Why Did Jfk Get Killed? This question continues to haunt American history, sparking countless investigations and theories. WHY.EDU.VN dives deep into the evidence, examining the facts, analyzing the key players, and offering insights into this enduring mystery while considering possible assassination plots and the official investigation. Discover new perspectives on this pivotal event, enhanced with comprehensive research and LSI keywords.
1. The Committee’s Belief in a Conspiracy
The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. This determination stemmed from their inability to identify all gunmen involved and the full scope of this plot. As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes defined it, conspiracy is a “partnership in criminal purposes.” The HSCA noted that “conspiracy” carries diverse meanings, ranging from complex plots by foreign powers to simpler schemes by isolated individuals. The committee’s mandate was to identify whether an agreement existed between two or more individuals to kill President Kennedy, and whether at least one of them took action to further that plan, resulting in the President’s death. To explore this, the HSCA investigated various groups and organizations, such as the Soviet government, the Cuban government, anti-Castro Cuban groups, and the national syndicate of organized crime. All of these factors can have an impact on physical evidence and witness accounts.
Even without physical evidence of conspiracy, assisting Oswald in his efforts would establish a conspiracy. Therefore, scrutinizing Oswald’s associates is essential, and the Warren Commission’s conclusion relied on finding no significant associations between Oswald and other possible conspirators, nor any physical evidence. Even without finding connections to major groups, a limited conspiracy involving individuals could not be ruled out.
2. The Warren Commission’s Flawed Investigation
The HSCA found serious flaws in the Warren Commission’s and FBI’s investigation into the possibility of a conspiracy. This undermined the credibility of their findings and made it difficult to determine any connection to a larger group. This meant their failure to develop evidence of a conspiracy could not be given independent weight. The Warren Commission was, in fact, incorrect in concluding that Oswald and Ruby had no significant associations, and therefore its finding of no conspiracy was not reliable.
Caption: Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald. Alt text: Jack Ruby fatally shoots Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas Police headquarters basement.
2.1 Significant Associations of Oswald and Ruby
Unlike the Warren Commission, the HSCA identified several contacts of Oswald and Ruby that were of investigative significance. The Warren Commission looked for direct evidence of conspiratorial association but stopped there. The HSCA, however, conducted a wider ranging investigation. Even allowing for benign reasons for contact between Oswald or Ruby and one of their associates, the HSCA examined the very fact of the contact. The Commission apparently looked for evidence of conspiratorial association. Finding none on the face of the associations it investigated, it did not go further. The committee, however, conducted a wider ranging investigation. Notwithstanding the possibility of a benign reason for contact between Oswald or Ruby and one of their associates, the committee examined the very fact of the contact to see if it contained investigative significance. Unlike the Warren Commission, the committee took a close look at the associates to determine whether conspiratorial activity in the assassination could have been possible, given what the committee could learn about the associates, and whether the apparent nature of the contact should, therefore, be examined more closely.
2.2 The High Probability of a Second Gunman
The committee found that there was a high probability that a second gunman fired at the President, which contributed to the finding that the President was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. This high probability is based on extensive scientific analysis and an analysis of the testimony of Dealey Plaza witnesses.
3. Major Groups and Organizations Investigated
The HSCA examined several major groups and organizations that have been alleged to have been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate the President. A Soviet government or Cuban government involvement in the assassination would have made the conspiracy one of major significance. If any of these groups or organizations, as a group, had been involved in the assassination, the conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy would have been one of major significance.
3.1 The Soviet Government
The HSCA found no sufficient evidence to believe that the Soviet government was involved in the assassination. Upon Lee Harvey Oswald’s arrest, questions arose regarding the significance of his defection to the Soviet Union from October 1959 to June 1962. The committee reviewed the documents Oswald wrote about his life in the Soviet Union, including his diary and letters to his mother, Marguerite, and brother, Robert. They paralleled, to a great extent, the information in documents provided to the Warren Commission by the Soviet Government after the assassination. In the last, analysis, the Committee agreed with the testimony of former Secretary of State Dean Rusk. To wit, there is no evidence that the Soviet Government had any interest in removing President Kennedy, nor is there any evidence that it planned to take advantage of the President’s death before it happened or attempted to capitalize on it after it occurred. In fact, the reaction of the Soviet Government as well as the Soviet people seemed to be one of genuine shock and sincere grief.
3.2 The Cuban Government
The committee also found no evidence that the Cuban government was involved in the assassination. When President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, the basic outlines of the recent history of United States-Cuban relations, if not the specific details, were known to every American who even occasionally read a newspaper. Thus, when speculation arose as to the possibility of conspiracy, Fidel Castro and his Communist government were natural suspects. While rationality may have precluded any involvement of the Cuban Government, the recognition that Castro had been among the late President’s most prominent enemies compelled such speculation. Castro denied the allegations and cited steps towards rapprochement with the US.
Caption: Fidel Castro. Alt text: Fidel Castro in 1964, face forward, wearing a dark uniform and cap.
