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The HSCA's investigation of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses was extremely poor and incomplete. Many witnesses were not called to testify, and those that did were not asked important questions. If you can believe it, the HSCA never determined that Anne Dischler was one of Garrison's main investigators of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. Here is the HSCA conclusion about Clinton: Aware that Garrison had been fairly criticized for questionable tactics, the committee proceeded cautiously, making sure to determine on its own the credibility of information coming from his probe. The committee found that the Clinton witnesses were credible and significant. They each were interviewed or deposed, or appeared before the committee in executive session. While there were points that could be raised to call into question their credibility, it was the judgment of the committee that they were telling the truth as they knew it. Telling the truth as they knew it? The HSCA also included this strange sentence: If the witnesses were not only truthful but accurate as well in their accounts, they established an association of an undetermined nature between Ferrie, Shaw and Oswald less than 3 months before the assassination. That is quite an "if," no? The HSCA was far more willing to believe that Ferrie was with Oswald, as opposed to Clay Shaw: As noted, the committee believed the Clinton witnesses to be telling the truth as they knew it. It was, therefore, inclined to believe that Oswald was in Clinton, La., in late August, early September 1963, and that he was in the company of David Ferrie, if not Clay Shaw. Robert Blakey reiterated this point in his book, Fatal Hour: (page 194 in the paperback edition) During the summer of 1963 Clinton was targeted by the Congress of Racial Equality in a voting rights drive, and it was during demonstrations in late August or early September that Oswald came to town, accompanied by two older men, one of whom was Ferrie. While the other might have been Shaw, that was not so clearly established. And this is because a Ferrie-Oswald link provided a connection to organized crime: The committee was puzzled by Oswald's apparent association with Ferrie, a person whose anti-Castro sentiments were so distant from those of Oswald, the Fair Play for Cuba campaigner. But the relationship with Ferrie may have been significant for more than its anti-Castro aspect, in light of Ferrie's connection with G. Wray Gill and Carlos Marcello. Unfortunately, the HSCA's investigation was flawed and incomplete. Here is an overview of what they missed: None of the six witnesses deposed by the HSCA (Reeves Morgan, John Manchester, Henry Earl Palmer, Lee McGehee, William Dunn, and Bobbie Dedon) were asked about the political environment of Clinton. No questions were asked about the KKK. Jonathan Blackmer, the HSCA attorney in charge of the Clinton/Jackson witnesses, did not discover that Anne Dischler was one of Garrison's major investigators in Clinton. And so, the HSCA did not have access to her notes and did not take her testimony. Not one of the Clinton witnesses mentioned her name. It does not appear that the HSCA received the files of Jack Rogers which might have been extremely relevant. Blackmer told investigative staff to see if the Trade Mart had leased any vehicles. I can find no evidence of the results of that inquiry and the HSCA final report is silent about the car that was seen in Clinton. Many witnesses were not deposed or interviewed. John Rarick, the Judge in Clinton in 1963, the DA Richard Kilbourne, and the sheriff of the county, Arch Doughty [whom nobody talks about], were not called. There was no attempt to investigate Estes Morgan and his relationship to the witnesses. Andrew Sciambra and other Garrison staffers could also have been deposed. A very good illustration of the lackluster HSCA investigation is the way they treated Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Fruge worked with Anne Dischler investigating the Clinton/Jackson witnesses. When Fruge was first contacted by the HSCA he was asked very little about Clinton. Here is the only paragraph on Clinton from his outside contact report: I am not sure why this was so interesting to Fruge. While Dunn did indeed commit suicide, he was hardly a credible witness. Here is a Garrison report about Andrew Dunn. He clearly would not have been helpful to Garrison in a trial: Jack Ruby was the driver? Banister was in the back seat? And Oswald was not identified. Not surprisingly, most of Fruge's deposition was about Rose Cherami, but here are the relevant pages about the Clinton/Jackson witnesses: I don't know what memo Fruge is referencing. He was in Clinton in May 1967 with Anne Dischler interviewing witnesses. Fruge says that "Chambre [sic; Sciambra] has received information that Clay Shaw and David Ferrie and one other unidentified white male had been seen in Clinton ..." Why didn't Blackmer ask him about how Sciambra received that information. Blackmer asks Fruge if anybody had interviewed these witnesses before he did, and he says, "not that I can remember." No mention of Anne Dischler, and as we have seen in a previous post, Dischler believed that someone did interview some of the witnesses before she got involved. That's the extent of the questioning of one of the chief investigators that Garrison sent to Clinton and Jackson. Fruge just repeats some base level testimony of the witnesses. Blackmer seems totally uninterested - he doesn't ask Fruge for other documents relevant to Clinton, who else he should interview, no probing of the KKK, and no questions about his dealings with Garrison's office. I should point out that Blackmer was the attorney who questioned Jim Garrison for several days, and as far as I can tell, never brought up the topic of Clinton. Previous Relevant Blog Posts about the HSCA and Jonathan Blackmer Did the HSCA Say that Clay Shaw was a High-Level Planner of the JFK Assassination? Jonathan Blackmer's words are taken out of context by conspiracy theorists. Jim Garrison and the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), Part One Garrison sends Jonathan Blackmer a ridiculous memo. Exclusive: Jim Garrison tells the HSCA that Fred Crisman was one of the Three Tramps A tape recording of Garrison being interviewed by Jonathan Blackmer of the HSCA. 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? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? 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. 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.

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? Who was Anne Dischler? Part Seven: Dischler was an investigator for Garrison who was teamed up with Lt. Francis Fruge of the Louisiana State Police. Was David Ferrie in Clinton? 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.

