Bill O’Reilly hides behind a colleague’s account

The Washington Post‘s Erik Wemple reports:

Longtime television news reporter Bob Sirkin released a statement Monday on the Web site of Henry Holt and Co., publisher of Bill O’Reilly’s book Killing Kennedy. Sirkin responded to the JFK Facts story of January 2013 that the embattled Fox News host lied in his best-selling book Killing Kennedy  about his investigative reporting exploits.

So two years after JFK Facts first published the story, O’Reilly has finally issued a proxy defense. Does Sirkin’s story add up?

Sirkin writes that he and O’Reilly had traveled to Florida on the night of March 28, 1977, and arrived at West Palm Beach early on the 29th. They were in pursuit of a story about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, one of the most searing — and confusing — events in American history.

“We proceeded to the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach,” says Sirkin. (The original is in all caps.) “And uh, that is where George de Mohrenschildt was being interviewed by Edward J. Epstein in an upstairs suite. So with our camera rolling, we knocked on Epstein’s door.”

[Back story: Who was this guy George de Mohrenschildt? And why is he is so important? Click here and here.]

In his piece for Newsweek, Epstein makes two salient points.

First, in Killing Kennedy, O’Reilly wrote (on page 300) that he heard the fatal gunshot that killed De Mohrenschildt, a man who collaborated routinely with the CIA, at the home of De Mohrenschildt’s daughter (emphasis added). In fact, de Mohrenschildt committed suicide at a swank ocean front estate owned by a friend.

A small mistake perhaps, and no big deal. But such an error doesn’t inspire confidence in O’Reilly’s skill as a reporter, which is the central issue as some complain that “The Left Wants Bill O’Reilly’s Head.”

Second, Epstein points out a bit of relevant crime scene evidence. The maid who was inside the mammoth palatial house did not hear the gunshot that O’Reilly supposedly heard outside.

via Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly clings to colleague’s supportive statement on ‘Killing Kennedy’ story – The Washington Post.

[Editor’s note: I originally used the word “ventriloquist” in the headline, which suggested, wrongly, that Sirkin’s account was not his own. A faithful reader pointed out my mistake and changed the text accordingly. I regret the error.]

71 thoughts on “Bill O’Reilly hides behind a colleague’s account”

  1. Jefferson, are these your words in above article – ” In fact, de Mohrenschildt committed suicide…” – because there is abundant circumstantial (if not direct) evidence “suicide” is not a “fact” beyond dispute.

  2. Ramon F Herrera

    [Morley to Photon:]

    “You have no evidence that the recordings have been manipulated. ”

    =====================

    Ramon The Devil’s Advocate (let’s say that Fox News hired me 🙂

    Photon can counter reply to you:

    “Jeff, you have no evidence that the recordings are genuine. I listen to O’Reilly day and night and that voice does not sound familiar at all!”

    Why should we take your word for it?

    According to this lady from Heritage:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4d-nR0d-O8

    O’Reilly claims that “no evidence exists”.

    // End of Hades Advocacy

    Jeff: Current technology makes proving your statements about the recording highly doable (well, not for the layman!). I know experts who can tell the *brand* of equipments (phone switches, channel bank filters and mixers, microwave, etc.) that transmitted the call all the way from Dallas to North Bay Village.

  3. What about the idea of contacting Epstein about the supposed interruption of his interview with De Mohrenschildt? Pat Speer raised the idea in the March 10 post above, and it seems like a good one.

    1. I think that Edward Jay Epstein is an MK Ultra operative, he may have given GdM his hypno-cue.

      “DeMohrenschildt’s “psychiatric problems” seem to center around a certain, Dr Charles Mendoza, who George initially went to for a relapse of his chronic bronchitis. Someone recommended Mendoza who was new to the area. George began “treatments” at Mendoza’s office rather than go to a hospital.

      Although his bronchitis got better, he began to become more nervous and agitated emotionally.
      Jean became concerned and asked what these “treatments” were, and George said he was given shots, and a regimen of pills….
      “A check with the Dallas County Medical Society showed that a Dr. Charles Mendoza had registered with the association just two months before he began treating George DeMohrenschildt. Mendoza left Dallas in December 1976, shortly after George had entered Parkland for mental problems. Mendoza’s forwarding address proved fictitious.”

      http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg%20Subject%20Index%20Files/M%20Disk/Mack%20Gary%20Cover-up/Item%2025.pdf
      \\][//

  4. Has anybody ever asked O’Reilly what happened to his journalistic instincts. He heard a shotgun blast and….was out of there?

