Who was responsible for leaking the JFK autopsy photos?

[Margaret Kelly]

My understanding is the following:

1964: Warren Commission did not use them.
1979: HSCA used like-like drawings made from the autopsy photos (but did not use the actual photos themselves)
1980-1992: Anthony Summers publishes his book "The Kennedy Conspiracy" which has a black and white autopsy photo just into the front cover (i only have the 1992 edition, so i don't know if this photo was in earlier versions)
1994: Groden publishes color photos of autopsy for the first time in his book "The Killing Of A President".

At what point did the public get access to the photos and why? I would have thought these should have been kept private, just like Jackies pink suit is not available for public viewing.

[Mitch Todd]

My understanding is the following:

1964: Warren Commission did not use them.
1979: HSCA used like-like drawings made from the autopsy photos (but did not use the actual photos themselves)
1980-1992: Anthony Summers publishes his book "The Kennedy Conspiracy" which has a black and white autopsy photo just into the front cover (i only have the 1992 edition, so i don't know if this photo was in earlier versions)
1994: Groden publishes color photos of autopsy for the first time in his book "The Killing Of A President".

At what point did the public get access to the photos and why? I would have thought these should have been kept private, just like Jackies pink suit is not available for public viewing.

The WC relied on the autopsy report as well as the testimony of Humes, Boswell, and Finck instead of the photos themselves. The HSCA used the photos in internal deliberations, but the only photo that was publicly shown was a closely cropped and magnified version of the photo commonly known as "F8."  AFAIK, the Fox set of B&W photos was first published in the 1988 edition of Lifton's Best Evidence. A number of color photos appeared separately. IIRC, some were initially published by the Boston Globe in the '80s.

The B&W Fox set was kept by a Secret Service agent who was involved in the development of the original autopsy film. He'd kept copies of a number of the photos, and sold them years later after running into financial difficulty, or so I've heard. The story about how the color photos reached the public is murkier. I don't think anyone has taken credit, though a lot of fingers get pointed Robert Groden's way.

[Margaret Kelly]

The WC relied on the autopsy report as well as the testimony of Humes, Boswell, and Finck instead of the photos themselves. The HSCA used the photos in internal deliberations, but the only photo that was publicly shown was a closely cropped and magnified version of the photo commonly known as "F8."  AFAIK, the Fox set of B&W photos was first published in the 1988 edition of Lifton's Best Evidence. A number of color photos appeared separately. IIRC, some were initially published by the Boston Globe in the '80s.

The B&W Fox set was kept by a Secret Service agent who was involved in the development of the original autopsy film. He'd kept copies of a number of the photos, and sold them years later after running into financial difficulty, or so I've heard. The story about how the color photos reached the public is murkier. I don't think anyone has taken credit, though a lot of fingers get pointed Robert Groden's way.

Thanks. Its amazing the autopsy photos and Tippit and Oswald were also leaked.

[Charles Collins]

Thanks. Its amazing the autopsy photos and Tippit and Oswald were also leaked.

What's more amazing is that not one single solitary piece of credible evidence of a conspiracy has been leaked or discovered. Go figure...

[John Iacoletti]

Credible evidence like a ring in a cup and a “communist salute”? 

[Thomas Graves]

Credible evidence like a ring in a cup and a “communist salute”? 

John "Where The Hell Did The Baby Go?" Iacoletti,

It's obvious that the reason Lee left his ring behind, hidden in a cup, was because he thought it would get in the way of hanging those curtain rods after the movie, and it's equally obvious that he wasn't making a Communist salute to the reporters in the police station, but was just showing all the cops there that he was handcuffed, so ... you know ... they couldn't claim he was going to assault them ... and fill him full of lead on national TV!

--  MWT   

[Steve M. Galbraith]

John "Where The Hell Did The Baby Go?" Iacoletti,

It's obvious that the reason Lee left his ring behind, hidden in a cup, was because he thought it would get in the way of hanging those curtain rods after the movie, and it's equally obvious that he wasn't making a Communist salute to the reporters in the police station, but was just showing all the cops there that he was handcuffed, so ... you know ... they couldn't claim he was going to assault them ... and fill him full of lead on national TV!

--  MWT   

And Oswald left nearly all of his money because, according to the Oswald apologists, he always left money for Marina and the children.

Oops, no: Marina said he would leave a few dollars on Mondays when he returned to his rooming house. Not $170.

But wait, the Oswald apologists and sycophants have another excuse: they were separating and Oswald was leaving Marina so (for some reason) he left nearly all of his money.

Oops again, no: Marina said they were going to move in together in a couple of weeks, they weren't separating.

But wait, something or other because in defending Oswald fantasies and lies and falsehoods are just fine.

[John Iacoletti]

And Oswald left nearly all of his money because, according to the Oswald apologists, he always left money for Marina and the children.

How do you know Oswald left nearly all of his money?

And even if he did, is that supposed to be evidence of murder?