Summary of leads

Edward L Keenan was present when Oswald attempted renunciation of citizenship in Richard Snyder's office of the US embassy in Moscow. Keenan was a CIA agent who had been recruited by Snyder into OPERATION REDSKIN [Lancer NID presentation, 2009]

Eddie Piper, TSBD janitor, was the most likely employee to be the "elderly Negro" seen by eyewitness Arnold Rowland [board topic, Was Eddie Piper on the 6th Floor?]

The Oxnard phone call was not actually a phone call, but an incantation by a female associated with a cult [board topic, The Oxnard Phone Call Explained]

Sam Pate has made the belated claim that he gave Ruby his spare press pass. [board topic, A Tale of Two Passes]

The US embassy claimed it knew nothing of Oswald's marriage on April 30, 1961 until Oswald made reference to it in a letter dated May 25 - yet there is now evidence that an embassy official was present at the wedding. [board topic, A Marriage of Connivance?]

There was no Truly-Baker-Oswald encounter on the second floor. Baker stopped someone other than Oswald on the 3rd or 4th floor (probably the latter), but let him go after Truly vouched for him. This person matched the description of the suspect seen by Rowland and others at a 6th floor window. He also matched the description of Tippit suspect. [board topic, If Baker had stuck to his Original Statement; more can be found on the Education, Lancer and google forums]

Tim Prado Chapa crossed the US-Mexico border at the same time and place as Oswald is alleged to have done. Chapa used a military ID. Despite having information about where he lived and where his parents lived, the FBI abruptly stopped looking for him. In the 1970s, a Tim Chapa was an informant for NM State Police in COINTELPRO/BOCOV operations against Hispanic civil rights groups. In one incident, Chapa led two leaders of one group into an ambush where they were gunned down by police. Chapa admitted he had been an informant for many years. Is this the same person as Tim Prado Chapa? Many of the COINTELPRO and BOCOV operations involved border crossings into Mexico.[board topic, Border Crossing; Was it Oswald?]

Dr Albert Franklin Staples, the dentist who oversaw the dental work done on Marina at the insistence of the White Russian Community had CIA ties through Project Hope. [board topic, Extractions from Balor Dental Clinic]

Ruth Paine's divorce lawyer, Louise Raggio, had been a Washington intern who befriended LBJ and several of his inner circle including Sarah Hughes and Jake Pickle. She had, previous to joining her husband's practice, been an assistant DA under Henry Wade. Her husband, Grier Raggio, was the DCLU board member who rang Greg Olds urging that they go and check on Oswald's rights in custody. Grier Raggio had allegedly been rejected for intelligence work in WWII due to his alleged subversive background. The Griers however, had their divorce practice in the same building in Dallas as the 112th MIG. The DCLU delegation which went to check on Oswald had the net effect of helping to cover up the abuse of Oswald's rights - up to and including the right to an open arraignment hearing. [board topic, Send Lawyers, Guns & Money]

A new person of interest has been identified. Mason Lankford was employed in security positions with General Dynamics/Convair between '48 and '72. In that capacity, Lankford provided employment verification for Roscoe White regarding his application to join the DPD. It also gives him very likely pre-assassination links to Robert Oswald, IB Hale and Max Clark. Lankford was seconded by the Secret Service to aid with security on the Fort Worth leg of JFK's Texas visit and had a close association with Mike Howard. In 1993, Lankford claimed he locked up about two dozen people for the duration of JFK's visit. Post-assassination, he was again called up by Mike Howard - this time to assist in the protection of Oswald's family. Lankford was one of the most vocal in trying to persuade the Oswald's to have Lee's body cremated. The reason given by Lankford and others was fear of the grave site being desecrated. It is however, very difficult to swallow that Lankford or other officials would care what happened to Oswald's grave, and the apparent high degree of pressure involved is indicative of ulterior motives. See board topic "Mason Lankford".  