    1. My point precisely Marie Fonzi, and I have made similar comments on at least three other threads related to this story.

      Did O’Reilly call the police? Did someone else, and if so did Bill stick around to cover the story like any reporter worth his or her salt would do? This was a scoop after all. Or did he flee the scene? if so, why? If not, what did he learn about the death of deM just minutes after it happened? Did he rush into the house to determine where the shots originated? Might he have found deM still breathing and call an ambulance? Did he make a statement to the police? Did he file a story with WFAA Dallas that afternoon? If not why not? and if not, why wasn’t he fired for incompetence?

      Why on earth is Bob Sirkin subjecting himself to this if he wasn’t in Florida with Bill before the “suicide?” I can understand Henry Holt standing behind O’Reilly because they want to keep the books on the shelves so to speak; but why would Sirkin risk his credibility and join in O’Reilly’s lie? And it is a lie. It is not a fib; there are far too many ramifications for it to be a simple fib.

      1. Ramon F Herrera

        [leslie:]

        “Did O’Reilly call the police? Did someone else, and if so did Bill stick around to cover the story like any reporter worth his or her salt would do? This was a scoop after all. Or did he flee the scene? if so, why?”

        ============================

        I am saddened to witness the turn of events in this, in my adoptive country, the one who I tend to see as perfect (warts and all!). The media should have defense mechanisms (such as the BBB in each city). Isn’t FAUX (pardon me, let’s be serious: Fox News) part of some industry group?

        Instead of talking the generalities bullshit, all the media, united, should ask the very questions that Leslie is asking here, directly to Bill O’Reilly.

        Some market-cognizant reader could respond with their litany:

        “Do not worry, Ramon, the marketplace -as always- will punish and reward”

        My reply: Absolutely not! We are in the presence of a distorted market.

        See the rest of my reasoning here:

        https://jfkfacts.org/assassination/news/oreillys-jfk-reporting-was-impossible-says-reporter-who-was-there/#comment-725200

        and here:

        https://jfkfacts.org/assassination/dismantling-oreilly-the-last-chapter/#comment-721102

    2. Mrs. Fonzi, It seems his “journalistic instincts” in terms of a ethical commitment to tell the truth were thrown out the window so to speak in his quest for power and recognition.
      His own co workers in Dallas at the time said “that did not happen” and “no other way to say it but he’s a phony”.

    3. Ramon F Herrera

      Furthermore, Marie:

      Let’s forget about Matalapan, Bill may claim that after all these years a person contacted him this morning, and it turns he was in the *wrong* street! There is unobjectionable evidence: The bang noise was completely innocent, and Bill found out only hours ago.

      [Notice that I am stretching at the maximum, attempting to reconcile Bill’s recollection with facts – Let’s give him a pass for the Tilton Mansion, ok?]

      In a court, BOR would be queried:

      “So, it has been determined that you were not in the actual residence and therefore cannot be prosecuted for abandoning the scene of a crime…”

      “HOWEVER, Sir, you are not off the hook. The fact remains that your crew blasted its way where an emotionally disturbed person was being interviewed, with a camera rolling and right after that shocking intrusion, the person (who though his privacy was protected) kills himself”.

      “Didn’t it occur to you that your actions could have propitiated, triggered the death of Mr. Mohrenschildt??”

      “Why did you wait decades to come forward? … In fact, you have not come forward yet, as the Palm Beach police department are still waiting for you, to this day!”.

  5. Please excuse my rant(s)butt… I’ve never watched Bill O’Riley regularly. I don’t care for his condescending attitude or opinions in later years. On ABC, CBS and Inside Edition he seemed credible, not as opinionated. I still didn’t think he was spewing the vitriol of say Rush Limpbaugh, Glen Beck or Ann Coulter, but I’ve not watched him much in years.
    This though has gotten pretty deep, and ridiculous. It astounds me that the MSM tip taps around the essential matter. He is recorded on tape telling Congressional Investigator for the HSCA Gaeton Fonzi after de Mohrenschildt’s death he would fly there that night or the next morning. ON THE STEPS IS A LIE.

    1. Obviously the tape is a forgery . We have a firm, ironclad eyewitness who saw O’Reilly in Florida.Therefore, his claim in the book must be true.

