Stone, director of the 6A • FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1992 - USA TODAY movie JFK, which has renewed debate about the assasdnation. ACROS A CIA memo de- scribes de Mohren- schildt as "well-acquaint- ed" with Oswald since 1962; another says he was briefed about Os- STATESLINE wald by a CIA agent NETWOR K months before the Nov. FROM USA TODAYNATIONAL W 22, 1963, assassination. Details of de Mohren- schildt's death — ruled a suicide — and his rela- tionship with Oswald may be clarified when sealed files on the JFK shooting are opened. OSWALD A congressional reso- lution ordering the files opened, delayed in re- What's cent weeks, is now ex- pected to be introduced in files Wednesday. Quick pas- sage is predicted. After John F. Kenne- The resolution is being dy and Lee Harvey Os- delayed to provide time wald were killed, the for Rep. Louis Stokes, D- FBI's bureau or- Ohio, a key sponsor, to dered a probe of George win the approval of all de Mohrenschildt, with affected agencies. "preferred and expedi- There is no deadline tious handling." in the resolution for Why? Was he a good opening the documents guy or villian? but agencies are expect- Documents obtained ed to comply "as quicidy by USA TODAY show: as they can;" said Sen. i• be Mohrenschildt David Boren, D-Okla., Sought work with U.S. in- Senate Intelligence Com- telligence In 1942 but mittee chairman. was rejected because The resolution will set "he was alleged to be a A file photo broad guidelines requir- Nazi espionage agent." OSWALD CONNECTION? George de Mohrenschildt, with ing release of almost all His brother was an asso- his wife in an undated photo. documents related to the ciate of Adolf Hitler. assassination. Agencies O. He took a 1957 trip would have to justify to Yugoslavia and pro- withholding documents vided the CIA with "intel- JFK files may to a three-member panel ligence which was to be created by the reso- promptly disseminated lution. to other federal agen- While officials cies." He also filed long shed light on said de Mohrenschildt's report to the CIA after death at 65 was a suicide, trips through Mexico and others say it was murder. Panama in 1958. At least 32 people linked • His address book witness's death to the assassination have listed the home phone died suspiciously. number of "George H.W, By Tom &Ritter' "He is the key to the Bush," as a oil man in USA TODAY conspiracy," claims Mi- Midland, . chael Levy, a conspiracy • A Dallas County On the morning of March 29, 1977, the House Assassina- advocate who has ob- Hospital report of Nov. 9, tions Committee phoned the Florida home of George de tained scores of files un- 1976, notes de Mohren- Mohrenschildt — "a crucial witness" in the panel's John F. der the Freedom of In- schildt had been sick for Kennedy assassination probe — to arrange a meeting. formation Act. "If be five months. It never reached him. didn't have a firsthand The hospital said he That afternoon, de Mohrenschildt — described in CIA involvement, at the very had been injected with and FBI memos obtained by USA TODAY as being close to least he was in the midst some kind of drug. be accused assassin Lee Harvey 0Swald — was found dead, of all the players." Mohrenschildt Said the killed by a blast to his face from a 20-gauge shotgun. Levy and others theo- injections were linked to De Mohrenschildt (dee MORN-shield), a Russian exile rize de Mohrenschildt the assassination. with murky ties to the CIA, has become a central figure for was used by rogue intelli- some promoters of conspiracy theories in the JFK slaying. gence operatives to set — Tom Squitieri "I would say he was a handler for Oswald," says Oliver up Oswald — then sent to at the time of the assassination. Stone says de Mohrenschildt is among about 12 people whose roles he was unable to develop for his movie. He says he hopes new documents would clarify their possible roles in the assassination. Next week the movie Ruby — about Oswald's killer, — hits theaters. Set in Dallas, Havana and lac Vegas, it explores the possibility that the CIA and Mafia conspired to kill Kennedy.