It was sad to hear that G. Robert Blakey died last Friday at the age of 90. He will always be remembered for taking over the helm of the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) and having it focus on the science side of the case. The HSCA was in a shambles until he provided some clear leadership. Don Edwards Writes Thomas Downing about Richard Sprague While the HSCA went off track with the acoustics evidence, they also provided a clear scientific case for the guilt of Lee Harvey Oswald. First generation researcher Paul Hoch understood the importance of the HSCA's work when he gave an important speech at the Second Annual Midwest Symposium on Assassination Politics in Chicago in 1993: We could argue at length about the imperfections in the House Committee's work, and in the work of the National Academy of Sciences panel which rebutted the acoustics. As some of you know, I've done my share, particularly on the acoustics. But the fact remains that the House Committee took a stab at the tests the critics wanted — not completely, and not perfectly, but we expected that any one of the tests would demolish the WC reconstruction — neutron activation analysis, trajectory analysis. And they didn't. Many people seem to agree with John Judge, who has said that we know where the shots came from, they came from the Pentagon. I don't think we know nearly enough about Dealey Plaza to make a jump like that. The single bullet theory is not a joke. Despite its well-known flaws, the Warren Commission/House Committee reconstruction may be in better shape than any other single detailed reconstruction. At least, it has to be taken seriously. In September 2020, I sent Mr. Blakey a copy of my manuscript of On the Trail of Delusion -- Jim Garrison: The Great Accuser. I then sent him an email asking him if he had read my manuscript. Here is the email he sent me along with a blurb: No bother. I’ve read it. I was thinking highly of it until I got to the negatives on HSCA You did give Dick and me a positive comment when we said JG [Jim Garrison] was a “fraud." I now think he is a case study of the down side on giving people like JG power in our society. He is also a case study at the local level, as DT is a case study at the national level. Both of them were/are sociopathic narcissists. I wonder if either of them ever had the ability to distinguish the truth you and I have on a daily basis and in finding facts in the evaluation of forensic matters. Life is not all about me, as I infer it is not all about you from your book. Despite misgivings, here is a blurb feel free to use: Mr. Blakey was not happy that I had very briefly mentioned that the National Academy of Sciences had discredited the acoustics evidence. But I was delighted to get a blurb for the back cover: "If you want to find the real story about the claims Jim Garrison made about the assassination of JFK, don't look to the movie by Oliver Stone, read Litwin's Delusion. Uniquely, he doesn't tell you what to believe, he gives you the evidence that speaks for itself." After the publication of On the Trail of Delusion, conspiracy theorist James DiEugenio wrote a five-part series criticizing my books. I wrote a reply, and I sent it to Mr. Blakey. Here is his reply: Thanks for sending it to me. Good collection of nasty things to say about another person, each a violation of one of the classic Greek Fallacies (Ad Hoc). I may not read the rest of it. I have other valuable uses of my time. But send other similar things. Sometimes I like playing at reading examples of the decline of classic scholarship. G. Robert Blakey rescued the HSCA from infighting and then competently ran the investigation. I salute him for his service. Here is a link to an obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times, and an obituary from his law school. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the HSCA: Don Edwards Writes Thomas Downing about Richard Sprague Sprague wanted to use some pretty shady methods. George Lardner on Mark Lane Lane supported Don Edwards until he complained about the HSCA. G. Robert Blakey on Mark Lane Blakey knew that Lane misled the HSCA. Did The HSCA Have a Confession Tape? Jim Garrison thought the HSCA had a confession tape. They did, but it was a nonsense story peddled by Thomas Beckham. Jim Garrison's Ridiculous Letter to the HSCA... Garrison sent a lot of silly leads to the HSCA. The HSCA and the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses, Part One The HSCA did not do a good job in investigating what happened in Clinton, Louisiana. The HSCA and the Clinton/Jackson Witnesses, Part Two Corrie Collins was not asked the important questions.

Jim Garrison claims he asked for a preliminary hearing on the Clay Shaw prosecution because of fairness. Here is what he says in his book, On The Trail of The Assassins: (page 151) "In this case I made the motion out of fairness to Shaw because of the extraordinary seriousness of the charge. My application requested that a panel of three judges then determine whether the charges should be dismissed or Shaw held over for trial. This was the first time in the history of Louisiana that such a motion ever was filed by the prosecution on behalf of the defendant." Here is an excerpt of an internal Life Magazine memo written by Sam Angeloff: (from the papers of Richard Billings at Georgetown University) There you have it - right from James Alcock, second-in-command to Jim Garrison - the reason the prosecution asked for a preliminary hearing was to preempt the defense and ensure that friendly judges were on the panel. This was during the period when Life Magazine was working with Garrison on the investigation. Here is what Clay Shaw wrote in his journal about the reasons for a preliminary hearing: And, as we know, the only evidence presented against Shaw, related to the assassination, at the preliminary hearing was Perry Russo's false memory of a conspiracy meeting at David Ferrie's apartment - a memory that was implanted through the use of hypnotism and sodium pentothal. Update: New Orleans States-Item, March 14, 1967

Rob Reiner will be posthumously publishing a book based on his podcast series, Who Killed JFK?, in November. Here is the description on Amazon: Based on the hit podcast of the same name, Who Killed JFK? unravels a tangled web of evidence—including recently declassified documents, rare interview transcripts, and existing expert research—and presents the definitive analysis of the Kennedy assassination. Since the fateful day in Dallas on November 22, 1963, journalists, historians, and investigators have examined the official record of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, yet a clear and conclusive explanation has remained elusive. Until now. Synthesizing decades of research with original investigative work, Rob Reiner, David Hoffman, and Dick Russell reconstruct the assassination with scholarly rigor and narrative urgency. As the conspiracy unfolds, you’ll find a botched autopsy, two compromised investigations, numerous suspicious deaths, and countless cover-ups within the very institutions charged with uncovering the truth. This book assembles the long-scattered fragments into a coherent and riveting case, and finally decodes America’s greatest murder mystery: Who killed JFK? At a time when political violence and distrust in the government are reaching new highs, this answer—and the reasons why—may be more important than ever. I mean no disrespect for Rob Reiner, who was an excellent filmmaker and director, but this book is going to be dreadful. How do I know that? Well, for one, Reiner bought into the stories of Tosh Plumlee -- that he had met Lee Harvey Oswald at Nags Head, North Carolina in 1959, and that he flew Johnny Roselli and E. Howard Hunt into Dallas on November 22, 1963. