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| JFK assassination: Questions that won't go away | JFK assassination: Questions that won't go away |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| On Thursday, classified files about the Kennedy assassination will be released - but what might they show? | On Thursday, classified files about the Kennedy assassination will be released - but what might they show? |
| Where were you when Kennedy was shot? | Where were you when Kennedy was shot? |
| Toni Glover was there, in Dallas, watching by the side of the road. She was 11 years old. | Toni Glover was there, in Dallas, watching by the side of the road. She was 11 years old. |
| "I had a troubled childhood," she says. | "I had a troubled childhood," she says. |
| "I thought if I could get Kennedy to look at me, and wave at me, that would mean we had a personal relationship, and everything at home would be perfect. | "I thought if I could get Kennedy to look at me, and wave at me, that would mean we had a personal relationship, and everything at home would be perfect. |
| "It was magical thinking from an 11-year-old." | "It was magical thinking from an 11-year-old." |
| Toni got to the Dealey Plaza early and found a "perfect" spot to watch the president's parade. | Toni got to the Dealey Plaza early and found a "perfect" spot to watch the president's parade. |
| "He came by, he smiled and waved," she says. "Jackie smiled and waved - she was on my side. | "He came by, he smiled and waved," she says. "Jackie smiled and waved - she was on my side. |
| "He turned the corner. I thought, 'I'm going to follow this car until it disappears because it's the president - I'm going to watch every second I can.' | "He turned the corner. I thought, 'I'm going to follow this car until it disappears because it's the president - I'm going to watch every second I can.' |
| "And then his head exploded. It just exploded." | "And then his head exploded. It just exploded." |
| She told her mother that someone had thrown fireworks into the car. | She told her mother that someone had thrown fireworks into the car. |
| "But really, I knew different," she adds. | "But really, I knew different," she adds. |
| Now, 54 years later, Dr Toni Glover is an associate professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. | Now, 54 years later, Dr Toni Glover is an associate professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. |
| "I believe in facts," she says. "I went to a (JFK) conference where there were a number of conspiracy people. Some of it is insane. Some of it is absolutely crazy." | "I believe in facts," she says. "I went to a (JFK) conference where there were a number of conspiracy people. Some of it is insane. Some of it is absolutely crazy." |
| And yet… | And yet… |
| "There are some legitimate investigators that have a question or two that they've almost answered." | "There are some legitimate investigators that have a question or two that they've almost answered." |
| What happened? | What happened? |
| John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot dead on 22 November 1963. He was travelling in an open-topped limousine. | John F Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was shot dead on 22 November 1963. He was travelling in an open-topped limousine. |
| The Governor of Texas John Connally, who was sitting in front of the president, was wounded but survived. | The Governor of Texas John Connally, who was sitting in front of the president, was wounded but survived. |
| Within an hour, Dallas policeman JD Tippit was also killed. Soon afterwards, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. | Within an hour, Dallas policeman JD Tippit was also killed. Soon afterwards, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. |
| Within 12 hours, he was charged with the killings of President Kennedy and JD Tippit. | Within 12 hours, he was charged with the killings of President Kennedy and JD Tippit. |
| On 24 November, Oswald was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas police department by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. The shooting was captured live on television. | On 24 November, Oswald was shot dead in the basement of the Dallas police department by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. The shooting was captured live on television. |
| Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald and sentenced to death. He appealed but died of cancer in 1967, before the retrial. | Ruby was convicted of killing Oswald and sentenced to death. He appealed but died of cancer in 1967, before the retrial. |
| What was the official explanation? | What was the official explanation? |
| A week after Kennedy was killed, President Lyndon B Johnson set up a commission to investigate the case. | A week after Kennedy was killed, President Lyndon B Johnson set up a commission to investigate the case. |
| The Warren Commission's report, published in September 1964, said that: | The Warren Commission's report, published in September 1964, said that: |
| There were other investigations: | There were other investigations: |
| In 1992, a law passed by Congress meant all assassination-related records - around five million pages - were transferred to the National Archives. | In 1992, a law passed by Congress meant all assassination-related records - around five million pages - were transferred to the National Archives. |
| Around 88% of the records are open in full; 11% are open but with "sensitive portions" removed; and 1% are withheld in full. | Around 88% of the records are open in full; 11% are open but with "sensitive portions" removed; and 1% are withheld in full. |
| According to the 1992 law, all records must be published in full within 25 years, unless the president says otherwise. | According to the 1992 law, all records must be published in full within 25 years, unless the president says otherwise. |
| The deadline is Thursday. | The deadline is Thursday. |
| What other theories are there? | What other theories are there? |
| Toni Glover - who saw the killing aged 11 - thinks there may have been a second shooter. | Toni Glover - who saw the killing aged 11 - thinks there may have been a second shooter. |
| Some people believe the "other" gunman fired from the "grassy knoll", which the president's limousine passed. | Some people believe the "other" gunman fired from the "grassy knoll", which the president's limousine passed. |
| Toni thinks the second shooter - if there was one - could have been on the other side of the road. | Toni thinks the second shooter - if there was one - could have been on the other side of the road. |
| "There's fairly substantial evidence," she says. "It has some validity to it." | "There's fairly substantial evidence," she says. "It has some validity to it." |
