Another one of Mark Lane's witnesses to support his theory that a gunman was firing from the grassy knoll was Clemon Johnson: (page 40 of Rush to Judgment ) Clemon E. Johnson told FBI agents that he had observed 'white smoke.' Here is his FBI report : Johnson tells the FBI that, at the time, "he did not know that it was shots and he could not say how many shots he heard." But, for some strange reason, Mark Lane does not quote the last line: Mr. Johnson stated that white smoke was observed near the pavillion, but he felt that this smoke came from a motorcycle abandoned near the spot by a Dallas policeman. Here is what Clemon Johnson told Larry Sneed for his book, No More Silence: An Oral History of the Assassination of President Kennedy : (page 81 in the Kindle edition) I didn’t have any idea where the shots came from, not even a guess. I was looking down at the President as they came through, and I didn’t hardly look up till he was gone. I wasn’t looking up at those bushes. I did see smoke, lots of puffs of smoke, but I was of the opinion that the smoke was coming out of those motorcycles. The smoke was coming up off the ground out where the motorcycles were, not on the grassy knoll. A lot of them said they saw smoke come out of the grassy knoll, but I didn’t. Maybe it’s because they were looking that way, and I was looking down on the car. But the smoke cleared up pretty quick after all the cars and motorcycles left. I’ve always thought the smoke came from those motorcycles. Of course, Mark Lane leaves out of his book the fact that Mr. Johnson thought the smoke was from motorcycles. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane Was there a Cannon on the Grassy Knoll? Walter Winborn saw smoke on the grassy knoll, but was it from a rifle? George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Walter Winborn witnessed the JFK assassination from the railroad overpass in Dealey Plaza. He is one of the witnesses that Mark Lane quotes in his book Rush to Judgment (page 40) to help prove a shot from the grassy knoll. Walter L. Winborn and Thomas J. Murphy told an independent investigator that they also had seen smoke in the trees on the knoll. Here is his statement to the FBI from 1964: Winborn said all the shots came from the same location, but he could not tell where they were fired from. Stewart Galanor interviewed him in 1966 and his story changed : GALANOR . Did you see anything else that might be of interest? WINBORN . I just saw some smoke coming out in a--a motorcycle patrolman leaped off his machine and go up towards that smoke that come out from under the trees on the right hand side of the motorcade. Now that was-- GALANOR . That's up that grassy hill. WINBORN . Yes. GALANOR . Grassy knoll. There's a wooden fence there. WINBORN . Yes. GALANOR . And you saw smoke. WINBORN . Yes. GALANOR . How many? Was it puffs of smoke? WINBORN . It looked like a little haze, Like somebody had shot firecrackers or something like that. Or somebody had taken a puff off of a cigarette and maybe probably nervous and blowing out smoke, you know. Oh, it looked like it was more than one person that might possibly have exhaled smoke. But it was a haze there. From my general impression it looked like it was at least ten feet long and about, oh, two or three feet wide. GALANOR . And this was where now exactly? WINBORN . That was back over the side walk underneath those trees, that--of that fence that you were talking about. . . . GALANOR . The FBI spoke with you March 17th, 1964, I believe. WINBORN . That's right. GALANOR . And they make no mention about the smoke that you saw. Did you tell them about that, that you saw smoke on the grassy knoll? WINBORN . Oh yes. Oh yes. GALANOR . They didn't include it in their report. WINBORN . Well. GALANOR . Do you have any idea why they didn't WINBORN . I don't have any idea. They are specialists in their field, and I'm just an amateur. Winborn says it "looked like a little haze," and that perhaps "somebody had taken a puff off a cigarette and maybe probably nervous and blowing out smoke, you know." Does this sound like rifle fire? Winborn says the smoke " looked like it was at least ten feet long and about, oh, two or three feet wide. ." Were cannons firing at Kennedy? Update: Lane footnotes Winborn's statement to the FBI and the Galanor interview. He does not tell his readers what was in Winborn's initial statement and that his views had changed. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane George Lardner on Mark Lane Mark Lane and the HSCA. When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

It was a pleasure to talk with Josh Sundloff who has a terrific channel on TikTok [Reason and Reality] the JFK assassination. 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.

Here is the article from the Los Angeles Times that Edwards was referring to: Here is a George Lardner article on the controversy: Previous Relevant Blog Posts George Lardner on Mark Lane Lane supported Don Edwards until he complained about the HSCA.

Was it Richard Nixon? Gee, the answer was given in 1973 and I missed it. Of course, Gus Russo told the whole story of JFK's brain in his magisterial book, Live by the Sword : The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK : (pages 699 - 700 in the Kindle edition) There is very little doubt that Robert Kennedy took control of the “missing” material. This was the finding of the HSCA, as well as many of the Archive employees. The only mystery remaining is exactly how Bobby disposed of the material. And even that mystery is finally starting to fade. In 1976, RFK’s former press aide, Frank Mankiewicz, told HSCA Counsel Blakey he thought that the “President’s brain is in the grave. LBJ, Ted, Bobby, and maybe McNamara buried it when the body was transferred. Ted seemed to confirm it later.” JFK’s body was, in fact, reinterred in Arlington in March 1967, upon completion of a memorial structure. HSCA Chief Investigator Robert Tanenbaum related to the author a comment that Mankiewicz allegedly made to him in 1978—that RFK, in an earlier phone call, said that the brain “is being put back in the coffin. Do not leak this or you’ll be in big trouble.” Mankiewicz denies saying this, but acknowledges being on guard at the perimeter for the reinterment. Evelyn Lincoln told the Committee that she would continue to investigate the matter on her own. In 1992, in a final attempt to determine the whereabouts of the material, the author enlisted a close friend who is also a confidante of Mrs. Lincoln to put the question to her: After she told the HSCA that she would conduct further inquiries into the matter, did she indeed learn anything about the disposition of the President’s brain? According to the intermediary, Mrs. Lincoln became quiet, looked her friend in the eyes, and said simply, “It’s where it belongs.” JFK's body was reinterred in March 1967 and, at that time, his brain was put into the coffin. Update Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   For $25,000 Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document.

We will start this off with a UPI story from June 11, 1968, just six days after the assassination of Robert Kennedy, quoting Mark Lane: Sylvia Meagher wrote a letter to Kerry Thornley, and wondered if Jim Garrison would back up the Mark Lane story. Thornley wrote Meagher back, and was anxious to write about Mark Lane. Of course, it didn't take long for Garrison to repeat the Mark Lane story! Here is the article that Kerry Thornley wrote. Update Here is a letter that Sylvia Meagher sent to David Lifton about this affair : Update Here is how this was reported in the New York Free Press : Update 2 From the LA Free Press:

Tucker Carlson who has gone completely antisemitic over the last year has another rant on the JFK assassination. His guest is Zach Lahn who is running to be Governor of Iowa. Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (1:16:47) Lahn : Somebody asked me the other day, what do you think the most pressing issue facing America is? And I, like, taking out the spirituality, because spirituality is intertwined. But taking that out, it said, I think it's that our government is run by unelected people, and we don't know who they are. Carlson : Yeah, Lahn : And, and I was talking ... Carlson : ... without our best interest at heart at all. Lahn : And so this idea of America first, of Iowa first. It's like, to many of us, this is just common sense. It's like, this is what the country was set up for. Carlson : What's the other form of government that's legitimate? I can't think of one. If this is a democratic republic and the government is acting in an interest that's not our interest, how is that legitimate? How is that not grounds for, you know, anyway, right? There's no other legitimate form of government but America first, or Iowa first. Like, there's, that's the only option. Lahn: And how we got away from that is unbelievable. I was talking to my dad about some of these things the other day, and some things you can think, and know, but not exactly know how to describe or put into words. And I get that feeling when I think about the shift that our country clearly went through after the assassination of John F Kennedy, Carlson : Well, that's it, right there. Lahn : it seem ed as if something spiritual happened at that point within our country, and it has to do with the complete disregard for truth, honesty, or like the American public deserving to know what's happening. And then, you know, I read a tweet one day. I don't know who said it. Maybe it's Russell Brand, or somebody that said something along the lines of, like, the future success of our country and the Kennedys is, like, intertwined in some way. Carlson : And it's true. It is true. I never used to believe that, and I would hear these baby boomers say that was the day everything changed and and they were silly. No, they were not serious people, but they could feel something that was true, and that was clearly true, that a lot did change. Everything changed when he was assassinated, in a way that I did not appreciate till I was much older and but they were, they were right. They were right in saying that, in the fact that 63 years later, you know, CIA still will not, this is a fact, will not divulge all the information that it has on his murder, despite a bunch of laws from Congress, despite an executive order from the president of the United States, a year ago They're still hiding it. Clearly there were, you know, probably a lot of people involved, probably a foreign country, clearly involved. Our own government, clearly involved. So like, and they're still lying about it. It's wild. But if the truth sets you free, then lies