Marilyn Sitzman and Beatrice Hester Down the Knoll in Skaggs09

[Charles Collins]

Charles the Hesters could have been to the North side of the free way access road, and then moved over the Elm Street extension which runs in front of the TSBD.

Thanks for the thought Ray. Here is what the report says:

He Stated he and his wife were almost in a direct line of the fire and he immediately grabbed his wife and shoved her to the ground. He stated hethereafter immediately escorted his wife across to the north side of the street on an embankment in an attempt to gain shelter.


The embankment is on the south side and to the west of the Elm Street Extension. And the only thing immediately north of it is the TSBD.

The un-named couple south of Elm Street can be seen in the Cancellare photo beginning to climb the embankment. It appears to me that they have just crossed Elm Street and are frightened and in a hurry. The descriptions in the 11/25/63 FBI reports for the Hesters fits the locations and activities of the un-named couple very well (in my opinion); and those FBI reports do not fit the Hester”s account or what can be seen of them in the photos and films. So a mixup of some description by the FBI appears to me to be the most likely explanation. The differences in the addresses between the Sheriff’s affidavit and the FBI reports could be a dictaphone transcription error. And it is conceivable (to me) that an interruption of some description could have caused someone to get the accounts of the two different couples mixed up.

What I am going to do next is search for any photographic evidence of the un-named couple laying on the ground. This would tend to further support the theory of an FBI screw-up.

[Robin Unger]

Thanks Robin, I read the entire thread on the ed forum that I linked to earlier. Not everyone there appears  to be convinced that that is the Hesters. There are some major conflicts between their 11/22/63 account and the FBI reports dated 11/25/63. If we choose to believe the 11/22/63 account to be correct, then it is possible that the Hesters were near the pergola. But if the 11/25/63 reports are correct, then the couple on the south side of Elm Street appear to fit that description.

Charles it makes sense that the couple seen in Bronson are the Hesters, prior to the motorcade arriving Zapruder filmed them in the same location.

[Robin Unger]

Bronson shows the Hesters near the bench, and the Limo just approaching the Stemmons sign.
just moments later as the Limo passed the Stemmons sign and the shots rang out.
Charles grabbed Beatrice and they moved further up the grass towards the peristyle and then he and Beatrice ducked and hitt he grass trying to avoid being shot.

Bell shows Wiegman crouched down on the grass filming the Hesters lying on the grass, moments later Charles hester left his wife on the ground as he jumped to his feet went inside the peristyle and looked back into the carpark area.




Wiegman crouched down filming the Hesters sitting on the grass.

[Charles Collins]

Charles it makes sense that the couple seen in Bronson are the Hesters, prior to the motorcade arriving Zapruder filmed them in the same location.

Yes, I agree that it’s the same couple. And it appears that they were friends with Sitzman and Zapruder. And someone in the other forum indicated that Beatrice worked with them. But I haven’t seen anything to support the working there claim ( other than the friendly behavior). In other words, how do we know that Hester was the name of the couple?

I can understand why Charles might not want to mention Zapruder in his affidavit immediately after the assassination on 11/22/63. But have any of them said anything about being together there since the assassination? For instance, it seems to me that James’ wife’s friend would have heard something about that from her aunt.

[James Hackerott]

Yes, I agree that it’s the same couple. And it appears that they were friends with Sitzman and Zapruder. And someone in the other forum indicated that Beatrice worked with them. But I haven’t seen anything to support the working there claim ( other than the friendly behavior). In other words, how do we know that Hester was the name of the couple?

I can understand why Charles might not want to mention Zapruder in his affidavit immediately after the assassination on 11/22/63. But have any of them said anything about being together there since the assassination? For instance, it seems to me that James’ wife’s friend would have heard something about that from her aunt.

In Alexandra Zapruders's book Twenty-Two-Seconds, A Personal History of the Zapruder Film page 34, while describing her grandfather's testing his camera: (boldface is mine)
“After a while, Marilyn Sitzman came walking up the hill. All the banks had been closed because of the president's visit, so she gave up and walked back to the plaza, where she encountered Abe taking some test shots of his payroll clerk Beatrice Hester and her husband, Charles.”

I did make contact with Beatrice's niece after about 10-15 years. She had a few memories, but I don't think she knew or can remember any assassination related details.

Beatrice was a middle name, not used by her niece.

She recalls Charles Hester worked as a sport's writer for a Dallas newspaper. I don't know if that is common knowledge or not. Perhaps someone could sleuth out his avatar with a little searching. I don't know which paper, the DMN archives are available free to Dallas residents with a library card. Maybe the Sixth Floor Museum Reading Room could help, once they reopen.

I have not heard back from her concerning photo identifications. I did give her a link of this thread, if she is interested.

[Charles Collins]

In Alexandra Zapruders's book Twenty-Two-Seconds, A Personal History of the Zapruder Film page 34, while describing her grandfather's testing his camera: (boldface is mine)
“After a while, Marilyn Sitzman came walking up the hill. All the banks had been closed because of the president's visit, so she gave up and walked back to the plaza, where she encountered Abe taking some test shots of his payroll clerk Beatrice Hester and her husband, Charles.”

I did make contact with Beatrice's niece after about 10-15 years. She had a few memories, but I don't think she knew or can remember any assassination related details.

Beatrice was a middle name, not used by her niece.

She recalls Charles Hester worked as a sport's writer for a Dallas newspaper. I don't know if that is common knowledge or not. Perhaps someone could sleuth out his avatar with a little searching. I don't know which paper, the DMN archives are available free to Dallas residents with a library card. Maybe the Sixth Floor Museum Reading Room could help, once they reopen.

I have not heard back from her concerning photo identifications. I did give her a link of this thread, if she is interested.

Thanks James! That does clear up the name question that I was asking about. The FBI reports dated 11/25/63 just don’t agree with the photographic record; so it does appear that the reports are screwed up. Interesting...

[Dan O'meara]

Just for the record the Hesters can be seen in Willis #7. Mr Hester still sat down: