A long-simmering debate among historians, conspiracy theorists and avid Kennedy clan readers may be put to rest with a new book about the JFK assassination in 1963 that finds the lone gunman argument is likely the correct one.
University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato conducted in-depth research for “The Kennedy Half Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy,” including scientific analysis of the Dallas Police Department’s Dictabelt recording of all the scanner messages on that fateful Nov. 22, 1963 day, Politico reported.
The same scanner traffic led investigators for the House Select Committee on Assassinations to conclude that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone and most likely wasn’t the lone gunman. Recordings on the scanner at first led investigators to believe that a gunshot came from the grassy knoll, rather than the Texas School Book Depository.
But the House investigators were wrong, Mr. Sabato found. He analyzed the same scanner tapes and came to an opposite conclusion.
His research found that the motorcycle police officer was not transmitting from the area where investigators initially thought he was. He was two miles away, in a spot that could not pick up the gunshot sounds, Mr. Sabato’s findings revealed.
“The long-hoped-for Rosetta Stone of the Kennedy assassination is nothing of the sort,” he said. “And the much-publicized conclusion of proven conspiracy … was deeply flawed and demonstrably wrong.”
Mr. Sabato plans to unveil full details in a press conference on Tuesday.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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