The Men Who Killed Kennedy

The Men Who Killed Kennedy

The Men Who Killed Kennedy is a nine-part video documentary series by Nigel Turner about the John F. Kennedy assassination. The series, which related various conspiracy theories, was extensively challenged on factual grounds^{[citation needed]}.

Broadcast history and critical response

The Men Who Killed Kennedy began with two 50-minute segments originally aired on 25 October 1988 in the United Kingdom, entitled simply Part One and Part Two. The programmes were produced by Central Television for the ITV network and were immediately followed by a studio discussion on the issues titled The Story Continues, chaired by broadcaster Peter Sissons. The United States corporation, Arts & Entertainment Company, purchased the rights to the original two segments. In 1989, the series was nominated for a Flaherty Documentary Award. In 1991, the series was re-edited with additional material and divided into three 50-minute programmes, which were also shown by ITV. A sixth episode appeared in 1995. The series typically aired in November every year and from time to time during the year. In November 2003, three additional segments ("The Final Chapter") were added by the History Channel, but the series is no longer aired.

The ninth documentary in the series, entitled "The Guilty Men," directly implicates former U. S. President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) and created an outcry among Johnson's surviving associates, including Johnson's widow, Lady Bird Johnson, journalist Bill Moyers, ex-President Jimmy Carter, Jack Valenti (longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America), and the last-living (at the time of the outcry) Warren Commission commissioner and ex-President Gerald R. Ford. These Johnson supporters lodged complaints of libel with the History Channel. They subsequently threatened legal action against Arts & Entertainment Company, owner of the History Channel.

The History Channel responded by assembling a panel of three historians, Robert Dallek, Stanley Kutler, and Thomas Sugrue. On a program aired April 7, 2004 called "The Guilty Man: A Historical Review," the panel agreed that the documentary was not credible and should not have aired. The History Channel issued a statement saying, in part, "The History Channel recognizes that 'The Guilty Men' failed to offer viewers context and perspective, and fell short of the high standards that the network sets for itself. The History Channel apologizes to its viewers and to Mrs. Johnson and her family for airing the show." Conspiracy author Barr McClellan, interviewed in the documentary, complained that although the historians examined the evidence, they did not interview him or Turner.

All three new documentaries by Turner ("The Guilty Men," "The Smoking Gun" and "The Love Affair") were then permanently withdrawn by the History Channel, though they were originally slated to be viewed at least annually on the History Channel until the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination (November, 2013).^{[citation needed]}

In another episode that has warranted discussion, French prisoner Christian David was interviewed by author Anthony Summers. In the interview, David says he was approached to become one of three French criminals hired to carry out the assassination of Kennedy, but that he refused. David acknowledges that deceased French mobster Lucien Sarti was one of the men who carried out the assassination.

E. Howard Hunt placed LBJ at the top of a conspiracy list connected to Cord Meyer, Bill Harvey, David Morales and "French Gunman Grassy Knoll" in his death bed confession to his son.

Malcolm Liggett, a retired economics professor, sued A&E regarding the episode "The Smoking Guns," which claimed Liggett was involved in a conspiracy to kill Kennedy. Liggett and A&E reached a settlement, which required that a letter by Liggett be read on the show History Center.

Episode list

1. "The Coup D'Etat" (1988)
2. "The Forces Of Darkness" (1988)
3. "The Cover-Up" (1991)
4. "The Patsy" (1991)
5. "The Witnesses" (1991)
6. "The Truth Shall Set You Free" (1995)
7. "The Smoking Guns" (2003)
8. "The Love Affair" (2003)
9. "The Guilty Men" (2003)

Contents of the documentaries

Episode 7 - The Smoking Guns

Summary: This segment examines Secret Service security of President Kennedy's motorcade, the ordered stand-down of some Secret Service agents during the motorcade, the decision not to have police motorcycle outriders alongside the presidential limo, wounds to JFK's body, damage to the limousine, forgery of photographic evidence from JFK's autopsy, lack of proper autopsy and evidence preservation procedures, and physical alterations to JFK's corpse within 24 hours of death.