      1. Oh, you are just loving this aren’t you? 🙂

        Clearly the tape is genuine – we don’t have any chain of custody problems with it and O’Reilly self identifies himself as not being on the scene.

        You have only one witness so far and, as you know, one swallow does not a spring make. Did anyone see Sirkin there? I think not.

      2. Why is the tape an obvious forgery? It comes from one of the most highly respected investigators of the case. A GOVERNMENT Investigator. The firm ironclad eyewitness (not) came forward in the last week with a disprovable story, per the tapes. They did not leave Dallas or wherever they were flying from TO Florida until after de Mohrenschildt died, per O’Riley’s words recorded on this site in 2013.

      3. photon,

        Hamlet:
        There’s letters seal’d, and my two schoolfellows,
        Whom I will trust as I will adders fang’d—
        They bear the mandate, they must sweep my way
        And marshal me to knavery. Let it work;
        For ’tis the sport to have the enginer
        Hoist with his own petard, an’t shall go hard
        But I will delve one yard below their mines
        And blow them at the moon.

        Hamlet Act 3, scene 4, 202–209

      4. So we have a chain of custody which is – the Fonzis then Jeff. Who do you think did the forgery? 🙂

        Are you, Captain Credentials, going to maintain that a journalist/author/opinion-maker with no formal qualifications in tape fakery could have done this?! I am simply astounded Photon!

      5. I hope you’re joking, Photon. It’s O’Reilly’s voice on the tape. He’s talking to Gaeton Fonzi, someone he knew, and someone with whom he was friendly. The tape was released by Fonzi’s widow, Marie, who confirms her husband made numerous recordings over the years, including several with Arlen Specter, which she has similarly released.

        Are you really–I mean really–suggesting Marie Fonzi, a retired widow living in Florida, faked up some tapes to damage O’Reilly’s reputation within weeks of the release of O’Reilly’s book? Really?

        O’Reilly’s memory is shot, as is most everyone’s regarding events that happened 40 years ago. He should be a man and admit it and quit his ridiculous charade.

        1. On re-reading Photon’s post, it’s clear he’s messing with us, and trying to point out that many of the “witnesses” used by CTs to question the official story are just as shaky as Sirkin. Good one. I hope this will lead to his further questioning the validity of eyewitness testimony, e.g. the eyewitness testimony of Howard Brennan.

          1. I don’t think that Photon is being any less disingenuous than he is in any other discussion.

            Everything swirls like Déjà vu in these blog debates sometimes… I have read these arguments and made these responses before…”But who knows where or when?”
            I have met Photon in so many different masks on the web … he is like a Manichean Devil that possesses many minds in the world today. A “divine psychopath” as it were.
            \\][//

        2. Pat, I don’t think Photon is joking. I think he’s trolling. The tape is hard evidence. His attempt to try to discredit it is just a lame attempt to muddy the waters.

        3. Assuming I’m a crazy woman, read p. 192 of The Last Investigation where Gaeton wrote exactly what was on the tapes.

        4. Bob Sirkin has impeccable credentials, he must be telling the truth. Why would he go out on a limb, what does he have to gain? After all, he was there-and none of us were.
          How sure are you that the tape recording is genuine? Do you expect us to believe that Gaeton Fonzi recorded all of his phone calls? I mean ( chuckle) who does that? That is as unlikely as an airmail letter getting delivered overnight. Besides, what do you really know about Mrs. Fonzi’s background? We know that it is easy to manipulate recordings and films; I am sure that Mrs. Fonzi has met people who are experts in tape recordings, so obviously it is not hard to see that this tape could be altered.
          What we are seeing is a widespread conspiracy to assassinate the character of BOR. If you can’t see that Sean Hannity had the motive to remove BOH and move up to the top of Fox News you will never understand who is behind this plot.

          1. C’mon gang. Photon is having a bit of fun here at everyone’s earnest expense — trying to turn the tables a bit by attempting to mimic a “CT’s” approach to the evidence. That is to say: he’s not being serious, so please don’t get taken in.

          2. I am certain the recording is genuine. And yes, Fonzi did record all of his phone calls and he logged them. I know Mrs. Fonzi’s background. You have no evidence that the recordings have been manipulated. That’s because they have not been. All of these aspersions are baseless.

            And, no, I am not part of any conspiracy to assassinate Bill O’Reilly character. I published the story of O’Reilly’s JFK fib two years ago, long before the current questioning of his veracity began. I know little about Sean Hannity and care less.

