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The Warren Commission Report: The Official Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

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When President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed his Executive Order creating the Commission to Investigate the Assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and appointed Chief Justice Earl Warren its chairman, Johnson was not looking for a complete, turnover every stone, professional police/forensic investigation into a public official's murder. Johnson was seeking to alleviate US citizen fears of a Soviet planned, financed, and assassin furnished murder of a well-liked US president. The idea was to alleviate a potential World War III and restore confidence in domestic US institutions and government entities because both the president and his alleged assassin had been murdered within 48 hours of one another.

The Warren Commission was a ground-breaking document. It tried, in the space of its 10-months existence, to answer major questions of the assassination, the persons involved, whether a conspiracy had existed. It did lay out major investigatory leads; however, it was not as thorough or as accurate as it purports. Flaws in content abound. One glaring flaw is the final report's use of slides taken from the Zapruder film, the Rosetta Stone of President Kennedy's murder. Those slides are out of sequence, reproduced in a non-distinct manner, out of focus, and nearly worthless as evidentary material. Frames are noticeably not in sequence to give more credence to a a shot from the rear (Texas School Book Depository, from this point, TSBD) as opposed to any shots from the Grassy Knoll to the right of the President's limo in the motorcade.

Another glaring flaw is the ommission of much of the testimony (in this summary volume of the Commission) of Triple Overpass witnesses who had stated seeing activity behind the picket fence prior to the shooting, a puff of smoke at the time of the shooting, and activity behind the picket fence after the shooting. These witnesses were virtually ignored.

Still another flaw of the Report was the incorporation, in the Jack Ruby section, of a page and a half of information discussing Ruby's mother's false teeth. At the time of the assassination Ruby's mother was a resident in a nursing home. Further, unless President Kennedy suffered bite wounds, mention of the woman's false teeth was clearly irrelevant and not germaine to the President's death at all.

Another glaring flaw was the misidentification by Warren Commission staffers of a blond-haired, heavy set (NFL linebacker type) man, who was photographed as entering the Cuban Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico as the dark-haired, slender Lee Oswald. That this error is so blatant as to undermine the credibility of the document. Additionally, scant attention is paid to the widely reported Oswald citings in and around Dallas, Texas at a time that the real Oswald was known to have traveled to Mexico City is barely touched on at all.

Other flaws exist in this report, notably, the Single Bullet Theory CE-399 aside (the Pristine/Magic Bullet) found on the stretcher believed to have been used by Gov. Connelly is missing a miniscule amount of lead from its base. It is well known that the surgeon attending Connelly left more lead fragments in Connelly than accounted for from the base of this Commission Exhibit. This glaring flaw is not addressed by the Warren Report or its supporters, and, thereby, undermines the Single Bullet Theory, despite former Warren Commission staffer and current US Senator Arlen Spector's assertion of "Single Bullet Fact."

The Warren Commission Report should be read, but only as a starting place. The best one can say of Lee Harvey Oswald is that he is suspected of killing President Kennedy, or better, having some connection to the President's death, but errors in fact prevent a clear determination.

This is a 1992 facsimile edition of the 1964 Report. Since 1964 there have been many books that questioned the findings of the Warren Commission (one lone gunman firing three shots). If more that 3 shots were fired then their findings were in error. The 1978 House Select Committee established that more than 3 shots were fired. A photograph of the Texas School Book Depository showed Oswald (or a look-alike) standing in the doorway. If Oswald, then he wasn't guilty. Photos of the southeast 6th floor window show no one at that window; this refutes the Warren Commission. Was there a cover-up? Yes, it was the Warren Commission since it prevented the city of Dallas and the state of Texas from investigating and prosecuting the crime. [Dallas prosecutor Henry Wade said that Oswald was getting money by wire.]