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Tosh Plumlee Was Tosh Plumlee in Dealey Plaza on November 22nd? An examination of Plumlee's latest claims. Tosh Plumlee and Lee Harvey Oswald Plumlee claims to have met Oswald on several occasions. Tosh Plumlee Writes Fiction! Plumlee's new book is quite the novel. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part One Part One of two parts. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part Two Second of two parts. Tosh Plumlee in 1959 Some of Plumlee's interesting activities in 1959. Tosh Plumlee Admits He is Not a Credible Source A bizarre story in which Plumlee writes to the FBI that he has provided bad information to an article about him in a Denver magazine. Tosh Plumlee Steals a Plane Plumlee steals a plane and writes some bad checks. Did Tosh Plumlee Try to Abort the JFK Assassination? Did Plumlee fly an abort team to Dallas or the actual assassins? Eugene Dinkin and Vince Palamara Plumlee writes to Palamara that Dinkin's messages might have been the intelligence to send the abort team to Dallas. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two PBS Frontline investigated Plumlee's allegations about Nags Head, North Carolina and could not corroborate any part of his story. Tosh Plumlee Finds an Important Photograph Wow, Tosh finds someone who has a photograph of Jack Ruby, Johnny Roselli, Sam Giancana, Ed McLamore, and Lee Harvey Oswald. Without any evidence, Reiner also claimed that General Charles Willoughby was the mastermind of the assassination. Unfortunately, Reiner hired Dick Russell to provide the research for his podcast series. Dick Russell has spent years selling his ridiculous Richard Case Nagell story to the public. Russell even wrote the foreword to Tosh Plumlee's new book. Even if it was only a Hollywood thriller, it would be compelling. But I'm convinced that Plumlee's saga is for real -- and verification has surfaced over the years with various federal investigative bodies. [page viii] None of the so-called verification was included in Plumlee's book. Here are some links about Rob Reiner's podcast series. Was General Charles Willoughby the Mastermind of the JFK Assassination? There is no evidence tying Willoughby to the assassination. Did Tosh Plumlee Try to Abort the JFK Assassination? How on earth could Rob Reiner and his partners believe this ridiculous story? Fred Litwin and Michel Gagné Analyze Rob Reiner's Podcast, Part Two We take apart the second five episodes of Reiner's podcast on the JFK assassination. Fred Litwin and Michel Gagné Analyze Rob Reiner's Podcast, Part One We take apart the first five episodes of Reiner's podcast on the JFK assassination. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two Was there a fake defector program at Nags Head, North Carolina? Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part One Flimsy evidence is cited that originated in Hustler Magazine. Rob Reiner on the Two Oswalds Reiner believes the two-Oswald theory. Jefferson Morley: Able to Leap Intellectual Chasms in a Single Bound This blog post also covers the concluding episode of Reiner's podcast. The JFK Assassination and Truth Conspiracy theorists have no regard for truth. I have had extensive conversations with the chief writer for the podcast series, David Hoffman, on Twitter. It was a frustrating experience -- he has accepted all sorts of factoids about the assassination -- but I'll be writing more about this when the book is published.

Tosh Plumlee being interviewed in 1991. Tosh Plumlee has long insisted that he was part of an abort team which was flown into Dallas on November 22nd to try and stop the JFK assassination. I have posted two videos from an interview conducted with Gus Russo in 1991. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part One Part One of two parts. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part Two Second of two parts. The whole story is ridiculous from start to finish, and it changes every time he tells it. So, here is the latest iteration from his new book, Deep Cover, Shallow Graves. In late November, Plumlee is in Miami eating a hot dog and drinking an Orange Julius when a short Cuban comes up to him and tells him that someone wants to meet him in a park. While I sat on a bench under the palm trees enjoying the sun, a big dude walked up to me and said, "Walk with me to the library." There among the stack of books, he gave me a briefing: "A driver's going to pick you up in fifteen minutes and take you to West Palm Beach. You'll spend the night at Loxahatchee and in the morning pick up a C-47 at Lantana Airport. You'll get a flight plan there. You're going to fly to Tampa to pick someone up, then New Orleans, and, finally, Dallas. Redbird Airport in Dallas will be your final destination. [page 8] Of course, Plumlee was a CIA employee at the time! At the CIA's Miami Station Cuba Desk, I worked alongside men like William "Wild Bill" Harvey, David Atlee Philipps, Tracy Barnes, Robert Bennette, E. Howard Hunt, and other former OSS operatives who had infiltrated Germany and France during World War II. Mostly, my role was as a co-pilot (code name Eagle Redbird One) in military operations, which were controlled and directed out of the Pentagon. My operational names included William "Buck" Pearson, Zapata, Juan Cabrillo and James Rawlins. My handlers were Tracy Barnes, Wild Bill Harvey and Robert Bennette. [page 7] I should point out that there is absolutely no evidence that Plumlee ever worked for the CIA. When the HSCA queried the CIA about Plumlee, they said they had no information: This is not absolute proof that Plumlee did not work for the CIA, but he has never been able to show any proof that did work for the CIA. Back to the story. Plumlee gets picked up by a 1949 Ford with four CIA operatives. As I gazed out the window, my mind settled on the rumors I had recently heard about plans to assassinate the president. It was common knowledge among us operatives that President Kennedy had made enemies in the Mob and among right-wing Republicans, the banking community, pro-Castro Cubans, and anti-Castro Cubans. [page 11] I love the phrase -- "common knowledge among us operatives." Plumlee was then told to fly to New Orleans where he was to pick up Johnny Roselli. The flight plan indicated they would stop at Tampa, New Orleans, Houston, and then Dallas. Everything was rushed and hush-hush, and the ominous feeling I had started to build. Does this flight had anything to do with a rumor that was circulating about Operation Northwoods? I asked myself. Are we being dispatched to Dallas as part of a false flag operation to make it look like the Castro government is trying to assassinate our president, which would then precipitate a US invasion of Cuba? Does this explain why Wild Bill Harvey had secretly returned to the US from his post in Rome? Whatever questions I had, I kept to myself. [page 16] What complete nonsense. There were no rumor circulating about Operation Northwoods. How his supposed mission would precipitate an American invasion of Cuba is beyond me. And Bill Harvey was in Italy, not the United States. We know exactly where he was when JFK was assassinated. Plumlee then