Robert K. Patterson Electronics Store Sighting
Dallas electronics salesman Robert K. Patterson stated that on November 1, 1963 (per sales records), Ruby visited his store accompanied by a man who resembled Oswald, though Patterson did not positively identify the man as Oswald, and two associates present at the time also could not confirm the identification. Additional evidence indicates Ruby’s companion was Larry Crafard, who lived and worked for Ruby at the Carousel Club from mid-October to November 23, 1963, and stated he accompanied Ruby to an electronics store for equipment purchases in late October or early November. Ruth Paine testified Crafard bore a strong resemblance to Oswald, and employment records confirm Oswald worked a full day on November 1, 1963.
William D. Crowe Jr. Carousel Club Sighting Claim
William D. Crowe Jr., a nightclub master of ceremonies who began a 4- to 5-week engagement at the Carousel Club on November 11, 1963, was the first person to report a possible Ruby-Oswald association. He mentioned the “possibility” of seeing Oswald at the club to news media representatives gathered outside the club shortly after Oswald was shot on November 24, and his account was publicized after he appeared on television. Crowe testified he never definitively identified the man as Oswald, stating the face only seemed familiar and he had associated it with a patron he saw a week prior. He noted his memory act repertoire did not improve his memory, and his identification of the man was uncertain.
Other Witness Claims of Oswald at the Carousel Club
After Crowe’s account was publicized, four additional people reported seeing Oswald at the Carousel Club. One witness claimed to have seen Ruby and a man resembling Oswald seated together, addressed as “Bettit” or “Pettit” by a blond-haired waitress, but could provide no description of the man beyond his resemblance to the man shot by Ruby, and could not describe the club’s interior or give its precise location. A Tennessee resident claimed to have seen an Oswald lookalike at the club on November 10, but Ruth Paine testified Oswald spent the entire November 9–11 holiday weekend at her home in Irving, Texas. Two former Ruby employees, Karen Carlin and Billy Joe Willis, believed they saw a man resembling Oswald at the club but were not certain it was Oswald, and neither reported a connection between the man and Ruby. No other Carousel employees recalled seeing Oswald or a person resembling him at the club.
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