454 expert. It may be that the deaths are within the normal rates, despite the appear- ance of an epidemic, or it may be that they are radically out of line . Mr. Chairman, Jacqueline Hess, the committee's chief of re- search for the Kennedy assassination investigation, has been in charge of the mysterious deaths project. Her report, on which she is prepared to testify today, contains the findings of the project. It would be appropriate at this time, Mr. Chairman, to call Ms. Hess. Chairman STOKES . The committee calls Miss Hess. Stand and raise your right hand and be sworn. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? TESTIMONY OF JACQUELINE HESS Ms. HESS . I do. Chairman STOKES . Thank you. You may be seated. Ms. HESS . Mr. Chairman, members of the committee . The issue of mysterious deaths, that is, that a statistical)y improbable number of individuals with some direct or peripheral association with the Kennedy assassination died as a result of that assassination, there- by raising the specter of conspiracy, was first brought to national attention as the result of a promotional campaign for the movie "Executive Action" which was based on Mark Lane's novel, "Rush to Judgment." Mr. Chairman, I would direct your attention to JFK exhibit F-544 and ask that it be admitted into the record at this time. Chairman STOKES. Without objection. [The information follows:] 455
JFK EXHIBIT F-544
An Edward Lewis Production ENEOOTIVE ADTI9N FACTS BEHIND THE MAKING OF THIS FILM Introduction 'EXECUTIVE ACTION" is a film of fiction-based on fact . This does not purport to be adefinite documcm w tk. assassination of JFK. It is solely a bibliography for the film which deals with only Ten years ago-on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12 :30 P.M .- President John F. Kennedy rode in an open limousine through the limited aspectsof theevent. streets of Dallas. At aplaceknown as Dealey Plaza, he wasshot to death. The dialogues in the film are, for themost part, fictional. However, This event, wNch abruptly andseverely alteredthecourse of history, substantial portions are based upon the documented material . has been the iourec of intense andcontinuing controversy. The haunt- References to the Warren Commission Report (W CR) its testimony ing questions still remain . "Who did itT' "Why did they do it?" "How andexhibits, will be made by citing the number of theVolume (there was it doneT' are 26 in all) and the page number . For example, 19H102would refer The official answers have never satisfied a majority among us. A to Volume 19 of the Hearings publishedrecord,page 102. Gallup Poll on theWarren Report asked, "Doyouthinkonemanalone was responsible for the assassination of President Kennedy or do you Furthercitationswill useCommission Exhibitnumbers(for example, think others were involved?" CE 399) or Commission Document numbers (e.g. CD 7) . Many of them documentsare available in the Archives. Some arestill classified. 64% of those polled believed that others were involved . Only declassified evidence available to thepublic will be cited to these This film dramatizes the story of how a conspiracy to assassinate pagm President Kennedy couldhave takenplace. Additional source materials cited are available in public libraries This b*kground material came from many sources. Exhibits and and newspaperfiles. testimony gathered by the Warren Commission, the FBI, the CIA, the StateDepartment, theSecret Service, theDallas Police Department and Scenes in themotion picturebasedon historical facts are noted. Other Sheriffs office. Newspaperandmagazine articles. Radio andtelevision scenes taken from actual films of events are noted as 'matters of his- tapes. Evidenceuncoveredbyprivateinvestigators. torical record.'
45 6
