Ralph Yates

[Tracy Riddle]

I've always been an agnostic about the Ralph Yates story. The case for conspiracy (and Oswald as a framed patsy) doesn't depend on accepting it, anyway.

Some of these fake Oswald sightings have always seemed gratuitous and unnecessary, even absurd, far beyond what is necessary to set up somebody for a crime.

Tracy,


I don't think Jack Kennedy would have written-off Yates so quickly. I think he would have seen how important a symbol he was to the powerful being able to turn the phony claim of American government protection of individual rights on its head and destroy the vulnerable using some of the dirtiest tricks in the book.

None of what you wrote answers the evidence that shows serious validity to some of those sightings.


Scully is just entering more wind that ignores that Yates passed a lie detector test showing the rifle in the brown paper wrapper was real. And the Oswald double walked towards the Depository with it. JFK Assassination researchers should be able to detect that FBI's reaction to Yates showed a serious need to hide something.

I'm not writing him off, simply saying that some aspects of this case today are ultimately unknowable. His story may be true, and I certainly don't trust the FBI, but I don't see any point in staging this incident for the benefit of creating a witness like Yates. What did the plotters hope to accomplish? The rifle range and car dealer incidents at least have some reason for them - show that the "Communist hired gun" expected to come into some money, was practicing his sharpshooting skills...What was this sighting supposed to demonstrate? That Oswald was rehearsing his curtain rod story? The man's statements were so disturbing, if I was Yates, I would have gone to the police or FBI that very day, not waited until after the assassination.