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

Wilbryn Waldon Litchfield Carousel Club Sighting

Wilbryn Waldon (Robert) Litchfield II claimed to have seen a man resembling Oswald enter Ruby’s office at the Carousel Club in late October or early November 1963. While there is evidence Litchfield did see Ruby at the club around that time, there is strong reason to believe he did not see Oswald: Litchfield described the man as having pockmarks on the right side of his chin, a feature Oswald did not have, and Litchfield’s credibility is in doubt. He did not mention his observation to public officials until December 2, 1963, despite being present at an FBI interview of another witness on November 29, and had prior convictions for offenses involving forged checks. He stated he first noticed the resemblance while watching television coverage of Ruby shooting Oswald on November 24, but none of the three friends he was playing poker with at the time recalled him making such a remark, and two stated Litchfield’s accounts were often untrustworthy.

Analysis of Ruby-Oswald Sighting Claims

The Commission analyzed all claims that Ruby and Oswald were seen together, noting none of the witnesses had particular reason to pay close attention to the men, substantial time elapsed before the sightings became meaningful, and unlike eyewitnesses to the November 22 assassination, none reported their observations soon after Oswald was arrested. The Commission encountered numerous clear identification errors during its investigation, including at least four people other than Larry Crafard who were mistaken for Oswald, and others misidentified as Jack Ruby. Under all available evidence, there is no substantial likelihood that the man witnesses claimed to have seen with Ruby was actually Lee Harvey Oswald.