Jack Ruby: A Rosetta Stone of the JFK Assassination

[Michael T. Griffith]

You are apparently unaware that a review of Ruby's polygraph shows that he arguably actually failed the question about whether he was involved in a conspiracy with Oswald. The HSCA polygraph experts stated the following in their report regarding the reaction to the question, "Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?":

In fact, the reactions to the preceding question--(Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?)--showed the largest valid GSR reaction in test series No. 1. In addition, there is a constant suppression of breathing and a rise in blood pressure at the time of this crucial relevant question. From this test, it appeared to the panel that Ruby was possibly lying when answering "no" to the question, "Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?" This is contrary to Herndon's opinion that Ruby was truthful when answering that question. (8 HSCA 217-218)

You are also apparently unaware that Ruby later admitted that his tale about shooting Oswald to spare Jackie a trial was false.

Your bizarre scenario requires one to believe that every DPD officer was in on the plot and that therefore it would have been an easy task to kill Oswald much earlier. But no one argues such a silly scenario. Most DPD officers were not in on the plot.

Also, when did the DPD allow Oswald to "freely talk to the press"? When was this? Not on this planet. The DPD allowed Oswald to have very little interaction with the press. All of his comments to the press combined lasted less than 3 minutes.

The DPD also, in clear violation of the law, refused Oswald the right to have an attorney present during his questioning. Gee, why was that?

The DPD also failed to record a single one of Oswald's numerous interrogation sessions. Gee, why was that? This was the most important, historic suspect ever in DPD custody, but they never managed to record a single one of his interrogations.

There's also the fact that Ruby clearly entered the basement with help from someone inside the basement. The tale that he strolled down the Main Street ramp was debunked years ago. Even the HSCA rejected it and acknowledged that someone on the inside let Ruby enter the basement.

Finally, lone-gunman theorists still have no credible innocent explanation for all of Ruby's numerous long-distance calls to Mafia contacts in the weeks leading up to the assassination.

[Walt Cakebread]

You are apparently unaware that a review of Ruby's polygraph shows that he arguably actually failed the question about whether he was involved in a conspiracy with Oswald. The HSCA polygraph experts stated the following in their report regarding the reaction to the question, "Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?":

You are also apparently unaware that Ruby later admitted that his tale about shooting Oswald to spare Jackie a trial was false.

Your bizarre scenario requires one to believe that every DPD officer was in on the plot and that therefore it would have been an easy task to kill Oswald much earlier. But no one argues such a silly scenario. Most DPD officers were not in on the plot.

Also, when did the DPD allow Oswald to "freely talk to the press"? When was this? Not on this planet. The DPD allowed Oswald to have very little interaction with the press. All of his comments to the press combined lasted less than 3 minutes.

The DPD also, in clear violation of the law, refused Oswald the right to have an attorney present during his questioning. Gee, why was that?

The DPD also failed to record a single one of Oswald's numerous interrogation sessions. Gee, why was that? This was the most important, historic suspect ever in DPD custody, but they never managed to record a single one of his interrogations.

There's also the fact that Ruby clearly entered the basement with help from someone inside the basement. The tale that he strolled down the Main Street ramp was debunked years ago. Even the HSCA rejected it and acknowledged that someone on the inside let Ruby enter the basement.

Finally, lone-gunman theorists still have no credible innocent explanation for all of Ruby's numerous long-distance calls to Mafia contacts in the weeks leading up to the assassination.

Your bizarre scenario requires one to believe that every DPD officer was in on the plot and that therefore it would have been an easy task to kill Oswald much earlier. But no one argues such a silly scenario. Most DPD officers were not in on the plot.


Commonsense would reveal that if the plot to murder JFK was as wide spread as Mr "Smith" proposes then there would not have been an assassination....Because it would not have been a secret....

[Richard Smith]

You are apparently unaware that a review of Ruby's polygraph shows that he arguably actually failed the question about whether he was involved in a conspiracy with Oswald. The HSCA polygraph experts stated the following in their report regarding the reaction to the question, "Did you assist Oswald in the assassination?":

You are also apparently unaware that Ruby later admitted that his tale about shooting Oswald to spare Jackie a trial was false.

Your bizarre scenario requires one to believe that every DPD officer was in on the plot and that therefore it would have been an easy task to kill Oswald much earlier. But no one argues such a silly scenario. Most DPD officers were not in on the plot.

Also, when did the DPD allow Oswald to "freely talk to the press"? When was this? Not on this planet. The DPD allowed Oswald to have very little interaction with the press. All of his comments to the press combined lasted less than 3 minutes.

The DPD also, in clear violation of the law, refused Oswald the right to have an attorney present during his questioning. Gee, why was that?

The DPD also failed to record a single one of Oswald's numerous interrogation sessions. Gee, why was that? This was the most important, historic suspect ever in DPD custody, but they never managed to record a single one of his interrogations.

There's also the fact that Ruby clearly entered the basement with help from someone inside the basement. The tale that he strolled down the Main Street ramp was debunked years ago. Even the HSCA rejected it and acknowledged that someone on the inside let Ruby enter the basement.

