# What is left in the still classified JFK assassination files? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2021, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493 "2021-10-29T23:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/81 "2022-01-06T11:15:55Z")
The term conspiracy theory does not mean merely a theory that a conspiracy exists. It refers to a theory where any evidence brought against it is posited to be part of a conspiracy. The stronger the evidence, the bigger the conspiracy must be. Thus no amount of evidence can dissuade. This is bad reasoning, as, the bigger the conspiracy, the less likely it is to be true. We don’t need to have known every conspiracy ever to know this. We can just work from first principles. The more people involved in a conspiracy, the more chances there are for someone to defect. The more coverups needed, the more chances for the coverup to fail. And, just the more things the conspiracy is needed to explain, the less likely a single conspiracy could have accomplished all of it. It’s one thing if those who posit a conspiracy (like, say, @Omniscient) think there’s still a small chance of said conspiracy, but understand the evidence against it. It’s another if that evidence is being discarded, rationalized as “that’s what They want you to think.” The former is not consistent with believing conspiracy theories, but the latter is very suggestive of such. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/82 "2022-01-06T11:45:12Z")
> [@lum\_s\_husband](#): > > the idea that there cannot be anything of interest still classified is naïve Ipso facto the continued classified status of certain information demonstrates that it _is_ still of interest (or at least somebody _believes_ it could be of interest). The thing is, though, that “of interest” doesn’t necessarily mean “of _material import_ to the assassination itself.” Per **gdave** ’s excellent “Sources & Methods” post above, the mere existence of a datum in an intelligence file is proof of the agency’s ability to acquire that datum. Hence the secrecy is justified not because the datum itself is worthy of concealment but because the mechanism by which the datum was obtained very much is. This mechanism is not of particular interest to you. But it is of great interest to _someone._ And thus the classified status is upheld. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/83 "2022-01-06T12:11:58Z")
@Moriarty above has rightly recommended the John McAdams website “The Kennedy Assassination.” From that site I found most valuable “[The Unofficial JFK Assassination FAQ](https://www.jfk-assassination.net/faq.txt),” by John Locke. Scroll down to **Section 9, “Myths and Facts of the Assassination.”** It’s an effort to address and debunk all the major conspiracy theories or “unanswered questions.” I found it to be judicious and persuasive. And it is as succinct as can be, so you don’t have to go too far down the rabbit hole. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/84 "2022-01-06T13:58:37Z")
> [@Skunkdog](#): > > I am generally not one to buy into conspiracy theories, but several things about the JFK assassination never sat well with me. First, it must be noted that any instance of “real life” Is going to have odd coincidences or unexplained loose ends. It’s simply impossible to be able to conclusively explain something in such a way as to avoid any possible speculation. That’s not to say that you are engaged in conspiratorial thinking, but it is not surprising that there are things that “don’t sit well with you”; however, they shouldn’t necessarily lead one to conclude that the known events aren’t reliable or that, in this case, it was a conspiracy. > [@Skunkdog](#): > > There were, of course, the many statements about shots coming from the grassy knoll. Eye (or, in this case, ear) witnesses are notoriously unreliable. The design of the plaza contributed to acoustic effects that could create false impressions about where sounds originated. And, of course, many theorists exaggerate the data, including the number of people arguing that they heard shots from the knoll. Moreover, the forensic and ballistic evidence simply does not comport with a shot from that location. > [@Skunkdog](#): > > Then, there’s the fact that they caught Oswald in a dark movie theater less than two hours after he left the book depository. That seems awfully fast considering that he was an unknown gunman at the time. At the point that Oswald was captured, police knew that Officer Tippett had been killed (a civilian had used Tippett’s radio to call it in), so the police were seeking an active shooter with an idea of where he had been located (e.g. at the site of Tippett’s patrol car). As I recall, too, Oswald’s discarded jacket had been located, so police knew that their suspect was in the area. Then, a person called in that somebody had just entered the movie theatre without buying a ticket. It’s not that hard to understand why the police were there to make an arrest. (Note, too, that Oswald reacted to being confronted