enslave you. Lahn : Yeah. Carlson : And the obverse is true. So I think we are enslaved in some sense, by these lies. Lahn : You know. I think where I see this most is in the newest generation of people that are coming up, coming of age, so to speak. And there's some very loud voices out there that they're all flocking to, one in very in particular that you've interviewed. And people ask me all the time like, Why do I think that is then I just say, Guys, look at the lies. Carlson : Exactly. Lahn : Look at what's happened. Look at the lack of justice, the lack of accountability, like, what we don't ... Where's Fauci? Like, what? What about the Hunter Biden laptop? When are these people going to be arrested? Yet another politician swallows the JFK conspiracy pill. Yes, the old Fletcher Prouty-Oliver Stone-James DiEugenio line that America can't move forward unless the JFK conspiracy is exposed. A prescription for continual grievance. And now Carlson blames the CIA and another country. Gee, who was the CIA conspiring with? I would guess that he blames Israel, no? Previous Relevant Blog Posts The MAGA Crowd Gets The JFK Assassination Conspiracy They Need It used to be the left who loved JFK assassination theories. Was Israel Behind the JFK Assassination? Jefferson Morley was a guest on Carlson's show. Tucker Carlson, Again! Matt Taibbi was a guest on Carlson's show. Tucker Carlson Reaches a New Low Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick were guests. RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard Bring Conspiracy Nonsense into the Trump Administration Gabbard liked Douglass's book, JFK and the Unspeakable . Tucker Carlson Continues to Embarrass Himself Ron Paul tells Carlson the U.S. lost its government on November 22, 1963. RFK Jr. Puts Words in Allen Dulles's Mouth RFK Jr. is interviewed by Tucker Carlson and makes up some quotes.

Washington Post, May 14, 1977 Money Quote When Rep. Don Edwards (D-Calif), as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights, protested against the intrusive nature of the hidden recording devices, voice stress analyzers and other gadgets proposed for the investigation by chief Counsel Sprague, Lane began denouncing him on the lecture circuit and noting darkly that Edwards was a former agent of the FBI. Up to that point, Edwards had been mentioned favorably in Citizens Commission newsletters for holding congressional hearings in 1975 on the FBI"s long-secret destruction of a threatening note from Lee Harvey Oswald. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on George Lardner "The Way It Wasn't" -- George Lardner on Oliver Stone's "JFK" Lardner claimed that Oliver Stone assassinated the truth. Why did Guy Banister Pistol-Whip Jack Martin? This post includes notes by George Lardner from a telephone conversation with Jack Martin. David Ferrie Talks to the Press... A George Lardner article is included as is his questioning by Garrison's office. Washington Post  on the 30th Anniversary of Oliver Stone's "JFK" Terrific cartoon from Lardner's article on the film. George Lardner's internal Washington Post  Memo about Oliver Stone  Lardner's memo to Ben Bradlee, Editor of the Washington Pos t, regarding Oliver Stone. The Outline for a George Lardner/Harold Weisberg Book on Jim Garrison/Oliver Stone   Here is the outline for their proposed book. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Mark Lane When Mort Sahl Kicked Mark Lane Out of his House An interesting anecdote from Mort Sahl's book, Heartland. Should We Blame Mark Lane? Some ads for Lane's film Rush to Judgment. In Defense of the Warren Commission A Garry Wills opinion piece on Mark Lane. Victor Navasky Reviews Mark Lane's "A Citizen's Dissent" Navasky tests Lane's book and finds it wanting. Mark Lane and Jonestown A New York Times profile of Lane and his involvement with Jonestown. New York Times Profile of Mark Lane An apt profile. Nightmare Brought to Life An opinion piece by Anthony Lewis in the New York Times  on Mark Lane and Jonestown. Mark Lane, Again An opinion piece from the Washington Post Mark Lane: A Bent for the Macabre Side A good opinion piece from the Philadelphia Bulletin . Sylvia Meagher Corresponds with Philippe Labro Meagher tells Labro a story about Mark Lane. Mark Lane and The Progressive Even a left-wing magazine like The Progressive  found Mark Lane hard to take. Mark Lane on Clay Shaw Mark Lane's addition to the 1992 edition of Rush to Judgment is eye opening. Mark Lane on the Joe Dolan Show Lane tells Dolan about Garrison's amazing evidence. Did the CIA Try to Kill Mark Lane?   Lane makes a startling allegation. Mark Lane: The Left's Leading Hearse-Chaser   A profile from Mother Jones  magazine. Mark Lane vs. Sylvia Meagher   Lane and Meagher feuded about a blurb for her book. The Case Against Mark Lane   A profile from Esquire Magazine . Mark Lane saw a conspiracy - as usual   An article from the Tampa Bay Times . The Mark of Zorro   An Anthony Lewis column on Mark Lane from 1978. Mark Lane's Scholarship!   Howard Roffman finds that Mark Lane's scholarship is lacking. Mark Lane, Conspiracy Addict   A profile of Mark Lane in Newsweek . Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to "Mr. Candy"   Mark Lane offers to introduce Jim Garrison to a witness that, for $25,000, would tie Jack Ruby with Clay Shaw. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   This post has a good case study of how Mark Lane exploited a redaction in a document. "I Know Who Killed JFK," Part Three Lane tells the Danish press he knows who killed JFK. Mark Lane Said that Clay Shaw Was a "Powerful, Domestic Force in the Assassination." Lane speaks at the Louisiana State Bar Association.