| Jefferson Morley is a former Washington Post reporter who has written several books on the killing - including one, out this week, about former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton. | Jefferson Morley is a former Washington Post reporter who has written several books on the killing - including one, out this week, about former CIA counter-intelligence chief James Angleton. |
| "I've never written about a conspiracy theory," he says. "I report new facts about the assassination." | "I've never written about a conspiracy theory," he says. "I report new facts about the assassination." |
| He "tends to doubt" that Oswald shot JFK. He says it's more likely the fatal shot came from in front of Kennedy - rather than behind. | He "tends to doubt" that Oswald shot JFK. He says it's more likely the fatal shot came from in front of Kennedy - rather than behind. |
| "Look at the Zapruder film," says Morley. "Kennedy's head goes flying backwards. | "Look at the Zapruder film," says Morley. "Kennedy's head goes flying backwards. |
| "I know there's a theory that if you get hit by a bullet from behind, the head goes towards the source of the bullet. But as a common sense explanation, it seems very unlikely. | "I know there's a theory that if you get hit by a bullet from behind, the head goes towards the source of the bullet. But as a common sense explanation, it seems very unlikely. |
| "That sure looks like a shot from the front." | "That sure looks like a shot from the front." |
| Morley has other reasons to doubt the official story. | Morley has other reasons to doubt the official story. |
| A paraffin test on Oswald's cheek, after he was arrested, suggested he hadn't fired a rifle (the test's reliability has been questioned). | A paraffin test on Oswald's cheek, after he was arrested, suggested he hadn't fired a rifle (the test's reliability has been questioned). |
| John Connally - the Texas governor who was also travelling in the president's car - said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy, contradicting the Warren Commission's findings. | John Connally - the Texas governor who was also travelling in the president's car - said he was not hit by the same bullet as Kennedy, contradicting the Warren Commission's findings. |
| And Morley thinks other parts of the official explanation don't add up. | And Morley thinks other parts of the official explanation don't add up. |
| "The official story - there was this guy Oswald, who nobody knew anything about, who came out of nowhere and shot the president - that story we know, beyond a reasonable doubt, is false," he says. | "The official story - there was this guy Oswald, who nobody knew anything about, who came out of nowhere and shot the president - that story we know, beyond a reasonable doubt, is false," he says. |
| "Oswald was monitored by the counter-intelligence staff of the CIA and by James Angleton for four years - from December 1959 when they opened their first file, to November 1963." | "Oswald was monitored by the counter-intelligence staff of the CIA and by James Angleton for four years - from December 1959 when they opened their first file, to November 1963." |
| But Thomas Whalen, an author and associate professor at Boston University, thinks Oswald did shoot JFK. | But Thomas Whalen, an author and associate professor at Boston University, thinks Oswald did shoot JFK. |
| "And not just me, but in general, historians believe he was the assassin. The big question is - was he involved in a broader conspiracy?" | "And not just me, but in general, historians believe he was the assassin. The big question is - was he involved in a broader conspiracy?" |
| While the Warren Commission said Oswald acted alone, it did note that he travelled to the Soviet Union in 1959, unsuccessfully applied for Soviet citizenship, and lived there until 1962. | While the Warren Commission said Oswald acted alone, it did note that he travelled to the Soviet Union in 1959, unsuccessfully applied for Soviet citizenship, and lived there until 1962. |
| It also found that Oswald - a self-proclaimed Marxist - visited the Cuban and Russian embassies in Mexico City in September 1963, two months before Kennedy was shot. | It also found that Oswald - a self-proclaimed Marxist - visited the Cuban and Russian embassies in Mexico City in September 1963, two months before Kennedy was shot. |
| Whalen says the newly released documents may shed light on this trip. | Whalen says the newly released documents may shed light on this trip. |
| "What was Oswald doing in Mexico City weeks before the assassination? Did he meet Cuban and Soviet intelligence officials? Did they give him a green light? | "What was Oswald doing in Mexico City weeks before the assassination? Did he meet Cuban and Soviet intelligence officials? Did they give him a green light? |
| "Certainly Fidel Castro (Cuban prime minister, then president) had motive to kill President Kennedy. We - we being the United States government - were trying to kill him." | "Certainly Fidel Castro (Cuban prime minister, then president) had motive to kill President Kennedy. We - we being the United States government - were trying to kill him." |
| What might the new documents show? | What might the new documents show? |
| Bruce Miroglio, a lawyer from St Helena, California, has read "many thousands" of books on Kennedy and his assassination. | Bruce Miroglio, a lawyer from St Helena, California, has read "many thousands" of books on Kennedy and his assassination. |
| "In fact, I'm sitting in my office looking at the 26 volumes of the Warren Report," he says. | "In fact, I'm sitting in my office looking at the 26 volumes of the Warren Report," he says. |
| Although he says the report made mistakes, he "basically supports" its conclusions. | Although he says the report made mistakes, he "basically supports" its conclusions. |
| He does not believe there was a second gunman, is "sceptical" of conspiracy theories, and is not expecting huge revelations in Thursday's documents. | He does not believe there was a second gunman, is "sceptical" of conspiracy theories, and is not expecting huge revelations in Thursday's documents. |
| "The number of people that would be involved in the cover-up is so vast, it seems almost impossible they would keep anything earth-shattering under wraps," he says. | "The number of people that would be involved in the cover-up is so vast, it seems almost impossible they would keep anything earth-shattering under wraps," he says. |
| Toni Glover says it will be "interesting" to see what emerges. She, though, will remain a witness, rather than an investigator. | Toni Glover says it will be "interesting" to see what emerges. She, though, will remain a witness, rather than an investigator. |
| "I can't validate anything," she says. "I was at an exuberant presidential parade, everybody hopping up and down, thrilled out of their mind. | "I can't validate anything," she says. "I was at an exuberant presidential parade, everybody hopping up and down, thrilled out of their mind. |
| "Fifteen seconds later we were in abject dread." |