          3. I think C. Riesmeyer and Pat are probably right, but just to be safe, I have a question or two for my friend Photon.

            Photon:

            I would hate to speak for Mr. Morley, the man kind enough to let us have this forum AND the man with big enough balls to take on the CIA while most of us sit behind a keyboard and speculate, but it appears to me that Mr. Morley is politely telling you that you are full of it. I could be wrong, but again, I don’t want to offend the man who has given us a chance to have this debate.

            You are correct about eyewitnesses. Especially ones named Brennan! They are ABSOLUTELY correct. Now, ones with the name of Sibert or O’Neill or McClelland, that is a whole different story. They are not objective, or they were standing to close to JFK, or they have watched too much of “The Walking Dead.” But as long as we can stand on Brennan’s shoulders, then the world is just fine!

          4. Photon:

            Have you had a chance to skip over to the myth-making thread? Curious to know your response to my views about the man in the picture in MC.

          5. Hi Photon

            You are sailing way too close to the wind on this one, my friend. Just how are you going to extricate yourself this time? Bet you are wishing you never went there at all!

          6. Anybody willing to look at this case can see that Sean Hannity is the obvious beneficiary of this coup. Of course, one person high up and powerful had the most motive to get O’Reilly-the man who lost his job due to his own failures but who always knew that O’Reilly’s ratings were the real culprit. I suspect that soon he will be appointed to investigate this character assassination and bring his contacts that still run MSNCIA forward to cover up the investigation-Mr. Olbermann.
            I have already spoken with an recording engineer-he has assured me that he is an expert with a cerificate but that O’Reilly’s voice has a 95% probability of originating in Dallas, thereby proving that it is a forgery based on Mr. Sirkin’s precise and proven history of being an unimpeachable witness.
            My understanding is that the “suicide” weapon was never registered to Mr. DeMorhenschild. How do we know he even purchased it? More to the fact, there is absolutely no evidence that he ever purchased any shotgun shells-no sales slip, no record of a credit card receipt-nothing.
            The coverup continues. Only when MSNBC releases ALL of the documents related to the firing of Keith Olbermann will we know the truth behind this conspiracy to remove this Irish-American patriot.
            We must avoid a rush to judgement.

          7. Sounds as improbable as a lone nut communist presidential assasin who had a wife and young children, never said a bad word about the president, and never spent any time around any communists in his own country (anti-communists, mostly).

            Oh, and the authorities were sure he did and did it alone within hours of the crime. Absolutely, positively sure.

          8. Okay Photon – that is very funny. But you are nuts to pursue this. Maybe they will ban you after all for being such a smarta*se!

          9. “We must avoid a rush to judgement.”~Photon

            That is what is called “stealing thunder” in the Native American tradition. A re-purposing of your opposition’s terminology.
            \\][//

          10. Jeff, have you monetized your site? I’m getting local advertisements when I access jfkfacts. The first was one that invited me to apply for employment with the New Mexico State Police.

            I’ve scanned one of the pages if you need documentation.

            LS

          11. So, Sean Hannity sacrificed his own credibility for Bill O’Riley’s lie to get O’riley’s job??? Is that what you are saying?

          12. Hi Leslie

            I’m also getting ads offering to decode my name so I understand what it means.

            I hadn’t been confused about it (up until now).

            Are you going to take up that offer to join the NM state police? 🙂

          13. Leslie, you should look into a program called “AdBlock” as an addition to your computer’s security regime.
            It is likely not this site that is allowing ads to show, but an intrusion by hackers to force ads onto sites.
            \\][//

          14. Vanessa, application is in the mail! When I get hired, I can begin to contribute funds to this site, but will have less time to comment. It’s a win/win for Jeff!

            I fully understand any blogger needing to cover expenses but it was a bit of a surprise to see the monetization unfold before my very eyes.

          15. Willy, thanks and it did occur to me that my accessing the site has been hacked. That is why I asked Jeff Morley to determine whether or not he has decided to revert to advertising. Have you had similar adverts when you access jfkfacts?

          16. Oh Leslie, you are one of the most informed contributors on this site and doing your own research to boot! I hope NM police turn you down. 🙂

            I don’t have a problem with the ads(someone has to pay the piper and it shouldn’t always be Jeff). Although yours sound more interesting than mine, can we swap?