repon upporb-" macmlul which wet b< PRESIDENT JOHNSON I . DOUBTS WARREN and heiow REPORT CONCLUSION JFK'S ADMINISTRATION David We.. author of Ibr Y~rdvl, Of P,-Jenl KenrINfn aJminr,tratian was Lying made the tolloxrng , regvnkd 'a ong m ender for m "'Three rc hln,eJ a l r nfSS In at he 1r9leranch, in Texas in SYpmmMr 1ec(on r n 111. H it and allmer . Iw."r. when mr mirJ Jnnn m 11,1 1xplc( w-a1 l-1 Im~ Mrwn On hlay 2 .197(,. plan Io red. n~he.oppo,iwn to mnarn nc1oJN< Ihu m ,age alnnn m mergar ruder be .mr- .1II.1 aa,. hls mien . andx , o the prngnunc 't oat rI lo,SIII down Aunm,iic nvlirvrObmex hiha, been AekmJ I r Ihi~eMO.,Ja1a a vJn , ., .appnt fhte vrr.iJlnl Inn on, rplaca, n,P :r " r n IM Black rMm -4,f,6naorixl,nualwn LEE HARVEY OSWALD- ,Ln m,rd of lei mg, amt n mnhc r n,1r. r t hl e mar, Sii~l BACKGROUND 1- hr ,"1W O~nn, >ma Urkam 'I bede .crrplion, : .r IreIJarvey 457 Iv, Six xcxFa lamr ,hev ware o We+hingmn, U(' . d, Rankln rmlnr o)xrahom Ihm nc had acgWrcJ Ing age uhilr in the Star rte Cops. . fhxild's oer f( I >, fied' in nrmx r a over +0 7h( Rrro- Icd. and nn Febn cry 5 Is6C, (heir a,J(' +c1Tinlormed71t,"', dxm 1=67 d~~~glvrr, mne Ice Dxwma x,. + non, .n nle oornn,i.*.ia;~ Ina+. "Ixa (_la w pavspoit w areJ 1y `oNn at7er ebe U,xafd'+ Me,ine ~ , . C'nnrmarWinS Minvk.lJ6r oath InreJ Fx Ine FHh Wal he w appis ,filed r Or1eaM On Dlikmr . (. .~Pt luhn I eelIIfeJ "Sllh,nigh he had f w his uvrgnra me undartioxrr agnm number lone $5UI9h7n151k5a1~J(raa ab . h 1 fl d 41^ . d 1 n mat he wwa e 1-, R,10. 17V ; Inns he w h fBI Payroll m of den7;trg i d kI by d J I -Id n L 1St --id l szrni a nmrvh g Mp M 19 O IJ 1 p P m de deapoa Ir+uw TN ' J n 1 h h h d h (15.1777 m1 k rte w x1111 on rhea PaYroil the me n h d a ol roe apps - f I h rtnenJed I th 1 . h h D + pesspOn had bam (I o I fh S IkP . IV651 . . . 11 a " n ,, c le Depann,emfssu. rreq - r h int h P' Theater Ion Noxember 22 n i IIn n 0 -1d h-111 M I d 147, ;iln. h r red np n" J I A Sa m Se R Po : pWrlea ,M ed y 11 q i . nee+ xF+wgl, Mr,rJl,p 1 +q aJ'+ Q Ig+I1Kan d d^ : amt . of (1 g F Jnndi¢J x i xg 7 F h h'p h h ' f h t i. sspx rher r soare H P rCM,rier ,r n NarirreCorgtocnanfeAseror- J 1 lus 17X7 AIOnxU H . Hulk cw d and arbleUI k geto"Undesi Hbk ." Fennrary X, IV6.. the l S. o1Tce lb, the i,vc% gutor Ih1l he had rcccrveJ On vly I, 1961, lee Harvey (hrald ADIZwh chxland ATUe1u-Id- On hh a teller eo the Sevret FmbaafY ufi 111- 7 of Imrtigr t d h 1-1 r 1 of I f f 1954 1 1.1 9 .wIJk M ua x-a, h (: 1mfna1 ) n of he Dalia, quexOng v a for bn,h himself %nd F ) h' 11, fidO Pc Marina . ; Sbi s 1960 h n U Il gh h d 7V Sh R :Ofic' .(4874g Os- USSR 1 1 l'- pln apThex L S Fmbasey qar< (Hw41d e patis- ol, J--' 27, -1, I f7n Augusr 9 1%7, lee Harvey wf d gl " F 1 M )' 1 p g-N I, 1 hbL J S ' J h I ' A . 1 H-11 ' ---d )' lo xhowaslaterlouekavixataCuDa, 1 b41 . f : 1 S k Wrx P-I - ''P handng am 'Fav Play For CUDX' I ) I t l' h' ). ' n 11 pe I t kWieu on Cana~ Arael b New Orkam. b 'I f h a 1 R . 0d the 01-1d, p-d 1 go U111111 F d mc.. n. : . led' 1 . 1.10-12,11 , $: 1 g - 1 IJ. i . L,H ngl.lex . Toe 1dr'. r y he 157) () C . IA d-b' explored O s Id . f W b r I1 order wa+ PO b ' 91 D' Il T 1T Jd ' . f be leafkb lumd the pal oR7e tern o1 ll( H., m Ovwald ea h lice ! h ' F PlayFor C~ f ah B J g h 11 WnnnwllldJ rp CI S 4 Camp S4 Hr ( 2 r U h doe rx b -0 ' n 'h J I ,n 1 I '. Aid P f 149 h' : ' ' I i N 1 ,.,Spa,] R k h 2 1 11"W 'r l d -- f for Or` i ' a.15g1 Ilbh m ' d by hl n : (?pp. IJ p ( b FPCC gaeva- n n N.+iwn " I A + h e. m Tne FBI na' =BS n h g 1 '. o-llld W 9 g D( lU) ndox O. - Id 1 .1 1 h S n ( .h ' g A g-, h (h IJ 1 l S l . b - O 'IJ ' .ed nN 'Oi . I-d, d ga n . the n ed- h m II ge r r a fight Ihat day for qt 11 T p-L 1 f k g I rr ry. Fe ro dre+r wax P.O, brx 2915, D,IF ., Texan whr(h h+. xa. a +N . in~ 0 ed w q,exaJ to be by thn FHI(44) 1501 7M P01 1 J n C eio 1 Ap 7 119 1 Ie H-,' Os Id urg - Tn (: b R 1 y Ih S Ihp h 1 J to"""-dh n ,I k-/ 1 1 (u k 1 oPo Ssa OR '. 1 Naval h I il Fen .e, the F131 J J - b g r 11 For ( b Rtcror the ('IA t- ..) Gerald FUrd (R hf ch.l hd the Warren I allnx 1 eras.151 Camp 5 J drat Or ? Bannister, t On tune 24, V6,7 . I- (),t-ht a tr FNI b a+,M akd x771 anu- On )an aq Y, I-. 0-b! --d CI . ml .+ f : h,. k ('nunrQbna naJanufl4ca15Jl lafa- pcrnu,on In re n he USSR H 1 x q'ndw balled + f any ._,1`I6q applied Sor ew pnxxport m New pert o r FREEDOM MARCH ON WASHINGTON D .C.- AUGUST 28, 1963 wrt~ rIbc 1 `Wecn11'i1.ar.ac. I" hr R., 1nrlrn 1 .rr(nar Alng, )rm+ r to gmherrng PI-Jane 6canedy n wnh the eaten m mn a nh .1 the Wh .k Hu%¢ Idhng IMnr .'inn nation an PrWerlp M proud"1651 TEST BAN TREATY WITH USSR DEBATED frc " 61au1 6emmJr mad' s rat npnw - . . . r. ^V1,J urgingrCan- q es Po pal..