by trying to pull out his pistol; plainly, he was worried about the cops getting him) > [@Skunkdog](#): > > And lastly, Oswald was killed directly in front of news cameras by Jack Ruby while being flanked by two sheriffs who did nothing to stop it. You can watch the recording. The shooting happened in a matter of seconds, and was unexpected (I mean, this was all happening in the basement of the police station). The police react by flinching, as would be normal if the person who was handcuffed to your wrist was shot at close range. Note, too, that the timing of this event was not strictly managed. The transfer had been delayed, in part because Oswald had wanted to change clothes. If Ruby was part of some sort coordinated plan, it was being very poorly executed. > [@Skunkdog](#): > > Plus, he was gutshot, which tends to take a long time for someone to die. Yet, the coroners said Oswald died quickly. Oswald was brought to the hospital for surgery. Do you have some info to confirm that he died unusually fast? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/85 "2022-01-06T17:39:12Z")
> [@Skunkdog](#): > > he was gutshot, which tends to take a long time for someone to die. Yet, the coroners said Oswald died quickly. One of the reasons that I find the JFK assassination so interesting is the extent to which you can find the source materials if you want to look. [HERE](https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth337934/) is Oswald’s death certificate. Interestingly, it says that he died from a hemorrhage following a gunshot wound to the chest, not gut or stomach. Also, it reports that it took about 45 minutes for him to die. I don’t know if that is fast or slow. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/86 "2022-01-06T17:57:21Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The facts of the case. Did this need to be said? As we’ve already seen, many people think they know “facts” but what they say are distortions and untruths put out by conspiracy theorists. It is a fact that witnesses who didn’t mention the grassy knoll at the time later insisted that shots were heard from there after the grassy knoll became a meme. > [@Omniscient](#): > > As to your other question, I do not subscribe to your contorted definition. You’re effectively saying that any conspiracy that you consider plausible is not a conspiracy theory. It’s a bogus debate tactic. Then unbogus it. Give your definition of a conspiracy theory. Then give us an example of a conspiracy theory that’s been proven true. It’s interesting to note that you have not given an example or cite in any of your posts. You negate statements, but your negation is neither evidence or proof. I’d be curious to hear a positive statement from you that the rest of us can evaluate. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/87 "2022-01-06T21:25:05Z")
Let’s take this question from the other end. Of the stuff that was declassified relatively recently, do we know why they decided to wait so long to do so? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/88 "2022-01-06T21:42:25Z")
Bureaucratic inertia most likely. Classified stuff stays classified unless declassified by an outside source. In this instance, the [memo](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/10/22/memorandum-for-the-heads-of-executive-departments-and-agencies-on-the-temporary-certification-regarding-disclosure-of-information-in-certain-records-related-to-the-assassination-of-president-john-f-k/). ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/89 "2022-01-06T22:17:46Z")
How much do you want to bet that if the comprehensive release in 2022 that the memo mentions contains even one unreleased document or one redaction, the other 249,999 won’t count because that document would have Revealed ALL! ---
**Author:** ![PozhanPop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pozhanpop/32/8022_2.png) [@PozhanPop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PozhanPop)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/90 "2022-01-06T22:45:10Z")
All this happened years before I was born, but since has always gnawed out my insides. While I like the JFK movie as a work of art, I always felt Garrison was clutching at straws. The fact that assassinations researchers, doubters and media collectively hold their breath when there is news of further declassification of ‘secret’ files, tells us the subject is truly well and alive. I am amazed at how this thread suddenly came back to life. While LGT is the easiest to accept and the SBT not so much… I find that I concur with the accusation that the Warren Commission failed on so many fronts ( ex. motive for assassination, number of shots, timing of the various stages ). None of the actual members really sat through all the hearings, they were extremely hesitant to take up their role, some had to be coerced, they had other jobs to do. I agree that the commission’s investigators did voluminous work as evidenced by the 26 volumes, it still left a bad taste in people’s mouths. The general consensus back