drove to the airport in West Palm Beach where he met his friend Sergio [known as Gator] and E. Howard Hunt. They then flew to Tampa and picked up Johnny Roselli. They then flew to New Orleans and picked up Frank Bender and Frank Sturgis. A Frenchman who spoke English with a French accent boarded as well as several Cubans. They then flew to Houston for the night. Plumlee writes that the next morning there was rain in New Orleans "which made a VFR {visual flight rules} flight into Redbird Airport southwest of Dallas impossible." But, they were in Houston, no? Anyways, they decided to fly to Garland Airport in northeast Dallas and wait until the weather cleared at Redbird. While waiting at Garland, Plumlee borrowed a 1961 Studebaker and drove to visit with his stepmother. He then returned to Garland and the weather cleared and they flew ten minutes into Redbird. Plumlee and his friend Rojas then went to a CIA safe house. I'd never been there before and didn't know the people there. But I remember them coming and going and talking about being late. For what I wondered? A false flag operation? Amid the chaos, someone had put out a big spread for breakfast -- eggs, bacon, hash browns and so on. After breakfast, Rojas, left to see a girlfriend who worked at the Circle Theater, which was not far from Love Field. The CIA had rooms there as well. [page 23] Plumlee then planned to return to Redbird and wait with the plane when his friend asked him if he wanted to see the president. So, they headed for downtown Dallas. Sergio sitting next to me on the backseat, turned to me and said, "You know someone's supposed to hit the president today." "What?" I sat up abruptly as thought I'd been hit by lightning. Like mentioned before, I'd heard rumors. But based on the tone of Sergio's voice, this wasn't a rumor. And judging from his serious expression, Sergio wasn't messing around. He explained that the Pentagon had picked up some information about a hit on the president as his motorcade drove through Dealey Plaza. He said that he and the others were part of an abort team, and we would be looking for some form of triangulation. Bingo! Suddenly, the flight to Dallas, my strong sense of foreboding and the strange mix of passengers on the C-47 made sense. [page 25] Sergio then told Plumlee the plan. He said that we would be looking for shooters on the south side of the plaza, and that there would be other teams on the north and east side, as well. If we were to stop teams of shooters, that could result in a possible shootout, I asked Sergio if he was armed. He said he was carrying a .38 pistol, but if we saw a shooter, we were supposed to interrupt that person's timing. This was to avoid endangering the people who had gathered in Dealey Plaza to see the President. [page 25] So, let me get this straight. The Pentagon learns of the assassination attempt and the only way they can stop it is to fly in several teams of abort agents? They couldn't alert the Secret Service and stop the motorcade? Sergio and Plumlee enter a parking lot on the south side of Dealey Plaza, and they start looking for "suspicious activity." Sergio pulled a radio from his pocket and started communicating with other operatives in the plaza. I assumed they were members of the other abort teams. [page 27] They got out of the car and were now in Dealey Plaza. The mounting excitement of the crowd added to my own. But something put me off. Sergio felt it too. He muttered, "Something isn't right." What?!? Ahead and to our right, about a hundred and fifty feet away, stood the seven-story red-brick Texas Book Depository Building. I saw someone I believed was Lee Harvey Oswald standing near the entrance and wondered if he was part of the abort team. I also recognized a tall man from JM/WAVE as an operative named Rip Robertson near the corner of Elm and Houston [page 28] Sergio and Plumlee were on the south knoll when the motorcade came down Elm Street. I watched all this with my heart pounding in my chest. Though I didn't see Johnny Roselli or Frank Sturgis, I did spot E. Howard Hunt crossing the plaza from south to west. I also saw Gator [one of Plumlee's associates] near Elm Street, sitting beside a man who was holding an open black umbrella. Gator caught us looking at him and pointed to the walkie-talkie he was holding and ran his hand across his neck. I didn't know what he meant at first, then Sergio [another Plumlee associate] said, "He's telling us that the radios aren't working." "What do you mean they're not working,?" I asked incredulously. "Something's wrong," groaned Sergio. "The teams can't communicate. I think someone switched the crystals." JFK was then shot, and Sergio said to Plumlee, "We'd better get the fuck out of here!" The above story was taken from chapter two in Plumlee's book. The story continues in chapter eleven. Most of the team that Plumlee had flown into Dallas reassembled at Redbird. Heads bowed, each man in turn took a seat at the rear of the aircraft. I entered through the rear door and slowly made my way to the cockpit. I couldn't help but notice the deep burden of loss etched into each individual face. Each man seemed deep in thought, seemingly wrestling with the implications of what we had just experienced and their own sense of responsibility. [page 138] On the plane is "Charlie "the Blade" Sturgis," somehow quickly changing his name from Frank. But guess who else is on the plane? Carlos Bringuier, my other Cuban friend who ran the exile community in New Orleans, was seated across the aisle looking pissed off and confused. Some people were not on the plane. Johnny Roselli and E. Howard Hunt who had both been on the flight into Dallas were both missing. I had last seen Hunt minutes before the shots rang out hurrying across the plaza in a suit. Roselli had seemingly disappeared. I learned later that he left Dallas with Mob enforcer and hitman Charles Nicoletti, who had driven to Dallas with my friend and fellow cut-out Chauncey Holt. Plumlee had questions. What had happened with the other abort teams including fellow cut-outs Danny and Charley who were with Gator on north side of the plaza? Who had changed the crystals that had been in our radios so that we couldn't communicate with one another? Why had the limousine slowed down after the first several shots, instead of speeding up? [pages 138 - 139] The first several shots? That is Plumlee's story of what happened on November 22nd. After this return, Plumlee was arrested for a bad check. The only problem is that occurred earlier in 1963. But the coverup had started! A mop-up operation was underway. Cut-outs who knew too much like me, Sergio, Chauncey Holt and others would be silenced or eliminated as well as witnesses to the assassination, friends of Lee, and anyone with the potential to poke holes in the official coverup story. [page 142] And they had nabbed Plumlee. I was screwed and knew it. There was no running and hiding. I was already in handcuffs and was convinced that the bad-check charge was part of the conspirators' plans to eliminate me so I couldn't talk. Why did they consider me a problem? I knew the answer, which started with what I knew about Lee. We were both young intelligence recruits who had received illusionary warfare training at Nags Head, North Carolina. I knew he had been an intelligence operative and was acting as one in Dallas when I had seen him in the spring. I had even met Jack Ruby at the barn-like Sportatorium in Dallas and knew his reputation as a gangster with