Fool Me Once Shame On You - Fool Me Twice Shame On Me
A Follow-up
I contacted Pete by telephone on October 15,1993. Pete is an affable, forty seven-year-old sports writer for the paper. I quickly formed the opinion he wished he never became involved in the Kennedy assassination. Our conversation was most revealing but I still have to admit there are more questions than answers.
At the time of my call, Pete had received two letters concerning his narratives. One from me, actually a copy of my report on the subject. The other letter was from Penn Jones' wife. It appeared she had problems with her statement that "Whoever it was told Penn that for her (Karen Carlin's) sake he was to say she was dead. She was going into the government protection plan." Evidently Elaine Jones felt Kendall misquoted her. To settle this I asked Pete how he conducted the interview.
The discussion took place at Jones' home. Present were Pete Kendall, Penn Jones Jr., Elaine Jones and J. Gary Shaw. Elaine was the primary subject as Penn is elderly and does suffer from memory lapses. I assumed Gary Shaw was there as a friend of the Jones'. However Shaw handled that portion of the interview in which Elaine Jones revealed the "concocted" death notice!
Pete Kendall sees nothing inaccurate with what he wrote. As it is with most good reporters he records his interviews. He has the forty-minute meeting on tape. Additionally, if Elaine's comments were inaccurate why did Gary Shaw continue his questioning without requesting a clarification? Incidentally, Kendall did respond to Elaine's letter with an apology of sorts but remains steadfast that he did nothing improper.
I can understand why Mrs. Jones, upon reflection, would be upset with her quotation but Gary Shaw's inaction while Elaine communicated the story mystifies me. The whole scenario they created is not logical.
[1 ) First, let's look at Penn Jones' stance with respect to the government at the time the Carlin incident unfolded.
In his Forgive My Grief I summation Penn states "It would be presumptuous for a weekly newspaper (He was owner-editor of the Midlothian Mirror) to think it could solve such a heinous crime. So heinous, in fact, that every branch of the government involved assisted in covering and obfuscating the evidence left after that terrible day in Dallas." Forgive My Grief I also contains the Carlin "death notice."
[2) Mrs. Jones claims someone from the government met with her husband and Karen Carlin a.k.a. "Little Lynn" in Houston sometime in 1965 or 1965. An agent of the government requested Penn publish Carlin's death notice. This was to assist her entry "into the government protection plan."
Let's take a minute and look at the witness protection program.
The "Witness Protection and Management Program" was part of The Crime Control Act of 1970 under Title 91-452. The purpose was to protect individuals who observed criminal activity. Before testifying these people were placed in protective custody. Only AFTER they testified did they enter the program. These witnesses ended up safeguarded, given new identities and relocated by the United States' government in exchange for their damaging revelations.
Elaine admitted to Kendall and Shaw that Penn went to Houston and met . . . some man he talked to. I don't know the man's name but he was a government official."
Now we have Jones helping the very government he tells us "assisted in covering and obfuscating the evidence. " He is supporting the government in protecting a person who may testify against the government. Furthermore, Mrs. Jones has Penn helping Carlin enter a protection program at least four years before the procedure was implemented.
But wait - Carlin did give an affidavit to law enforcement shortly after the assassination and the Warren Commission deposed her. If "Little Lynn" had or has anything of value to add to her story, wouldn't she be a candidate for Penn's mysterious death list? After all the government knew where she was for they had her in the program.
[3) Next - why would the government want to reveal Carlin's death through Jones' publication?
As of September,1966, the self published Forgive My Grief I had a total print run of 22,500 copies. To protect Carlin I think any government agency would find newspapers with more extensive circulation a better outlet for their purpose.
[4) Can we deduce Penn Jones Jr. was working with or for the government?
The article concludes "Everybody and his dogs have printed it (Carlin's death notice) including yours truly. said Shaw, who said he hopes Little Lynn will soon step forward to fill in all the remaining blanks."
Remaining blanks? The only blanks are in the story. Shaw has missed the point completely. Never mind Jones' concocted death story. If this story is not a fabrication then Jones WAS helping the government to the extent of having clandestine meetings with an agent!
Look, I admit I have never been keen on Penn's research abilities. Even so, I can't believe he ever worked in concert with the government with respect to any facet of the assassination. I would like to chalk this up to a misunderstanding of his wife. But remember some of this stuff came out during Gary Shaw's questioning of Elaine Jones.
I think, a major shortcoming of Gary Shaw and his assassination research associates are the trail of unresolved issues they leave in their wake. We can add "Little Lynn" to a list that includes Roscoe White, "Bill X" potentially the "Mexico City Man," The "Black Ace," Chauncey Holt and the assassination "scenario writer." They have listened to, believed, exaggerated and retold so many coincidence and conspiracy stories they can't distinguish fact from fancy.
Unfortunately, for Penn Jones Jr., this one is very different. With an absurd anecdote the image of a '"first generation" assassination investigator has been tarnished. I never thought I would be placed in the position of rushing to Penn Jones' defense, but Penn is old and his memory is failing. He couldn't be aware of what was transpiring around him during that interview. No one should be placed in that position. No one deserves that.
Dave Perry
4601 Ainsworth Circle
Grapevine, TX 76051 October 20,1993