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

Conclusion: Sixth Floor Window

The Commission concluded that Oswald was present at the window from which the shots were fired at the time of the assassination. This conclusion rested on multiple findings: fingerprint and palmprint evidence established that Oswald handled two of the four cartons next to the window and a paper bag found nearby; Oswald was seen near the southeast corner of the sixth floor approximately 35 minutes before the assassination, and no one could place him elsewhere in the building until after the shooting; an eyewitness immediately provided a description matching Oswald’s appearance, identified Oswald in a lineup as the man most nearly resembling the man in the window, and later confirmed this identification; and Oswald’s known actions immediately after the assassination were consistent with his having been at the southeast corner window at 12:30 p.m.

The Killing of Patrolman Tippit

After leaving the Depository at approximately 12:33 p.m., Oswald traveled to his roominghouse by bus and taxi, arriving at approximately 1 p.m. and leaving a few minutes later. At about 1:16 p.m., Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit was shot less than one mile from Oswald’s roominghouse. In determining whether Oswald killed Tippit, the Commission considered four categories of evidence: (1) positive identification of the killer by two eyewitnesses to the shooting and seven eyewitnesses who heard the shots and saw the gunman flee with revolver in hand; (2) firearms identification expert testimony establishing the murder weapon’s identity; (3) evidence establishing ownership of the murder weapon; and (4) evidence establishing ownership of a zipper jacket found along the gunman’s flight path to the place of arrest.