~l~h' T(bl Ba bean x h J,e USSR . . ten) aulliurwc+1rvre" mJrtary and + aPPeareJ M1UR Ine ,r1,1R h IIId, ,I,, at 744 Can71, Street in NeW brlrane 11(rU-d the nlete('tlT," tal;enlY Of Senate (.Umlmrtco 1on,Wermg the Tmn 1nvanizatlur7 . X U .PW. he nrnd?. Prtv C .qy IRallist, a r,(i the h 3l quarter Uf Serpiu Areafha Srn"tl s anti-Cbstro de h A)'s wa d. uppml for dre It Wa, ;also the addr-s yziven by I .ec Harvey O-ld fur III, Fair Inlay 11rr Cfdra croup, x , N7 . s) mix . 1sX) 26x7X7,n-la ~z r Lxz9, to 1 r Is ) +xg29 . Fp Repmt Urxsy67, br-sA 27) H 7298 I x f 717 i . ,- inn mi+t C- all lr-, Ncw Urku,a &x- f2X) F f' P Ov H . L' 22N7 . 22N74X ( 1 D #( .'h n m7W- Brtre% 1 ew Y T Noo (b n f( 'IJ(X'Idl- ( IbH 1, 22HIII, IbHMW R OF Olfr+z p. J6" u7l uJbP .J6,(uIoe,PJsa i 2 7a IWI NbW irr pXl 22H 2 2211x85 . )2si,;, ' b 16)5, 1 Hb77, v aax 1 - R», 1291 (J IL'. ' . to . 2 5 2.H 19, 25HXIW, WCR pp. / ~ 0 Yap f AF M( 2 Us) Z2HI7 11&022 H . w ry rean. .~ I 16 fJU) Prenmene Johner a ordered some d- fall) 21X47 22X122, 7 4X777, 78X182. Faograpnb () 0-,h. nmii SO7s A .D . 26X4. r12H5D,ICH67 .XX,22H79D. '7 11 CD 1122 . lair 22X204. p2) 12H12, Illl .1,Ap 7. 162) IUHM,21HUS. 2) 26m,-. 1ST Wf R ( 5t1 PCndq Xlil amt 16 1 . tier Orkans, V. WOSU 2 CR .7 9. .1PRnd . X X711 . 12 X. 7 F X 4 k ) . I6 ) H9 -11. WCR p. X17- 7 W - Rp 7, UI,P-J1 . 1'44' J (aH3d 1b.- 5D' 2 X95 9 . 1 . ScD1e%necr, lr., ATLwraeml 4crab F b, f rr " 1 rile -11- li54 i 19X287, Wt :0. p. 710. 1611 1751 W(.RP .6O,CDLP .sI . 141) . (s6 6X10. A .,P .9J7- U5r C.DI,p.51 . (bxllinnlx Bmkx, New Yad, 1967 166 .alk,efNi%akalrzwrd. 06) 22H 12.1 2EN74B, 18X602, 27H407 p 16. (S7) 26H34X,22HXZO,WCRpp.72&729. 458 FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT UNREST IN SAIGON OF JFK'S PLANNED Amid mWl, -mokhom, A,W Mnw In SarLUn, Prep&., Dkm al l67) WCRP,I . 01 1 mW. trbany We Nordny Xnru Ye 14nk 1 .1 Ixzes . (M) WCRp.771,3N71<,22H162- (761 Ibid. flmwn, New Y9r1 . 19721 P16 . 191) 9ylrk M 459 - Mr. Garland G. Slack t-fiW, al-p OSWALD - AT THE USED OSWALDINTERROGATION whh om,r,. tea, a man wnn tie Id--d CAR LOT-DALLAS- cap- Frd. aia nr,I a-.R fnr a m,- pruphcr, crwm rem,rter . or mpe reu,rder Rn~e ar k 4orenb (96) d2Ha5u44. 101!7}2-3}6. 11041 Lile bfegaxine, 2/lt/6a. 21H4S7, 1113) 2,IH2a9 . (123, LHbY,14H324,7H333 .24H2pi 197) WCR?Wd21 . 21H45x,21X400. 1114) WlkPp-3Y-all. It2a1 ZIX37x- l9N I gYlvrrr dHagh.r, n . aeamrin Apn YLr (1051 21H4a0-WCR 12SYN7,2N9 . (115) 10111}7 .377,2¢X304 . --,CE 1019 . Ft( I,P 3 .52 . IP1a) 21xa4v, 21X¢50, 21X¢5}, 2fO¢.7x. (Ilfi) 10H,7N,2aR6N0 . 112ao lgH6N2daa, (99) It(:Ri p A40. f-I 38 (117) ;6 109, WFR .11x . 11271 I :H6a3 . ( f W3 5091, CE 3W2. I0H3 .5D I'-N) 16X511 1 1 IgHdgz g90. 154 . 24X450 1109I 24"264-270 . 11197 41345a .~X44Ya4M45)~ (I 35 1 CE 9%, ItHaad, 17Hd27. 1101) 74X112-344, StnraP Exhibit R. Ill) (1201 2HIOA. 1130, ZX67- t215,7H-,7H2311021 7H2,M, 7{215, (121) 3,25 . WCRXF 174 . iuxl z4Xlav . 1122) 2H-Xe . -53-32 . 460 THE SHOOTING : THREE 7Te legul Jefibilian of a "consprtncy" Ix THIRD SHOP. Shock President Kcn- evWen¢ to -pp- that contenuun. a~lmpei3% " e persam a ,inB in nWy in the neck,1x31 (1521 ASSASSINS SHOT AT JFK n illegal a FOURTH SHO7`. Stnmk the Main tit . AanrJioq It III, FBI FROM THREE DIRECTIONS 7hc Pal d-1--d root me 15 .5 Mann- eil:n rm«owing up and nnlen g me face capabnlty Itbe ,cherCar rim, had a '711 'fagua. t 1441 - Ark- Spect r, Dutrml Aunrney of If 2 3 s wnd,(l3f,) . Thutn i he "'711ITFi SHOT,` .Aruck Pr-d-Kennedy WOO,,"_ singe Ne 'pan of I_ Philadelpha, wu Ne morney woo han- e during which the rifle aa01d M ,t the neat, causing him w Ihrusl vend by the auaietl shwa detc- Wed ute inyeatieat3wt of Ne >nwtina In, eau% mTm5B ayenW anJ dosed (mereh5. lently bxckwarJ a,ul to the kfr(1431 w,md to be a a::mnm of zwae t onax, the Warsn Commission. He made the ge. 11,g the shell and Poahing a new nnikt G- venor Conneily -tified Ihal he the oWYreosxibk wrtdsssien u that mere eoll1711 thin .1 .11 the witnesses n heard thefirslshot bnt was not hit. them- wasamo Ihan t meakne ne the rh~ung wmcb nmnnemd and Thudoes -1 mchdenIT, It n rd- pAx of Illc Presentid o eauu 'a Ihe hunar~, "Governor CInnally was onhl coke to at S. . I- the open - Kennedyrl9inlcel fec.rtt SWervtmlrAgen, cck would am also, in the perharhap>p> she m mpor,a To ".. of that bop . . .Id tu the forns of Roy Kdler:nnn testified that the Praidenl head wWch propelled him backward, w kept the es,Ins rn Na1 Goveruar a of a Ptt so ay f' . --,j rir, .,M y kid, 1 am hit"11461 after the as two gunman finng a, the Pr>idem c_-any and Praid (IBC '-A M of Rraawwble ponbV', (1417 CE 397, C[77, pBl V1L'an nY Agenk SF762, SHSY-W. p. ez-D4. 