It was great fun talking with Dr. Robert Vitt on JFK conspiracy stories, the first generation of critics and how to evaluate evidence . Robert Vitt is a tenured professor of philosophy at Long Beach City College in California, where he teaches courses in critical thinking, philosophy, and law-related studies. He holds a J.D. and M.B.A. from Chapman University, as well as an M.A. in Philosophy from the City University of New York Graduate Center. His research focuses on the JFK assassination, with a particular interest in how people form beliefs about controversial events through reasoning and 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.

Steamshovel Press was a conspiracy magazine that started in 1992. This 1992 issue had an interesting interview with Kerry Thornley For a good introduction to Kerry Thornley, check out this link . Thornley reiterates that he did not meet Lee Harvey Oswald in New Orleans, and that they were only in New Orleans at the same time for a few weeks. "District Attorney Jim Garrison has always been convinced that Oswald and I met with one another in New Orleans but that a hypothesis very wide of the actual facts." Thornley only became suspicious about Oswald's defection after he began reading Warren Report critics. Thornley didn't become a critic of the Warren Report until 1965. He now says "I think he [Oswald] was probably a CIA agent spying on the FBI for Kennedy by the time of the assassination." Over time, Kerry Thornley started to become paranoid and began to believe all sorts of crazy stuff. Here he writes that "when I was in the service with him [Oswald] at the same time I began to experience audio hallucinations in the borderline area between sleeping and waking as I was going to sleep at night. And I'm absolutely certain that it was mind control. There's no doubt in my mind that it was mind control, that they had planted an electrode in the base of my skull and were mind-controlling me." And then Thornley states that it was "very probable" they were also doing it with Oswald. Thornley talks about the second Oswald theory. "Whoever it was, in my opinion, was planting proof of conspiracy because after Oswald became famous, these impersonations made it obvious there was a conspiracy." Of course, Thornley denies being the second Oswald. He also discusses Barbara Reid's claim that she saw him at the Bourbon House with Oswald. "And Barbara Reed [sic], this woman, was sitting at the bar and she overheard that snatch of the conversation when Oswald appeared on television and they were talking about how he was from Texas and all that. She had decided that that had been Oswald that I'd been sitting with." And then Thornley met with Oliver Stone: And I think that Stone's going off on a tangent myself. He was very skeptical about what I had to say about not seeing Oswald in 1963. His mind is very much up the same tree as Garrison's, in my opinion. John Stockwell was there also, former CIA, renegade CIA agent. He believed me. He understood. When I got to all the weird stuff, and there are such weird things going on in the intelligence community that most people wouldn't believe them and I wouldn't blame them. The mind control is just one example. Somebody who is an intelligence community professional realizes that stuff like that goes on. But Stone himself was very skeptical and I felt that I couldn't get through to him. Thornley talks about his "implant": The reason I think that there was an implant is that I developed a boil on the back of my neck, right at the center of my neck, right at the base of my skull. And I spent a lot of time in New Orleans talking to a guy who I realize in retrospect was connected to the intelligence community who I believe was probably involved in the assassination. It wasn't Oswald, however. It was another guy, I think he may have been Howard Hunt. Whoever he was he had a bald head and he looked like Hunt. That guy mentioned the business about the implants in the base of the skull. Then Thornley talks about a ridiculous story about talking to someone in New Orleans about assassinating Kennedy, who also wondered who he could frame with the assassination. Thornley tells him, "why don't you frame some Communist." And the man "smirked." Then Thornley really gets crazy: "He left trails of evidence that he might be somebody else, two or three mutually exclusive trails of evidence. One of them that he might be a mad scientist who had been one of Hitler's scientists. And another one that he might be Mortimer Bloomfield of the Permindex Corporation. I don't think he was any of the above. I think he probably was Howard Hunt." Thornley is then asked about the theory, as propounded in Jonathan Vankin's book, Conspiracies, Cover-Ups, and Crimes , that he and Oswald might have been part of a Nazi breeding experiment: Yeah, that's my theory. That's the theory I came up with in the last few years. I thought it all started when I knew