LHO on the lam? An intriguing possibility!

[Dan O'meara]

The evidence suggests that LHO walked out the front door of the TSBD within around 3-minutes of the shots. Free lance photographer Jim Murray ran to his car and got his cameras and was near the front door of the TSBD around 3-minutes after the shots. Murray made several photos there. However several of them were completely over exposed due to an issue with his camera. Thankfully, there is one photo that Murray made at that location at that time that did turn out well. Here is a copy of the photo:



As you can see in the photo, there are a couple of ladies apparently upset; Howard Brennan is looking up at the window where he saw the assassin shoot JFK; and there is a cop (William Barnett) looking in the direction of the camera (which is around the end of the island in front of the TSBD). I have drawn a yellow arrow to a figure that appears to be just to the other side of Brennan. All that can be seen is apparently the back part of the head and a left shoulder. This figure appears to be wearing a white t-shirt. The figure doesn’t seem to be looking at Brennan. Rather he appears to be trying to blend in with the other people and appears to be trying to avoid letting the cop see his face.



Here is an image of LHO from a similar angle:



Could the figure in Murray’s photo be LHO? I think that it is an intriguing possibility. The time and place seems to be correct for this possibility. The behavior of the figure seems to be what I imagine could have happened. What do you think?

Not convinced by the Oswald ID but excellent spot of Brennan and Barnett.
Barnett describes this very moment in his WC testimony:

Yes, sir; I was back where No. 8 is then. That was probably 2 1/2 minutes after the last shot was fired. About that time, my sergeant came up from this way, from the north of Houston Street and asked me to get the name of that building. I broke and ran to the front and got the name of it. There were people going in and out at that time. I ran back and told him the name of it, and about that time a construction worker ran from this southwest, corner of the intersection up to me and said, "I was standing over there and saw the man in the window with the rifle." He and I and the sergeant all three broke and ran for the door. I kept the man there with me. The sergeant ran to the back to make sure it was covered.

I'm assuming the other officer in the picture is the elusive Sergeant Howard and this is the moment just before all three men head for the front door. The timings work with Murray's account of taking the picture.

[Richard Smith]

Yes, there is some doubt about pretty much any aspect of this case. However, how reasonable is it? LHO had already encountered Baker on the second floor and shown that he didn’t visibly panic. Also, he was last seen only a short distance from and heading in the direction of the front door with only the stairs and the front door between him and the great outdoors. Two men thought they encountered LHO when they entered the building looking for a phone. And in the photo there is a cop right outside the building who apparently wasn’t rushing into the building. LHO’s best bet was to try to blend in with the other people. I think that he knew that.

We can never know for certain, but I doubt he pauses to blend in after killing the president.  He is making tracks until someone stops him.   Not running or anything to draw suspicion, but he keeps moving.  Even when his bus gets caught in traffic, he is quickly off and, on the move, 

[Steve M. Galbraith]

We can never know for certain, but I doubt he pauses to blend in after killing the president.  He is making tracks until someone stops him.   Not running or anything to draw suspicion, but he keeps moving.  Even when his bus gets caught in traffic, he is quickly off and, on the move,

The Dallas reporter Pierce Allman, who was at the scene of the assassination, said he ran into the building shortly after the shooting to phone in his report (he said he heard three loud reports). He said he came across a young man and asked for the location of a phone. Later he said the Secret Service called him and said Oswald mentioned seeing a young man with a crew cut ask for a phone.

Allman: "I went up the steps of the depository building and there was a guy in the doorway," Allman said during that museum event. "And I ran up to him and asked him where a phone was, and he jerked his thumb and said 'in there' [while motioning over his shoulder]. I then went on in.

"About two weeks later, I had a call from the Secret Service. They finally said, 'Are you familiar with the testimony of Lee Oswald after his arrest?' I said, 'No.' They said, 'Well, he states as he was leaving the depository building, a young man with a crew cut rushed up and identified himself as a newsman and asked where a phone was. Based on what he has said and what you have said, this is you.'"

There's no other account of any of the workers who were on the steps of such an incident. Who else had a crew cut as well? Obviously Oswald could have changed his mind and gone out the back. Seems more risky; another minute and there's a chance of the building being blocked. But in all of that chaos it makes some sense he would just try to blend in and leave.

[Charles Collins]

We can never know for certain, but I doubt he pauses to blend in after killing the president.  He is making tracks until someone stops him.   Not running or anything to draw suspicion, but he keeps moving.  Even when his bus gets caught in traffic, he is quickly off and, on the move,

I agree that we will never know details like this for certain. I see this photo as showing LHO’s reaction to the cop who is near his intended path east on Elm Street. Similarly to how he ducked into the shoe store alcove on Jefferson, he has turned his face away from the cop and is trying to blend in. But as he found out in the theater, that is easier said than done. “The Fugitive” makes it look easy on TV. However LHO apparently drew suspicions from the shoe store manager.

[Steve M. Galbraith]

I agree that we will never know details like this for certain. I see this photo as showing LHO’s reaction to the cop who is near his intended path east on Elm Street. Similarly to how he ducked into the shoe store alcove on Jefferson, he has turned his face away from the cop and is trying to blend in. But as he found out in the theater, that is easier said than done. “The Fugitive” makes it look easy on TV. However LHO apparently drew suspicions from the shoe store manager.

Oswald leaving the building shortly after the event, not asking anyone what happened, not inquiring into what this madness right outside the place he worked is about, screams of guilt, of involvement. This counter idea that he was innocently having lunch and all of this occurred and he simply walks away is not serious. The other idea that he was some sort of CIA agent/asset who left to meet his handler is equally risible. He needs to meet his handler for what reason? If he doesn't know what happened then why does he need to rush to meet his handler?

Oh wait, he does know what happened? But he doesn't expose the traitors in the CIA that killed the president? One does have to give great credit to the conspiracy believers: they can say things with a straight face that few normal humans can. Good job guys; those facial muscles are impressive.

[Charles Collins]

I have circled in yellow a dark object that appears to me to be blocking the view of the lady’s head. Is she holding a dark umbrella to shade herself from the sun? Could this be the object casting a shadow on the shirt of the figure in question? Photo experts and others with better eyes than myself, please let me know your opinions. Thanks!

[Charles Collins]

I have circled in yellow a dark object that appears to me to be blocking the view of the lady’s head. Is she holding a dark umbrella to shade herself from the sun? Could this be the object casting a shadow on the shirt of the figure in question? Photo experts and others with better eyes than myself, please let me know your opinions. Thanks!

Okay, something just occurred to me as a possibility. How about the shadow of the traffic light? The light hanging over Elm Street from the pole on the island where Murray and his camera are located might just cast a shadow in that location. We can see that light in some of the films and re-enactions. And there might be some models already existing that could be used to see where the shadow is cast. Just a thought.