The experienced physicians at Parkland Hospital said JFK was shot in the throat from the front. A shot from the TSBD would have to hit the back of the head to exit through the throat, and this did not happen on the first shot. Governor John Connally always said he was hit in the back by the second shot. One shot missed the car and hit the road, a fragment struck a person on the sidewalk. One shot hit JFK in the head shot out part of his skull. Four shots, more than one shooter. Unless Oswald had a self-loading rifle (he didn't). The Warren Commission was appointed by LBJ and stopped the state investigation. The investigation was controlled by J. Edgar Hoover. There was a tight schedule to complete the report before the 1964 election. This 880 page book is the result.

There were 26 volumes for all the testimony; few would buy and read it. Researchers have claimed there are statements in the 26 volumes that question the conclusions in the report. There are over a hundred books written to question the conclusions of the Warren Report. Like most people I got my news from newspapers and magazines rather than this book. You can read parts or the entire book and decide for yourself what is believable from your knowledge over the years. This book lacks an index, a serious handicap for any research. The `Contents' has 8 chapters and 18 appendices. You can read Chapter III and compare it to what has been learned since 1963. The rifle first found on the 6th floor was identified as a "Mauser 7.65" (p.235); what happened to it? "There had been a bullet hole in the front of the President's neck" (p.88).

About 11-12 days after this event the newspapers reported that the investigators cut away the branches of that tree to prove the first shot came from the 6th floor window (CE No. 891). I grew skeptical of the official explanation ever since. The lack of gun shot residue said Oswald never fired a rifle that day [that is not in this book].

The Warren Report was the official report on the assassination of JFK. Because Lee Harvey Oswald was shot 2 days after the assassination by Jack Ruby, there was no trial. The American people would not stand for this, so President Johnson authorized the Warren Commission to determine what happened on November 22, 1963.

This book is an important work in American history, regardless of which side you take: lone assassin or conspiracy. It is fairly easy to follow; the authors sum up their conclusions in each sub-chapter, make their case and then dismiss what they believe is "uncredible."

Unfortunately, the book I have has no index and no table of contents. I'm not sure if this edition that I'm reviewing does or not; I suspect it also is lacking this critical apparatus. This makes reviewing their notes and conclusions somewhat muddled. Some would say that this was deliberate, all part of the conspiracy and coverup. I can't draw that conclusion.

The Warren Report doesn't prove that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. It proves that Lee Harvey Oswald COULD HAVE acted alone. Many leads are dismissed out of hand. For example: a Dallas cop saw Oswald running down Houston Avenue moments after the shooting, getting into the passenger side of a station wagon. Later that afternoon, that cop saw Oswald in the captain's office being interrogated. He told his chief that's the guy he saw. The chief dismissed this and said that a little old lady saw him board a bus after the shooting. Therefore there was no getaway car.

One of the reasons that Oswald was pinned down to the Kennedy killing was that he took a shot at General Walker. They pinned this crime to him in December of 1963; the shooting took place in March. The day before the shooting, a friend of Walker's saw 2 men peeking in Walker's windows. The day of the shooting, a teenager saw 2 men get into seperate cars, parked next door to Walker's house, and drive away. If Oswald did take a shot at Walker, then what of the other man? This is what I mean when I say the Warren Report proves Oswald COULD HAVE killed Kennedy. Many leads like this are not followed up.

This book should be the starting point of any serious reader who wants to know what happened to JFK. Read it and take a grain of salt. Then read one of the conspiracy books that dismisses the Warren Report out of hand. Then take another grain of salt.

The Warren Report is the basic starting point for anybody who is even remotely interested in researching the JFK assassination. The book is massive - nearly 2 inches thick, 9 inches in length and 6 inches in width and clocks in at 888 pages. There are many illustrations and photographs to help break the monotony and they are helpful in understanding the text.