Oswald in the Marine and the more I investigated it, the more I tried to piece it together, the more I realized that it had to have started earlier than that. And there are numerous reasons why I think I'm the product of a breeding experiment. My mother's family name is Switzer and that's a name that goes clear back to the Crusades, as does the name Oswald. And I figure that we were both, they weed people out of the breeding experiments. They pick two of them and they kill one of them. They pick two of them and they observe them for a number of years and then they get rid of one of them. And that's what I think they were doing with me and Oswald. Well, that makes sense, no? Thornley now believes that mind control can be made "less profitable" but that it cannot be eradicated. Had Thornley not been a mind-control subject, he would have become an elder in the Mormon Church. As you can see, Thornley was unhinged. Here is an excerpt from my book, On the Trail of Delusion : (pages 224 - 225 of the Kindle edition) The Idle Warriors was finally published in 1991, with an introduction by David Lifton, which was highly critical of Garrison. But by this time, Thornley was having his doubts about a conspiracy and wrote in his preface that the case against him nevertheless brought up some “disturbing questions worthy of respect.” He had once met Shaw, and he had once met David Ferrie, and his paranoid mind was now questioning what this all meant. Jonathan Vankin, the author of Conspiracy, Cover-Ups, and Crimes , spoke to Thornley in 1989, who told him he believed that he and Lee Harvey Oswald were both products of genetic tests carried out by a secret proto-Nazi sect of eugenicists, the Vril Society. He claimed that a bugging device was implanted in his body at birth, and that both he and Oswald were secretly watched and manipulated from childhood by shadowy, powerful Vril overlords. He believes the experiment somehow expanded to include the JFK assassination. He believes the Vril may be monitoring him today. Paul Hoch wrote that “‘Garrison could charm the birds down from the trees,’ a staffer once said, and I suppose he would not be the first prosecutor to lead an innocent man to believe his own guilt.” Here is the chapter on Thornley from Jonathan Vankin's book : You can read the solution to the Bolton Ford truck incident here. You can read Garrison's press release on Thornley here. Vankin gets Banister all wrong, including spelling his name incorrectly. His detective agency was around the corner from 544 Camp Street at 531 Lafayette. Banister had no formal ties with the CIA. You can see the downward spiral of Thornley's thinking here. How much of the Kirstein story is true is hard to tell. Here is Thornley's article, "Did the Plumbers Plug JFK Too" from The Great Speckled Bird of August 27, 1973: Here is a link to Kerry Thornley's 1976 affidavit. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Kerry Thornley On the Trail of Delusion, Episode 23, with Adam Gorightly Gorightly wrote two books on Thornley. Clint Bolton on Kerry Thornley Bolton was a good friend of Thornley's in New Orleans in 1963 and Thornley never mentioned bumping into Oswald. David Lifton's Memo on Jim Garrison and Kerry Thornley   Lifton circulated a memo he wrote on Garrison and Thornley in 1968. Here is his memo along with some exhibits. David Lifton (1939-2022), R.I.P.   My obituary for David Lifton includes a letter that he wrote to Mark Lane about Kerry Thornley. Exclusive: Andrew Sciambra Phones Kerry Thornley   A link to a tape recording of a phone call between Kerry Thornley and Andrew Sciambra. Was Kerry Thornley a Spook?   James DiEugenio includes a clearly false story about Thornley in his book. Did Kerry Thornley Lie About Oswald's Height?   Garrison was obsessed about Oswald's height. Exclusive: Jim Garrison Tells the HSCA that Kerry Thornley Impersonated Lee Harvey Oswald...   Garrison tells the HSCA all sorts of stories about Kerry Thornley. Exclusive: Jim Garrison Interviewed by the HSCA   Garrison tells the HSCA that Kerry Thornley might be the body in the backyard photographs. Gaeton Fonzi Channels Jim Garrison...   Why was Kerry Thornley arrested in 1962? Kerry Thornley on Oswald right after Assassination   The first writings from Thornley on November 27, 1963, about Oswald. Was Lee Harvey Oswald a Man of the Right?   Jim Garrison was convinced that Thornley was the only Marine to describe Oswald's left-wing politics. Kerry Thornley Writes Sylvia Meagher Sylvia Meagher was a big supporter of Kerry Thornley and here is some of their correspondence. Was Kerry Thornley the Second Oswald?   Garrison writes a memo to the HSCA alleging that Thornley was the second Oswald. Was Thornley the Second Oswald? Yes, Again   An interview with another prisoner is more evidence to Jim Garrison that Thornley is the second Oswald. Reverend Raymond Broshears Makes a Startling Revelation!   Was Kerry Thornley gay?