Adolfo Hegewisch was a Mexican Right Winger of German extraction who co-founded and was an early president of,  International House in New Orleans. He was also an early president of the CIA front, the Cordell Hull Foundation. During WW I, Hegewisch had been investigated by the FBI on suspicion of smuggling goods to an embargoed Germany through shipments to Spain, and his vast Latin American contacts through International House, made him ideally placed to at least be a source of information about smuggling operations in later years. Among his acquaintances were Alton Ochsner, William Gaudet and Clay Shaw. In 1953, he turned the management and ownership of his company over to the company's vice-president, Gerard F. Tujague, who renamed it Gerard F. Tujague, Inc. This company employed Lee Harvey Oswald in November, 1955. See Essay "Adolfo Hegewisch" at main site.

Ruth Paine attended a Young Friends meeting at Earlham College in 1947, 4 years prior to becoming a Quaker herself. The college is located in Richmond, Indiana; the heartland of Conservative Quakerism.  Among the Earlham alumni was Bonner Fellers who twice worked with MacArthur coming over from from OSS. His specialty was interrogation and psychological warfare. He later became a prominent member of the John Birch Society. His daughter Nancy Jane, was n Earlham graduate in '52. Ruth Paine met with two professors from Earlham just prior to her final few months of involvement with the Oswalds. Another alumni from Earlham was Von Peacock, acting Director of the Casa de los Amigos in Mexico City at the time of the FBI assassination investigation. Additionally, Von Peacock and the Hydes had ties to Wood County, Ohio. Von Peacock retired to Northern Virginia... CIA country. For more, see board topic, "Earlham".

Following on from the Earlham College/Conservative Quaker leads, we can put Ed Duckles, the founder and president of the Casa de los Amigos, in a similar category. He was a follower of Bertram Wolfe, an ex-Trotskyist turned professional Anti-Communist. In particular, he thought Wolfe was correct in writing that the Soviets would inevitably subjugate more and more people, and that this would lead to WWIII. Wolfe, who helped develop the policy of American Exceptionalism, was taken by Duckles on a lecture tour of AFSC functions. See Lancer NID PP presentation available from Lancer.

James Jarman told a HSCA investigator that he heard on the day of the assassination that Oswald had been allowed to leave the building after coming down the front stairs. This permission was given by Roy Truly and the same police officer who ordered Norman and Williams and himself back inside. See: HSCA transcript at main site.

Harold Norman told the HSCA that Bonnie Ray Williams bought some chicken from the lunch van for lunch and that he, Williams and Jarman went to the 5th floor to eat and watch the motorcade. See: HSCA transcript at main site and board topic "Norman's HSCA interview: Williams Did Not Go to the 6th Floor".

Edward Shields described to the HSCA how other workers had told him that Frazier let Oswald out at the Elm St building before going off to to the car park and that  Givens had yelled out to Frazier asking where his ride was. This is quite a different set of circumstances than the official version of events and more will said about it in due course. See: HSCA transcript at main site.

If Oswald was the author of letters to Marina whilst living in Minsk AND the so-called Walker letter, then his Russian ability had slipped badly in the intervening period. The only alternative explanation is that the "Walker Letter" was authored by someone else. Ruth Paine's written Russian was better than Oswald's - but she testified that while Oswald's Russian vocabulary was very good, his grammar was poor. The problem is that his writing only reflects poor grammar in the "Walker letter". His other Russian writings, despite not being quite to her standard, displayed markedly better than "poor" grammar. See: board topic "LHO and Russian Things"

bump:

It's been a while since anything was added here. I have unlocked it so that anyone can add more leads, or update anything already listed.

Greg:  If you don't mind I would like to add to this thread with what I consider new leads from the newly released JFK files.  The newly released files provide a great deal of names and groups that link to Oswald, based on who the FBI contacted within hours of Oswald's  arrest.  Some MAY link Ruby to LHO prior to 24 November.

Greg: Here is one
(Tampa/Miami  plots)
FBI agent John J. O'Brien contacted JOSEPH ANDREW VIERA  on Nov 21 and Nov 22 1963 for reasons
unknown (not included in doc).

This individual is now being cross checked in my old files but haven't found him yet.

James K. Olmstead wrote:Greg: Here is one
(Tampa/Miami  plots)
FBI agent John J. O'Brien contacted JOSEPH ANDREW VIERA  on Nov 21 and Nov 22 1963 for reasons
unknown (not included in doc).

This individual is now being cross checked in my old files but haven't found him yet.