connections to Johnny Roselli and others. Jack Ruby used to set up the wrestler who did battle at the Sportatorium with strippers from his club. He did the same with members of the dangerous and corrupt Dallas police intelligence unit -- the Red Squad [page 143] Wow -- Plumlee had met Jack Ruby. And he knew "his reputation as a gangster with connections to Johnny Roselli and others." Plumlee then claims that on the flight to Denver he told Detective Stone his story about what had happened in Dealey plaza. He looked at me like I was nuts. [page 143] But wait, there's more! Plumlee then claims that he was visited by the FBI and that he drew them a map of Dealey Plaza which he had already drawn for Bernard Fensterwald. Map from page 144 in Plumlee's book. Interestingly, the one I drew for the FBI in the spring of '64 is still somewhere in FBI files and has never been released. [page 144] Of course, it's never been released. Plumlee then brings up Chauncey Holt who was at the railroad switching yard [he was one of the tramps] "where his job was to deliver forged Secret Service credentials." As soon has he [Holt] heard the shots, he ran and hid in a boxcar as per instructions from his handler CIA officer Philip Twombly. He was joined in the boxcar by Charles Harrelson -- a well-known criminal and father of the famous Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson, and CIA cut-out Charles Rogers (also known as Richard Montoya}. When Dallas police searched the boxcar an hour and a half later, Chauncey, Harrelson and Rogers were arrested and escorted across Dealey Plaza to Dallas Sheriff's Department headquarters while being photographed by reporters. Because Chauncey was dressed as a railroad worker, they became known as the "three tramps." The three men were questioned by the FBI and released. [page 146] My head hurts. Of course, Holt, Harrelson, and Rogers were not the three tramps. In 1967, Plumlee meets in Dallas with two members of the north knoll abort team, and he finds that they had shot the Frenchman on the plane and had also shot a Cuban Alpha 66 member in Dealey Plaza. I also found out that all members of the three assassination teams were dead within twenty-four hours of the death of President Kennedy. The clean-up was so thorough, that anyone closely associated with the killing was also done away with, including the designated patsy, Lee Harvey Oswald. Cut-outs like myself and Chauncey Holt who were peripherally involved, were either killed, arrested or character assassinated. [page 150] So, that is basically Plumlee's story for what happened on November 22, 1963. Is there anybody out there gullible enough to believe this nonsense. And believe me, there is a lot more nonsense throughout his book. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Tosh Plumlee Tosh Plumlee and Lee Harvey Oswald Plumlee claims to have met Oswald on several occasions. Tosh Plumlee Writes Fiction! Plumlee's new book is quite the novel. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part One Part One of two parts. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part Two Second of two parts. Tosh Plumlee in 1959 Some of Plumlee's interesting activities in 1959. Tosh Plumlee Admits He is Not a Credible Source A bizarre story in which Plumlee writes to the FBI that he has provided bad information to an article about him in a Denver magazine. Tosh Plumlee Steals a Plane Plumlee steals a plane and writes some bad checks. Did Tosh Plumlee Try to Abort the JFK Assassination? Did Plumlee fly an abort team to Dallas or the actual assassins? Eugene Dinkin and Vince Palamara Plumlee writes to Palamara that Dinkin's messages might have been the intelligence to send the abort team to Dallas. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two PBS Frontline investigated Plumlee's allegations about Nags Head, North Carolina and could not corroborate any part of his story Tosh Plumlee Finds an Important Photograph Wow, Tosh finds someone who has a photograph of Jack Ruby, Johnny Roselli, Sam Giancana, Ed McLamore, and Lee Harvey Oswald.

It was a ton of fun to present to Professor Robert Vitt's class at Long Beach City College. Professor Vitt was also a guest on Episode 30. Episode 30 Dr. Robert Vitt talks about conspiracy theories, the early JFK researchers, and how to evaluate evidence. Previous Episodes of On the Trail of Delusion: Episode 1 My first guest was Robert Reynolds who is an expert on the JFK assassination files. Episode 2 Robert A. Wagner discusses his new book, JFK Assassinated. Episode 3 Gerald Posner discusses the JFK assassination and conspiracy theories. Episode 4 Dr. Martin J. Kelly, Jr. discusses conspiracy theories and the medical evidence in the JFK assassination. Episode 5 Steve Roe discusses the life of General Edwin Walker and Oswald's attempt to kill him. Episode 6 Gus Russo discusses his participation in the PBS Frontline documentary on Lee Harvey Oswald. Episode 7 Dave Perry tells some great stories about debunking JFK conspiracy nonsense. Episode 8 Nick Nalli explains some of the science behind the assassination. Episode 9 Alecia Long discusses Jim Garrison and his non-existent case against Clay Shaw. Episode 10 Don Carpenter discusses the life of Clay Shaw. Episode 11 Bill Brown discusses the murder of Officer J. D. Tippit. Episode 12 Eric Dezenhall discusses the relationship between the mob and JFK. Episode 13 Nick Nalli discusses the acoustics evidence and the Zapruder Film. Episode 14 Scott Maudsley discusses Lee Harvey Oswald's antisocial personality disorder. Episode 15 Document expert Robert Reynolds discusses what to expect in the upcoming JFK assassination file releases. Episode 16 A panel discussion on the document releases with Fred Litwin, Gus Russo, Robert Reynolds, Larry Haapanen, Mark Allen, and Steve Roe. Episode 17 An interview with author Michel Gagné about conspiracy theories. Episode 18 An interview with Phil Tinline about his book, Ghosts of Iron Mountain. Episode 19 An interview with Janet Banister, grand-niece of Guy Banister. Episode 20 The Marina Oswald Tapes. Episode 21 Dr. Chad Zimmerman discusses JFK's autopsy X-rays and photographs. Episode 22 Tour guide Daniel Evans talks about his years of researching the JFK assassination. Episode 23 Adam Gorightly discusses Fred Crisman, Thomas Beckham, Raymond Broshears and Kerry Thornley. Episode 24 A fun interview with Larry Haapanen who discusses the Garrison investigation, and his involvement with Project Blue Book. Episode 25 Dale Myers discusses the Tippit shooting and shows us some nifty animation. Episode 26 Brian Roselle discusses the timing of the first shot. Episode 27 Dr. Martin J. Kelly, Jr. talks about the psychology of Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby. Episode 28 Gus Russo talks about what happened to Lee Harvey Oswald in Mexico City. Episode 29 John-Paul Pagano discusses conspiracy theories, conspiracism and antisemitism. Episode 30 Dr. Robert Vitt talks about conspiracy theories, the early JFK researchers, and how to evaluate evidence. Episode 31 Josh Sundloff discusses conspiracy theories and his TikTok channel. Episode 32 A panel discussion of the single-bullet theory with Dr. Martin Kelly, Dr. Nick Nalli, Fred James and Scott Maudsley. Episode 33 Ernest Kearney discusses conspiracy theories and how to evaluate evidence. Episode 34 Steve Barber discusses the acoustics evidence and his visits with Robert Groden. Episode 35 Assassination researcher John Corbett stops in to talk about the case.