Here is an excerpt from Plumlee's DEA file : Wow! A photograph of Jack Ruby, Johnny Roselli, Sam Giancana, Ed McLamore, and Lee Harvey Oswald. So, where is this supposed photograph? 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

Jefferson Morley heralded an exclusive story this week -- about RFK and the Soviets. Three weeks after President John F. Kennedy was shot dead in November 1963, his grieving brother Robert F. Kennedy sent a private message to the leadership of the Soviet Union asserting that the assassination “undoubtedly was the result of a large political conspiracy.” A Kremlin document, dated December 9, 1963, is found in the Russian government’s recently released dossier on JFK’s assassination. The two-page memo shows the messenger was William Walton, an artist friend of JFK, who travelled to Moscow after the assassination. You can download the memo written by G. Bolshakov on December 11, 1963, from Morley's website . There are only two paragraphs about the assassination: The assassination of President Kennedy, Walton said, undoubtedly was the result of a large political conspiracy. Perhaps there was only one assassin, but there were certainly more accomplices to the president's murder. Dallas, Walton continued, is the ideal place for such a crime. The murder of the President there could be blamed on racists, Birchers, anyone at all. But was the conspiracy claim Robert Kennedy's belief or message? It sounds like it is Walton's conclusion. Towards the end of the memo, there is indeed a message from Robert Kennedy: I spoke with Robert Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy before leaving for the Soviet Union, Walton continued. Robert Kennedy asked me to convey to you his warm greetings. He said, "Go to Moscow and tell them that we, for our part, will do everything possible to ensure that the political course of the United States toward the USSR remains unchanged and that the country's leadership is in firm hands." Morley references two books that contain the story about RFK conveying a message about conspiracy through Walton to Bolshakov. Here is the relevant passage from "One Hell of a Gamble": Khrushchev, Castro, and Kennedy, 1958-1964 , by Aleksandr Fursenko and Timothy Naftali: (page 345) Bolshakov and Walton met at the Sovietskaya restaurant. "Dallas was the ideal location for such a crime," Walton told the Soviet intelligence officer. "Perhaps there was only one assassin, but he did not act alone." Bolshakov, who had himself been deeply moved by assassination, listened intently as Walton explains that the Kennedy's believed there was a large political conspiracy behind Oswald's rifle. Despite Oswald's connections to the communist world, the Kennedy's believed that the president was felled by domestic opponents. The footnote for this paragraph reads as follows: Interview with Georgi Bolshakov, Jan. 28, 1989. At this interview, Bolshakov described the effect of both Kennedy assassinations on him. The claim that RFK was conveying a message about conspiracy came from Bolshakov in 1989. Was this his real memory from the meeting in 1963, some twenty-five years earlier? Or was this an improved memory, perhaps influenced by his own views of conspiracy? Morley says additional information about Walton's meeting, thanks to Walton's son, is in David Talbot's book, The Devil's Chessboard . But I can't find anything in that book about the meeting. However, Talbot's book, Brothers , contains the story: Now, in Moscow, Bobby Kennedy's representative was reporting that the attorney general's worst fears had come true. What Walton told Bolshakov over their meal at the Sovietskaya stunned the Russian. He said that Bobby and Jackie believed that the president had been killed by a large political conspiracy. "Perhaps there was only one assassin, but he did not act alone," Walton said, continuing the message from the Kennedys. There were others behind Lee Harvey Oswald's gun. J. Edgar Hoover had told both Bobby and Jackie that Oswald was a communist agent. But despite the alleged assassin's well-publicized defection to the Soviet Union and his attention-grabbing stunts on behalf of Fidel Castro, the Kennedys made it clear that they did not believe he was acting on foreign orders. They were convinced that JFK was the victim of U. S. opponents. And, Walton told Bolshakov, "Dallas was the ideal location for such a crime." The footnote for this passage is revealing: He said that Bobby and Jackie believed that the president had been killed by a large political conspiracy. Fursenko and Naftali, 345. Fursenko and Naftali based their account of the Walton-Bolshakov meeting on a memo that Bolshakov prepared for the GRU. Fursenko also interviewed Bolshakov in January 1989 before he died. In an interview for this book, Naftali observed, "It's possible that Bolshakov exaggerated what Walton said to him to remind his superiors how close he was to the Kennedys. Bolshakov clearly liked the fact that he had become a player, and it's possible he exaggerated a bit to get back into the inner circle. But I'd be surprised if he invented it out of whole cloth." The authors note in their book