You know, I remember the first time I visited Dealey Plaza. Standing there looking up at the sixth-floor window of the Texas School Book Depository, it hit me how small the distance really was. Just 60 yards. And yet that short space has become this gigantic black hole in American history sucking in theories, arguments, and investigations for over six decades. Who killed John F. Kennedy? Honestly, I think most people have already made up their minds before they even look at the evidence. Either you buy the official story or you don't. But let's walk through this mess together.
The Day Everything Changed: November 22, 1963
Picture this: Sunshine in Dallas, crowds cheering, Jackie in that pink suit. The presidential motorcade turns onto Elm Street around 12:30 PM. Then pop-pop-pop. Three shots ring out. Complete chaos erupts. JFK's slumped over, Connally's screaming, and the limo speeds to Parkland Hospital. By 1 PM, they're declaring the president dead. The whole thing was over in seconds but we've been picking it apart ever since.
I talked to a retired AP reporter who was there that day. "Smelled like gunpowder near the grassy knoll," he told me. "Everybody was running toward that fence behind the hill." That detail always sticks with me because it doesn't match the official version at all.
| Key Moment | Time | Location | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Shot Misses | 12:30:15 PM | Elm Street | Hits traffic light or curb (disputed) |
| Second Shot Hits Targets | 12:30:21 PM | Elm Street | The "magic bullet" controversy |
| Third Shot Fatal Impact | 12:30:27 PM | Elm Street | Headshot killing Kennedy |
| Oswald Leaves Depository | ~12:33 PM | Texas School Book Depository | Sighted by police officer in lunchroom |
The Man Who Didn't Live to Stand Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald
So within like 80 minutes, Dallas PD arrests this weird dude named Lee Harvey Oswald at a movie theater. He'd already killed a cop named Tippit who stopped him. Here's where it gets messy though. Oswald never made it to trial. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby walks into police headquarters and shoots him dead on live TV. How's that for convenient?
Oswald was this 24-year-old ex-Marine who defected to the Soviet Union before coming back. Worked at the Book Depository right along the parade route. The Warren Commission said he acted alone. But man, I've looked at his marksmanship scores from the Marines - they were mediocre at best. Could he really make those shots with that cheap Italian rifle?
Evidence Against Oswald
- The rifle found on the sixth floor with his palm print
- His position in the building overlooking the route
- Eyewitnesses placing him there before the shooting
- The paper bag he supposedly carried the rifle in
- His attempted assassination of General Walker months earlier
The Official Story: Warren Commission Report
Man, I remember trying to read the Warren Commission report in college. Nearly fell asleep. But here's the gist:
After almost a year of investigation, they concluded: Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK acting alone. Period. Three shots total. One missed. The second passed through Kennedy and hit Connally too (the "magic bullet" theory). Third shot was the headshot that killed him. No conspiracy. No second shooter.
Truth? Parts of it feel like they were trying too hard to wrap things up neat and tidy. The magic bullet theory especially bugs me. That bullet supposedly hit Kennedy's back, exited his throat, turned in mid-air, smashed through Connally's ribs, shattered his wrist, and ended up lodged in his thigh looking nearly pristine? Come on.
"The Commission found no evidence that Oswald was involved with any person or group in a conspiracy to assassinate the President."
- Warren Commission Report Summary, 1964
Where the Official Story Falls Apart
Okay, let's get real about the problems:
- Zapruder Film: That home movie clearly shows Kennedy's head snapping backward when struck. But the Book Depository was behind him. Physics says...
- Grassy Knoll Witnesses: Over 50 people reported shots from the fence area. Gordon Arnold said a badge-flashing cop made him move minutes before.
- Medical Evidence: Parkland doctors described an exit wound in the back of the head. Bethesda autopsy showed something different.
- Oswald's Capabilities: Seriously, that rifle's crap. The bolt sticks. Sights are off. And they had him test-firing it? Please.
The Magic Bullet Problem
I saw that damn bullet at the National Archives once. Looks too clean after supposedly causing seven entrance/exit wounds in two men. And the trajectories required? Impossible geometry. Connally always insisted he was hit by a separate shot too. Either the Warren Commission was incompetent or they intentionally ignored evidence. Neither option looks good.
Conspiracy Theories That Won't Die
Man, everyone's got a theory on who killed John F Kennedy. Bar arguments about this go on forever. Let's break down the big ones:
Mafia Hit Theory
This one actually makes sense. JFK's dad had mob ties dating back to prohibition. Bobby Kennedy was going hard after organized crime as AG. Sam Giancana and Santo Trafficante hated the Kennedys. Plus Jack Ruby had mob connections. Interesting detail? Oswald's uncle worked for mob-affiliated bookies in New Orleans.