Paul Bleau's first chokehold is that "the official record impeaches the Warren Commission." He believes that: (page 38 in the Kindle edition of his book Chokeholds) U.S. investigations into the assassination, statements made by investigation insiders and foreign government conclusions about the assassination prove that there is a strong consensus by the independent investigative authorities that there was a conspiracy in the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Bleau's chapter then lists out a variety of statements that seemingly prove conspiracy. Of course, Bleau doesn't tell readers the full truth about these viewpoints. U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations Bleau Assertion: Bleau includes a summary of the HSCA conclusions. He also makes the following points: Oswald and Ruby were not loners and "were involved in relationships that could have matured into a conspiracy." Oswald was connected to David Ferrie and Guy Banister, if not Clay Shaw. Jack Ruby was connected to the Mafia. Marina Oswald's "incriminating statements against her husband were found to be lacking in credibility." The HSCA believed Sylvia Odio. The Lopez Report "established that someone was impersonating Oswald." The Justice Department reinvestigation of the case only looked at the acoustical evidence, "which it rejected based on science, but that itself is also contested." What Bleau Doesn't Tell You: Bleau doesn't include this key finding of the HSCA: That's quite an omission, no? Here are some comments on his other assertions: I am not sure what Bleau is claiming when he says that Oswald and Ruby were "involved in relationships that could have matured into a conspiracy." That is probably true of most people, no? The HSCA found only that "there was at least a possibility that Oswald and Guy Banister were acquainted." Delphine Roberts, Banister's secretary, was the only witness who claimed that Oswald and Banister knew each other but the HSCA noted that "Because of such contradictions in Roberts' statements to the committee and lack of independent corroboration of many of her statements, the reliability of her statements could not be determined." Check out this blog post -- not one of Banister's employees ever saw Oswald. And David Ferrie was not connected with Oswald. The HSCA stated that "the evidence available to the committee indicated that Ruby was not a "member" of organized crime in Dallas or elsewhere." Bleau doesn't provide any specificity to his claims about Marina Oswald. For instance, the HSCA believed her testimony that Oswald told her about his attempt to kill General Walker. Even Vincent Bugliosi believed Sylvia Odio. So did Jean Davison who believed that Oswald was trying to infiltrate another anti-Castro group, perhaps to impress the Cubans in Mexico City. The Lopez report did not "establish" that Oswald was impersonated. The Lopez Report noted “While the majority of the evidence tends to indicate that [the individual who visited the Cuban consulate and Soviet embassy on the dates in question] was indeed Lee Harvey Oswald, the possibility that someone else used Lee Harvey Oswald’s name during this time in contacts with the Soviet and Cuban Consulates cannot be absolutely dismissed." Here is another view of the impersonation of Oswald. Bleau says that the rejection of the acoustical evidence "is also contested," but provides no details. The National Academy of Sciences' "Report of the Committee on Ballistics Acoustics" provided pretty clear evidence that the dictabelt tape did not capture the shots fired in Dealey Plaza. Here is a 1988 letter from the Department of Justice on the recommendations of the HSCA: Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Paul Bleau Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 4 Bleau leaves out some important details about a Warren Commission staffer. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 3 Was Oswald a loner? Bleau says no, and then says yes. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 2 Bleau leaves out some important details about Malcolm Kilduff. Paul Bleau Chokes An introduction to Paul Bleau's new book, Chokeholds. Paul Bleau on David Ferrie, the Pimp Was David Ferrie Clay Shaw's pimp? Paul Bleau and the IRS Man Did Lee Harvey Oswald have an escort? Paul Bleau and the Forger Edward Girnus was in prison for forgery, and he told a fanciful story about Clay Shaw and Lee Harvey Oswald. Paul Bleau and the Three Tramps Leander D'Avy told the HSCA he saw Oswald and Ferrie with the three tramps. Paul Bleau's Reign of Error Bleau's analysis of Garrison's files is full of errors. Paul Bleau's Plots Bleau believes there were seven plots against JFK before Dallas. Paul Bleau and the Supposed Chicago Plot Against JFK Bolden's allegation that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago has changed over the years. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Supposed Tampa 'Patsy' There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Tampa. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Supposed Chicago Plot There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago.

Page x of Tosh Plumlee's book, Deep Cover, Shallow Graves I think the above photograph is obscene. Like many people, I have visited Oswald's grave, but the last thing I would do is salute. After all, Oswald killed JFK, and he killed a policeman. So, here is what Plumlee has to say about Oswald in his book. In the spring of 1958, I was sent for training at the School of Illusionary Warfare in Nags Head, North Carolina, where I met a young Lee Harvey Oswald. [page 6] There are two problems with this statement. First, in the spring of 1958, Oswald was overseas in Japan. He was not stateside. Second, there was no such facility in Nags Head. I covered this extensively in this blog post. But in what has to be one of the biggest self-owns in history, check out this paragraph from Plumlee: We were taught how to infiltrate foreign countries, capture radio stations and use them to broadcast propaganda. They told us that if you lie well enough, people start to believe you. We'd been picked, they said, because we were talented actors, and talented actors make good liars. [page 6] Yes, talented actors make good liars. The next mention of Lee Harvey Oswald in the book is on page 28 when Plumlee describes Dealey Plaza on November 22nd. Ahead and to our right, about a hundred fifty feet away, stood the seven-story red-brick Texas Book Depository Building I saw someone I believed to be Lee Harvey Oswald standing near the entrance and wondered if he were part of the abort team. And, of course, Plumlee recognized Oswald because he had met him in Nags Head, right? But when did Plumlee first meet Lee Harvey Oswald. Well, it was all because of George Joannides. To set the stage, Plumlee talks about Fidel Castro sailing to Cuba and then heading to the Sierra Maestra mountains in 1956. [page 60] Meanwhile in Havana, student members of M-26-7 were being routinely arrested and executed by Batista's secret police. Some escaped to the Sierra Maestra mountains and joined Castro and his rebels. A number of them were reporting back