that "the GRU material on Bolshakov has been corroborated in other cases and some of the details in this document have been corroborated." So, the only source for Robert Kennedy conveying a message about conspiracy to the Soviets is the Fursenko interview in 1989. Fursenko and Naftali did see the actual document, according to their footnotes -- but did they notice the limited attribution to RFK when Bolshakov showed them the memo? Even so, Naftali believed that Bolshakov might have been exaggerating. And so while he was probably not exaggerating in the memo, he was most probably exaggerating in the interview. The real story that Morley should have reported is that "Russian Memo Does Not Corroborate Walton-Bolshakov Story." One last point. Robert Kennedy knew about the plots against Castro. That must have been weighing on his mind right after the assassination. And as we know, he never told the Warren Commission about the plots nor did he say a word about the CIA working withe Mafia. "I have myself wondered if we did not pay a very great price for being more energetic than wise about a lot of things, especially Cuba." Bill Moyers quoted Robert Kennedy as saying. I don't think Robert Kennedy was sharing his real opinions about the assassination back in 1963 - 1964. Hat tip: Paul Hoch helped with the production and editing of this article. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Jefferson Morley The Incurious Dr. Pearcy A supposed CIA whistleblower wasn't very curious. The Reuben Efron Story, Once Again! How many times must Morley repeat this story? Jefferson Morley's William Harvey Nothingburger, Continued It wasn't hard to find evidence that Charles Niles worked for the FAA. Jefferson Morley's Latest William Harvey Nothingburger The truth about FAA credentials. Jefferson Morley Platforms Max Good A rebuttal to Good regarding Ruth Paine. Morley's Substack Goes After Ruth Paine Morley presents several conspiratorial allegations about Ruth Paine. I Am Now a Pro Bono Lawyer for the CIA! I don't even have law degree! Yet Another Morley Nothingburger A new CIA file on Herminio Diaz does not sustain allegations that he was a grassy knoll gunman. Richard Russell and the Warren Report Richard Russell always believed that Oswald was the lone gunman. Was Hoover's Warren Commission Testimony Altered? An article by Chad Nagle, on Morley's Substack, gets it wrong on Hoover's testimony. My Quillette Article on Morley's Nothingburger My latest article for Quillette.com CBS Practices Stenography The recent segment on CBS about Morley and JFK documents was not journalism. Lee Harvey Oswald was not under Surveillance Morley's list of six CIA operations does not prove that Oswald was under surveillance. The CIA's Pro Bono Lawyers Morley claims the SpyTalk authors are working as pro bono lawyers for the CIA. Did the CIA Know Oswald's State of Mind? The CIA was just quoting from a State Department memo. SpyTalk on the Joannides' File, Part Two SpyTalk replies to Jefferson Morley. The Illusion of a Smoking Gun Gerald Posner on the Joannides file. Fact Checking Morley's Fact Check Morley's Fact Check on SpyTalk needs a fact check. SpyTalk on Morley's Nothingburger Gus Russo and Michael Isikoff on the Joannides personnel file. Jefferson Morley's Unbearable Lightness of Being Now that the entire personnel file of George Joannides has been released, Jefferson Morley has now published his unified theory of nothingness. More Morley Nothingburgers on the way Morley is requesting more documents -- they will reveal nothing about the assassination. Morley's Non-Story Hits the Press Morley got the headlines he wanted to a complete non-story. George Joannides and the HSCA Joannides did not come out of retirement to work with the HSCA. There Was No "Oswald Operation" There is no mention of an "Oswald Operation" in the Joannides' personnel file. The Parkland Doctors, Part Six Morley believes that Dr. Robert McClelland's recollections provides proof of a shot from the front. Here is the truth about McClelland. On the Loss of Occam’s Razor in the JFK Case A reply by Nicholas Nalli to Jefferson Morley. A Case Study in Redaction: The CIA's LIFEAT File Morley suspected a redacted file would reveal major secrets. It didn't. The Schlesinger Memo Unredacted! Several months ago, I posted an article, in association with several researchers, that showed what was contained in the redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Clairvoyance Morley somehow knows what is in the supposed 2,400 recently-discovered FBI files. Was Israel Behind the JFK Assassination? Morley discusses Israel with Tucker Carlson. Morley's Bad History Lesson Morley believes that the United States can never be great unless it solves the JFK assassination. Morley's List of 13 Documents Will Tell Us Little An analysis of the 13 documents Morley wants to see. The Schlesinger Memo, Again! Morley claims I am a CIA apologist and then misquotes me. For The Sake of Our Sanity - Release the Joannides File It would be worthwhile for the CIA to release the Joannides file just to stop the incessant posts from Jefferson Morley. Did Oswald Stay at a Luxury