Finally, lone-gunman theorists still have no credible innocent explanation for all of Ruby's numerous long-distance calls to Mafia contacts in the weeks leading up to the assassination.

Ruby "arguably actually failed" a polygraph?  Wow.  I guess that really does it.  Again, there would be no need for Jack Ruby in a conspiracy that involved killing Oswald.  There were multiple opportunities before his arrest.  And the DPD freely allowed him to speak to the press in the hallways and even at a press conference full of reporters and TV cameras.  He also was allowed to speak with his own family.  It's absurd to believe they somehow recruited a loose cannon like Ruby and then trusted him to remain silent for the rest of his live in prison. 

[Michael T. Griffith]

And then there's the testimony of Julia Ann Mercer, the wife of a U.S. Congressman. Like many witnesses, Mrs. Mercer later discovered that the FBI had brazenly misrepresented what she had said during her FBI interview. Mrs. Mercer corrected the FBI's distortion when she spoke with Jim Garrison's staff. At first, Garrison didn't believe her because, at that point, he didn't believe that FBI agents would misreport an interview and forge a signature, but Mrs. Mercer and her husband proved that the signature on the FBI interview report was not hers.

Mercer said she saw Jack Ruby driving a truck in Dealey Plaza about 90 minutes before the assassination, and that another man exited the back of the truck carrying what appeared to be a rifle case, walked up the grassy knoll, and did not return to the truck.

This is essentially the same account that she gave to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department shortly after the assassination. She didn't mention Jack Ruby because she didn't know who he was at that point. She mentioned the truck and mentioned seeing a man carrying a gun case get out of the truck and walk up the grassy knoll.

In her discussion with Garrison staffers, Mrs. Mercer related the following:

On Saturday 23 November, she had positively identified a photograph as that of the man in the driver’s seat of the pick–up truck. She had turned the photograph over and saw Jack Ruby’s name written on the back.

After seeing Ruby murder Oswald on television, she contacted the FBI and told them that Ruby had been the man sitting in the pick–up.

[Charles Collins]

And then there's the testimony of Julia Ann Mercer, the wife of a U.S. Congressman. Like many witnesses, Mrs. Mercer later discovered that the FBI had brazenly misrepresented what she had said during her FBI interview. Mrs. Mercer corrected the FBI's distortion when she spoke with Jim Garrison's staff. At first, Garrison didn't believe her because, at that point, he didn't believe that FBI agents would misreport an interview and forge a signature, but Mrs. Mercer and her husband proved that the signature on the FBI interview report was not hers.

Mercer said she saw Jack Ruby driving a truck in Dealey Plaza about 90 minutes before the assassination, and that another man exited the back of the truck carrying what appeared to be a rifle case, walked up the grassy knoll, and did not return to the truck.

This is essentially the same account that she gave to the Dallas County Sheriff's Department shortly after the assassination. She didn't mention Jack Ruby because she didn't know who he was at that point. She mentioned the truck and mentioned seeing a man carrying a gun case get out of the truck and walk up the grassy knoll.

In her discussion with Garrison staffers, Mrs. Mercer related the following:

On Saturday 23 November, she had positively identified a photograph as that of the man in the driver’s seat of the pick–up truck. She had turned the photograph over and saw Jack Ruby’s name written on the back.

After seeing Ruby murder Oswald on television, she contacted the FBI and told them that Ruby had been the man sitting in the pick–up.

https://www.onthetrailofdelusion.com/post/why-do-conspiracy-theorists-still-believe-julia-ann-mercer

[Paul J Cummings]

I was thinking the same thing. Why didn't Baker just shoot him when he saw Oswald?

Only a sociopath would say that the police would have been justified to kill Oswald in the TSBD. For what, drinking a Coke?

[Michael T. Griffith]

And, lo and behold, who came to visit Jack Ruby soon after he was jailed for shooting Oswald? Joseph Campisi, the number 2 Mafia guy in Dallas and a lieutenant in the Marcello crime empire. Just an innocent social visit, right?

Of course, the HSCA found that Sam and Joe Campisi since 1947, and had been seen with them on many occasions.

Also, we know from released HSCA files, that Gerry Patrick Hemming, a CIA asset, told the HSCA that he saw Ruby in Cuba in late 1959, and that Ruby sold jeeps to the Cuban Air Force (https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/unpub_testimony/pdf/Hemming_3-21-78.pdf).

Hemming added that he saw Guy Banister and George DeMohrenschildt at a meeting of anti-Castro operatives in mid-1962 (Ibid.).

Hemming also revealed that after Castro took over in Cuba, he saw Oswald in the Cuban Consulate in Monterey Park, CA. He said Oswald seemed to
know a lot about Hemming's background, and this made Hemming suspicious. On another occasion, said Hemming, he encountered Oswald in late 1962, and that Oswald had been trying to infiltrate Hemming's group at the motel where they were being detained (Ibid.)