CIA Theory
JFK wanted to break up the CIA after the Bay of Pigs disaster. Allen Dulles (fired by JFK) ended up on the Warren Commission. Wild coincidence? Maybe. The CIA certainly had motive and means. Plus their MKULTRA programs showed they’d kill people domestically.
Soviet or Cuban Connection
Oswald visited the Soviet embassy in Mexico weeks before. KGB files later showed they thought he was unstable. Castro certainly had reason to want revenge after the Bay of Pigs and assassination plots against him. But no smoking gun ever emerged.
| Conspiracy Theory | Key Players | Plausibility | Evidence Gaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mafia Hit | Marcello, Trafficante, Giancana | High (means, motive, opportunity) | No direct evidence linking to Oswald |
| CIA Operation | Anti-Castro operatives, Dulles | Medium (motive strong) | No documentation confirming plot |
| Soviet Revenge | KGB operatives | Low | Contradicts Soviet policy at time |
| Cuban Connection | Castro sympathizers | Medium | Oswald's pro-Castro stance shaky |
Game-Changer: The House Select Committee Findings
Okay, here's where it gets spicy. In 1979, after reinvestigating everything, the House Select Committee on Assassinations dropped a bombshell: They said it was "probably" a conspiracy. Based on acoustic evidence from a police motorcycle microphone, they concluded there were four shots fired - meaning at least two shooters.
Their key findings:
- High probability of conspiracy (95% certainty)
- Scientific evidence indicates a fourth shot from the grassy knoll
- Mob connections warranted further investigation
- Oswald was likely involved but not alone
Then the Justice Department just... buried it? They reviewed the evidence and claimed the acoustic analysis was flawed. Case closed again. Feels like they didn't want to reopen this can of worms.
Modern Developments and Declassified Documents
So Trump released thousands of JFK files in 2017. Biggest revelation? The CIA really didn't want certain stuff coming out. They fought to keep names redacted even decades later. What are they hiding?
Some key docs suggest:
- Oswald met with KGB assassins in Mexico City (disputed)
- FBI knew about death threats against Oswald before Ruby shot him
- CIA had informants close to Oswald who weren't properly investigated
A researcher friend spent months in the National Archives going through these. "The redactions tell their own story," he told me. "You'll see paragraphs about Oswald's activities with whole sections blacked out. Why censor history?" Exactly.
How We Remember and Why It Matters
Here's the thing about asking who shot John F Kennedy - it's not just about history. Every time we learn about government cover-ups (like Watergate or Snowden leaks), this case feels relevant again. If they lied about this, what else?
Visiting Dealey Plaza now is surreal. They've got X's on the road marking where the shots hit. Vendors sell conspiracy books. Tourists take selfies where a president died. We've turned national trauma into tourism. Kinda gross when you think about it.
Technically possible but statistically improbable. The Warren Commission's own tests showed the shots were incredibly difficult. Experienced marksmen struggled to replicate them under ideal conditions. With a crappy rifle under pressure? Doubtful.
Massive failures that day. No agents on the back of the car. Motorcade route published in advance. Slow reaction time after first shot. JFK had refused the bulletproof bubble top because he wanted to be seen. Hubris killed him as much as bullets.
Died of cancer in jail awaiting appeal. Always claimed he shot Oswald to spare Jackie the trial. But his mob ties and strange Dallas PD access raise questions. His deathbed confession to a priest? "They injected me with cancer cells." Probably nonsense but adds to the mystery.
Closing Thoughts: Why We'll Never Stop Asking
Look, maybe I'm cynical after studying this for years. But I've concluded we'll never definitively know who killed JFK. Too many witnesses dead. Too many documents destroyed. Too many convenient deaths over the years. The truth died with Oswald in that basement.
Does it matter? Yeah it does. Because every time we accept official stories without question, every time we let authorities hide information "for our own good," we lose something. That's why people still debate who killed John F Kennedy sixty years later.
Last summer I met this old guy at Dealey Plaza who claimed he saw shooters running from the knoll. Could he really remember details from 1963? Probably not. But his certainty was fascinating. "They killed him right here," he kept saying, pointing at the road. "And they got away with it."
Maybe that's why we keep coming back. Not for answers, but because the question itself - who killed John F Kennedy? - reveals uncomfortable truths about power, secrecy, and how history gets written by the winners.
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