3.3 Anti-Castro Cuban Groups
While no evidence existed to suggest that anti-Castro Cuban groups, as groups, were involved in the assassination, the HSCA could not dismiss the possibility that individual members may have been involved. The anti-Castro movement began not long after Fidel Castro assumed control of Cuba. At first, the Cuban people cheered the revolution and its leader for the defeat of the dictatorial Batista regime, but it was not long before many former supporters found reason to condemn the new premier’s policies and politics. Many Cubans were deeply disillusioned when it became apparent that the Castro government was renouncing the country’s long affiliation with the United States and moving closer to the Soviet Union. As Castro’s preference for Marxism became evident, underground opposition movements were born. They survived for a time within Cuba, but as the effectiveness of Castro’s militia system was recognized, they retreated to the exile communities of Miami and other cities in the United States.
3.4 The National Syndicate of Organized Crime
The HSCA determined that the national syndicate of organized crime, as a group, was not involved in the assassination of President Kennedy, but that the available evidence does not preclude the possibility that individual members may have been involved. For this reason, the committee undertook an extensive investigation of Ruby and his relatives, friends and associates to determine if there was evidence that Ruby was involved in crime, organized or otherwise, such as gambling and vice, and if such involvement might have been related to the murder of Oswald.
4. Government Agency Involvement
The HSCA concluded that the Secret Service, the FBI, and the CIA were not involved in the assassination of President Kennedy. Speculation arose at the time of President Kennedy’s assassination, there was a suggestion of complicity by agencies of the U.S. Government. This was one of the principal reasons for the Warren Commission’s creation. The committee carefully considered various charges of Government complicity and coverup.
Caption: John F. Kennedy motorcade in Dallas. Alt text: John F. Kennedy smiles from open car during Dallas motorcade before assassination.
4.1 The Secret Service
The committee’s investigation of alleged Secret Service complicity in the assassination was primarily concerned with whether the Secret Service facilitated the shooting by arranging a motorcade route that went through the heart of downtown Dallas and past the Texas School Book Depository, and whether any Secret Service personnel engage in conduct at the site of the assassination that might indicate complicity in the assassination. The HSCA found no evidence of Secret Service complicity in the assassination.
4.2 The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The HSCA found no credible evidence that Lee Harvey Oswald was an FBI informant, and they found they could not sustain the rumors surrounding the FBI because of this. The Warren Comission was given sworn affidavits to this effect as well. As such, grounds for suspicions of FBI complicity in the assassination become remote.
4.3 The Central Intelligence Agency
Director McCone testified to the Warren Commission that “Oswald was not an agent, employee, or informant of the Central Intelligence Agency.” Based on its entire investigation, the HSCA similarly found that the CIA was not involved in the assassination.
5. Ongoing Mysteries and Unanswered Questions
Despite the HSCA’s efforts, significant questions remain unanswered. These include the precise identity of the second gunman, the full extent of the conspiracy, and a complete understanding of Oswald’s motivations.
- The Second Gunman: While the HSCA concluded a second gunman was likely involved, their identity remains unknown.
- The Extent of the Conspiracy: The full scope of the plot and the identities of all involved remain a mystery.
- Oswald’s Motivations: A complete understanding of Oswald’s motivations is still elusive.
6. FAQ: Unveiling the Details of JFK’s Assassination
- Was there a second shooter on the grassy knoll?
- The HSCA concluded that acoustic evidence suggested a high probability of a second gunman, although this remains a contentious point.
- What was Oswald’s connection to the Soviet Union?
- Oswald defected to the Soviet Union in 1959, living there until 1962, which raised suspicions but ultimately lacked evidence of Soviet government involvement.
- Did the CIA have a file on Lee Harvey Oswald?
- Yes, the CIA had a “201 file” on Oswald, opened in 1960, due to his defection, but the file itself showed no agency relationship.
- What was the role of Jack Ruby in the assassination?
- Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, creating further questions about the events and possible conspiracies.
- Were there any credible witnesses who saw a second shooter?
- Numerous witnesses in Dealey Plaza reported hearing shots from different locations, leading to speculation of multiple shooters.
- How did the Warren Commission’s findings compare to the HSCA’s?
- The Warren Commission concluded that Oswald acted alone, while the HSCA found a high probability of a conspiracy.
- What was the significance of the Zapruder film?
- The Zapruder film, an 8mm home movie, captured the assassination and became a crucial piece of evidence, sparking debate about the number of shots and their origin.
- Did the Mafia have a motive to kill JFK?
- Some theories suggest the Mafia may have been involved due to President Kennedy’s crackdown on organized crime.
- What was the “magic bullet” theory?
- The “magic bullet” theory, which posits that a single bullet caused multiple wounds to both Kennedy and Connally, remains a controversial aspect of the Warren Commission’s report.
- What impact did the assassination have on American society?
- The assassination of JFK profoundly impacted American society, leading to widespread grief, mistrust of government, and lasting conspiracy theories.
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