couldn’t be done? Isn’t obtaining bullet fragment evidence pretty common in shootings? They couldn’t safely remove it while Connally was alive. It would have been a trivial procedure at the morgue. > > It frustrates me that an opportunity to finally settle a basic issue in this case was denied. > [John Connally - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Connally) Who are you complaining about? As you may recall, the assassination of JFK (much less the wounding of the Governor of Texas) was not, at the time, a federal crime. Therefore, having Janet Reno ordering the bullet to be dug out would have been tantamount to desecrating a corpse. And since Connally’s widow was sitting right next to him in the limo, I’m guessing she had all the proof she needed of what happened. > [@](#): > > Connally did not dispute this conclusion but did for the rest of his life question the single bullet theory.[18] In 1966, he told the press, “I am convinced beyond any doubt that I was not struck by the first bullet,” and added, “but just because I disagree with the Warren Commission on this one finding does not mean I disagree with their over-all findings.” Which proves absolutely nothing. Roanld Reagan wasn’t even aware he had been shot, much less which bullet hit him. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528/100 "2015-11-03T17:56:11Z")
> [@Gov John Connally by way of aceplace57](#): > > “I am convinced beyond any doubt that I was not struck by the first bullet,” and added, “but just because I disagree with the Warren Commission on this one finding does not mean I disagree with their over-all findings.” The current theory is that Connally was right: Oswald’s first shot missed, while the so-called magic bullet that hit JFK and Connally was the second shot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-kennedy-assassination-a-closed-case-as-far-as-the-us-government-is-concerned/735528.md?page=6)