JFK Assassination: Former Secret Service Agent Questions the Official Narrative
New light has been cast on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, thanks to the testimony of former Secret Service agent Paul Landis. After 60 years, Landis, now 88, has come forward to challenge the official findings of the Warren Commission, suggesting that Lee Harvey Oswald may not have been the sole perpetrator.
The Warren Commission's report, released ten months after the 1963 assassination, posited that a single bullet passed through Kennedy and then injured Texas Gov. John Connally. This "magic bullet" was reportedly found in pristine condition on Connally's hospital stretcher. However, Landis presents a different account, stating he found the bullet in the presidential limousine, subsequently placing it on JFK's stretcher.
Experts analyzing Landis' account suggest this new detail could challenge the single-shooter theory. Historian James Robenalt points out, "If Landis' account holds water, it could imply the involvement of a second shooter or even more."
Landis recounts the immediate aftermath of the assassination: arriving at Parkland Memorial Hospital and helping First Lady Jackie Kennedy release her hold on her husband's body. It was then that he claims to have noticed and pocketed the bullet, thinking, "I didn’t want it to disappear or get lost."
Notably, Landis never testified before the Warren Commission or was interviewed by the FBI. However, certain details of his story seem corroborated. Bethesda Naval Hospital doctors found JFK's bullet wound shallow, with no clear exit. Moreover, there's no confirmed evidence of a bullet related to Connally's injuries. Darrell Tomlinson, who operated the hospital elevator post-incident, reported seeing a bullet drop from another stretcher—likely the one carrying JFK.
Landis' revelations follow recent events, as President Joe Biden halted the release of remaining JFK assassination records, many of which are still classified or heavily redacted. Critics believe this move shields the CIA from potential implications in JFK's assassination, stemming from tensions after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. JFK historian, Jacob Hornberger emphasizes, "Given Landis' testimony, the importance of unsealing these files is even more pressing."
Landis, who left the Secret Service six months post-assassination and largely avoided discussing the event, admits his perspective shifted over the years. He shared, "I used to believe the Warren Commission’s finding that Oswald acted alone. Now I begin to wonder." Landis' decision to come forward now could reignite discussions and investigations into one of America's most enduring mysteries.