            PS I think Willy has stopped speaking to me. Can you tell him that I’m very, very sorry for my transgressions and will attempt to make amends?

          17. Vanessa, that’s an encouraging observation, thank you. If you recognize that I do some independent research, that tells me you are more familiar with this case than many American.

            As to Willy, a trained chef taught me that the best stews are made with the highest quality ingredients thrown into a pot and left to fight it out.

          18. You are very kind, gracious and wise Leslie. (Although I think I might be the limp, bendy 3-day old celery in that stew).

            And I hope to read one of your papers sometime soon. You are writing one, right

          19. There’s no hacking involved.

            The ads on these pages are served by Google based on searches you have performed… Which is a bit of a scam. They convince their customers of a super duper artificial intelligence algorithm that does precision targeted advertising… But as the few examples above show, they’ve got the artificial part alright, but the intelligence, not so much… At least not yet.

            You can screw with them easily by searching for bizarre stuff you have no intention of buying….

  6. Ramon F Herrera

    [Photon:]
    “hardly worthy of the obsession seen on this site over the last several days”

    ====================

    Esteemed Photon:

    You and I are *peers*. Plus the other e-friend participants. If I have some Physics explanation about the violent back snap, I try to bang you over the head, and you, never one to shrink, respond with vigor. We are in the Minor Leagues.

    You need to understand that folks like Jeff Morley and Bill O’Reilly are peers as well. They are both journalists (my profuse apologies to Jeff and any responsible journalist out there!), and they are in the Major Leagues.

    Additionally, they are interested in *news*. How often do we have news in the JFK case? In re: to the “obsession” that you allege: We have been obsessing over a case for FIFTY TWO years, fer crying out loud!

    I, for one, am thrilled since one of my pet theories (the Partisan Alignment) is being beautifully corroborated, as we speak.

    Did you see the related, similar post by “Rule of Law”?:

    https://jfkfacts.org/assassination/truth-lies-and-mythmaking/#comment-723992

    ps: The glorious Truth somehow manages o escape.

  7. While I consider O’Reilly a blowhard hardly worthy of the obcession seen on this site over the last several days, if Sirkin is correct something is really screwed up.
    Is there a witness placing O’Reilly in Texas on the claimed date? It should be easy to find one- unless his story has a kernel of truth. I suspect that Mr.Bill has embellished his story, but it certainly doesn’t seem as obvious a lie if he has a witness. And we all know how witnesses are totally reliable-right?

    1. photon, we have a joke in our house … when someone is caught in a lie and then finds a way to spin the lie or rationalize the nuance of the facts in a way to confuse and hide the lie, we cry “FLIP,” just like a cat falling from a roof will somehow manage to land on all fours.

      As I read one version of the trajectory, combining several sources, Doug Fox of WFAA discovered that deMohrenshildt was not at Bishop College but was in Florida. Marty Haag, news director, sent Sirkin and O’Reilly and Fox to Florida the evening of March 28th. Somewhere in the scenario Fox seems to disappear, Sirkin and O’Reilly get separated, and Sirkin surfaces back at the Tilton Mansion where he meets up with O’Reilly.

      Sirkin has yet to validate that O’Reilly was actually on the steps and heard the shots; he does sew seeds of confusion, witting or not.

      The other version is that Bill O’Reilly spoke to Gaeton Fonzi by phone having heard that deMohrenschildt committed suicide by shotgun (presumably this was conveyed to him by Pat Russell, Dallas attorney). Fonzi confirmed the details, called O’Reilly, and O’Reilly said “I’m on my way “down” there. However, unless I am mistaken, it is only assumed that O’Reilly phoned from Dallas. That assertion is at the center of this debate; is there proof that O’Reilly phoned from Dallas?

      Beyond that we have: deMohrenschildt’s Dallas attorney Pat S. Russell – why did he phone WFAA with the news of the alleged suicide? Willem Oltmans with a history of association with the far right elements in Texas as exhibited by his speech before the Criterion Club in Wichita Falls, TX and his trip with deM to Brussels a decade later; and in my view deMohrenschildt’s close friend Sam Ballen who knew George’s itinerary that Spring because he anticipated a visit by deM in Santa Fe within the month. These are characters swirling in the shadows; perhaps the tapes that we hear are only half the story.

