My Take On Paul Landis and The Final Witness

Did you ever notice that blockbuster information about the John Kennedy assassination comes out just before the anniversary?

There was a spate of surprising disclosures appearing just before the 2003 and 2013 anniversaries of the assassination. Curiously they never showed up in January or February but always within months of November 22^nd.

The latest revelation:

“Paul Landis, an 88-year-old former Secret Service agent who witnessed the president's death at close range, says in an upcoming memoir that he took a bullet from the car after Mr. Kennedy was shot, and then left it on the former president's stretcher at the hospital.”

"He picked it up and pocketed it. Shortly after, in his recollections, he was in an emergency room with President Kennedy, where he said he placed it on the president's gurney so evidence would travel with the body."

"This is really the most significant news in the assassination since 1963," said James Robenalt, a historian and Kennedy expert who worked with Mr Landis to prepare him for his public revelations."

Kayla Epstein   BBC News   09/13/2023

This appears to be another case where, after 60 years, someone's memory changes and facts become distorted. Excuses are given, mostly by Mr. Robenalt as to why Landis didn't treat this crucial piece of evidence properly. There are claims of PTSD and "There was no one there to secure the scene." I would expect, as a government law enforcement official, that securing the scene would be part of Mr. Landis' job.

Additionally, we discover Mr. Robenault, "worked with Mr. Landis to prepare him for his public revelations." Wouldn't that make Mr. Robenalt the equivalent of a literary agent?

What I quote below is the current law regarding tampering with evidence. I would think a trained Secret Service agent would know what to do with evidence related to a criminal offense. Of course, this new disclosure will cause more questioning and debate of the single bullet theory. It will most certainly help sell the book.

When Ruth Paine delivered Lee Oswald's wedding ring to the Secret Service, the agents placed it in an envelope and tagged it with an identification number. In my opinion, Landis should have done the same thing with CE-399 (q.v.).

Federal law (18 U.S.C. Section 1519) prohibits tampering with evidence related to a federal investigation or bankruptcy proceeding. The elements of the crime include:

• Acting with knowledge
• To alter, destroy, mutilate, conceal, cover up, falsify, or to make a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object
• With intent to impede, obstruct, or influence
• An investigation or the proper administration of any matter

Conviction of a federal tampering offense is a serious matter. It can result in a fine and/or prison time of up to 20 years.

State offenses cover similar grounds. Texas Penal Code Section 37.09 sets forth the crime of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Its elements include:

• Knowing that an investigation or official proceeding is pending or in progress
• A person alters, destroys, or conceals any record, document, or thing with intent to impair its verity, legibility, or availability as evidence or
• Makes, presents, or uses any record, document, or thing with knowledge of its falsity and with intent to affect the course or outcome of the investigation or proceeding

This offense is a third-degree felony. A conviction can result in a sentence of two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. A separate section of the law creates a misdemeanor tampering offense where a person observes a human corpse under circumstances that would make a reasonable person believe that a crime occurred and does not notify law enforcement officers. Conviction of this lesser offense can carry up to one year in prison and a fine of $4,000.

Dave Perry  09/17/2023