Robert McNeil vs. Pearce Allman: One of them is lying, or there really were two Oswalds

[Jim Hargrove]

One way or another, I'd have to say that Mrs. Reid got fooled by LEE Oswald, since she was surely more familiar with HARVEY. Drew's observation about the Darnell film, though, has me puzzled.



Is this the correct footage? I don't see Baker or Truly in it (although, admittedly, my Father's Day involved some alcohol ingestion).

John loves to analyze this stuff on a minute-by-minute basis, and he really excels at it, but when it gets down to seconds, perhaps we're pushing things too far. I'd love to ask him a couple of questions about what Drew and Albert have brought up here, but he's essentially unavailable for the next month.

For the Armstrong perspective, tragically enough, you're all just stuck with me.

[Drew Phipps]

You can view this part of the Darnell footage here: http://www.prayer-man.com/camera/james-darnell/

This is not an attempt to open up the prayer person question. It is just to show the proximity of Baker and Truly to the TSBD entrance within seconds of the shooting. Darnell is tracking Baker as he runs towards the entrance.

[Jim Hargrove]

Thanks, Drew. Fascinating shot, but the whole thing is under five seconds and the part showing the TSBD entrance must last just a single second or so. That might be a useful time frame for discussions of sub-atomic quantum mechanics, but for the question of who left the TSBD approximately when, how can we possibly draw any conclusions from that?

[Albert Doyle]

You can't and the two Oswalds still fit comfortably into the timeframe.

[Drew Phipps]

The occupants of that entrance area have been endlessly argued about, and the "name-crossers" believe they have identified everybody. It is clear that there is no "white-shirted Oswald" near that porch, and Baker is a second or so from reaching the door.

I'd also point out that there is no Allman running towards the entrance either. Only Baker.

[Jim Hargrove]

[Albert Doyle]

The seconds of timing seen in Darnell does not conflict with Armstrong's scenario of two Oswald's. Lee was obviously still upstairs during Darnell and his absence in Darnell cannot be used to disprove him.



The citation that Lee would not know better than to walk through the offices is good detective work.

[Jim Hargrove]

The occupants of that entrance area have been endlessly argued about, and the "name-crossers" believe they have identified everybody. It is clear that there is no "white-shirted Oswald" near that porch, and Baker is a second or so from reaching the door.

Seems right to me, but if you plan to flag down the 5:35 bullet train, and you run down to the tracks and set off all kinds of flares and roman candles, it really won't matter much if the train went by a minute before you got there, or a minute after your fireworks were done.

[Drew Phipps]

If Ms. Reid had a short conversation about the gunfire, she had walked up the steps, she had walked up a flight of stairs, and then walked 20 feet to her desk; then a "white shirted Oswald with a Coke" cannot possibly have passed Ms. Reid's desk, made it to the front door, made it out the building, and made it out of view in the Darnel frames, prior to the arrival at the door of the running Officer Baker (who is in the Darnell frames). For there to be two Oswalds still in the building, wearing different clothing, when Baker arrives, you have to account for how Baker (+Truly) missed seeing one of them, or how Baker (+Truly, and all the rest of the employees) would not snap to seeing twins, or accuse Baker (+Truly) of being complicit.


For my money, it is far more likely that the "second floor lunchroom encounter" happens before Reid makes it back to her desk. Oswald then gets his Coke, and ambles out the front door. After all this time has necessarily passed, Allman must therefore be lying about running across the street to the TSBD to use the phone after the shooting and encountering Oswald as Oswald leaves.

[Albert Doyle]

Baker is parking his motorcycle right as Mrs Reid goes inside. At this pace there is plenty of time for Baker to catch up with Truly and head inside before the white T shirt-wearing Lee gets downstairs and out the front door.


If Truly and Baker delayed at the elevators and didn't reach Harvey until 90 seconds after the shots the timing works for them not encountering Harvey until Lee was well and clear after exiting via the front stairway from the 2nd floor.


This timing also works for Allman. Remember, no one is seeing twins unless they see them in a way that can't be separated.


Don't forget Craig who saw an Oswald that was impossible because the other Oswald was up Elm boarding buses and taxis.