Notes from Bob Vernon 1993

[dankbaar]

I MEET THE ASSASSINThe West family gave me total access to Joe’s files on the JFK assassination. Joe’s lifelong friend, Charles Barksdale, spent several days with me sorting out the important files from the “junk”. When we finished I was able to sit down and take a hard serious look at the overall Kennedy case from Joe’s personal and private perspective. The night I read the prisoner’s letters to Joe was one of the most memorable nights of my life. I know my mouth must have hung open as I was reading. In the letters he had confessed amazing things to Joe. The entire JFK conspiracy plot began to form right in front of my eyes. There was a picture of him and Joe taken at the prison. At least I now know how he looked. Joe West had, indeed, brought home the bacon. Now all we needed were the eggs and grits and we could eat.I asked Mrs. West to introduce me to the prisoner so she wrote a nice letter to him. I enclosed my first letter to him with hers. A few days later, I got my first collect call from a prison.I’ll call the man “F” from here on. F told me how sorry he was that Joe had died. He seemed extremely sincere. We talked about the JFK investigation and I told him that I wanted to come visit him in the near future. He agreed.By the time that I got to the prison on May 3, 1993, the hospital and doctor bills were at $177,000 according to Mrs. West. There would be more to come. I arrived at the prison on a rainy morning. My friend Barry Adelman was with me. He flew in from Los Angeles and I flew in from Houston. We checked in at the gate and we were sent to the waiting room. It seemed like forever just sitting there. Barry and I traded jokes about wondering if they would let us out now that they had us locked inside. We smiled but we didn’t laugh.Our number was called and we walked up a flight of stairs until we came to the first gate. We were searched. I couldn’t even carry in cigarettes or a pencil or a pen. I did manage to sneak in a release for the prisoner to sign to give us the right to use his letters in our TV program and in the book.After being led through a second gate (this was maximum security), we were directed through the main visitor area to a “family visiting area” across the hall. I spotted F immediately. It’s hard to miss a man with long, white hair. He shook my hand and I introduced him to Barry. I explained who Barry was (Barry works for a major LA television company), and F got permission from the room guard to let us carry a table and three chairs into the far corner of the room so we could talk “privately”, at least without being overheard by other prisoners.We started off very casually, just getting to know each other I guess you’d say. I explained to him how I met Joe and how much I missed Joe. F missed Joe, too. I got the feeling that Joe had been one of his only friends. We explained the huge bills that Mrs. West had to pay because Joe did not have any medical insurance. F expressed his concern for Mrs. West although he had never met her.After thirty minutes or so, I asked F to tell me about November 22, 1963. I wasn’t ready for what was about to happen. This is what he told me:“Mr. F” participated in his first murder at the age of 16. He killed the man who had killed his sister. He started working with mobster/hitman Charles Nicoletti at the age of 19. “Mr. F” later ran the mafia “chop shop” car operation. “Mr. F” said he transported thousands of cars for the “mob” and that he was arrested for same. Charles Nicoletti and Sam Giancana went to a party at mob boss Tony Accardo’s house in Chicago in 1963. Nicoletti then came to “Mr. F” and told him that they were “going to hit his buddy”. “Mr. F” thought that Nicoletti meant someone around the neighborhood. Nicoletti (often referred to as Chuckie by “Mr. F”) then told “Mr. F” that the hit was to be on President Kennedy. “Mr. F” said it was “just another hit to him” for “Mr. F” and Chuckie had killed lots of people “all in a days work”. “Mr. F” stated that the CIA had once flown him and others into South America where they had “wiped out” 40-50 people at once, including “men, women and children. “Mr. F” stated he had “no remorse” for anyone he killed and that he had “never killed anyone that didn’t deserve to be killed”. “Mr. F” said that he had not cared for Kennedy at all. “Mr. F” made a statement pertaining to the fact that Kennedy was trying to “do away with the CIA and that he had always blamed Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs fiasco”. “Mr. F” said that Chuckie had ordered him to bring guns, ammunition and hand grenades to Dallas in 1963. They had planned a hit on Kennedy for Chicago but that was “too close to home” “Mr. F” drove to Dallas in Chuckie’s car, a 1963 burgundy Chevy, that “Mr. F” said “everyone talks about”. Mr. F” said that he had a Remington Fireball, a .222 high velocity pistol with a scope, that had a bullet velocity of over 3,000 feet per second.