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

Appendix XII: Speculations and Rumors

Appendix XII: Speculations and Rumors Appendix XII addresses the myths and rumors that have surrounded the assassination. Noting that misconceptions often arise from mystery and sensational speculation, the Commission acknowledged that, lacking Oswald’s testimony, it painstakingly reconstructed the facts and concluded that Oswald acted alone, without foreign or domestic conspiracy, and had no connection to Jack Ruby except as his victim. The Commission recognized that public judgment was shaped by various hypotheses and that the intense glare of worldwide publicity, combined with early press inaccuracies, local authorities’ premature disclosures, typographical errors, and faulty tape transcriptions, contributed to a substantial body of misinformation. Witness accounts varied and were often influenced by the physical and emotional strain of the events. While many speculators acted in good faith and simply lacked complete information at the time, some informants recanted earlier claims of firsthand knowledge when speaking to official investigators. The Commission undertook critical examination of these theories, rumors, claimed sightings of Oswald or Ruby, and alleged overheard remarks, as detailed throughout its report.

第二章 With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

Chapter II addresses widespread factual misunderstandings surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy and related events. The Commission notes that U.S. investigative agencies expended considerable effort investigating rumors and speculations reaching across the United States and to most continents. The Commission’s work was hampered by witnesses and persons who sold pictures, documents, and recollections to publishers—sometimes altering evidence—generating misleading impressions, new speculations, and rumors. This appendix presents the most widespread speculations alongside the Commission’s findings, citing relevant portions of the report and supporting evidence. The speculations are organized under ten headings covering the source of the shots, the identity of the assassin, Oswald’s movements, the murder of Patrolman Tippit, Oswald after his arrest, Oswald in the Soviet Union, Oswald’s trip to Mexico City, Oswald and U.S. Government agencies, conspiratorial relationships, and miscellaneous charges.