61FP MIXgxunr. . I I/U/66. P ai> % O ll, Ir . aa1 lama W . ( d41 21H47X 463 . (1531 S-k Ma~ 1112) Ih'd ,R . omnRedlich,Asvsant Chart /2 / :2X93 . (145) XH1391/,Frame717) . II Counw"I,fn9ars+.P.al (142)aH1 .16,(p781 .CU51FBI0.ep,n (74612F1741, .7 . Da11aa,~g~Y1Q Iu3o s.lu-u6. II /29/67 . 18X1-]9. fl its) IMd (147) II7. 59724 . fi3d) 5H160- (143) 1,Y 0, 11481 CD7 SIII+4b,M- n/(TNeB1,PB1. (1551 ;de Myavm 11/25/66. ,175) 411136. COS . 1rm MNeks 7mesolrt/23/67 (149) . 7744, N .Y . 11561 bW:'SIT-'; 7Bwoeaan.6.33 . (176) WCR97,5H131,7.407. with Dr. Cyrll Warnt, it, lame,,!i/61I/U/67 (137) 3611. Imtah That May 26, 1967; (ISO) . (1577 16i1 (Uq )Aa)7. WCR 117 (1581 EpYeio,7n4wal.Pl7. (139) 63756, 17X29 ; AIm- 3H37O, 3X768, (151) Thwnpwn, 51x .SacoMa 7n 11k,' (139) Rib. WCR191_ 61142. 6X13, 6X60, 6X6 1 1.60, 8Li14 . (T60) 133. m R7, Thmpaoq Izs. G49) Rio. flax) Prnawron. Sp Saromr m Ddkr, ul t 461 POLICEMEN RUSH INTO JACK RUBY IS THE BOOK DEPOSITORY PERMITTED TO ENTER BUILDING BASEMENT AND SHOOT Immediately lui6,wing the .shots Dallas OSWALD Policeman M 1.. Rakcr ru.h,,d Into ins lack R :rl+y -ti13ed ft, be entered 1he Teas S,:ncwl Wfok lyepoJtorv anA, weir bench-:! o1 the Dallas PW- Subno m Rny Truly. confronted I I I, MwveY Os- 1963 shnl Lee H-Y ..Id dunking a coke on the xmnA 11- N--- 24 IM 0, jd 11, drath(176) He said Wt he (Ill, cml Nrough the Mvn gt. ramp aF though Ucr< was an WAat of lw D>Ilas Polio specifically a rind rn that ramp. which w a lick »lace than a car wiJtn, anlePARKING LOT BEHIND o keep li~ who nadn, tree m THE GRASSY KNOLL- p"esem thcyprupcr Idcnhfiutioo of being enner kor ress, exprenly nut of inn ESCAPE namruM':777)'. N I Danreh, himself a key wanes in the w former pntirm cifi¢r on the Dallas Polkz 1 m1, No»cn, alc who tatifi'3rlh~nwnc Force, happened m be in the .- alll nied,hrg aitt rred to roil panie,nar sopped 1o .ee nn f'-d ' Daraer gnn . sPU~ luupninrng d,e spot nrhrna me fen .e won wa . guarding inn r{ Swop m the Grassy Knoll behind which be hefare Ue shwring, Danrids s> tRncer wmHrnd fmm hu rower(16S) Ne con- Vaughn acknowlcJgc a n .M eliu» m,md; him I r pass i the baxment witnom -At Ue o of the xnaning, m the, topping his, o mg him for rats c vbjnltY of Wncr me t , I haw JcnIrak. Tlri, nin nsteppeared Io t-"', aescriired w YFere w a Hash of light w be holJing a hard object like a gas._ m m far a5 i am - rnttl, mmetbing his poctmf ydt Vxugnn did n .nip hem . Iru'ould nor niendfy, but Uere was s,nnc A lees o1naser, Thin whichowurWwnichwogbttnYeYe 1 r, D.xwala » '.. uarnue11a sw~< iaenlpta n Uu rmmedlam xrea on Ue emb>nk- -I sav one ,n n a Unapxc. vcA . Some o`d,e r , podenul me m :'n'<~nne n .d .< -11I put menl 11637 ,h.gee I v,ognonand -mo Hre ba~ent ax lack 5 . M. li If A y pl I a h 'IIv f h Till MJ- 6m I ' I f g Se y 131 IX d h"t - nd kh'kInrxd R k t Y y Do gf Urlhrn. R bv. i7N) the aIroaa ~ad nr ebehind Ue G> sy r,. Hiv hale appeared b h n anA 1 n Sccrciar Stawart LAW]. lalwr 'ption I :L~r`k r snJ hls r ! 1 sing conlJ M : Secrc rvW WJatJwine.,UeC'hainnan alauhe enw Ixhind J a lsoc; Jg12 i W v 4 c Ile Fxd someYhlng I P aalenr Ko Il ls l.Urnmil of Eco- "AnJ 1 got ovm rc . ins .spot 'trees I saw rn hts hand. f ma,wv i nn ..nre btn h may AJaisrra, .nrronr Hehn,. and rresi- nuke come from anJ heard the shop have Imen u hexd p;ece ." aoRlal rre.a seerete,y Pierre sl,bnger. Ih»as tax,kjng for empq shells or son'm in- Hc^atcr s~ld--hc mxn nx r )rnq 1111 : dice IN III- "I s riflemanbrsonie- ing in his right bans" which>`ncnidd When the teletype anoxrd the plane, of er lbell . Woll, 7-pu,,,ow Il beou sees been a gun."( i ri7, nrp oahinu men,berx carries inn rarhesr ,ing that msing and IshlhL the s1 c Um Ue Prenidem has been wagrm fmm n coat of the bumper stiov ~'loaha, . mere » of ome omen, I expeci onlawe rhea panic b,rt then, fearing nn rna tlonal fou r five-nundruf rfoutpr;n s aaJUwn OFFICERS RUSH TO THE plot, 'and w th specific cafevnain j prucc thereUAnd on the bumper, oh anon GRASSY KNOLL AREA stress 1o take edem rn . n an emergency, welve are eighteen inch" apart, J Ica~t. - ia c officers nu'hed up the me se .