On camera

• Connie Kritzberg, reporter in Dallas in 1963, interviewed doctors about JFK's wounds;
• Dr. Charles Crenshaw, Parkland Hospital surgeon who worked on JFK in ER;
• Vince Palamara, researcher;
• Prof. James Fetzer, researcher;
• Dr. Robert Livingstone, told Dr. Humes about entrance wound in the throat before the autopsy;
• Dr. Evalea Glanges, saw a bullet hole from the front in the windshield of the JFK limousine;
• Doug Weldon, Professor of Criminal Justice, expert on JFK limousine;
• Dr. David Mantik, photographic forgery of JFK autopsy photos;
• Joe O'Donnell, photographer in JFK White House;
• Dr. Gary Aguilar;
• G. Robert Blakey, Chief Counsel and Staff Director of HSCA;
• Charles Smith, mortician;
• Lois, John Liggett's former wife;
• Debra Godwin, John Liggett's step-daughter.

Subjects or people referenced

• ARRB, JFK Assassination Records Review Board;
• Henry Roberts, Secret Service Agent in car behind JFK;
• JFK motorcade security in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963;
• U.S. Secret Service destroys their records of Nov. 22 motorcade;
• Wounds to JFK body;
• press conference at Parkland Hospital;
• Dallas Times Herald;
• Dr. Kemp Clark, Parkland Hospital, gaping wound in the back of the head;
• Dr. Malcolm Perry, Parkland Hospital, entrance wound in front of throat;
• FBI censored and edited news reports from Dallas about JFK assassination;
• Secret Service removed limousine before any examination by Dallas police;
• Bullet hole in windshield observed in Dallas and at White House;
• Ford Motor Company replaced damaged windshield in late Nov.1963;
• Charles Taylor, Jr. Secret Service, described hole in windshield;
• George Whittaker, Sr., manager at Ford Plant, Rouge, Michigan;
• JFK autopsy photos disputed by Parkland doctors;
• Robert Knudsen, photographer in White House;
• Secret Service controlled autopsy photos;
• HSCA, House Select Committee on Assassinations;
• John Liggett, mortician and embalmer in Dallas;
• Restland Funeral Home, Dallas, Texas;
• Malcolm Liggett, John Liggett's brother;
• David Ferrie visits John Liggett after JFK assassination;
• Body tampering;
• 1974 Liggett arrested for attempted murder;
• Dorothy Peck survived John Liggett murder attempt;
• Iris Campbell, friend of Lois;
• Photo of John and Malcolm Liggett with Jack Ruby

Episode 8 - The Love Affair

Summary: Judyth Vary Baker tells the details of her relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald from April to November 1963. She claims they met in New Orleans while she was working on a secret, fast-growing cancer that was intended to be used to kill Fidel Castro, that this bioweapon was tested on unwitting prisoners in Louisiana, and that it worked. Oswald tried to deliver the substance to a contact in Mexico City, who would forward it to Cuba, but the contact didn't show up. He then tried to get a visa to Cuba himself at the Soviet and Cuban Embassies, but was unsuccessful. Oswald is then assigned to a new project in Dallas. She claims Oswald told her he was involved in a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy, but that he was only pretending to support it, and he was hoping he could somehow stop it. In their last phone conversation, just before the assassination, Oswald gave her names of people who are somehow involved - two are business associates of Lyndon Johnson and one is a high-ranking CIA official. Oswald predicted he would probably die the next day. He told her that at the very least, there would be one less person shooting at the President.

