Unlocking HSCA Evidence

              PENN JONES T H E
CONTINUING
INQUIRY
VOLUME V, NUMBER 8 MARCH 22, 1981
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 5. 1981 • ®1981 FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM
Suit seeks photos taken as JFK shot
DALLAS (AP) — A filed suit against the ernment is keeping the
woman who took two federal government to photographs because
photographs of Presi- get the pictures back. , ..
dent John F. Kennedy Frank Shor, attorney ^"^> ^^^ P^'''^''
during his assassina- for Mary Ann Bortoni. **grassy knoll" theory of
tion here in 1963 has said he believes the gov- a second gunman
UNLOCKING HSGA EVIDENCE by Gary Mack
Mary Ann Bortoni, known to us all as Mary Noorman, wants h«r pictures returned;
and many other people who have loaned personal possessions to the HSCA are in the
same situation. There's an intriguing story behind all of this - one that shows
clearly how at least one prominent menber of Warren Comisslon II perceived his
responsibility to history.
Eaxly in the Committee's existence researchers Robert Groden, Hlchard Sprague
and others made recommendations that certain movies and stills be located for study.
Albert Maxwell and Joe Basterl were two staffers who traveled to Dallas at least
twice to pick up material from both private citizens and broadcast stations. In
all known cases, signed receipts were given to the owners.
Much of the collected evidence was returned while the HSCA was still alive, but
what remained got "overlooked" in the turmoil of December 1978 and the BBN findings.
The Jack Daniel film, for example, was sent to the wrong address and was returned to
the HSCA. Robert Groden noticed it and asked a staffer (possibly Michael Goldsmith)
about its fate. The response was something like "Well we tried and that's the best
we can do." Luckily I was able to give Daniel's correct address to Robert and his
film was returned. Unknown to the HSCA, Daniel had only sent a copy.
Others were not so lucky. From various sources (mostly personal contact during
ray film research for Taft International; the following material is still locked up
in the HSCA file boxes:
1) Mary Moorman's two Polaroid photos: She took 3 pictures, the first two of her
police officer friend in the motorcade and the third of JFK at the moment of the
head shot. Mary kept #1 and #3 and gave #2 to the officer (who told a researcher
he "can't find it"). This must be the one that allegedly shows the sixth floor
window; however, #1 was taken from the same position, is uncropped, and barely
shows the second floor. When I talked with Maxy last fall she said she had
written several letters to G. Robert Blakey, enclosed copies of the Maxwell-
Basterl receipt and the original HSCA subpoena. Blakey didn't even have the
courtesy to respond.
2) Dallas Cinema Associates (DCA) fllmi This is the original compilation - the first
generation prints from member originals spliced together and without subtitles.
It's been stored in a Dallas bank safe deposit box under control of DCA president