      As somewhat of a rant, but since a theme of this 4-5 day focus is accuracy in reporting: the home in Manalapan WAS NOT owned by Alexandra deMohrenchildt, it WAS NOT a “friend’s home,” (the ‘friend’ was Katherine Loomis). It was owned by George deMohrenschildt’s former sister-in-law Mrs. C.E. (Nancy) Tilton whose sister Dorothy Pierson was once married to deMohrenschildt. Why has it been so difficult to establish the simplest of facts … is it any wonder there is confusion. Even Bugliosi muddles the reporting of this minutiae. A suspicious person might wonder if the Tilton Mansion holds secrets.

      1. Leslie, your quote of “I’m coming down there tomorrow ” is followed immediately with “I’m coming TO FLORIDA”.
        He then says “I’m going to take a night FLIGHT if I can”. From previous conversation (tapes 1 &2)it is established this conversation is taking place on the day of de Mhorenschidt’s “suicide”.

        1. Ronnie, I’m trying to reconcile Sirkin’s claim. Clearly Marei Fonzi is firmly convinced O’Reilly was calling from Dallas, and the tape certainly indicates he is calling from there (with the minor exception I alluded to before – in fact I wondered if he was calling from D.C.?).

          Playing Devil’s Advocate, O’Reilly does not say specifically; yes he says ‘Florida’ but he doesn’t say Dallas. Perhaps Gaeton made direct comments to Marie that he knew O’Reilly was calling from Dallas. O’Reilly had received information that deM was in Florida and was preparing to go there anyway; then deM’s attorney Pat Russell advises WFAA that deM has committed suicide, O’Reilly calls Gaeton to get confirmation and waits to hear back. It’s unlikely O’Reilly would have been in that loop if he had been anywhere other than his home base.

          But why would Sirkin lie as well? He doesn’t place O’Reilly on the doorstep, only in PB. And why hasn’t O’Reilly elaborated on the events at the Tilton Mansion; did he rush inside the home to discover the source of the sound of the gun shots? did he file a statement with the police? did he vanish before they arrived and if so, how and why?

          Why is Henry Holt standing behind this claim? They don’t want to pull the book. But what’s at stake for Sirkin? Maybe this is a tempest in a teapot, but being skeptical of everything that relates to the Kennedy assassination, I think there’s more here. O’Reilly’s claim locks in the suicide allegation imv.

          1. Leslie, I think the photographer has his dates confused. O’Reilly was planning to come to Miami to give Gaet a photo of someone he thought (incorrectly) was Maurice Bishop. On a tape dated 3/28 he says, “Maybe I’ll get a trip to Miami out of this.”
            But he did not come until 3/30. If you’ll recall, on the 3/29 tape after Gaet confirms the suicide, O’Reilly says about Epstein, “We’ve got to get this guy.” So O’Reilly had seen neither Epstein nor DeM at the time of the suicide.

          2. Marie, isn’t there a certain naivete in O’Reilly looking forward to a free trip to Miami particularly in light of developments relating to the Maurice Bishop story in the months and years to follow.

            Not sure I understand the significance of the photographer’s claims. I’m thinking of Doug Fox who is alleged to have discovered that deM was absent from Bishop College and set the ball in motion for a trip to Florida. If a photo thought to be that of Maurice Bishop is in this equation, I’m out of my depth. I didn’t know that O’Reilly’s impending trip to Florida was related to that photo; I thought it was to talk to deM because Doug Fox had found out he was in the PB area. Apologies if I’m confused on this.

            Do we know if Pat Russell was in Florida or Dallas when he advised WFAA that deM was dead?

    2. Ramon F Herrera

      [Photon:]

      “While I consider O’Reilly a blowhard hardly worthy of the obsession seen on this site over the last several days”

      ============

      Esteemed and Respected Opponent:

      When was the last time that we, pedestrian forum participants, had the opportunity to solve a national mystery like this *by ourselves*? No FBI labs, no WCR, no HSCA? Not even the Liftons or Alvarezes!

      I claim that it has never been done. You read it here first, in the JFK Forum, where we dare to push the envelope, despite your complaints.

      Please scroll up and read my post to Ronnie.

  8. You should also reach out to Epstein, Jeff. He’s still alive and would almost certainly remember a TV crew’s trying to bust in on his big interview.

  9. What he hell? O’Riley told Fonzi he would fly down there that night or the next morning. AFTER they discussed de Mohrenschildt committing suicide. “with a gun? A shotgun”.

    1. Ramon F Herrera

      [Ronnie:]

      “What he hell?”

