It is said that held the key to solving the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Hours before an investigator from the House of Representatives was to have questioned him, he was dead. It was known that De Mohrenschildt had worked for several intelligence agencies. He had played many roles. Was one of them controlling ? THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OFA KEYJFK WITNESS

AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT BY MARK LANE

ntil George De Mohrenschildt House Select Committee, in Manalapan, died in the spring of 1977 few Florida, during the evening of March 29, Americans had ever heard of 1977. That meeting never took place. Uhim. Among those intrigued by his ca- De Mohrenschildt was already dead-from reer were students of the assassination a gunshot wound inflicted several hours of President John F. Kennedy, for De earlier. Mohrenschildt had acted as if he were Upon hearing of the death, Represen- Oswald's control agent. Oswald re- tative Richard Preyer, chairman of the sponded to De Mohrenschildt's com- Committee said, "He was a crucial wit- mands. Had it not been for De Mohren- ness for us, based upon the information schildt, Oswald probably would not he had." The news media focused briefly have been employed at the Texas School but intensely upon De Mohrenschildt Book Depository in on Novem- and his possible role in the assassina- ber 22, 1963. tion. De Mohrenschildt had been a spy for Willem Oltmans, a Dutch journalist, several countries, evidently rounding had given information to the Committee out his career with the Central Intelli- shortly before De Mohrenschildt's death. gence Agency. Clay Shaw, whose rela- He returned to Washington after the tionship with the CIA dates back to death to testify again. De Mohren- 1955, had been in contact with Oswald schildt's death had released Oltmans in in the summer of 1963. from his promise not to divulge certain When Oswald was moved to Dallas, De information. Mohrenschildt took over. Oltmans revealed that De Mohren- Although De Mohrenschildt appeared schildt, whom he had known for ten before the in 1964, years, had told him that there had been the attorney for the Commission, pur- a conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy portedly investigating the death of the and that he had played a part in the con- President, failed to ask De Mohren- spiracy. He also told him that Oswald schildt the kind of significant and prob- had acted "at my guidance and at my in- ing questions that would induce the structions." De Mohrenschildt said that witness to provide important answers. CIA and FBI personnel were involved as Twelve years later, in 1976, the well. House of Representatives established a Oltmans also stated that De Mohren- Select Committee on Assassinations to schildt was "petrified" that he would "be investigate the murders of President killed or disappear like other witnesses Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, who were connected with the Kennedy Jr. This committee was formed because assassination." it was clear that thirteen years after the Within days, a posthumous effort to President's murder, the American public discredit De Mohrenschildt was begun, was still doubtful of the conclusions ar- with the assertion that he had spent rived at by the Warren Commission: some time as a mental patient in the that there was no conspiracy; that Lee Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Harvey Oswald had acted alone. At the same time, De Mohrenschildt was to be questioned began the effort to discredit Oltmans. In by Gaeton Fonzi, an investigator for the a front-page story the Times quoted an

41 De Mohrenschildt was attending a party when a radio broadcast the news.... He paled and then blurted out, 'Could it have been Oswald