Thanks Jim,

From the Abilene Reporter-News, May 24, 1959:

...Us plane, and two Tampa pilots, Samuel Eugene [?] Jr., 34, and John J. Embry, 38.  They denied any knowledge o! the plane's cargo, which included [?] rounds of ammunition, 17 machine guns, 38 Garand rifles and parts for M carbines. Chief customs agent Joseph Forter said the arms were to be flown to the Dominican Republic for delivery to an anti-Castro expeditionary force. Others arrested as participants fcr the alleged plot were: Joseph [?], 29, Miami policeman; William Quitman Brookley, 30, University of Miami engineering student; Dominick E. Bartone, 45, Cleveland, Ohio, aircraft broker, and four Cuban nationals, Joseph Andrew Viera Valdes, 41: Elizio Carrado Tirana, 52; Pedro Santana, 39, and Oscar Pages, 35. Their bonds ranged from 55,000 to $500 except' [?], whose bond was set at SI0,000.

Thanks Greg: Bartone is of note and I have a file on him that I can look into.  Bartone being from Cleveland as well as David Ferrie were of interest years ago.  Since Jack Ruby's brother lived in Youngstown I was looking into the gunrunning aspects of a possible connection, between Bartone, Ruby and Ferrie that was being conducted out of Akron/Cleveland/Youngstown, Ohio to Cuba.  Robert John Gentile, also from Youngstown was Castro Armour in the hills but later arrested for plot to kill Castro.  He was in prison during Ruby's visit to Traficante and ransomed by RFK with BOP members.

Agent O'Brien is also of interest...not sure but I've added his name to my concerns.

Now any idea why Valdes would be contacted on 21 Nov 1963 as well as 22 November concerning LHO?

Jim, are you able to provide a link to the doc?

Greg: The following information maybe critical in establishing that LHO and Ruby were associated prior to the death of Oswald.  There are a great deal of files to be considered and worked on to confirm facts.  At this time I'm establishing a master file that I will
share with you and all interested once assembled.

There are several reports and files that are under the FBI titles, that list Ruby and Oswald as subjects of interest (keywords) in the record.  Most of these records, concern what I label as MLI's (Multiple Lists of Informants).

These list have the names of informants, many in cities that have no known association to the
known actions of Oswald. The informants are PSI's, PCI's, CS etc, they relate to Cuba, FPCC
the CPUSA, organized crime and various considered "plots".  These names, some only listed with
number code were contacted by the FBI between 21 November and 27 November (as well as later).

These names were protected from disclosure until their release in 2017. The records released
do not include the actual interviews of each individual, I suspect that these interviews maybe
still withheld.  At this time I believe that a full report or at least greater detail maybe found in the 12/23/63 844 page report from SA Robert Gemberling, known prior as the Gemberling Report that I worked on in the distant past, I have not found this report as yet in the newly released documents.

The report notice  Document Information has as the subjects:
LHO, 11/22/63, POST-RP, EYE WITNESSES, EVID, RIFLE, SLING, CARTRIDGES, MAP, PERSONAL PROPERTY, MURDER BY JR. It was released with deletions.  The new documents released would be some of the deleted material.

The 6 page document released is:
FBI
RECORD NUMBER  124-10035-10369
AGENCY FILE NUMBER 105-82555-1212

I haven't yet figured out how to attach links to posts, but will work on it today so that they can be assembled in your document gallery for everyone to see. You can type in docid-3219535 fbi on google and it can be accessed. This document is the starting point and has a large number of names to cross check

This report has notice of O'Briens 11/23/63 interviewed (with negative results) with
PSI (Potential Security Informant) Joseph Viera (last name on list) in Tampa, Fla, which I have placed in a file "The Tampa Plot".  This MLI is only one of several associated with Tampa/Cuban operatives and each name has to be cross checked.  It is only speculated by officals in the early days of the investigation that Oswald was in Miami/Tampa at some point
prior to 22 November.  No "firm" evidence has surfaced that he was at anytime in Fla at all
but the speculation continues.  This list also has to be checked against new lists of MLI's associated to groups like the FPCC in Tampa/Miami and other cities across the US.

The document that shows O'Brien interviewed Viera on 21/22/63 is:

FBI Record number 124-10173-10410 from agency file number 62-455-93

The date of the report is 26 Nov, 63, addressed to the SAC TAMPA (134-113).

