Episode 17

My main source for this episode was Patricia Lambert’s False Witness. Also highly useful were Fred Litwin’s On the Trail of Delusion, Vincent Bugliosi’s Reclaiming History, Edward Epstein’s Counterplot and John Kelin’s Praise from a Future Generation. I have also consulted, warily, Jim Garrison’s fanciful “memoir” On the Trail of the Assassins.

Shaw on Garrison shooting off his “big fat mouth” is quoted by Lambert, p. 124.

Shaw’s lawyer, “The guilty man is easy to defend …” is quoted by Litwin, p. 144.

Garrison staffer, “Chinese wall …” is quoted by Litwin, p. 144.

Garrison's TV interview can be watched here

Garrison to Alcock, “That’s it, you know all of it …” is quoted by Litwin, p. 144.

Alcock broke down on the eve of the trial … Lambert, p. 124.

Garrison averaged only one day a week in the courtroom … Bugliosi, p. 1375.

Garrison didn’t turn up to hear Shaw testify … Epstein, p. 290.

A transcript of Garrison’s opening statement is here.

Garrison’s 1967 audio riff on Oswald’s innocence comes from this lecture

Meagher, “I will not be a party to incriminating Oswald …” quoted by Kelin.

Alcock, Garrison “pulled out overt act out from underneath us …” quoted by Lambert, p. 337, note 18.

Garrison, Oswald was “a participant, decoy and patsy,” quoted by Lambert, p. 87.

Garrison, “After going over the government’s own evidence …” On the Trail of the Assassins, Chapter 7.

“Nothing he wrote can be trusted …” Lambert, p. 219.

“It’s gonna be all over the first day …” quoted by Lambert, p. 198.

Perry Russo to NBC reporter … See transcript here

Quotes from Russo’s testimony come from Lambert, p. 134.

The Spiesel/Sal Panzeca’s neighbour story is told by Lambert, p. 131.

For the story of how Spiesel became a Garrison witness, see this article by Garrison’s former staffer Tom Bethell.

The excerpts from Irvin Dymond's cross-examination of and Charles Spiesel are quoted by Litwin, p. 149.

NYT headline is quoted by Litwin, p. 149.

“I was swept by a feeling of nausea …” Garrison, On the Trail of the Assassins, Chapter 18.

For the James Hardiman testimony, see Lambert, p. 138.

Garrison appeared in the courtroom for only the third time, and only stayed for about 30 minutes … Lambert, p. 139.

Kennedy’s head moved forward by approximately 2.3 inches after being struck … Bugliosi, p. 484.

For the neuromuscular causes of the President's backwards head snap, see Bugliosi, p. 484.

Irvin Dymond on the defence’s “darkest hour” … Lambert, p. 140.

Dale Myers on “badge man” … Bugliosi, p. 886.

For the Habighorst story see Lambert, p. 143 onwards. See also this link and this exchange of letters from the Harold Weisberg archive 

Lambert, “Reality began seeping in …” p. 144.