Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

CAPÍTULO VI.

This chapter presents the Warren Commission’s findings on whether Lee Harvey Oswald had accomplices in the planning or execution of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. It responds to widespread post-assassination conspiracy rumors, notes the significant investigative challenges stemming from Oswald’s death and limitations on accessing foreign evidence, and outlines the chapter’s coverage of conspiracy investigation, assassination circumstances, motorcade route selection, Oswald’s presence in the Texas School Book Depository, his transport of the rifle into the building, and the question of accomplices at the assassination scene.

Investigation of Possible Conspiracy

The Commission investigated every rumor and allegation of a conspiracy linked to Oswald, including claims he received support from domestic political groups across the ideological spectrum or foreign governments (specifically Cuba’s Castro regime and the Soviet Union). It scrutinized Oswald’s activities, writings, and possessions for evidence of espionage or coordination with others, tested all relevant evidence for potential fabrication or bias, and received support from federal agencies including the CIA, FBI, and State Department. All information the Commission relied on for its conclusions is included in the report, with only confidential source identities withheld in rare cases. The Commission also explored Oswald’s pre-assassination activities (including his 1959 defection to the Soviet Union, contacts with communist and socialist groups, visits to Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City, and ties to Russian-speaking community members in Dallas, as well as potential connections to right-wing Dallas activity critical of President Kennedy) and investigated whether Jack Ruby was part of a broader assassination conspiracy.

Circumstances Surrounding the Assassination

The Commission analyzed the required sequence of events for the assassination to occur as concluded in earlier chapters (the motorcade passing the Texas School Book Depository, Oswald accessing the building’s sixth floor, transporting the rifle, arranging his shooting position, and escaping before police secured building exits) to search for evidence Oswald received assistance in planning or executing the killing.

Selection of Motorcade Route

The Commission reviewed the Secret Service’s motorcade route selection process: the chosen route from Love Field to the Trade Mart via Main Street, Houston Street, Elm Street, and the Stemmons Freeway was selected for its directness, ability to allow large crowds to view the President, and alignment with the 45-minute schedule allocated for the trip. The route passed the Texas School Book Depository because required turns at Elm and Houston Streets and a concrete barrier blocking direct freeway access from Main Street made an alternate route bypassing the building impractical. The Commission concluded the route selection was appropriate, based on legitimate planning considerations, and unrelated to any conspiracy.

Oswald’s Presence in the Depository Building

The Commission determined Oswald’s employment at the Texas School Book Depository was unrelated to the President’s Dallas trip. He secured the job in October 1963, shortly after arriving in Dallas from Mexico City, via a neighbor’s suggestion to Ruth Paine (with whom Oswald’s family was staying) while he was unemployed, his wife was pregnant, and his unemployment benefits were set to expire. He had previously applied to a printing company but was rejected due to a negative reference citing “communistic tendencies” and a record as a troublemaker. The motorcade route was not finalized until November 18, 1963, three days before the assassination, long after Oswald was hired, confirming his presence in the building was coincidental.

Bringing Rifle Into Building

The Commission concluded Oswald carried the assassination rifle into the Depository on November 22, 1963, in a handmade brown paper bag. His coworker Buell Wesley Frazier provided him a ride to work as part of a long-standing, innocent arrangement arranged through Frazier’s sister (the same neighbor who suggested Oswald apply to the Depository). Oswald’s claim that he visited Irving on November 21 to retrieve curtain rods for a Dallas apartment explained the large package he carried back to work the next morning. The bag was constructed from Depository shipping materials Oswald had access to, and there is no evidence he received assistance bringing the rifle into the building beyond Frazier’s innocent ride.