then being they only interviewed and believed witnesses whose testimony matched their conclusions. So many people have spoken out since then including Senator Spector who in his book says he firmly believes in his SBT but the Commission failed on many fronts. It always felt to me that they just wanted the whole thing to be over with and were possibly pressured by the administration constantly. From some of the many many documents released, field reports mainly, it is evident that the FBI and CIA knew more about Oswald contrary to what they said to the commission. While this does not mean a conspiracy at the highest levels, I’ve always felt there was much more to be revealed about Oswald and Ruby. @ Moriarty, in your opinion 1. How much time did LHO have to prepare for the assassination ? When would he first have heard of JFK’s visit ? When would he have thought of the sixth floor window ? It is said he barely worked for 30 days at the depository. Would he have had time to work out everything during the time the news came out of JFK’s visit and Nov 22 ? It is so hard to believe he got off three lucky shots in such a short interval. 2. After the shooting, why did LHO go the lunch room instead of running for the door ? 3. The people at the windows heard the shots above them and felt brick dust falling from the ceiling. What caused this ? 4. During his televised appearances and his post arrest photos does he look like someone who had just shot the president ? Was he a full psycho ? 5. Why did LHO go back to his rooming house ? After committing the crime of the century won’t an assassin’s first thought be to disappear completely ? 6. The railroad workers’ testimonies, esp from the signaling tower, how can they all be wrong ? Were they all hearing echoes ? 7. What do you think of the babushka lady ? Did she just walk away, grow old and fade away ? Why was she never found ? 8. What hit the sidewalk near where Tague stood and caused his cheek to bleed ? 9. What do you think of Nurse Phyllis Hall’s testimony ? 10. What do you think of Nurse Diana Bowron’s testimony ? 11. Why do you think actual witnesses are starting to change their stories so late in the game ? 12. What do you think of the DPD’s performance in the whole saga ? 13. What do you think of the brawl between the Secret Service and the Dallas Coroner about the autopsy and subsequent run with the body ? These are questions that cause my head to spin uncontrollably. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/91 "2022-01-06T23:40:38Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > If I read it correctly, **Mallard** is not saying that Oswald was innocent. > > IMHO, Oswald was the lone shooter, the conspiracy that was there was one of the most inane but common when an intelligence or bureaucratic failure takes place. > > A lot of embarrassing stupid mistakes needed to be minimized, hidden or destroyed to protect the incompetent; evidence of negligence and moves involving people that allowed a killer crazy guy with delusions of grandeur like Oswald to continue moving around enemy nations in the middle of the Cold War, is evidence that they see as damaging to their operations. It shows something common to all nations, the watchmen are not fond of reporting their negligence to the people that they are supposed to be protecting. I’m absolutely NOT saying Oswald was innocent. I believe he was the lone gunman because the others didn’t show up. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/92 "2022-01-06T23:46:47Z")
Cite? I’m doubtful that it was solely the fact that they collaborated which got them caught. Sounds to me like they were known individuals from the moment they entered the country. You’re jumping to a conclusion using the exact same myopic vision as the conspiracy nuts. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/93 "2022-01-06T23:49:54Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > It actually works _just_ like that. If a woman is found dead in her home, and she is living with someone, the prime suspect will always be the spouse.The reason being that in the vast majority of the cases, _it is_ the spouse. You’re conflating the presumption of guilt with evidence. Most dead wives are killed by their husbands. That is not evidence that no women are killed by the Night Stalker. Most assassinations are lone gunmen. That’s not evidence that there has never been and will never be a conspiracy to assassinate someone. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/94 "2022-01-07T00:01:25Z")
