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PENN JONES T H E
CONTINUING
INQUIRY
VOLUME IV NUMBER 4 NOVEMBER 22, 1979
Dallas officials urging Tarrant
to check body in Oswald grave OaOBER 19, 1979
FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
By JIM MARRS and PATRICIA KLEIN
Star-Telegram Writer
ADallas County medical examiner said Thursday she
believes enough questions exist about the identity of
John F. Kennedy's assassin to warrant exhuming the
body from the Fort Worth grave of Lee Harvey Oswald.
However, she said she feels such efforts are being
thwarted by the Tarraiit County District Attorney's office.
TTie Star-Telegram also has learned that Dallas County
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Charles S. Petty wrote a
letter to recently appointed Tarrant County Medical
Examiner Dr. Nizan Peerwani asking that an exhumation
be performed.
"Data has been presented to us which sheds doubt on
tke identity of the person buried in Tarrant County,"
said Dr. Linda Norton, second in command to Dr. Petty.
"I feel it would be in the public interest to conduct the
exhumation," she said. "However, there are apparent
legal disagreements... and political forces who do not
want this body dug up."
Dr. Petty said his office could do nothing about the
matter because authority to orderthe exhumation rests
with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office.
Dr. Norton said a study of the Marine Corps dental X-rays
of Oswald, the accused presidential assassin, has
convinced her there is sufficient doubt about the
corpse's identity to have it exhumed. Dr. Petty said that
the emergence of the X-rays prompted his letter to
Peerwani, who was then serving as acting medical examiner.
Peerwani said his office would be willing to evaluate
the evidence again but the Dallas County Medical Examiner's
office has not presented any particular evidence
that would justify the exhumation.
"We really would like to know why the medical examiners
in Dallas are involved with it." he said.
He said that before anything would be done his office
would seek the backing of the district attorney's office
and the opinion of Mrs. Oswald.
"This is a very delicate situation and we have to tread
very carefully . . . as you know it wasn't an ordinary
man that was assassinated, it was President Kennedy. I
sure would like a lot of backing, a lot of support.
Peerwani said that with the millions of dollars spent
and no concrete evidence he thought the whole matter
should be forgotten. ^.. ^ , -o... u
British lawyer and author Michael Eddowes. who
claims Kennedy was killed by a Russian agent impersonating
Oswald, previously filed a lawsuit asking that the
body be exhumed and an autopsy performed.
Eddowes said 15 years' research has convinced him it
is not Oswald but instead a Soviet look-alike using the
name Alek James Hidell, who was slain by Jack Ruby
and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth.
Ekldowes said if an autopsy were performed, the
corpse's teeth could be compared with Oswald's Marine
Corps dental records to see if they match.
Judge James Wnght of the 141st District Court here
earlier turned down Eddowes' request for exhumation,
but the ruling is on appeal by Eddowes to the 2nd Court
of Civil Appeals here.
Dr. Norton said the opposition encountered from the
Tarrant County district attorney's office has surprised
her, since exhumations are normally a routine matter
and "not an awesome or expensive procedure."
Tarrant County Legal Adviser Mamn Collins said he
opposes the exhumation because of the county's potential
legal liabilities would run mto the millions of dollars.
What county officials would be willing to stake
their financial futures on the wager that the body in the
grave was not Oswald.
Collins said that Eddowes lost his case "primarily
because he was a English subject with no standing. That
would be like you or me going to England and wanting to
dig up Ijord Cromwell.
"I'd be glad for them to come over here and exhume
him," he said. "In fact, I wish they would. I have a
natural curiosity about this myself."
However, Collins then described at length what he
would require before allowing Dallas authorities to exhume
the body.
His requirements include participation or approval
from federal authorities and a district court order for
the exhumation, backed by the 2nd Court of Civil
Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court.
"A district court order upheld by the Court of Civil
Appeals and the Supreme Court would absolve us of any
liability," Collins said.
He said he fears "the question of civil liability looms
large" in this issue.
Collins indicated he is afraid Oswald's mother. Marguerite
Oswald, or Marina Oswald Porter, who was
Oswald's Russian-bom wife, might sue anyone who disturbs
the grave.
Collins acknowledged exhumation normally is a comparatively
routine matter. "But this is really not a local
question," he said. "This could have national and international
repercussions... My main point is that as local
officials we have to understand what our function is in a
case like this."
Jerry Pittman, the Dallas attorney who represents
Eddowes, charged Collins with "playing a cat-and-mouse
game."
It was Eddowes who first brought national attention to
the question of Oswald's identity in his book, "The
Object Description
| Title | Dallas Officials Urging Tarrant To Check Body In Oswald Grave |
| Volume No. | 4 |
| Issue No. | 4 |
| Date | 1979-11-22 |
| Series | V. Personal – E. Publications – 1. The Continuing Inquiry |
| Uniform Title | The Continuing Inquiry |
| Collection Title | Poage Library - JFK - Penn Jones Collection |
| Custodian | Poage Legislative Library |
| ID | 15p-jfkjones-ci-v4_1979-11-22 |
| Resource Type | Newsletter |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | http://www.baylor.edu/lib/digitization/digitalrights |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Series | V. Personal – E. Publications – 1. The Continuing Inquiry |
| Uniform Title | The Continuing Inquiry |
| Collection Title | Poage Library - JFK - Penn Jones Collection |
| Custodian | Poage Legislative Library |
| Resource Type | Newsletter |
| Format | Text |
| Full Text | PENN JONES T H E CONTINUING INQUIRY VOLUME IV NUMBER 4 NOVEMBER 22, 1979 Dallas officials urging Tarrant to check body in Oswald grave OaOBER 19, 1979 FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM By JIM MARRS and PATRICIA KLEIN Star-Telegram Writer ADallas County medical examiner said Thursday she believes enough questions exist about the identity of John F. Kennedy's assassin to warrant exhuming the body from the Fort Worth grave of Lee Harvey Oswald. However, she said she feels such efforts are being thwarted by the Tarraiit County District Attorney's office. TTie Star-Telegram also has learned that Dallas County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Charles S. Petty wrote a letter to recently appointed Tarrant County Medical Examiner Dr. Nizan Peerwani asking that an exhumation be performed. "Data has been presented to us which sheds doubt on tke identity of the person buried in Tarrant County" said Dr. Linda Norton, second in command to Dr. Petty. "I feel it would be in the public interest to conduct the exhumation" she said. "However, there are apparent legal disagreements... and political forces who do not want this body dug up." Dr. Petty said his office could do nothing about the matter because authority to orderthe exhumation rests with the Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office. Dr. Norton said a study of the Marine Corps dental X-rays of Oswald, the accused presidential assassin, has convinced her there is sufficient doubt about the corpse's identity to have it exhumed. Dr. Petty said that the emergence of the X-rays prompted his letter to Peerwani, who was then serving as acting medical examiner. Peerwani said his office would be willing to evaluate the evidence again but the Dallas County Medical Examiner's office has not presented any particular evidence that would justify the exhumation. "We really would like to know why the medical examiners in Dallas are involved with it." he said. He said that before anything would be done his office would seek the backing of the district attorney's office and the opinion of Mrs. Oswald. "This is a very delicate situation and we have to tread very carefully . . . as you know it wasn't an ordinary man that was assassinated, it was President Kennedy. I sure would like a lot of backing, a lot of support. Peerwani said that with the millions of dollars spent and no concrete evidence he thought the whole matter should be forgotten. ^.. ^ , -o... u British lawyer and author Michael Eddowes. who claims Kennedy was killed by a Russian agent impersonating Oswald, previously filed a lawsuit asking that the body be exhumed and an autopsy performed. Eddowes said 15 years' research has convinced him it is not Oswald but instead a Soviet look-alike using the name Alek James Hidell, who was slain by Jack Ruby and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth. Ekldowes said if an autopsy were performed, the corpse's teeth could be compared with Oswald's Marine Corps dental records to see if they match. Judge James Wnght of the 141st District Court here earlier turned down Eddowes' request for exhumation, but the ruling is on appeal by Eddowes to the 2nd Court of Civil Appeals here. Dr. Norton said the opposition encountered from the Tarrant County district attorney's office has surprised her, since exhumations are normally a routine matter and "not an awesome or expensive procedure." Tarrant County Legal Adviser Mamn Collins said he opposes the exhumation because of the county's potential legal liabilities would run mto the millions of dollars. What county officials would be willing to stake their financial futures on the wager that the body in the grave was not Oswald. Collins said that Eddowes lost his case "primarily because he was a English subject with no standing. That would be like you or me going to England and wanting to dig up Ijord Cromwell. "I'd be glad for them to come over here and exhume him" he said. "In fact, I wish they would. I have a natural curiosity about this myself." However, Collins then described at length what he would require before allowing Dallas authorities to exhume the body. His requirements include participation or approval from federal authorities and a district court order for the exhumation, backed by the 2nd Court of Civil Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court. "A district court order upheld by the Court of Civil Appeals and the Supreme Court would absolve us of any liability" Collins said. He said he fears "the question of civil liability looms large" in this issue. Collins indicated he is afraid Oswald's mother. Marguerite Oswald, or Marina Oswald Porter, who was Oswald's Russian-bom wife, might sue anyone who disturbs the grave. Collins acknowledged exhumation normally is a comparatively routine matter. "But this is really not a local question" he said. "This could have national and international repercussions... My main point is that as local officials we have to understand what our function is in a case like this." Jerry Pittman, the Dallas attorney who represents Eddowes, charged Collins with "playing a cat-and-mouse game." It was Eddowes who first brought national attention to the question of Oswald's identity in his book, "The |
| Rights | http://www.baylor.edu/lib/digitization/digitalrights |