Death of John F. Kennedy
These conspiracy theories persist to this day
John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas.
© imago/Everett Collection
The assassination of John F. Kennedy gave rise to numerous conspiracy theories. Some survive to this day…
Hardly any other event has given rise to as many conspiracy theories as the murder of John F Kennedy (1917-1963). November 22, 1963 marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination attempt on the then US President in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963) was arrested as the assassin. But there are also wild theories that Kennedy was hit by an arrow fired from an umbrella, for example. These are the wildest conspiracy theories surrounding JFK’s murder:
Were there connections to the Soviet Union?
Lee Harvey Oswald, who had previously lived in the Soviet Union for about three years, is said to have described himself as a Marxist. He was accused of shooting Kennedy from the sixth-floor window of a nearby textbook warehouse as the president was being driven through Dallas in an open car. Lee Harvey Oswald was shot two days after his arrest by Jack Ruby (1911-1967) as he was being transferred to another prison.
According to US media, later released files revealed that Oswald visited the Soviet embassy in Mexico City several times between September 27 and October 3, 1963 to apply for a visa to Cuba. According to media reports, investigations found that Oswald’s Marxist ideology was an “important factor” influencing his behavior.
The man with the umbrella
Conspiracy theorists quickly spotted a mysterious man holding an umbrella in footage of Kennedy’s assassination – even though it wasn’t raining. The so-called “Umbrella Man” was described by the Washington Post as the most famous multiple shooter conspiracy theory. One theory is that the “Umbrella Man” may have fired a tranquilizer dart into Kennedy’s neck, immobilizing him so that Oswald or others could fire a fatal shot.
However, the “Umbrella Man” later reported himself to the authorities. Louie Steven Witt said he had the umbrella with him that day in Dallas to demonstrate against Kennedy’s policies. However, the theory that there must have been several shooters still persists…
The “Grassy Knoll” theory
Some people believed there was a second shooter on the Grassy Knoll, a grassy hill near the site of the killing. This theory is now said to have been refuted by video footage. The Warren Commission found in 1964 that Oswald was the sole shooter. Nevertheless, in the years that followed, organizations such as the CIA were repeatedly accused by conspiracy theorists of being involved.
The CIA theory
Kennedy reportedly did not speak well to the CIA in the period leading up to his assassination. The foreign intelligence service is said to have been afraid that the president would take action against the CIA. According to the conspiracy theory, the CIA anticipated this with Kennedy’s assassination…
There is no evidence for any of the conspiracy theories. In the meantime, aliens were even blamed for the murder of JFK because the president wanted to expose alleged collusion between the aliens and Washington…
“One man, one gun, three shots”
Even 60 years after the assassination attempt on JFK, former Secret Service agent Clint Hill (91) is firmly convinced that there was only one shooter: “One man, one gun, three shots.” Hill was the man who jumped from behind the presidential limousine as shots rang out on November 22, 1963, to save the president.
The ex-agent has just released a new edition of his bestselling book “Five Days in November,” including an afterword that addresses the ongoing conspiracy theories. “At the moment there are very few people left who were present that day and we will all be gone soon and there will be no one left to tell the facts,” Hill told People magazine.
Hill agrees with the Warren Commission’s conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman. Regarding the many conspiracy theories, he says that they are “theories, not facts.”