The date of the contact on the first page is 11/23/63 and deals with the assassination of president (62-455).

In the Purpose and Results of contact box, you can see the Negative box checked and the
note  "Efforts to contact subject on 11/22,22/63 unsuccessful.

I don't want to get ahead of further research by saying this is a smoking gun document,
but it is one of several that "indicate" a prior association to LHO/Ruby thru others.

In this case Viera, BUT there are others such as Dottie Visovatti interviewed on 11/23 and ll/24 associated more with Ruby then LHO as far as I can tell at this time.  Alot of work to be done.

If you have time and go view the docs can you add them to the document gallery?  Its hard for me to use
the computer sometimes.  I have good days and bad
but still have a hard time finding the "press any key"

You can type in docid-3219535 fbi on google and it can be accessed. 

Jim, I tried this and got not results. If you can provide the link, I can post the document here. To post the link, just copy and paste.

docid-32171591.pdf see if this works

docid-32129535.pdf This is the Gemberling link

James K. Olmstead wrote:docid-32171591.pdf see if this works

Got it. Thanks Jim. 

Am stretched for time right now. Will post it later today.

It appears to me they tried to contact him on 21 and 22 November in regard to the Tampa plot., but those were his two days off. They did get hold of him on Nov 23 - after the Dallas hit - but by that time Oswald was the sole focus and they asked about him... probably logically (but not necessarily correctly) looking for a link between the Tampa and Dallas plots. 

Further digging might prove that wrong, but at the moment, that's the way I'm looking at it.

Greg: That's about how I see it at this time.  The mentioned Tampa Plot will be outlined sometime today, and posted for consideration
in a few days.

It includes elements from anti and pro Cuban groups,
ANP (American Nazi Party) PR independence groups, the mob, Hoffa and the FPCC.  They all had only one aim that they could agree on...getting rid of JFK.

All of this is based on who, what, where and why the  
FBI contacted the members of these in the various cities in Fla, such as Tampa and Miami. They had a serious investigation on their hands between 22 November and Nov 24th and they had to have some basis for going to these cities concerning LHO as well as Ruby for info.  I don't feel that "negative" reports should be discarded.  At that time if you knew you were of interest you would be very careful to keep all your cards close to the vest and not say anything that would put you at risk, with the FBI or others involved.  Look what happened to LHO.

I will present the basic data on "Threats" to JFK from PR, first it relates to the most common ground of known suspected plots...Hoffa and the HRWU/Teamsters.

It pulls in those associated with Cuba and Puerto Rico casinos/drugs/guns.

Individual threat master list
docid-32241845.pdf
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32241845.pdf

James K. Olmstead wrote:Greg: That's about how I see it at this time.  The mentioned Tampa Plot will be outlined sometime today, and posted for consideration
in a few days.

It includes elements from anti and pro Cuban groups,
ANP (American Nazi Party) PR independence groups, the mob, Hoffa and the FPCC.  They all had only one aim that they could agree on...getting rid of JFK.

All of this is based on who, what, where and why the  
FBI contacted the members of these in the various cities in Fla, such as Tampa and Miami. They had a serious investigation on their hands between 22 November and Nov 24th and they had to have some basis for going to these cities concerning LHO as well as Ruby for info.  I don't feel that "negative" reports should be discarded.  At that time if you knew you were of interest you would be very careful to keep all your cards close to the vest and not say anything that would put you at risk, with the FBI or others involved.  Look what happened to LHO.

I will present the basic data on "Threats" to JFK from PR, first it relates to the most common ground of known suspected plots...Hoffa and the HRWU/Teamsters.

It pulls in those associated with Cuba and Puerto Rico casinos/drugs/guns.

Individual threat master list
docid-32241845.pdf
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/jfk/releases/docid-32241845.pdf

Gold... and I like the point made at the start that they left the Diem assassination off the list...

So far from that doc I've found several persons of interest
btw there's mention of a Aussie warning in there as well as a couple wacko threats from my hometown area.

Tape on long bag (rifle sack) was torn in middle by hand, ends machine cut.
So tape would hold fingerprints or touch dna.