Fred Litwin
Dec 13, 20234 min
Updated: Dec 14, 2023
The HSCA located Corrie Collins in Highland Park, Michigan and interviewed him on October 24, 1978. They also had him sign an affidavit.
Here is the report of his interview:
That's it. That's the entire interview of Corrie Collins.
While Collins said that while he recognized Oswald after the assassination, he could not remember where he saw him. Collins "saw no reason to say anything to anybody." At the Shaw trial, his testimony at the Shaw trial was slightly different:
Mr. Dymond: Now, were you aware that the Warren Commission was conducting an extensive investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy, were you not?
Mr. Collins: I was aware that they were investigating it.
Mr. Dymond: I see. At the time that you were aware of the fact that this investigation was being conducted, you knew that you had seen Lee Harvey Oswald in Clinton, did you not?
Mr. Collins: That is true. [emphasis added]
The HSCA did not have Anne Dischler's notes, and thus they were not aware that Collins initially said that two men got out of the black car, and that he said nothing about Oswald. And so there was no pushback when Collins said this:
Mr. Maxwell: Did the others get out of the car?
Mr. Collins: Don't recall anyone but Oswald getting out of the car.
Maxwell asked no questions about the influence of the KKK in Clinton and which witnesses were members, nothing about Estus Morgan, nothing about Winslow Foster, and nothing about why Collins' story changed over time.
Collins noted that the Sheriff of the Parish, Arch Doughty, helped him out at times and that the Sheriff was the boss. And yet, Doughty is not part of the Clinton story. There is no record of him being interviewed by anybody at any time.
The HSCA investigation of Clinton and Jackson was deficient. Instead of getting to the bottom of the story, HSCA investigators basically accepted what they were told. A golden opportunity to get the truth was lost, and we are all the poorer for it.
The Series on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses
The Witnesses from Clinton and Jackson, Louisiana
Part One: The witnesses testify at the trial of Clay Shaw.
Clay Shaw's Attorneys Rebut the Clinton Witnesses
Part Two: A response to the allegations made by the Clinton/Jackson witnesses.
A Backgrounder to East Feliciana Parish and the Politics of the Early 1960s
Part Three: A look at racism and the politics of the early 1960s.
The Clinton/Jackson Witnesses and the Ku Klux Klan
Part Four: Many of the witnesses were either members of the KKK or sympathizers.
Why Did the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses Not Come Forward?
Part Five: None of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses came forward in 1963-1964.
The Origin of the Clinton/Jackson Stories
Part Six: Just where did the Clinton/Jackson witnesses come from?
Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police.
Part Eight: The evidence that David Ferrie was in Clinton is poor.
Was there a story about the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses in 1966?
Part Nine: Lee McGehee, the barber in Jackson, claimed that the racist newspaper The Councilor wrote about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses in 1966. No one has been able to find the article.
Corrie Collins -- A Very Pliable Witness
Part Ten: Corrie Collins continually changed his story about what happened in Clinton.
Did Reeves Morgan Contact the FBI?
Part Eleven: Reeves Morgan claimed he called the FBI right after the JFK assassination. But did he really?
Did Lee Harvey Oswald Live with a Doctor in Jackson?
Part Twelve: Henry Earl Palmer told a ridiculous story about Oswald claiming he was living with a doctor in Jackson.
The Missing Evidence of Clinton/Jackson
Part Thirteen: All the physical evidence that could corroborate the Clinton/Jackson witnesses has vanished. I wonder why.
Henry Earl Palmer and Judge John Rarick
Part Fourteen: Henry Earl Palmer told Andrew Sciambra that Judge John Rarick was there when the black Cadillac visited Clinton. Author Don Carpentered emailed Rarick in 2007 to ask him. His answer is revealing.
What Ever Happened to Estus Morgan and Winslow Foster?
Part Fifteen: Corrie Collins identified Estus Morgan as one of the people who exited the black Cadillac to go and register. Winslow Foster might have been the other person in the car.
Additional Inconsistencies in the Clinton/Jackson Story
Part Sixteen: Some witnesses saw other people in Clinton that day; Manchester's poor memory; and a look at whether the Cadillac's registration was checked in Baton Rouge.
The HSCA and the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses, Part One
Part Seventeen: The HSCA investigation of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses was poor and incomplete. The HSCA never even figured out that Anne Dischler was the Garrison investigator that did most of the work in Clinton. She was not called to testify and the HSCA never examined her notes.
Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses
Jim Garrison: The Uninquisitive District Attorney
Three case studies on how Garrison was less than inquisitive, including the possible check of the Cadillac in Clinton.
Was Jim Garrison Interested in the Truth about Clinton?
Why didn't Garrison check out whether the Trade Mart in New Orleans had leased a Cadillac?
Harold Weisberg on Jim Garrison
An interview with Weisberg in which he discusses the Clinton witnesses.
Were Garrison's Witnesses Surveilled, Harassed, Attacked and Intimidated?
Two of the Clinton witnesses claimed they were intimidated. But were they really?
Michael Lesser has Died, R. I. P.; Some Thoughts on Clinton...
Some background material on Clinton.
Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald?
William Dunn initially said that Thomas Beckham was with Shaw and Oswald.
Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie?
Andrew Dunn said Jack Ruby was in Clinton.
Why Didn't Garrison's Witnesses Come Forward Before 1967?
None of Garrison's witnesses, including the witnesses from Clinton/Jackson, came forward in 1963 -1964.