Be forewarned. This report is not to be taken at face value. It promotes itself while at the same time laying blame on everybody from Oswald to the Secret Service and the Dallas County Police. You have every right to be critical of this book because of its omissions. One of the most important pieces of evidence - the autopsy photographs - have been completely omitted. Not because they would serve as only disturbing the American people and the Kennedy family but because they where deliberately HOAXED when revealed to the public through the media. There is no excuse for providing the American people with autopsy photographs of another dead man who was not President Kennedy. The original autopsy photographs have since come to light and these shed new information on the case. The report does not even touch on that topic. These photographs alone should warrant deep consideration by the even the most hardened lone-gunman supporters. How can the Warren Report expound on the wrongness of the Dallas Police revealing inaccurate case information when itself is staying shut-mouthed on the deliberately hoaxed autopsy photographs? This kind of hypocrisy is mind shattering and only serves to drive home the most important item of interest of the whole affair - that the US government is knowingly and deliberately hiding evidence and information to protect some interest. You must read more elsewhere to learn the full facts of the case and the other host of omissions that where deliberately kept aside from this report.

The warren commission report starts with its summary and conclusions - that Oswald acted alone in killing President Kennedy and that there was no conspiracy. It then gives a brief synopsis of the assassination and the circumstances surrounding the events on November 22nd 1963. The report continues by developing the scenario in the Texas School Book Depository including the evidence gained from witnesses at the scene and the recovery of the riffle, spent shells and prints. Connections are established between Oswald and the riffle and the School Book Depository building before moving on to the motive and Oswalds background.

The report then deals with Oswalds detention, the media, Oswalds murder and his assassin - Jack Ruby. The next chapter deals with investigating a possible conspiracy before laying out Oswalds background in detail. Next up the Warren report deals with the protection of the President and concludes the entire events on page 468. The remainder of the book goes in-depth with expert witness testimony with several recommendations and more background on Oswald.

In the end you are left feeling that Oswald was involved in the assassination one way or another and certainly the slaying of Officer J.D Tippit by Oswald is the clincher. The murder of patrolman Tippit is a key event which shows that Oswald was capable of murder and was also on a killing frenzy at the time of the assassination. He also tried to shoot officers when he was apprehended in the film theatre. Did Oswald shoot President Kennedy? Probably Yes. Could the Magic bullet theory work? It is possible. Did Jack Ruby kill Oswald on the spur of the moment? The facts surrounding this are vague. Did Oswald act alone? It is possible but unlikely. Does the Warren report do justice for the American people and the people of the world? Absolutely not. Does the Warren report deliberately neglect important and relevant information? Absolutely. Would an impartial jury convict Oswald on the assassination of President Kennedy based on the evidence? Probably not because there is too much doubt at large to deal with. Would an impartial jury convict Oswald of the murder J.D Tippit? Yes. Is there a cover-up and if so why?

The truth is that there is probably a cover-up involved and the Warren report as it stands today is absolute proof that the US government at the time was knee-deep in a conspiracy of some kind simply based on its omissions and neglect to deal with highly important and relevant evidence. Was there a government conspiracy to assassinate the President? Probably not, but there was a cover-up of a conspiracy of some kind and this is what is at the heart of the whole assassination and the follow up events including this report. A blind eye has probably been turned to the truth surrounding the assassination because President Kennedy was considered an obstacle to many important people. In fact the Warren Commission report has all the hallmarks of a new administration that just wants to sweep everything under the carpet.

All in all this is a five star book, not because of the quality of the report, but because its contents when compared to what we now know only serve as a reminder that even the administrators of what is supposed to be a leading democratic and free nation can act in such a wreckful and manipulative manner.

In short Oswald was definitely firing shots from the Dallas School Book Depository building. He owned the gun that shot at the president. He murdered a police officer and tried to kill more. He also tried to assassinate Maj. Gen. Edwin A. Walker but failed. The chances that Oswald was the only one firing shots at President Kennedy that fateful day in Dallas are slim. When you add an extra shooter the whole thing falls into place. To quote Occams Razor - When explaining a thing, no more assumptions should be made than are necessary.

Magic Bullet vs more than one assassin? - The extra assassin is simply the more logical conclusion easily.

