Joan Mellen - A farewell to justice: Jim Garrison, JFK.s assassination, and the case that should have changed history

Other Books by Joan Mellen

The Great Game in Cuba: How the CIA Sabotaged Its Own Plot to Unseat Fidel Castro

Our Man in Haiti: George de Mohrenschildt and the CIA In the Nightmare Republic

A Farewell to Justice: Jim Garrison, JFKs Assassination, and the Case That Should Have Changed History

Jim Garrison: His Life and Times, The Early Years

Hellman and Hammett: The Legendary Passion of Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett

Kay Boyle: Author of Herself

Modern Times

In the Realm of the Senses

Seven Samurai

Literary Masterpieces: One Hundred Years Of Solitude

Literary Masters: Gabriel Garcia Mrquez

Literary Topics: Magic Realism

Bob Knight: His Own Man

Natural Tendencies: A Novel

Privilege: The Enigma of Sasha Bruce

The World of Luis Buuel: Essays in Criticism

Big Bad Wolves: Masculinity in the American Film

The Waves At Genjis Door: Japan Through Its Cinema

Voices from the Japanese Cinema

Women and Their Sexuality In The New Film

Marilyn Monroe

A Film Guide to The Battle of Algiers

Skyhorse Publishing

Copyright 2013 by Joan Mellen

Originally published by Potomac Books, copyright 2005 by Joan Mellen. The 2013 Skyhorse edition contains a new update and revisions throughout the original text written by the author.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-6287-346-69

Printed in the United States of America

For Robert Buras

He has abandoned his life to understanding that moment in Dallas, the seven seconds that broke the back of the American century. Don DeLillo, Libra

F OR HER COMMITMENT TO this project, I would like to thank most my agent, Ellen Levine. The platonic ideal of a literary agent, she has been a beacon of light and inspiration, no less of courage and integrity. I am grateful.

Rick Russell, my editor at Potomac Books, Inc., has manifested an intellectual courage rare among publishers. For his confidence in this project, his resolute objectivity, and the broad range of his wisdom as a professional historian, I am also grateful. I would like to express my appreciation as well to Jehanne Moharram for her tireless efforts and ready imagination.

Cory Allyn at Skyhorse Publishing was a magnificent editor.

A very special thank you for his generosity and many kindnesses to Malcolm Blunt, that most brilliant navigator of the National Archives. James H. Lesar of the Assassination Archives and Research Center in Washington, DC, was a source of encouragement from the beginning to the end of this project. Im grateful as well to Dan Alcorn for reading the manuscript and for his suggestions. Special gratitude goes as well to Teresa Neaves, who worked with Don Lee Keith on an investigation of the murder of Mary Sherman. The hospitality of Gordon Winslow in Miami is much appreciated. I am deeply grateful to Judge Louis P. Trent for his help.

I owe as well special thanks to those who stood by with encouragement and support. When I looked up, they were there: Christopher Sharrett; Gary Aguilar; Larry Hancock; Andy Winiarczyk; Donald V. Organ and Joan Bovan Organ; Zachary Sklar; Peter Whitmey; Marlen Mancuso; Gaeton Fonzi; and Stuart Wexler. And especially for his faith in this project, Lyon (Snapper) Garrison. A particular thank you goes to James Rubino, to Marianne Fisher-Giorlando, Gregory Parker, and Larry Haapanen.

In New Orleans, Numa Bertel, John Volz and Robert Buras understood the nature of this task. For their patience, generosity and wisdom I am particularly grateful.

And a special thanks to Dr. Frank and Cathy Martello.

I am grateful to Temple University for its generosity in offering me a study leave and a summer research grant to complete this project; to Professor Robert Caserio, now the chair of the Department of English at Perm State University, for his help and interest; his departure is Temples overwhelming loss; to Professor Alan Singer, director of the graduate program in creative writing during the years of this project, for his generosity and friendship; to Marina Angel, professor at the Temple University School of Law, for her graciousness and the loan of her own research assistants who worked on Jim Garrisons opinions for the Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit; Professor Justin Vitiello did simultaneous translation from the Italian; Professor Emerita Maria Luisa Caputo-Mayr translated from the German.

The transcendent liberality of spirit and open-mindedness of all these people are herewith acknowledged; if Jim Garrison had ever suffered public attack for his investigation of the murder of John F. Kennedy, you would not have known it from them.