On camera

• Judyth Vary Baker;
• Baker's sister

Subjects or people referenced

• Lee Harvey Oswald;
• Dr. Mary Sherman;
• David Ferrie;
• David Lewis;
• Guy Banister;
• Clay Shaw;
• Angola Prison and the use of prisoners from Angola at the Jackson hospital;
• Clinton, Louisiana;
• Jackson, Louisiana and the Southeast Louisiana Mental Hospital at Jackson;
• Reily Coffee Company;
• Dr. Alton Ochsner, Sr.;
• Baker's husband, Robert

Episode 9 - The Guilty Men

Summary: Barr McClellan, author of Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK, accuses LBJ of being behind the JFK assassination. Implicates others of fore-knowledge of the plot, including Texas oilmen Clint Murchison, Sr. and H.L. Hunt, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Mystery fingerprint found on sixth floor of the School Book Depository matches prints of Johnson aide taken in connection with a prior murder conviction.

On camera

• Barr McClellan, an attorney who worked at Clark, Thomas and Winters, based in Austin, Texas with LBJ's personal attorneys;
• Ed Tatro, researcher;
• Madeline Brown, LBJ's longtime girlfriend;
• Glen Samples, researcher;
• Don Marshall, Henry Marshall's son;
• Gregory Burnham, researcher;
• May Newman, employee of Murchison family;
• Dr. Charles Crenshaw, doctor at Parkland Hospital ER, worked on Kennedy and Oswald in emergency rooms;
• Phyllis Bartlett, Parkland switchboard operator;
• Walt Brown, researcher;
• Nathan Darby, finger print expert.

Subjects or people referenced

• Billie Sol Estes, business associate of LBJ;
• Malcolm Wallace, LBJ's alleged hit man, henchman for LBJ, convicted murderer, fingerprint on box in TSBD (sniper's nest);
• Bobby Baker, Secretary to U.S. Senate and business associate of LBJ;
• Box 13 scandal, 1948 senatorial election in Texas which Johnson won by 91 votes in a questionable election;
• Cliff Carter, aide to LBJ;
• Clint Murchison, Sr., wealthy Texas oil man;
• D.H. Byrd, owned Texas School Book Depository(TSBD) where Lee Harvey Oswald worked, founded the Civil Air Patrol;
• Don Thomas, business attorney for LBJ during his Presidency;
• Douglas Kinser, golf pro murdered in 1951, had affairs with LBJ's sister and Malcolm Wallace's wife;
• Edward Clark, political boss of Texas, attorney for LBJ, arrange assassination of JFK;
• Billy Celestes, LBJ henchmen, testified before Gran Jury in Franklin, Texas in 1984, identified Malcolm Wallace as Henry Marshall's killer;
• Henry Marshall, investigated LBJ corruption, murdered;
• Henry Wade, Dallas County District Attorney;
• Ms. Hollman, cook at Murchison house;
• Hotel del Charro, La Jolla, CA;
• J. Edgar Hoover, Director of FBI;
• Jules Pfieffer, chauffeur for Murchison;
• JFK = John F. Kennedy;
• John Coates;
• John Connally, Governor of Texas, invited JFK to Texas;
• LBJ = Lyndon Baines Johnson;
• LBJ psychiatrist;
• Oil Depletion Allowance, JFK wanted to decrease this allowance;
• Richard Nixon, former Vice-President under Eisenhower, was a guest at the Murchison House on Nov. 21, 1963;
• J. Edgar Hoover, FBI director, guest of honor at the Murchison House on Nov. 21, 1963;
• Steven Mark Brown, illegitimate son of Madeline Duncan Brown and Lyndon B. Johnson ;
• Vietnam;
• Virginia Murchison, Second wife of Clint Murchison;
• Waggoner Carr, Attorney General of Texas in 1963;
• Will Fritz, Chief of Homicide, Dallas Police Dept.

External links

• JFK Online: The Men Who Killed Kennedy
• Kennedy Assassination Home Page: Should We Believe Judyth Baker?
• Dave Perry on The Men Who Killed Kennedy
• Edward T. Haslam: Historical and Educational Files