Fred Litwin

Sep 21, 20232 min

The Life and Lies of Fred Crisman

Updated: Sep 22, 2023

This article, from the Fortean Times, issue #355, is a pretty good overview of the life of Fred Crisman.

This is a pretty good article, but it goes off the rails towards the end.

Fred Crisman was a conman who fooled Garrison. He was involved with Thomas Beckham in a host of ridiculous schemes and they both liked creating fake diplomas and degrees. Garrison learnt of them through anonymous letters and my theory is that Crisman was the author.

Garrison had to be talked out of claiming that Crisman was a grassy knoll assassin in his book. I'll have more to say about this in a future blog post.

Coming up: I will be publishing a letter that Ray Palmer, who helped popularize the UFO craze, wrote Jim Garrison in 1968.

Previous Relevant Blog Posts

Exclusive: Jim Garrison tells the HSCA that Fred Crisman was one of the Three Tramps

Jim Garrison was interviewed by the HSCA in 1977 and here is a link to a tape and a transcript and many relevant documents.

Flying Saucers Magazine, May 1958: Fred Crisman

An article by Kenneth Arnold about Crisman and flying saucers.

Jim Garrison Identifies the "Cut-Out" of a "Professional, Highly Organized, Clandestine Operation."

A memo from Jim Garrison to the HSCA discusses Thomas Beckham and Fred Crisman.

Jim Garrison's Memo to the HSCA regarding Fred Crisman and Thomas Beckham, part one...

Another memo from Garrison to the HSCA regarding Crisman and Beckham.

Jim Garrison's Exhibits to his HSCA Memo on Fred Crisman and Thomas Beckham

Accompanying exhibits to the above memo from Garrison to the HSCA.

Was Fred Crisman one of JFK's Assassins?

For a while, Garrison was convinced that Crisman was one of the assassins.

Bob Lavender Reveals the Secret of the JFK Assassination!

A shadowy figure told Garrison investigator Bill Boxley about Fred Crisman.

Was Fred Crisman Behind the JFK Assassination?

Another memo from Garrison to the HSCA.

    98
    2