12-08-2016, 05:33 PM
A puzzling piece of Tippit's unsolved murder involves the cab driver, William Scoggins, another individual, and Tippit's gun. It's a long shaggy dog story still being told, first iteration contained in the Supplementary Offense Report signed by JR Leavelle 11/22/63, briefly summarizing murder scenario #1. Two items stand out: 1) Domingo Benavides gave an affidavit that day; and 2) "witness Callaway took the officer's pistol and got in the cab with Scoggins and persued [sic] suspect but was unable to catch him."
The problem with number one is no Benavides affidavit exists, reserved for future consideration. For now let's discuss problem number two -- Scoggins never identified Callaway as the gun-toting rider. Per his WC testimony he was taken to DPD 11/22, but he did not give an affidavit until the next day, 11/23, in which he states, "I thought he was a Policeman." In a second affidavit (12/2 to the Secret Service) no further description is provided, but an FBI report (3/17/64) notes that "there was another young man at the scene who SCOGGINS thought was a police office." In his WC testimony Scoggins states, "We cruised around several blocks looking for him, and we--one of these police cars came by and this fellow who was with me stopped it, and we got back in the car and went back up to the scene, and he give them the pistol, and that time is when I found out he wasn't an officer."
Scoggins was not asked if the young man who looked like an officer was Callaway, an old-ish 40. Callaway also looked more like a used car salesman than an officer, with a daily presence near the Gentleman's Club.
After hearing gun shots, Callaway placed himself a few feet from the intersection of Patton and Jefferson, east side of Patton, watching a person run down the west side of Patton brandishing a pistol, who disappeared around the corner onto Jefferson [CE 537] heading west. Callaway then proceeded along Patton to the murder scene.
Harold Russell, who worked at Johnny Reynolds Used Car Lot directly across Jefferson from Harris Brothers Auto Sales where Callaway worked, observed the same person running along Patton onto Jefferson. Russell continued across Jefferson along Patton to the murder scene some short distance behind Callaway, following in his footsteps. Initially, with Russell at the SE corner of Jefferson & Patton and Callaway at point #1 on CE 537, the distance between them was perhaps 100-150 feet. With both ostensibly at Tippit's car, per a 1/22/64 FBI report, "an unknown individual stated to RUSSELL, 'Let's take the police officer's gun and get the S.O.B. who is responsible for this,'" and "RUSSELL advised the unknown individual that he would remain at the police car... ."
It would be hard to swallow the argument that Russell would not have recognized Callaway, who worked across the street in the same line of business, whose figure he followed to East 10th, but has it ever been made? Russell has received little attention.
The case for Callaway's ouster from Scoggins cab is complete, the man who (in increasing order of importance): 1) didn't look like a cop; 2) wasn't young; and 3) was unknown to Russell. There is also the fact that, according to all of Scoggins' vague descriptions of the route the alleged pursuers took, they went the wrong way. The cab ride had a purpose other than pursuit of the Patton Avenue gun runner, but before speculating on that attention must focus on the individual who took Tippit's gun and all but commandeered Scoggins' cab, almost under the nose of watchful DPD reserve sergeant Croy.
Time to cut to the chase and identify the rough rider. Say hello to semi-hobbled Harry Olsen, 29 years old, the cop who didn't know where he sat at last reunited with the cabbie who didn't know where he went. Scoggins was right in the first place.
The problem with number one is no Benavides affidavit exists, reserved for future consideration. For now let's discuss problem number two -- Scoggins never identified Callaway as the gun-toting rider. Per his WC testimony he was taken to DPD 11/22, but he did not give an affidavit until the next day, 11/23, in which he states, "I thought he was a Policeman." In a second affidavit (12/2 to the Secret Service) no further description is provided, but an FBI report (3/17/64) notes that "there was another young man at the scene who SCOGGINS thought was a police office." In his WC testimony Scoggins states, "We cruised around several blocks looking for him, and we--one of these police cars came by and this fellow who was with me stopped it, and we got back in the car and went back up to the scene, and he give them the pistol, and that time is when I found out he wasn't an officer."
Scoggins was not asked if the young man who looked like an officer was Callaway, an old-ish 40. Callaway also looked more like a used car salesman than an officer, with a daily presence near the Gentleman's Club.
After hearing gun shots, Callaway placed himself a few feet from the intersection of Patton and Jefferson, east side of Patton, watching a person run down the west side of Patton brandishing a pistol, who disappeared around the corner onto Jefferson [CE 537] heading west. Callaway then proceeded along Patton to the murder scene.
Harold Russell, who worked at Johnny Reynolds Used Car Lot directly across Jefferson from Harris Brothers Auto Sales where Callaway worked, observed the same person running along Patton onto Jefferson. Russell continued across Jefferson along Patton to the murder scene some short distance behind Callaway, following in his footsteps. Initially, with Russell at the SE corner of Jefferson & Patton and Callaway at point #1 on CE 537, the distance between them was perhaps 100-150 feet. With both ostensibly at Tippit's car, per a 1/22/64 FBI report, "an unknown individual stated to RUSSELL, 'Let's take the police officer's gun and get the S.O.B. who is responsible for this,'" and "RUSSELL advised the unknown individual that he would remain at the police car... ."
It would be hard to swallow the argument that Russell would not have recognized Callaway, who worked across the street in the same line of business, whose figure he followed to East 10th, but has it ever been made? Russell has received little attention.
The case for Callaway's ouster from Scoggins cab is complete, the man who (in increasing order of importance): 1) didn't look like a cop; 2) wasn't young; and 3) was unknown to Russell. There is also the fact that, according to all of Scoggins' vague descriptions of the route the alleged pursuers took, they went the wrong way. The cab ride had a purpose other than pursuit of the Patton Avenue gun runner, but before speculating on that attention must focus on the individual who took Tippit's gun and all but commandeered Scoggins' cab, almost under the nose of watchful DPD reserve sergeant Croy.
Time to cut to the chase and identify the rough rider. Say hello to semi-hobbled Harry Olsen, 29 years old, the cop who didn't know where he sat at last reunited with the cabbie who didn't know where he went. Scoggins was right in the first place.