The Warren Commission's Report on the investigation and details surrounding the killing of President Kennedy in 1963 isn't a flawless volume. But it IS the true story, in my opinion.

Lee Harvey Oswald, by himself, killed JFK. Not ONE other person, besides Oswald, has ever (credibly) been linked to President Kennedy's murder. Not one. That fact, by itself, speaks volumes, IMO.

The alternative, completely-unsupported theories that many conspiracy believers have "substituted" for the WC's conclusions are far less credible than anything printed in the 888-Page "Warren Report" or in its 26 supporting volumes of exhibits and witness testimony.

Let's just concentrate for a moment on two important pages that occupy space in the Warren Report (WR), regarding the bullet evidence that proves Oswald's own Italian-made rifle was the instrument of death in Dallas on 11-22-63. Plus, let's have a gander at the "windshield and chrome strip" damage that was discovered in the limo after the November 22, 1963, assassination of JFK. ..........

Page 77 (WR):

>>> "Although there is some uncertainty whether the dent in the chrome on the windshield was present prior to the assassination, {the FBI's Robert} Frazier testified that the dent "had been caused by some projectile which struck the chrome on the inside surface". If it was caused by a shot during the assassination, Frazier stated that it would not have been caused by a bullet traveling at full velocity, but rather by a fragment traveling at "fairly high velocity". It could have been caused by either fragment found in the front seat of the limousine." <<<

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When trying to piece together the Dealey Plaza shooting, and when speculating on the possibility that the shot that went through JFK's back and neck MIGHT have somehow also caused the windshield and chrome damage to the limo (but later rejecting this hypothesis), the Warren Commission concluded (on Page #105 of the WR).......

>>> "Had that bullet struck the metal framing, which was dented, it would have torn a hole in the chrome and penetrated the framing, both inside and outside the car. At that exit velocity, the bullet would have penetrated any other metal or upholstery surface of the interior of the automobile." <<<

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The "slowed" bullet that struck the windshield and (possibly, but not positively) the chrome strip was the HEAD SHOT BULLET (after fragmenting inside the head of John F. Kennedy). Given the known evidence, the ONLY possible bullet that could have caused both the windshield and chrome damage to the vehicle was the bullet that had just passed through the skull of President Kennedy. Because, given the FBI analysis, we know the limo damage could not possibly have been caused by a MISSED shot (unless the shooters were using very low-powered weapons to shoot the President with, which is just a silly notion to begin with).

And .... That head-shot bullet positively came out of Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle, which was found inside Oswald's workplace at the Texas School Book Depository Building, on the very same floor where Oswald himself was seen firing a rifle at the President's car at 12:30 PM on November 22.

It "fits" absolutely perfectly with the scenario of Oswald firing his 6.5mm Mannlicher-Carcano rifle from above and behind the President. BOTH larger fragments found in the limo front seat and the "Stretcher Bullet" found inside Parkland Memorial Hospital (Bullet 'CE399') were ALL ballistically linked to Oswald's rifle to the exclusion of every other weapon on Earth. ......

Page 85 (WR):

>>> "After independent examinations, both {Robert A.} Frazier and {Joseph D.} Nicol positively identified the nearly whole bullet from the stretcher and the two larger bullet fragments found in the Presidential limousine as having been fired in the C2766 Mannlicher-Carcano rifle found in the Depository to the exclusion of all other weapons." <<<

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The above WR excerpt that verifies beyond any doubt that the two fragments, as well as CE399, were fired from Oswald's weapon, should make every conspiracy theorist realize just how utterly silly the theory of "planting" CE399 at Parkland Hospital truly is.

Since we KNOW that Oswald's C2766 Carcano WAS being fired from the Depository on November 22, 1963 (and this is VERIFIED beyond any doubt by the fact there were two bullet fragments FOUND INSIDE THE LIMOUSINE that came from LHO's rifle) -- this means that any "planting" of CE399 would have been superfluous, because there was ALREADY TRACE EVIDENCE IN THE CAR THAT WOULD IMPLICATE OSWALD IN THE ASSASSINATION.

