Kennedy killing 'was a conspiracy’

Press, 19 July 1979, Page 6

Kennedy killing ' was a conspiracy’

NZPA Washington President John. Kennedy was the victim of a probable murder conspiracy that possibly can be traced to an individual organised crime figure or a small underworld group, the American House of Representatives Assassinations Committee has concluded in its final report. “It is possible . . . that an individual organised crime leader or a small combination of leaders might have participated in a conspiracy in the Kennedy' assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963,” the n o w-defunct 12-member panel concluded. The committee’s final report, culminating more than two years of study and a host of hearings, also concluded that a conspiracy was behind the April 4, 1968, assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, jun. The report also said there is “substantial evidence to establish the existence of a St. Louis-based conspiracy to finance the assassination” of the famed civil-rights leader. But it said that while investigators raised the possibility of conspiracies in both

the Kennedy and King cases,: they were unable positively] to identify the conspirators.' ] Three members of. the committee dissented from its I finding of probable con-i spiracy in the Kennedy case. Republican Harold Sawyer, one of the dissenters, said the conclusions reached in both the Kennedy and King cases were based on “supposition upon supposition upon supposition ”

The report released yesterday, months after the committee passed out of existence, named Carlos Marcello and Santos Trafficante as “the most likely family bosses of organised crime to have participated in such a unilateral assassination plan” in the Kennedy case. It concluded. however, that the committee could find no evidence that Marcello or Trafficante had. in fact, conspired to assassinate the President.

Marcello and Trafficante, operating out of New Orleans and Miami respectively, have steadfastly denied they were involved.

The committee had concluded in December that Lee Harvey Oswald fired the shots that killed Kennedy, but that the President “was

| probably assassinated as a I result of a conspiracy.” I It said there was “a high i probability” that a second gunman had fired a shot that missed the President’s motorcade in Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

The committee also had concluded earlier that James ] Earl Ray assassinated King in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, and that “there is a likelihood” the murder was a conspiracy.

The final report said that it was likely that Ray had heard that a St Louis group, including two businessmen, John Sutherland and John Kauttman, had offered $50,000 as a bounty for King’s life, although the committee said it could find no proof linking Ray to the offer purported to have been made by a group of neoConfederate businessmen “James Earl Ray may simply have been aware of the offer and acted with a general expectation of payment after the assassination,” the report said. “Or he may have acted, not only with an awareness of an offer, but also after reaching a specific agreement,” it added. The report said the com-

mittee’s evidence also “raised the possibility of the involvement of one or both brothers, John and Jerry Ray. in the assassination.” During the committee’s public hearings last year, however, both Ray brothers hotly denied any involvement in King’s assassination.

In the Kennedy assassination, the committee said it could rule out all possible conspiracies except the possibility of involvement by in j; vidual crime figures or individual Cubans. The House panel’s final report said: “The committee found that Carlos Marcello had the motive, means, and opportunity to have President Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcello’s complicity.” The report also said the “one critical evidentiary element distinguishing Marcello from other organised crime figures is credible associations . . . albeit tenuous, linking Oswald and Jack Rugby, Oswald's assassin, to associates of Marcello.” The report said there was “credible evidence” associating Oswald with David Ferrie, a private investigator

who did work for Marcello. It also said there was “credible evidence” that Oswald’s mother. Marguerite, and an uncle. Charles

“Dutz” Murret, were acquainted with several men associated with Marcello. “The committee also established association between Jack Ruby and several individuals affiliated with the underworld activities of Carlos Marcello.” The possibility of Trafficante’s involvement was raised by the testimony of a Cuban exile, Jose Aleman, the committee said. It noted that Aleman had asserted that Trafficante predicted a year in advance of Dallas that Kennedy was “going to be hit.”

The report said Aleman told investigators in March, 1977, that “Trafficante had made clear . . . that the President was going to be killed.” However, when Aleman testified to the committee publicly, he said he feared for his life. Aleman then testified that he believed Trafficante was only boasting that Kennedy was going to be hit by Republicans and defeated in the 1964 Presidential elections.