to the CIA at Miami's Wave Station. Their point of contact (POC) was a CIA officer out of Washington, DC who called himself Jay Howard. Later, after he became chief of the Psychological warfare branch of the CIA's JM/WAVE station in Miami, I learned that Jay Howard's real name was George Joannides. It's through Joannides that I first met a young CIA cut-out like myself named Lee Harvey Oswald. I've seen no evidence that George Joannides used Jay Howard as a pseudonym. But, you have to give Plumlee credit for inserting Joannides into his story. And he learned Joannides' real name in the early 1960s, but this is the first time he has mentioned him. And Joannides found the time to introduce Oswald to Plumlee. In Chapter 8, Plumlee discusses his time with Oswald at Nags Head. The eight-week course was held for covert operatives from all over the world. Lee and I were part of a group of fifty-five students, separated into specialties. His were languages and infiltration, and mine were psychological operations. While stationed in Miami between flights to Cuba, I had been approached by CIA official Wild Bill Harvey and told to attend the course. I later learned that another CIA man I had met in Miami named George Joannides was running the psychology warfare program taught at Nags Head -- a program designed by the infamous Sidney Gottlieb, director of the MK-Ultra program under CIA director Allen Dulles. So, Harvey told Plumlee to attend the course with Joannides as the program director -- a program designed by Sydney Gottlieb! Is it possible to get any more famous names into a paragraph? In 1959, Plumlee claimed he was in Honolulu taking a jungle warfare course, and who did he run into? None other than Lee Harvey Oswald! Nights in Honolulu, I'd frequent the Shell Bar on Waikiki Boulevard. It's where all the second lieutenant trainees hung out. "Quiet Village" by Martin Denny with its nature sounds and bird calls was a popular song at the time. One night I walked in and saw Oswald was sitting there with some other young military-looking guys dressed in civilian clothes. Lee and I acknowledged one another, and I sat down with his party and ordered a Singapore Sling -- gin, lime and pineapple juice with a touch of grenadine -- which was a popular drink at the time. Our conversation was casual. How are you doing? Good to see you again. One of the guys in Oswald's group told me that they were about to take a ship to return to Atsugi Naval Airbase in Japan. There Oswald continued radar training at the U-2 base before defecting to the Soviet Union in October 1959. The hope was, according to former CIA officer Victor Marchetti, that the KGB would try to turn Oswald into an agent, which would give the CIA valuable penetration into the KGB. [page 98] Ah -- enjoying a Singapore Sling with Oswald. The only problem is that Oswald was not in Hawaii in 1959, he was there in 1957 on his way to Atsugi. And relying on Marchetti is problematic. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Victor Marchetti Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part Three Marchetti was a contributing editor to a homophobic newspaper in the 1980s. Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part Two An examination of the hoax that implicated E. Howard Hunt in the JFK assassination. Should We Believe Victor Marchetti?, Part One Marchetti said that Clay Shaw was a domestic contact of the CIA. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Nagle and Storper use Marchetti as a source on Clay Shaw. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two Marchetti wrote about a fake defector program, but actually knew nothing about it. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? Wecht uses Marchetti as a source about an ONI program. Plumlee next ran into Oswald in April 1963: I ran into Oswald again in 1963 after he had returned to the United States and was living in Dallas. I had just finished flying mobsters Johnny Roselli and John Martino from Houston to Galveston. My next trip was Houston to Dallas to coordinate arms shipments for the anti-Castro rebels, so my encounter with Oswald would have taken place somewhere in the month of April. The location was a CIA safehouse run Alpha ember Manuel Rodriguez Ocarberrio, which stood directly behind an apartment Lee and his family were renting on 214 W. Neely Street in a section of Dallas known at the time as Oak Cliff. [pages 99 - 100] Plumlee writes that "the two of us had maybe three conversations over the course of the next two months at various CIA safehouses in the Dallas area, including one on Beckley Avenue, one near Sunset High School and another on Hallendale." And then Plumlee saw Marina and Lee arguing from "the safehouse across the alley." Plumlee was convinced that Oswald was innocent: I have no doubt that Lee was innocent. He never tried to kill President Kennedy. He was a young patriot like me from a broken family who was recruited and trained to complete clandestine missions for the government. It was Kennedy's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who arranged for Oswald's repatriation back to the United States (For reasons, I'll get into later.) [page 104] Robert Kennedy arranged for Oswald's return. Who knew? And, of course, Plumlee channels Judyth Vary Baker: In the summer of 1963, after this return from the Soviet Union, Lee spent time in New Orleans where he was very publicly presented as a member of the pro-Castro Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Why he was doing this, is another story that was never explored by the Warren Commission, involving a fast-acting cancer-causing virus developed by the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans that Lee was tasked with smuggling into Cuba for the purpose of infecting Fidel Castro. [page 154] I wonder why the Warren Commission did not explore this story. Is anybody going to take this book seriously? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Tosh Plumlee Tosh Plumlee Writes Fiction! Plumlee's new book is quite the novel. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part One Part One of two parts. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part Two Second of two parts. Tosh Plumlee in 1959 Some of Plumlee's interesting activities in 1959. Tosh Plumlee Admits He is Not a Credible Source A bizarre story in which Plumlee writes to the FBI that he has provided bad information to an article about him in a Denver magazine. Tosh Plumlee Steals a Plane Plumlee steals a plane and writes some bad checks. Did Tosh Plumlee Try to Abort the JFK Assassination? Did Plumlee fly an abort team to Dallas or the actual assassins? Eugene Dinkin and Vince Palamara Plumlee writes to Palamara that Dinkin's messages might have been the intelligence to send the abort team to Dallas. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two PBS Frontline investigated Plumlee's allegations about Nags Head, North Carolina and could not corroborate any part of his story Tosh Plumlee Finds an Important Photograph Wow, Tosh finds someone who has a photograph of Jack Ruby, Johnny Roselli, Sam Giancana, Ed McLamore, and Lee Harvey Oswald.