Hotel in Helsinki? Actually, Oswald stayed at two budget-priced hotels in Helsinki. Morley Keeps Asking the Same Questions He keeps asking the same questions, and we keep posting the same answers. The JFK Assassination and Truth Conspiracy authors are playing fast and loose with the facts. Was Herminio Diaz a Grassy Knoll Assassin? There is no evidence that Diaz was involved in the JFK assassination. Morley Misleads on Arthur Schlesinger's Memo on the CIA There are clues as to what is in a redacted section of Schlesinger's memo. Jefferson Morley's Podcast on New Orleans Lays an Egg Chad Nagle and Dan Storper's article on New Orleans gets everything wrong. Chad Nagle and Dan Storper Lay an Egg Believing Michael Kurtz is problematic. Is Jefferson Morley Seeing Double? Morley wrote that there are two redacted memos on CIA reorganization, but there is only one. He wrote about Goodwin's copy as if it was a different memo, rather than a copy of the Schlesinger memo. Jefferson Morley is wrong about "Who Shot John?" The phrase 'who shot John' does not refer to the JFK assassination. Jefferson Morley is Wrong on William Harvey, Again! Only one word is redacted in Harvey's deposition. Jefferson Morley is Wrong about Operation Northwoods, Again! There are no redactions in the Operation Northwoods document. Did Dorothy Kilgallen Have any Special Knowledge about the JFK Assassination? Kilgallen had nothing to tell. Morley's Interview of Marina Oswald Porter Fizzles! An underwhelming interview of Marina Oswald. Jefferson Morley: Able to Leap Intellectual Chasms in a Single Bound Morley often repeats stories and changes their meanings. There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago Chad Nagle claims there was an assassination plot against JFK in Chicago in November 1963. One problem: There is no evidence of such a plot. Fred Litwin, CIA Apologist? A response to Morley's Substack post alleging that I am a CIA apologist. A Reply to Jefferson Morley on Bill Harvey   A rebuttal to Morley's response to my post Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963? Was Bill Harvey in Dallas in November of 1963?   There is no credible evidence Harvey was in Dallas in November of 1963. Does it Matter Where Allen Dulles was on November 22, 1963?   Morley repeats the claim that Dulles was at a CIA training center during the weekend of the JFK assassination. He wasn't. Jefferson Morley's Claims about Reuben Efron   Morley's claims about Efron are all wrong. A Reply to Jefferson Morley regarding Operation Northwoods   Morley responded to my article "The Truth about Operation Northwoods." Here is my reply. W. Tracy Parnell on Jefferson Morley   W. Tracy Parnell is one of the best JFK assassination researchers out there. Here is his look at Jefferson Morley with several important articles. The Truth about Operation Northwoods   Operation Northwoods can only be understood as part of the Kennedys' war against Cuba and Operation Mongoose. Jefferson Morley Responds to my Post on MK-Ultra and Jack Ruby   And a response from me. Did Dr. Louis Jolyon West Ask to Examine Jack Ruby in November 1963?   There is no evidence that Dr. West petitioned the court to examine Jack Ruby before his trial. Did the CIA use a MK-Ultra Psychiatrist to Interfere with Jack Ruby's Case?   There is absolutely no evidence that Dr. Louis Jolyon West interfered with Jack Ruby's case. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads Viewers on Oswald's "Hands Off Cuba!" Handbills, Part Four   Jefferson Morley used a fake Oswald handbill in his press conference for the Mary Ferrell Foundation. Redactions, Redactions, Redactions...   An examination of redactions in the JFK collection of documents. Jefferson Morley Doesn't Understand Jim Garrison's Homophobic Prosecution of Clay Shaw Morley doesn't understand Alecia Long's arguments about homophobia and Jim Garrison. Jefferson Morley asks why "what the CIA knew about Herminio Diaz is still off limits." Morley misses that a lot of redactions are actually available. Belief in a JFK Conspiracy Drops! Jefferson Morley's press conference presents evidence that belief in a conspiracy has dropped. Previous Relevant Blogs Posts on Jefferson Morley's Congressional Testimony Jefferson Morley's Congressional NothingBurger An analysis of Congresswoman Luna's Congressional Hearings In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part One An FBI memo that quoted James Angleton is used by Morley to reach an unwarranted conclusion. In Search of the Oswald Operation, Part Two Morley misreads Angleton's testimony before the HSCA. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Three Morley believes a document proves the CIA did not believe that a lone gunman killed JFK. Update on the Heath Memo Additional documents relevant to Part Three. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Four Morley claims that there is some connection between the suicides of Gary Underhill, Charles Thomas, George de Mohrenschildt, and the overdose death of Dorothy Kilgallen. In Search of an Oswald Operation, Part Five Morley believes that Agustin Guitart was spying on pro-Castro forces in New Orleans.