John F. Kennedy Assassination: 35th US President Murder Case
The assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, famous as John F. Kennedy, on November 22, 1963, is considered one of the saddest and most mysterious moments in American history.
It caused a great deal of research, conspiracy theories, and discussions that are still going strong even to this date. Scholars, researchers, and the general public are still obsessed with the event. It represents a turning point in American history of the 20th century.
Historic Background
The 1960s era during the tenure of John witnesses some internal conflict within his Democratic Party (John’s party). The civil rights movement’s leaders pressured President John Kennedy to sign voting and civil rights laws.
The fact that President John acknowledged the demands of leaders of the civil rights movement did not go well with the Southern Democrats.
African American leaders initiated the civil rights movement focused on addressing racial discrimination. It asked for equal opportunities for white and black people across America.
President John acknowledged this movement and supported federal civil rights legislation. He also introduced major initiatives for racial equality.
Moreover, the Cold War (between the US and the Soviet Union) affected the early years of President John. The Cuban Missile Crisis emerged in the wake of the Cold War.
However, President John managed this crisis well when things were tense between rival countries. This crisis came when the Soviet Union started building ballistic missile launch sites in Cuba in 1962.
The US shares a border with Cuba. When the US learned about this secret site, they considered it a threat to their defense. Hence, they launched a naval blockade in retaliation.
Following this, the threat of nuclear exchange war continued for thirteen days until a deal to remove weapons from Cuban sites happened.
On the other hand, President John wanted to generate money and unite his party a year before the 1964 election by visiting Texas with the highest electoral college percentage. President John F.Kennedy did not have any idea his electoral boosting campaign would turn into his assassination event.
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
A dark moment came in America when John F. Kennedy was shot and killed at 12:30 p.m. on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. He was traveling through Dealey Plaza in a presidential motorcade when his murder happened.
President John was in the car with his wife, Jacqueline. Texas Governor John Connally and his wife Nellie accompanied them in the car.
Meanwhile, a man named Lee Harvey Oswald shot and assassinated John F. Kennedy from the nearby Texas School Book Depository. He managed to escape the crime scene. During the assassination attempt, Governor John also sustained injuries.
Thirty minutes after the shooting, President John and Texas Governor were rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Doctors at Parkland Memorial Hospital declared President John “dead.” However, Governor John survived his injuries.
Immediate Aftermath
Two hours and eight minutes after the assassination of John F.Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was quickly sworn in as American President to prevent a national crisis.
After 70 minutes of the assassination attempt, the Dallas Police Department arrested shooter Lee Harvey Oswald from the theatre following his suspicious behavior. The theatre manager noticed his body language suspicious and called Dallas Police which led to his arrest.
Later, police found several witnesses seeing Lee leaving the Texas School Book Depository shortly after the assassination. Moreover, they found Lee holding a rifle used in photographs, and nitrate deposits on himself proved he fired a gunshot.
On the evening of November 22, an autopsy of President John was conducted at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.
It is significant to note that President John served as a naval commander during World War II. Hence, his wife Jacquline chose a military hospital to serve as a postmortem location.
Three doctors performed the autopsy including James Humes, navy commander J. Thornton Boswell, and a ballistics wound specialist Pierre A. Finck. Humes supervised the process.
Physicians performed a rushed and incomplete autopsy under pressure from White House members and the deceased family to complete the process quickly. An autopsy report revealed a gunshot wound to the skull of President John caused his death.
Shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald
Only two days after the assassination of John F.Kennedy, a man named Jack Ruby shot dead Lee Harvey Oswald at 11:21 a.m. on November 24.
This shooting happened when police officers were leading Lee to a car in the Dallas Police headquarters basement for the transfer from the city jail to a country jail.
The shooter Jack, was the owner of a Dallas nightclub whom police arrested at the moment. Television viewers watched the shooting of Lee live. The photographer Robert H. Jackson of the Dallas Times Herald captured this incident in his photo.
He named this photo “Jack Ruby Shoots Lee Harvey Oswald,” for which he won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for photography.
Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Lee Harvey Oswald was born on October 18, 1939, in Louisiana. He was a former US Marine Officer. His history was complicated and controversial.
He moved to the Soviet Union in 1959 after serving in the US Marines for three years. He lived in the Soviet Union for a few years before returning to the U.S. in 1962.
One year after his return, the assassination of John F. Kennedy happened which sounds too difficult to believe it was coincidental. However, Lee continuously denied playing any role in the assassination of John F.Kennedy during police custody.
Following his arrest, he called himself a “victim” showing he was being set up for the crime. But he refused to go to further trial or give a thorough explanation of his side of the story until Jack Ruby assassinated him.
Funeral and Condemnations about Assassination of John F.Kennedy
The funeral ceremony of President John F. Kennedy happened at St. Matthew’s Cathedral on November 25, 2024. There were about 12,00 people, including guests from more than 90 nations in the ceremony.
Then-French President Charles de Gaulle condemned the death of President John and stated:
President Kennedy died like a soldier under fire for his duty and in the service of his country.
Charles de Gaulle, Then-French President
Then-Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khrushchev sent condolences and stated:
He is deeply saddened to know about the assassination of John F.Kennedy. He urged for continued peaceful coexistence between America and the Soviet Union.
Nikita Khrushchev, Then-Soviet Union Premier
Warren Commission
One week after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, newly elected US President Lyndon B. Johnson established the Warren Commission on November 29, 1963.
Then-US Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren led this commission to present an extensive and conclusive fact report of circumstances surrounding President John’s murder.
However, the Warren Commission found no evidence of a foreign conspiracy behind his death. It stated Lee Harvey Oswald killed President John on his behalf.
The Commission was published in September 1964. It did not mention any exact reason for Lee’s murder of President John.
The commission cited several possible reasons based on Lee’s personal history, political beliefs, or dissatisfaction with his life for murder. So, the exact motive remains unclear based on the Warren Commission.
The report’s conclusions were considered with suspicion, leading to the emergence of several conspiracy theories. It spread massive doubts about the government’s version of events and offered several interpretations.
However, Lee’s murderer Jack Ruby revealed to the Warren Commission that he was upset about President John’s death. He emphasized that murdering Lee would save Mrs. John, and Jacqueline the pain of going through trial.
Jack Ruby recorded his statement and stated:
He shot Lee Harvard Oswald without thinking through the reasons and just acted on impulse when the chance presented itself.
Jack Ruby, the shooter of Lee Harvey Oswald
Trial of Jack Ruby
A jury in Dallas convicted and sentenced Jack to death in 1964, but it overturned this conviction in 1966 due to procedural errors. However, he died of lung cancer in January 1967 before a new trial could happen.
This prevented any further legal proceedings or potential revelations about his motivations and connections. Some believe Jack acted out of a spontaneous emotional response while some speculate about possible connections to organized crime or a larger national/international conspiracy.
Conclusion
The assassination of John F.Kennedy continues to be a significant event in American history and a subject of ongoing curiosity and speculation.
Even after extensive studies, controversial government reports, and speculations, the whole truth about what happened on November 22, 1963, might never be discovered.
But one thing is for sure: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy had a significant effect on both the US and the rest of the world, leaving a legacy that is still felt today.
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