Oswald didn’t Kill Tippet

Linkedin Long-form Post – Submission #3

Excerpts from Sherlock Investigates JFK’s Murder

James Francis Smith

A weary Rose agreed to furnish yet another report, but first headed for her dinner before additional requests came her way. No sooner had she sat down to eat than Sherlock, with Watson in tow, appeared before her.

“I like to see in complete detail what occurred with Tippet.”

He then departed, leaving Watson behind. That’s when Rose allowed her fatigue to take command. “I can’t do any more until I get some rest. Why don’t you ask Cunningham? He’s outside smoking on the front porch.”

“What good will he do?”

“He was a longtime detective and knows all types of cops in DC and lots of other places. He also fancies himself to be an expert on Kennedy’s killing. Take advantage of his expertise, that’s why he’s part of this team. Besides, he’s Irish to the core and a fervent supporter of our late President. Be careful how you approach him, his parents came from Galway and Mayo. Therefore, he doesn’t think kindly of Englishmen.”

With little choice, Watson joined Cunningham on the front porch, taking out two cigars as he did so. Without saying a word, he handed one to the retired police captain, lit his first then offered a light to Cunningham, which was accepted.

“Would you like a bit of brandy to go with that?”

-break in the action-

After the passage of a few moments, the retired police captain continued, “I’m placing my bet on Deputy Craig. His instant glance at his watch is a habit that’s ingrained into most good cops. From what I could gather, the official time of death was established by determining what Oswald did following the killing. With that as the starting point, the Commission worked their way backward to arrive at a starting time. Such an approach would’ve been necessary, except that Craig had already established the correct time. The murder had to have occurred shortly before before 1:06. A time supported by both Markham and Bowley.”

Listening intently, Watson asked, “How did Oswald’s activities fit into that time schedule?”

Dropping the papers he had been using as a guide onto the porch floor, Cunningham again dipped into his briefcase and sorted through another bunch of papers, some of which were returned to their starting place. Then he paused, studied one momentarily before speaking. “Here’s something of interest. I had forgotten all about this encounter. I met reporter Hugh Aynesworth on a trip to Dallas. A trip I made on my own. Hugh was the only reporter who witnessed: Kennedy’s assassination, Tippet’s body before it was taken away, Oswald being arrested in the Texas Theater, and Oswald being shot by Jack Ruby.”

Cunningham glanced at the papers before continuing. “Unlike the other reporters who headed to Parkland Hospital, Hugh remained near the Depository. He listened as Sergeant Gerald Hill urged Inspector Herbert Sawyer to get the crime lab over to the Depository. It was while Hugh was there, about one o’clock he heard a broadcast from a police radio that an officer had been shot in Oak Cliff.

“‘This is a citizen. A policeman’s been shot. He’s hurt pretty bad, I think! The location followed.’

“Hugh jumped into the Channel 8 cruiser. WFAA-TV newsman Ron Reiland drove rashly, using an illegal flashing light, passed cars and ran red lights. Hugh claimed he arrived at the murder scene sometime between 1:05 and 1:10. The police radio call, that spurred Hugh into action, was not included in the transcript of police radio messages. All that appeared was thirty seconds of noise, indicating an erasure. The likely reason Tippet didn’t respond to the dispatcher at 1:03 was that he had been already shot.

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