      ==========================

      My sentiments exactly. 🙂

      This is what happened, Ronnie. Allow me to offer an explanation which matches the two, apparently contradictory versions.

      Intrepid reporter O’Reilly was indeed in Palm Beach *before* the suicide. He decided to call Gaeton, pretending to be still in Dallas, with the purpose of putting Fonzi at ease and steal whatever he could.

      As luck would have it, it is possible to verify this hypothesis here at JFK Facts. All we need is a high quality recording of that conversation, which is available. At her home, on 2/26 afternoon, Marie gave two blank DVDs to the CNN folks (one for her, one for JFK Facts) and the cassette was transferred, in CNN-Miami, preserving the highest quality audio information. They did an excellent, thorough job, which lasted 3 hours. They recorded with cable AND through the air, with one of those huge, high quality microphones.

      A tip of the hat goes to CNN, again.

      NB: In the Morley interview, they only played the most critical 64 seconds.

      Back to the technical part…

      Some parameters such as latency, delay and echo may be used in our analysis. This is a short sample:

      http://patriot.net/~ramon/jfk/OReilly-with-Echo.png
      http://patriot.net/~ramon/jfk/OReilly-with-Echo.wav

      But we are even luckier! In the 70s most calls were analog (ie. with the fiberoptics of today we would be screwed and O’Reilly’s lie -or sincerity- would not be in evidence for the world to see) plus that particular call has a noticeable (aka *measureable* echo with is related to the DISTANCE between the 2 speakers).

      All what is left is propose 2 alternatives:

      (a) The speakers were separated by 10s, even 100 miles (from Palm Beach to the Fonzi home)

      (b) The speakers were separated by 1,250 miles (from Dallas to Palm Beach)

      Solving that unknown is like shooting fish in a barrel.

      1. Ramon F Herrera

        Correction:

        I obviously meant from Dallas to the Fonzi home.

        We should check with Marie the location of the Fonzi home at the time. Why? We could luck out, drawing a circle and determining that the parameters of the call are consistent with being based in the vicinity of The Breakers, Alexandra’s place or the suicide location (contrary to popular belief, the latter two are NOT the same).

        1. Our home at the time of the Dallas call was in North Bay Village, Miami-Dade Co. The suicide was in Manalapan, Palm Beach County. I have another tape of O’Reilly speaking to Gaeton from Dallas on Monday, 3/28/77 where the conversation ends with Bill saying he’ll call back on Wednesday. There is no question O’Reilly never came to Florida until 3/30, the day after DeM’s suicide.

          1. Ramon F Herrera

            Thank you so much, Marie. I wish there was a way to convey our gratefulness. I am sure I am not alone in this sentiment.

            Roughly speaking, how many total hours of tape do you have? I am referring to HSCA and the previous, Church investigation.

        1. Ramon F Herrera

          [Willy Whitten:]

          “Baloney Herrera! I don’t buy a word of this tripe.”

          ==============

          I would like to encourage all posters to post, in quotes, as above, the specific part to which they are replying.

          Willy: I don’t have the foggiest idea about what you are referring.

          1. “Intrepid reporter O’Reilly was indeed in Palm Beach *before* the suicide. He decided to call Gaeton, pretending to be still in Dallas, with the purpose of putting Fonzi at ease and steal whatever he could.”~Ramon F Herrera

            This Ramon, is the proposition your comment of March 11, 2015 at 12:48 pm, begins with.
            So how you can not “have the foggiest idea” to what I am referring to is quite remarkable!

            I am referring to this proposition, and the utterly absurd rationale you put together to back it up. So in essence I am saying I think the whole thing__all of it__is NONSENSE.

            This is my opinion, others may disagree, perhaps some will. Maybe I have misinterpreted, what seems to be a fairly straight forward proposition in what you say:

            Which I take to be that O’Rielly really was at the scene when dM was killed.
            If that is NOT what you mean, I will try to understand how it is that is not what you said in that post. Care to disambiguate?
            \\][//

  10. Sirkin’s defense of O’Reilly is, to me, an excellent development, as it will almost certainly keep the story viable in the media for longer than it otherwise would have been. I would love to hear the tape recorded conversation between O’Reilly and Gaeton Fonzi played on the major networks.

    Additionally, the whole affair will help raise the general consciousness of the role of De Mohrenschildt. Nice work, Mr. Morley.

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