~etarr nr wam I'd press he IIFII 7.249,"H22a,I7N7Ui . (168 6H295,6H2p9 . 1, n, H1. M aala.nran Preaa. 11677 6H28d . Y7 IFid ( I W I Ma~h~r . dn 41-373 0 - 79 - 30 462 In the three-year period which followed the murder of President Kennedyand Lee Harvey Oswald, eight- teen material witnesses died-six by gunfire, three in motor accidents, two by suicide, one from a cut throat, one from a karate chop to the neck, three from heart attacks, and two from natural causes. An actuary, engaged by the London Sunday Times concluded that on November 22,1963, the odds against these witnesses being dead by February, 1967, were one hundred thousand trillion to one. BURT LANOASTER ROBERT RYAN j WILL SEER They arc the conspirators in the plot to assassinate an American President An I, LEW EBEOOTIVE ACTION Probably the most controversial film of our tlmel ~-,mDALTONTRUMBOawceamwNMARKLANIn,1DE0LDEREED CIdNBESSIE .aGAR'Y0OWITtr dmEDWARD[EWIS D~wor I iavi,"MILLER COLDR ANa!ionalGeneralPiciumsReinase6 463 Ms. HESS . It is a blowup of an advertisement for the movie Executive Action. As you can see, it states that an actuary engaged by the London Sunday Times concluded that on November 22, 1963, the odds against 18 material witnesses being dead within a 3- year period were 100,000 trillion to 1. Since the publication of that figure, it has turned up in articles, letters, books, and conversation as anywhere from 1,000-to-1 to 1 billion-to-1 . Very few people seem to know what it is that they are quoting, but they do have a sense of some enormous odds existing with respect to the deaths of a group of Kennedy-assassination-related witnesses. Illustrative of the widespread concern over this issue is the query President Fidel Castro made during the interview of him by this committee in Cuba on April 3, 1978: If I may ask you, is there anything true, or how much could be true about those publications which state that many people who could have had a part in Kennedy's death have died in accidents and things like that? On April 27, 1978, the committee obtained a copy of an article printed in the London Sunday Times on February 26, 1967. Mr. Chairman, at this time I ask that the article be admitted into the record as JFK exhibit F-541, and I direct your attention to the enlargement of the article which is on the easel. The chart in the article lists 19 individuals as being the victims of mysterious deaths, including Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby. The article states that the London Sunday Times asked an actuary to compute the life expectancy of 15 of these individuals. It further states that the actuary concluded that on November 22, 1963, the odds against all 15 being dead by February 1976 were about 1 in 10 to the 29th power, or 100,000 trillion to 1. On April 28, 1978, the committee sent a letter to the London Sunday Times requesting a copy of the actuarial study and of all documents used in the preparation of the study. I would now ask that that letter, JFK exhibit F-542, be admitted into the record. Chairman STOKES . Without objection JFK exhibits F-541 and F-542 may be entered into the record . [The information follows:] TH6 .U\UdY T1 .1-, . V...11-' 4 .Y Irr W urN .~" DY, rY1Y~ Drlu o~W rlplle. Tr D,.w "" Y l . D. i- Billions to one odds in the Kennedy deaths r .r r r ar w ur .wwnr~len.rre~4~ =~ ti a s s a a o ,o , o d~ _- o ° ° IM=J w r u. r, .r r. . o~© .^err+ ,w .~r r rr r~ ror.r+r 190! °s'a . = . . a+o ;o ` .. rrraw~ru~+ .vm r m ~.w .D ar rw. JFK EXHIBIT F-541 464 ww4 G4f. twewL w[fw. w~fTO~tAT)wooo4 [~f"" ~~ f. LNY[w, MKa1. &elect Committee on M.1oginationg 0 .6 . Ilyoase of 11tpeesentatfbts S]7I HOUSEOFFICE RUILGING.ANNEXI WASHINGTON.D.C. 20515 April 25, 1978 Librarian London Sunday Times P. O . Box 7 200 Gray's Inn Road London, England WCIX 8E2 Dear Sir : In connection with its investigation into the circum- stances surrounding the death of President Kennedy, the Select Committee on Assassinations of the U. S . Rouse of Representa tives requests a copy of the actuarial study referenced in the attached February 26, 1967 London Sunday Times article and of all documents relating to the preparation of the study. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request . We appreciate the cooperation of your Washington and New York offices, particularly that of Ms . Katherine Grayson of the Washington Office . Sincerely, G. Robert Blakey Chief Counsel and Director GRB :jhd Enclosure cc : Katherine Grayson JFK EXHIBIT F-542 Ms . HESS . On May 19, 1978, the committee received a response from the London Sunday Times. I direct your attention again to the easel, to JFK exhibit F-543, an enlargement of that letter. I would now like to read that letter into the record. It is directed to Mr. G. Robert Blakey, chief counsel and director, Select Committee on Assassinations, and it is entitled, Kennedy deaths statistics- The Sunday Times, February 26, 1967 . The Editor has passed me your letter of 25th April. Our piece about the odds against the deaths of the Kennedy witnesses was, I regret to say, based on a careless journalistic mistake and should not have been published . This was realized by The Sunday Times' editorial staff after the first edition-the one which goes to the United States and which I believe you have-had gone out, and later editions were amended . There was no question of our actuary having got his answer wrong: It was simply that we asked him the wrong question . He was asked what were the odds against 15 named people out of the population of the United States dying within a short period 465 of time, to which he replied-correctly-that they were very high. However, if one asks what are the odds against 15 of those included in the Warren Commission index dying within a given period, the answer is, of course, that they are much lower. Our mistake was to treat the reply to the former question as if it dealt with the latter-hence the fundamental error in our first edition report, for which we apologize. None of the editorial staff involved in this story can remember the name of the actuary we consulted, but in view of what happened you will, I imagine, agree that his identity is hardly material . Yours sincerely, Antony Whitaker, Legal Manager . Even though the London Sunday Times had not structured its actuarial inquiry properly and, therefore, the 100,000 trillion to 1 odds were invalid, the committee staff looked into the possibility of conducting a valid study, contracting with our own actuarial firms here in the District of Columbia: Edward H. Friend & Co., Towers, Perrin, Forster & Co., and the Wyatt Co., We then had meetings with representatives of each company and each subsequently sub- mitted a proposal, addressing both the general issue of which actu- arial principles did or did not apply, and the specific issue of the practical problems which would be encountered in attempting to apply those principles to this particular case. As a result of these conversations and of a review of the proposals, we determined the following facts concerning the validity and feasibility of attempting to apply actuarial odds to the group of deaths. One, to compute valid actuarial statistics, one must be able to determine to a reasonable degree of specificity, the universe of individuals to which the specific group is being compared. In other words, we would have to determine the total number of individuals who exist in each of the categories into which those individuals who have mysteriously died, fall. This means that we would need to establish the number of individuals who in any manner could be considered witnesses to the assassination of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, the number of individuals who had any con- tact with Oswald or Ruby or with Ruby's nightclubs, the number of individuals who professed to have material knowledge of the case or of the major figures in the case, all news reporters who had expressed interest, taken interviews or investigated the case, and all Members of Congress who sought to introduce legislation con- cerning the investigation of the case. This, as you can imagine, would have been an impossible task. Two, in addition, for each of the individuals identified in the groups I