I just received my copy of Tosh Plumlee's new book, Deep Cover, Shallow Graves. It's one of the finest pieces of fiction I've read in a long time, and for those of you who like fantasy, well, you can't go wrong. Kris Millegan wrote a publisher's foreword which immediately gives you a sense of the seriousness of this book: I heard about Tosh from the intrepid Jim Marrs. I was working on Judyth Vary Baker's book, Me & Lee: How I Came to Know, Love and Lose Lee Harvey Oswald, and she was talking about Lee being on an "abort" team, and Jim told me she had heard about that from only one other person, Tosh. But then Millegan met Tosh at a JFK conference and signed a contract for this book. It didn't happen. "They" reached out and put a hand on Tosh's shoulder -- typical spycraft protocol -- threatening his pension, employment, character assassination, and general trouble. I love that term "general trouble." But thank God, we now have Tosh's book! Dick Russell wrote the foreword -- not surprising since he used Plumlee's story in the Rob Reiner podcast series on the assassination. Even if it was only a Hollywood thriller, it would be compelling. But I'm convinced that Plumlee's saga is for real -- and verification has surfaced over the years with various federal investigative bodies. His specific claims regarding the "abort" operation were recorded under oath by the FBI on April 6, 1964, as the Warren Commission was nearing completion of its probe (thought it never saw fit to call Plumlee as a witness or even mention him in the ensuing 26 volumes of testimony. First, the Warren Commission was nearing completion in early April. And where is this supposed Plumlee testimony? It's not included in the book. Russell also writes that Plumlee testified under oath before the House Select Committee on Assassinations. Where is that testimony? It's not included in the book. However, he was interviewed by Gary Hart's staff: The Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee decided to ignore Plumlee's allegations, or at the very least, did not seem to be interested in having him testify. The ARRB took an interest and didn't find anything: The only time that Plumlee mentions being interviewed by the HSCA is this passage: Soon after that, I was visited by the FBI and then two investigators from the CIA. They warned me to keep my mouth shut and not say anything further to the Church Committee. They also told me if I revealed specific CIA methods or procedures, I would be subject to criminal prosecution. At the same time lawyers from the Church Committee and the newly formed House Select Committee on Assassinations were asking me more questions about my trips to Cuba, Operation 40 and what I had experienced in Dallas on November 22nd. I was trying to walk a fine line between the two. The FBI and CIA were telling me to keep my mouth shut, and the Church Committee investigators were urging me to talk. What was I supposed to do? The only thing I could think was to try and discredit myself as a reliable witness -- someone who couldn't remember dates and names. Wow! Plumlee decides to discredit himself. That sounds like a very good strategy, no? Well, he certainly succeeded. There is lot more to come from this book. E. Howard Hunt, Frank Sturgis, Johnny Roselli, Chauncey Holt, Bill Harvey, Jack Ruby ... there is enough for several blog posts! Stay tuned. Update:' This the letter that got Senator John Kerry interested in Plumlee: Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Tosh Plumlee 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part One Part One of two parts. 1991 Tosh Plumlee Interview, Part Two Second of two parts. Tosh Plumlee in 1959 Some of Plumlee's interesting activities in 1959. Tosh Plumlee Admits He is Not a Credible Source A bizarre story in which Plumlee writes to the FBI that he has provided bad information to an article about him in a Denver magazine. Tosh Plumlee Steals a Plane Plumlee steals a plane and writes some bad checks. Did Tosh Plumlee Try to Abort the JFK Assassination? Did Plumlee fly an abort team to Dallas or the actual assassins? Eugene Dinkin and Vince Palamara Plumlee writes to Palamara that Dinkin's messages might have been the intelligence to send the abort team to Dallas. Rob Reiner's Podcast Series, Part Two PBS Frontline investigated Plumlee's allegations about Nags Head, North Carolina and could not corroborate any part of his story Tosh Plumlee Finds an Important Photograph Wow, Tosh finds someone who has a photograph of Jack Ruby, Johnny Roselli, Sam Giancana, Ed McLamore, and Lee Harvey Oswald.

Penn Jillette, the talkative member of the magic act Penn & Teller, knows that people will find the duo’s new project a little surprising. It is a Supreme Court brief filed last month urging the justices to hear an appeal from Charles Don Flores, a death row inmate in Texas. A key piece of evidence in the case was tainted by a police officer’s “investigative hypnosis” of a witness, the brief said. Here is a summary of the case: The brief noted that there was no physical evidence against Flores. The witness who identified him at trial, Jill Barganier, had initially described someone who looked nothing like him. That changed after she underwent hypnosis. Barganier at first told police that she had seen two white men with long hair who resembled one another pull up in a Volkswagen bug in the driveway of her neighbor, Elizabeth Black, shortly before Black was murdered. Barganier identified one of them, Richard Childs, from a photo array. He was a white man with long hair and a lanky frame. He pleaded guilty to the murder, served about 18 years and was paroled in 2016. The police were also interested in Flores. But he was a large Hispanic man with short hair. A few days after the murder, Barganier met with a police officer, telling him again that the men she had seen both had long hair. The officer, who had never hypnotized anyone before, told Barganier that he would help her summon a memory by pressing a play button on a mental “recorder” that would allow her to see “a film of the events that occurred on that day.” During the hypnosis session, the officer asked suggestive questions. “Is his hair short? Is it shaved? Is it neatly cut?” he asked of the driver. “Does he have it neatly cut or is it trimmed?” he asked of the passenger. Presented with a photo array of six Hispanic men, Barganier did not identify Flores. But at the trial 13 months later, she said Flores was one of the men she had seen on the morning of the killing. She was, she said, “over 100 percent” sure. The trial judge was not convinced, noting that Barganier by now knew Flores’s name. “Honestly, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to pick out who is the Hispanic individual in the courtroom,” the judge said. But the judge allowed Barganier’s testimony. Flores was convicted and sentenced to die. Here is their Amici Curiae about hypnosis: I posted this because of Jim Garrison's use of hypnosis in his investigation. He had Perry Russo hypnotized three times and he was fed leading questions which managed to construct a false memory [along with the use of sodium pentothal. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Hypnosis A Tape Recording of Perry Russo's Third Hypnosis Session Links to transcripts of Russo's hypnosis sessions and link to an actual recording of his 3rd session. Niles "Lefty" Peterson - Another Forgotten Witness Under hypnosis, Perry Russo remembered that Lefty Peterson and Sandra Moffett were also at the party with Ferrie, Bertrand and Oswald. The only problem is that both Peterson and Moffett denied being there. Jim Garrison Tries to Pull a Fast One On the HSCA Garrison tried to mislead the HSCA by mislabeling the transcripts of Perry Russo's hypnosis sessions to hide the fact that he was asked leading questions.

Washington Post, March 4, 1969 Here ia an editorial from the March 4, 1969 edition of the Arkansas Gazette: And the Miami Herald: