When talking about cold cases, so many of them are swept under the rug. Even in highly publicized cases, like the Zodiac Killer case, the victim’s names almost always go forgotten. For many others, the perpetrator goes on with no consequences and there are no answers, no solutions, no happy endings, and no news articles. The next case for discussion differs in many ways from the previous cases: the victim’s name will never be forgotten, there was an arrest, and supposedly the case is closed. Still, there are a few loose ends, most notably: did they get the right guy? Did they get the ONLY guy?

Kennedy’s Motorcade. 1963. “The JFK Conspiracy Conspiracy,” by Michael Taube. Claremont Institute, 16 May 2019.

1963: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas. Preparing for the next presidential campaign, Kennedy traveled through nine different states in less than a week. Meant to put a highlight natural resources, conservation efforts, education, national security, and world peace, all for his run in 1964, Kennedy traveled through Texas until finally arriving in Dallas.

At noon, Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline, Governor John Connally and his wife, Nellie, all sat in the open convertible. The Kennedys entered and sat behind them, and because the weather had cleared, the roof was down.

The car turned off Main Street at Dealey Plaza around 12:30 p.m. The couples waved to onlookers, and smiled as the streets were lined with citizens overjoyed to see their President. As it passed the Texas School Book Depository, gunfire echoed.

Kennedy was shot in the head, immediately crumpling over on to Jackie’s lap. Governor Connally had been struck in the back. Panic flooded over the street, as husbands shielded their wives and wives shielded their children. Witnesses recalled hearing three shots, but testimonies differed greatly and due to shock, few can be taken as accurate recollections of the event. The car began to speed down the road toward Parkland Memorial Hospital in hopes of tending to the wounded.

At 1:00 p.m., John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead. Governor Connally would later recover from his wounds. Kennedy’s body was placed on Air Force One, and Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office administered by US District Court Judge Sarah Hughes in front of the White House staff, and Jacqueline Kennedy, her clothes still stained from blood.

At 1:30, Lee Harvey Oswald had been arrested and charged for the assassination. Oswald was a recent employee of the Texas School Book Depository. While fleeing the scene, Oswald was stopped by Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit, and responded by shooting him four times, killing him instantly. Once the manhunt began, e lasted 24 hours in police custody. While being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, live television coverage suddenly saw a man aim a pistol and fire at point blank range, killing Oswald two hours later. The man, later identified to have been Jack Ruby, claimed to have been “doing America and Mrs. Kennedy a favor”.

The Impact of the Assassination. 1963. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, by JFK Library , National Archives.

Once Oswald had been killed, the police lost their only chance at understanding his motive or hearing his alibi, much less taking him to trial. Ruby’s motives have also been highly disputed, as many believe he could have been covering evidence, perhaps even a partner who had planned to kill Oswald in case of him being captured.

In fact, conspiracy shrouds JFK’s assassination. After the killing, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed the President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known as the Warren Commission after Chief Justice of the United States, Earl Warren. The Warren Commission was meant to investigate the assassination of Kennedy, as well as Oswald’s death. The results of the Warren Commission has been highly disputed, especially his findings in that Kennedy was struck by two bullets shot by one assailant.

According to a 2013 poll, 70 percent of Americans believe there was a broader plot beyond just Lee Harvey Oswald on the sixth floor overlooking Dealey plaza in Dallas. The most popular of the theories surrounds the existence of multiple shooters, focusing on the physics of the attack and the bullet wounds. The phrase “the bullet curved” commonly gets thrown around when talking about the JFK Assassination, as many researchers and theorists point out the impossibility of the neck wound and head wound being from the same shooter in the same direction. Others surround the “Umbrella Man”, or the involvement of the KGB, CIA, and mob. The mystery surrounding the incident has resulted in too many conspiracies to touch on here. Though the Kennedy Assassination has more answers than several of our other aforementioned cases, the truth may be never uncovered. Some rumors are to be expected with the filmed murder of the President, but theorists have taken the unanswered questions and given the case a mind of its own.

As always, the Buzzfeed Unsolved video delving into the specifics and theories is linked here for further reading. Best of luck in your searching, until next time.