> [@PozhanPop](#): > > How much time did LHO have to prepare for the assassination ? When would he first have heard of JFK’s visit ? When would he have thought of the sixth floor window ? It is said he barely worked for 30 days at the depository. Would he have had time to work out everything during the time the news came out of JFK’s visit and Nov 22 ? I believe the trip was published in the local newspaper just a few days prior, and those papers were in the break room at the depository. So, Oswald didn’t have much notice. But how much preparation did he need? He already owned the rifle (and ammo). The only thing he had to do was alter his usual schedule to retrieve it (e.g. Oswald and his wife Marina were separated. She stayed with friends in the suburbs while he worked downtown. He’d usually come to the house she was at on Friday and return Monday morning. Except Kennedy came by the depository on a Friday, so this time Oswald came to the house on a Thursday night and went to work the next day with a long paper bag) > [@PozhanPop](#): > > It is so hard to believe he got off three lucky shots in such a short interval. Those weren’t “lucky shots”. He was trying to kill JFK, and it took him 3 tries to do it. Those shots reflects his middling skills and the pressure of the attempt. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > After the shooting, why did LHO go the lunch room instead of running for the door ? Presumably to create an alibi that he had been there the whole time, as opposed to the top floor where a rifle and spent cartridges were sitting, and where he had last been seen by others. There was likely a commotion as people raced to the place where the rifle was fired, so he tried to blend in while people began to congregate. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > The people at the windows heard the shots above them and felt brick dust falling from the ceiling. What caused this ? I’m guessing Oswald’s use of the rifle. The witnesses you refer to were on the floor below Oswald. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > During his televised appearances and his post arrest photos does he look like someone who had just shot the president ? Was he a full psycho ? There aren’t that many people who have shot presidents for us to compare. How should a person willing to do such a thing act? As I recall, Marina was struck by how calm he was; if Oswald was being framed, he wouldn’t have been so accepting of the situation. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > Why did LHO go back to his rooming house ? After committing the crime of the century won’t an assassin’s first thought be to disappear completely ? He went to get his jacket and a handgun. I’m guessing he would have liked to disappear completely; care to explain how that was supposed to happen (remember, he didn’t have much time to prepare, no other people to rely on - since it wasn’t a conspiracy - and no money) > [@PozhanPop](#): > > The railroad workers’ testimonies, esp from the signaling tower, how can they all be wrong ? Were they all hearing echoes ? Please quote or describe this testimony so I can respond. I’m not trying to be cute, but so much testimony has been distorted by people pushing conspiracies for their own profit that this sort of vague questioning isn’t feasible to answer. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > What do you think of the babushka lady ? Did she just walk away, grow old and fade away ? Why was she never found ? Who knows. Maybe she didn’t want to participate in anything - maybe she didn’t speak English, or had a criminal past, or was senile. How is this relevant to anything but just random speculation? > [@PozhanPop](#): > > What hit the sidewalk near where Tague stood and caused his cheek to bleed ? I believe it was a bullet fragment. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > - What do you think of Nurse Phyllis Hall’s testimony ? > - What do you think of Nurse Diana Bowron’s testimony ? Again, if you want somebody to address such things, it seems only fair to actually state what it is. And then we can address whether the testimony you are claiming is actually what they said, or address whether they may have been mistaken about things. And if they contradict others, presumably we should then consider credibility. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > Why do you think actual witnesses are starting to change their stories so late in the game ? Because they can make money selling books. Or because people’s memories are unreliable and often prone to suggestion, so what people may recall may change over time. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > What do you think of the DPD’s performance in the whole saga ? This was an internationally meaningful event but just a local crime, so it’s natural that people may find things to nitpick. But their ability to fulfill their role was curtailed when Oswald was killed, so I’m not sure that a critique is necessarily warranted. > [@PozhanPop](#): > > What do you think of the brawl between the Secret Service and the Dallas Coroner about the autopsy and subsequent run with the body ? The coroner was legally correct that the body was within his jurisdiction. But the secret service desperately wanted to get home to safety, and Mrs Kennedy wasn’t going to leave without the body. It’s not at all surprising that they would have been at odds (although your use of the word “brawl” suggests to me that you’ve uncritically accepted the conspiracy spin on things). … There’s a reason that lawyers and