The following people contributed to my understanding of Jim Garrison, of Louisiana politics or of Jim Garrisons investigation. I am grateful to them all: William Alford; Anselmo Aliegro; Joseph E. Allain; Mark Allen; Smiley Anders; Richard Angelico; Thomas Angers; Trent Angers; Edward I. Arthur; Gerald P. Aurillo; Michael H. Bagot; F. Lee Bailey; Peggie Baker; Wilma Baker; Judge Denis A. Barry; Herbert Barton; Alvin Beauboeuf; Eddie Becker; Tammy Beckham; Thomas Edward Beckham; Jack Benjamin; Sally Boyce Benjamin; Barbara Bennett; Col. Esteban Benuvides; Pierre Bezou; Richard N. Billings; Gary Bizal; Christopher Blake; Don Bohning; Steve Bordelon; Isidro Borja; Joseph Bosco; Jeffrey Bowman; Carol Boyd; Edgar Eugene Bradley; Jim Bradshaw; Sheila Breaux; H. John Bremermann; Mickey Bremermann; Milton E. Brener; Tyler Bridges; the late Linda Brigette; Carlos Bringuier; Eric J. Brock; Betty Brown; Jordan Brown; Morris Brownlee; Vincent J. Bruno; Jay Bryant; Carl Bunch; Van H. Burns; Clay Calhoun; Debra Calhoun; Allen Campbell; Daniel Campbell; Martin Xavier Casey; Lawrence J. Centola Jr.; Loraine Chadwick; Patricia Chandler; the late Judge Lawrence Chehardy; Dan Christensen; John Ciravolo; Ramsey Clark; John Clemmer; the late Corrie Collins; James A. Comiskey; Raymond Comstock; Harry Connick; Dr. Dimitri L. Contostavlos; Jean Franco Corsini; Curtis Crafard; Edward Craford; Louis Crovetto; Jorge Navarro Custin; Martin F. Dardis; Howard K. Davis; Warren de Brueys; L. J. Delsa; Bill DeMar; the late Irene Dempsey; the late Jack Dempsey; Dr. Doug Desalles; Bernard Diedtrich; John J. Dolan; Michael Dolan; Julius N. Draznin; Thomas Duffy Jr.; Judge Adrian Duplantier; Clarence O. Dupuy; George Dureau; Judge Thomas A. Early Jr.; Paul Eberle; Lolis Elie; Samuel Exnicios; Wayne Fairchild; the late Mary Ferrell; Diane Fernandez; Silvio Fernandez; Phillip Foto; Alberto Antonio Fowler; George Fowler; Charles W. Frank Jr.; Donald Freed; Richard Gaille; Warren Garfunkel; Eberhard Garrison; Elizabeth Garrison; Jasper Garrison; Mrs. Liz Garrison; Max Gartenberg; Pat Gartenberg; Edwin H. Gebhardt; Seymour Gelber; the late Walter Gemeinhardt; Darrow Gervais; the late Vance Gilmer; K. Eric Gisleson; Earl Patton Gore; Fred Gore; Alvin Gottschaull; Morgan Goudeau; C. Jackson Grayson Jr.; Carla Grayson; Elizabeth Grayson; Lawrence Guchereau; Judge James C. Gulotta; Joy Gulotta; H. Jeremy Gunn; Edwin Guthman; David Halberstam; the late Walter Hammer; Margaret Palmer Harvey; John Haygood; the late Dr. Robert Heath; Bob Heller; Gerald Patrick Hemming; Sharon Herkes; Matt Herron; Don Howell; Mary Howell; Merryl Hudson; Mrs. Nora Ibert; Louis Ivon; Dr. Bernard Jacobs; Stephen Jaffe; Rosemary James; Steve Jennings; Roger E. Johnston Jr.; the late Don Lee Keith; Iris Kelso; Maxine Kemp; Angelo Kennedy; Arthur Kinoy; Phillip Kitchen; Burton Klein; Judge William F. Kline; Helen Kohlman; the late Herman Kohlman; Allen B. Kotun; Louise Korns; Gail Kramer; Phyllis Kritikos; Irene Lacost; Elizabeth Landry; Rob Landry; Mark Lane; Jose Antonio Lanuza; Judge Rene Lehmann; Professor Henry Lesnick; Mary Lesnick; Dr. Harold Lief; Sheriff Elmer Litchfield; Marcie Ann Little; Judge Marcel Livaudais; William Livesay; Lt. Col. Lawrence E. Lowry; Irvin L. Magri Jr.; Scott Malone; Michael Marcades; Victor Marchetti; Ray Marcus; Vince Marino; David Marston; the late Layton Martens; Dr. Robert N. McClelland; Edwin Lea McGehee; Ray McGuire; the late Emory Carl McNabb; James McPherson; Lou Merhige; the late Frank Meloche; the late Gene Miller; Dr. Frank Minyard; Van Morgan; Jefferson Morley; Pat Morvant; Hugh Murray; Antonio Navarro; John Newman (New Orleans); Nicholas Noriea; Donold P. Norton; Gordon Novel; Joseph A. Oster; Lester Otillio Jr.; Dr. Martin Palmer; Salvatore Panzeca; Andy Partee; Jack Peebles; William Pepper; Paulette Perrien; Morris Phillips; Shawn Phillips; Rosemary Pillow; Joseph W. Pitts; Monique Poirrier; William Porteous, III; Bill Preston; the late Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty; Carlos Quiroga; Brucie Rafferty; John R. Rarick; Joseph Rault Jr.; Ellen Ray; Gary Raymond; Karlem (Ducky) Reiss; Dr. Randy Robertson; Suzanne Robbins; Dr. Luis Fernandez-Rocha; Rolando Masferrer Rojas; Clark Rowley; Juan Salvat; Verla Bell Sample; Martha Ann Samuel; Dr. Monroe Samuels; Stephanie Brett Samuel; Edward Sapir; James Savage; Jack Sawyer; Ross Scaccia; Russell J. Schonekas; Danielle Schott; Donald G. Scheuler; G. Harrison Scott; Dr. C. B. Scrignar; Mike Seghers; Julie Serera; Ralph Slovenko; Courtney Smith; the late Sergio Arcacha Smith; Sanford Socolow; Michael F. Starr; Oliver Stone; Jefferson Sulzer; Victoria Sulzer; Anthony Summers; Elizabeth Swanson; the late Joseph T. Sylvester Jr.; Robert K. Tanenbaum; John Tarver; Angie Teasdel; Jay Teasdel; Wilmer Thomas; Stuart Timmons; Mrs. Lillian Cohen Trent; Joseph J. Trento; William W. Turner; Stephen Tyler; Roland Wall; William Walter; Bruce Waltzer; Barbara Ward; Lenore Ward; Dr. Cyril Wecht; Ralph Whalen; Gus Weill; Judge Tom C. Wicker; Judge David R. M. Williams; Fred Williams; John D. Wilson; Christine Wiltz; Fritz Windhorst; Maj. Gen. Erbon W. Wise; Louis E. Wolfson; David Wolkowsky; Gaby Wood; Joyce Wood; Aline Woodside; Ross Yockey; Billy Zachary.