have just listed, we would have to establish age, sex, race, occupation, geographical location, and any other extraordinary fac- tors which have to be taken into consideration in order to compute mortality rates. Again, this was judged to be an impossible job. Three, we would need to determine the number of individuals in these categories who have, in fact, died and the number of individ- uals who, according to actuarial mortality rates, should have died. We had thus established the impossibility of attempting to estab- lish, through the application of actuarial principles, any meaning- ful implications about the existence or absence of a conspiracy. Despite the fact that an inference of conspiracy, as here postulated by the critics, did not exist, we nevertheless decided not to dismiss the cited deaths out of hand, but rather, to look more closely at the nature of certain specific deaths to determine whether or not they 466 could individually be considered mysterious or in some other manner, a reflection of some sort of conspiracy. In an attempt to investigate the circumstances of the deaths individually, we did several things. First, we compiled a more comprehensive list of those individuals whose deaths were consid- ered by the critics to be mysterious. In some cases, it proved difficult to determine which deaths the critics considered mysteri- ous. In many cases, instead of statements of fact, we found unsub- stantiated inference and innuendo, with little concrete information provided. For example, David Goldstein and FNU Levens are both included in Sylvia Meagher's book, "Accessories After the Fact," as mysterious deaths. Goldstein is described as having helped the FBI trace the revolver used in the murder of Officer Tippit. Levens is decribed as a Fort Worth burlesque theater operator who employed some of the same entertainers as Jack Ruby. Meagher notes that both of their deaths have been officially ascribed to natural causes and lists the places of death as unknown. No conspiracy theory which would include Goldstein and Levens is put forth; it is un- clear why their deaths are to be considered mysterious. And while Ms. Meagher may have had no way of knowing it, the FBI's file on the Kennedy case includes dozens of reports and letters from citi- zens offering clues in the identification of the revolver in question, as, of course, there are undoubtedly a number of persons who would have employed some of the same entertainers as Ruby. Penn Jones, in his book, "Forgive My Grief," volume I, states that Earlene Roberts, the manager of the roominghouse in which Lee Harvey Oswald lived at the time of the assassination, died. He then states that she had important evidence to contribute. The implication is that Mrs. Roberts' death is mysterious. While it . is clear that Mrs. Roberts did indeed have important evidence to contribute, there is no indication in the records relating to her death, or in Mr. Jones' book, as to what exactly was mysterious about a 61-year-old woman with large calcium deposits and a case of pneumonia, dying of acute heart failure. The same is the case with other deaths cited in the same book, for example, Dr. Nicholas Chetta, the coroner who served at David Ferrie's death, and Thomas Howard, Jack Ruby's attorney, both of whom died of heart attacks. Despite this problem, we compiled a list of individuals from the books and articles of Meagher, Jones, Bernard Fensterwald, David Martindale, and David Welsh. We added to the list Sam Giancana and John Roselli, both of whom had died too recently to be includ- ed in most of the critical literature. We then asked the Library of Congress to compile all newspaper articles which had appeared concerning any and all of the individ- uals. We further asked them to give us their evaluation of the critical literature and the press accounts on each individual and to make recommendations with respect to further investigation in each case. Independently, we sent requests to the Bureau of Vital Statistics, the medical examiners' offices and the police depart- ments in the jurisdiction in which each death was believed to have occurred, for the death certificates, medical records, police reports, and any other documents which might exist