judges emphasize to jurors that they are to look for reasonable doubt. We can always invent scenarios to quibble with accepted ideas. But that shouldn’t be sufficient if you are trying to explain what transpired. You have to deal with the entire event, and address all elements, even if some are strange or counterintuitive. So, please answer me some of these: Why did Oswald change his schedule to visit Marina a day early? Why did he leave his wedding ring and some money for her when he left the next morning? Why did he come to work that day with a long paper bag? Why did he explain that the bag contained curtain rods when he had never purchased curtain rods and had no place to put them? Why was the bag eventually found near a rifle? Why didn’t Oswald show any interest in seeing the parade? Why did Oswald leave work early and end up in a movie theatre with a gun in his pocket? How did a rifle end up on the 6th floor depository? Why is it that, of the entire plaza location, the only place where evidence of a shooter’s location was at that depository? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/95 "2022-01-07T00:08:07Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > I’m absolutely NOT saying Oswald was innocent. I believe he was the lone gunman because the others didn’t show up. When did he talk to these other people? How did they coordinate? There’s go to be some evidence of a mutual understanding, so where is it? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/96 "2022-01-07T00:10:28Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > That’s not evidence that there has never been and will never be a conspiracy to assassinate someone. Who has claimed that there has never been and will never be a conspiracy to assassinate someone? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/97 "2022-01-07T00:13:23Z")
> [@PozhanPop](#): > > It is so hard to believe he got off three lucky shots in such a short interval. It was a fairly easy shot, and he MISSED one of them. I know you’ve been told it was a really hard shot. It wasn’t. Shots under a hundred years with a rifle aren’t hard at all, and the interval wasn’t really THAT fast. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/98 "2022-01-07T00:16:28Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > It actually works _just_ like that. If a woman is found dead in her home, and she is living with someone, the prime suspect will always be the spouse.The reason being that in the vast majority of the cases, _it is_ the spouse. And, too often, the husband is convicted, even if he is innocent. ---
**Author:** ![PozhanPop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pozhanpop/32/8022_2.png) [@PozhanPop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PozhanPop)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/99 "2022-01-07T00:32:37Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Again, if you want somebody to address such things, it seems only fair to actually state what it is. And then we can address whether the testimony you are claiming is actually what they said, or address whether they may have been I am sorry, I should have not have been so brief. Both nurses were in the trauma room attending to JFK. Both described his head wound in great detail. Nurse Diana tried to wash his head has said that she had to stuff the back of his head with absorbent material because the size and depth of the wound. This was before he was laid in the casket. CTs and researchers use this as evidence of a massive exit wound. As you said memories fade over time and the power of suggestion can distort them, but don’t you think the doctor addressing the press after death was declared , pointing to his forehead when describing the wound would have some of the freshest memories around. Would a professional make a mistake like that ? Thank you for the explanations. As for your questions … it is damning evidence … it is the possibility of accomplices and the timing of events that make it morbidly interesting for me. As a corollary do you think there was a need for all these people to fabricate what they saw and heard that day ? To the commission and to the media ? That would be the conspiracy then right ? Why do you think some witnesses claimed during the time the commission was in sitting that their were never called to testify ? ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493/100 "2022-01-07T00:35:30Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > > [@Mallard](#): > > > > I’m absolutely NOT saying Oswald was innocent. I believe he was the lone gunman because the others didn’t show up. > > When did he talk to these other people? How did they coordinate? There’s go to be some evidence of a mutual understanding, so where is it? Oswald was allegedly seen cavorting with certain undesirables in the months leading up to the assassination. Then just a few weeks before the assassination he’s dark for a while. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-left-in-the-still-classified-jfk-assassination-files/953493.md?page=6)