Oswald’s Palmprint on the Rifle
The Commission confirmed the FBI’s statement that the palmprint lifted from the rifle by Dallas police was Oswald’s. The FBI informed the Commission that no agent made any statements to the press regarding the existence or nonexistence of this print.
Latent Fingerprints on the Rifle
The Commission found that the poor quality of the rifle’s metal and wooden parts would have absorbed moisture from skin, making clear prints unlikely. There was no evidence Oswald wore gloves or wiped the rifle. Incomplete latent fingerprints were found but could not be identified.
The Paraffin Test Results
The Commission found that the paraffin tests were conducted by Dallas Police and the Criminal Investigation Laboratory. The FBI stated that Special Agent Shanklin never made any public statement claiming the test was positive and proved Oswald fired a rifle, and the Commission found no evidence he made such a statement.
Marina Oswald’s Knowledge of the Weapons
The Commission found no evidence that Marina Oswald ever told authorities she did not know her husband owned a rifle or pistol. On the afternoon of November 22, she told police he owned a rifle kept at the Paine garage in Irving. Before the Commission, she identified the Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5 as the “fateful rifle of Lee Oswald.”
Authenticity of the Oswald Rifle Picture
The Commission found that Life magazine, Newsweek, and the New York Times had retouched the photo of Oswald with the rifle, inadvertently altering configuration details. Photographic experts identified the rifle in the original print as a Mannlicher-Carcano 6.5, the same type found on the sixth floor. FBI experts testified the picture was taken with Oswald’s camera.
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