The assassination of John F. Kennedy has been the subject of numerous, enduring conspiracy theories.
The official explanation: that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
But what if we could read through 68,656 records uploaded to the National Archives’ JFK Assassination Records Collection and pull evidence for and against some of these theories?
With Matrix, we can.
Here's what Matrix found:
The key conspiracy theories
- The Grassy Knoll: There was a second shooter.
- CIA Involvement: The CIA was involved in the assassination.
- Multiple Conspirators: A plot involving elements of the Mafia, the CIA, and anti-Castro Cubans.
- Cover-Up: A cover-up by parts of the federal government, including the FBI, the Warren Commission, or the CIA.
Matrix went deep, pulling across all 68 thousands documents to surface potential evidence for two of these theories.
The case for CIA Involvement
- The CIA recorded two tapped telephone calls to the Soviet embassy by a man identified as Oswald, who spoke in "broken Russian," although the real Oswald was fluent in Russian. This could indicate possible CIA involvement in creating a false narrative about Oswald's activities.
- The CIA's surveillance "take" from the Cuban and Soviet facilities in Mexico City at the time of Oswald's visit and in the immediate wake of the assassination is being reviewed to determine if all surveillance data has been accessed, suggesting coordinated intelligence operations that could involve multiple parties.
- A memo from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover detailed concerns about convincing the public that Oswald was the real assassin and mentioned CIA intercepts that someone had impersonated Oswald in communications with the Soviet and Cuban embassies in Mexico City before the assassination.
The case for multiple conspirators
- References to CIA's electronic surveillance in Mexico City at the time of Oswald's visit to the Soviet and Cuban embassies before the assassination, which could provide insights into potential conspiratorial connections.
- A cable requesting traces on members of the Cuban exile community, indicating interest in groups known for their anti-Castro stance and rumored involvement in intelligence operations.
- A report of a plan by the Frente Revolucionario Democratico (FRD) to assassinate the three principal figures of the Castro regime, highlighting the activities of anti-Castro groups often linked to intelligence operations.
Matrix’s analysis of the JFK assassination records uncovers documents that add weight to two major conspiracy theories: CIA involvement and the possibility of multiple conspirators. Evidence of an Oswald impersonator in communications with Soviet and Cuban embassies raises questions about intelligence agencies’ roles, while surveillance records and investigations into anti-Castro groups suggest a broader web of activity. While not conclusive, these findings offer new perspectives on one of history’s most debated events.
Perhaps Oswald acted alone, just as the official story claims. Or maybe he was just one piece of a much larger and more complex plot.
What else do you want Matrix to investigate?