Therefore, no "planting" of an Oswald bullet was necessary whatsoever.*

* = Unless you wish to believe that the "plotters" were so fearful that their Oswald "look-alike" in the Depository would totally MISS everything in Dealey Plaza, leaving no trace of Oswald's own weapon anywhere to be recovered, that they therefore insisted upon RISKING blowing their "Patsy" plot to bits by planting a potentially EXTRA bullet which would quite possibly not even be needed (had all bullets been recovered inside John Kennedy and John Connally, which, at the time when the CE399 bullet would have been "planted", was certainly a possibility). A very foolish "risk" to take, IMO.

Every single bit of this evidence being discussed here perfectly FITS, in every way, the "Oswald-Did-It-Alone" (aka: "Lone Nut") scenario. To a tee. Right down to the obvious conclusion, IMO, of having TWO damaged areas at the front of the limo -- Chrome / Windshield -- and an exact equal number of (Oswald's) bullet parts -- TWO -- found in this same area of the car (front seat). To a tee, it fits.

Because if somebody WASN'T using Oswald's rifle in the Depository, then HOW did bullet fragments from LHO's Carcano weapon manage to get INTO THE LIMOUSINE ON NOVEMBER 22ND, 1963?**

** = Or do CTers think that the TWO large bullet fragments found in the limousine were "planted" there too (like seemingly everything else in this case that even remotely points an accusing finger at "Saint Oswald", including, of course, the only other bullet that was verifiably determined to have struck any victim on November 22 -- CE399)? Frankly, I'm of the opinion that the "Everything Was Faked Or Fabricated Or Planted" CT excuse has been worn threadbare.

There is no way that conspiracy theorists can adequately (and believably) write off the wealth of verifiable evidence that shows a Mr. Oswald to be "guilty as charged". It can't be simply brushed aside as being "all phony or fake" in some manner. Can't be done while maintaining anything resembling a straight face, at any rate.

Here's a "Clue" as to what I think the solution to this mystery is: "OSWALD IN THE DEPOSITORY WITH RIFLE #C2766".***

*** = Rather than the CT option which, I think, is: "JAMES FILES ON THE KNOLL WITH AN UMBRELLA". ..... No, wait, that's not quite accurate. The "Umbrella Man" wasn't behind a fence on the "Grassy Knoll"; he was right out in the open on Elm Street so everybody could see him fire his "Umbrella Dart" at the President. Oh, what the heck .... who can keep track of all the crazy conspiracy ideas anyway? They're more abundant in number than ants at a picnic.

I'd sooner believe it was Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom with a Boomerang, rather than buy into any of the many screwball conspiracy theories that have been offered up for the gullible public to swallow.

of a massive coverup in the JFK assassination. this book is just horrible, and the Warren Commisson was a fake from the beginning. the whole point of the commission was to conclude that Oswald and only Oswald was responsible for JFK's death and they can't do that beyond a reasonable doubt.
their single bullet theory is horrible and so are Oswald's motives. they couldn't duplicate Oswald's shooting spree and their only explanation for the head shot is a back spasm. they exclude important testimony and in most cases, never interviewed many important witnesses. another interesting fact is that some 19 witnesses died within 38 or 39 months follwing JFK's assassination.

then the members themselves.
almost all 12 had some ties to the Military in one way or another. the best example of the Warren Commission being a fake commisson is the hiring of Allen Dulles onto the commission. Dulles was fired by Kennedy following the Bay of Pigs fiasco and then 2 years later is appointed by LBJ to investigate the murder of the very man who hired him? Dulle's job on the commission was only to keep the CIA/Mafia/Bay of Pigs under wraps and quiet from the other commission members and from the world, and it worked.....unitl 1975. then, their cover was blown and more light was shed on what really happened on November 22, 1963.

horrible book.