Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald?

The Clinton witnesses were an important part of the Clay Shaw trial - they claimed that Clay Shaw, David Ferrie and Lee Harvey Oswald were together in Clinton, Louisiana in late August or early September 1963.

But take a look at this Garrison memo regarding witness William Dunn. He saw Clay Shaw in the car sitting in the back, and Thomas Beckham sitting in the front. He was definite that Shaw was in the back.

Thomas Beckham was the con man who Garrison called before the grand jury in 1968. From November 1962 to February 1963 he was in the mental institution in Jackson, Louisiana. Garrison never claimed that Beckham was in Clinton.

In addition, Dunn said there were one=to-two other white males in the car whom he could not identify.

Now, have a look at his testimony at the Clay Shaw trial.

William Dunn testified that Clay Shaw was the man behind the wheel, and that there was perhaps just one more person in the car.

There was no discovery in Louisiana at the time of the trial and so Shaw's lawyers did not have access to the memo above. You can imagine that it would have been mighty useful for cross-examination.

Tomorrow: A Clinton witness identifies Jack Ruby as the driver of the car.