concerning the death. Because there were many cases in which there was no information 467 indicating the appropriate jurisdiction, we sent letters to the perti- nent offices in Dallas and Fort Worth, Tex., in New Orleans, La., and in Miami, Fla., listing all the names on which we desired information. In the case of some of the individuals, information was requested from Federal investigative agencies. In the cases of Roselli and Giancana, we requested and received a briefing on the Justice Department investigations of those deaths. In the cases in which further investigation was deemed necessary, it was initiated . Our final conclusion on the issue is that the available evidence does not establish anything about the nature of these deaths which would indicate that the deaths were in some manner, either direct or peripheral, caused by the assassination of President Kennedy or by any aspect of the subsequent investigation . Chairman STOKES . Is your report completed? Ms. HESS . Yes; it is. Chairman STOKES. The gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Ford. Mr. FORD . I have no questions. I will yield back my time to the Chair. Chairman STOKES. The gentleman from Indiana. Mr. FITHIAN. Just one question. Miss Hess, is it your feeling, having gone through this, there is no statistical significance to this? Is that what I am to understand? Ms. HESS. That is correct. Mr. FITHIAN. Is it possible, then, that any death which is remote- ly related to this gets reported more than others, therefore there is an appearance of a kind of unusual gathering of deaths? Ms. HESS. It is possible. That is one of the bases for the develop- ment of the issue; yes. You understand the problem in establishing the statistical inference is that you cannot establish any type of universe. While it may seem like these people come from a very small group of people, they come from a very, very large universe of people. Mr. FITHIAN. I have no other questions, Mr. Chairman. Chairman STOKES . The time of the gentleman has expired. The gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Devine. Mr. DEVINE . No questions, Mr. Chairman. Chairman STOKES. The gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Edgar. Mr. EDGAR. Will you provide for the record a detailed listing of the 21 names and the evidence you have found relating to their deaths? Ms. HESS. Yes. Do you want me to read them for the record? Mr. EDGAR. It might be helpful. Ms. HESS . Edward Benairdes, Albert Guy Bogard, Hale Boggs, Lee Bowers, Jr., Bill Chesher, Nicholas J. Chetta, David Goldstein, Thomas Hale Howard, William Hunter, Clyde Johnson, Dorothy Kilgallen, Thomas Henry Killam, Jim Koethe, FNU Levens, Nancy Jane Mooney, Teresa Norton, Earlene Roberts, Harold Russell, Marilyn April Walle, a.k.a. Betty McDonald, William W. Whaley, James R. Worrell, Sam Giancana, John Roselli. Mr. EDGAR. Thank you. I think it very helpful for the record that those names be included. Can you indicate why Mr. DeMohrenschildt's name was not in- cluded? 468 Ms. HESS . His was one of those which deemed further investiga- tion and became part of a great investigative effort. Mr. EDGAR. That was not part of the exact study? Ms. HESS . It was in terms of the compilation of data. I compiled the data on his death and any police reports, et cetera, as part of this project. But then in terms of subsequent investigation that was done by the investigators . Mr. EDGAR. I think it would be helpful in terms of our final analysis to have a chance to review the material you compiled. I thank you for your report. Chairman STOKES . The time of the gentleman has expired. Mr. Sawyer. Mr. SAWYER. No Questions. Chairman STOKES . There being nothing further, Miss Hess, thank you very much for your testimony. You are excused. The Chair will suspend for just a moment. [Brief recess.] Chairman STOKES. Because of a heavy schedule tomorrow of wit- nesses, along with the fact the committee must vacate the room at an early hour for an affair to be held in this room later tomorrow evening, the committee today will adjourn until 8:30 tomorrow morning. [Whereupon, at 4:30 p.m., the committee was adjourned, to recon- vene at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 26, 1978.]