“Mr. F” said that he and “Wolfman” (a friend who is now dead) had made special “Mercury rounds for the .222.” He also stated there was a “30-06 rifle” in the trunk of the Chevy. I informed “Mr. F” that two .222 shell casings had been found in Dealey Plaza. “Mr. F” said there was only “one” from his gun and that I would know it by his teeth marks. I asked him why he bit it and he said that he “likes to put the warm bullet in his mouth and taste the gunpowder.” He further said he “left it on the wall” and that he “knew someone would find it.” He told me that it did not have any fingerprints on it because he “isn’t that stupid.” “Mr. F” said that the end where you put the powder was “oval, not round.” He said he parked the car near Dealey Plaza by the Dal-Tex building for Chuckie wanted to be able to leave his spot in the Dal-Tex building and “jump into the car.” “Mr. F” that since he “was younger than Chuckie” that he could “run the hundred yards to the car easy.” “Mr. F” said that on the morning of November 22, 1963 that he picked up “John Roselli at the Dallas Cabana Hotel.” Roselli was talking to “Eugene Hale Brading alias Jim Braden” when he first pulled up to pick up Roselli. “Mr. F” said that Roselli had “flown into Dallas on a military intelligence flight.” He said Nicoletti had flown in on a “commercial flight.” “Mr. F” did not know for sure when Roselli flew in but thinks it “was the day before.” “Mr. F” said that his job was to “cover Roselli in case something broke out.” “Mr. F” sat at a counter while Roselli met with “Jack Ruby.” “Mr. F” explained that he had been at the counter for if he had “sat at the table” he wouldn’t have been able to pull his guns if there had been trouble. Ruby “handed Roselli an envelope” which contained “the last minute change in the parade route.” “Mr. F” said that they had toured the entire parade route looking for the best spot to “hit Kennedy.” “Mr. F” said he “arrived at Dealey Plaza before noon” and stood around in the pergola (knoll) area. “Mr. F” said he saw “Frank Sturgis of the CIA” standing behind him. “Mr. F” said he saw lots of faces he knew. “Mr. F” said it “looked like old home week.” “Mr. F” said he did not know where Nicoletti and Roselli were during the shooting but that Chuckie was “supposed to be in the Dal-Tex building.” “Mr. F” showed me an accurate hand drawn map of Dealey Plaza with a “x” on the spot where he was standing. “Mr. F” said that the “x” was not in the right spot but that he would put it in “the right spot” after he receives the immunity. “Mr. F” said that he thinks “five or six shots were fired.” “Mr. F” said that “two shots were fired almost at once.” He said that "the shooter behind the fence" fired a shot at approximately the same time as Nicoletti fired a shot and that both shots hit Kennedy's head within a "split second" of each other. "Mr. F." used my head to show me where the "head shots hit Kennedy." He pointed and placed his finger on my right front temple between my right eye and my right ear. He touched the rear of my head to show where the front shot exited and touched the top left side of my bald spot to show where Nicoletti's almost simultaneous shot hit Kennedy. He said the "shooter behind the fence had Kennedy in his sights for some time." "Mr. F" said that Chuckie hit Kennedy in the back and in the top left rear head and that they "discussed it later." "Mr. F" also said that one of Nicoletti's shots "hit Connally." "Mr. F" did not know anything about the wound to James Teague down by the triple overpass but said that he probably was hit by "concrete" or a piece of "shrapnel." Mr. Adelman asked "Mr. F" if the guns they were using displayed smoke when fired and "Mr. F" said "yes." "Mr. F" said that after the shooting, he placed his gun into a case, took off his jacket and reversed it and put it back on, pulled a cap out from under his arm and put it on and went to the car. "Mr. F" said that he, Nicoletti and Roselli drove out of the Plaza area in the Chevy. "Mr. F" said he let Nicoletti and Roselli out of the car at a restaurant just north of Highway 66. "Mr. F" said he then went back to his motel in Mesquite, took a shower and shaved and put "hot wax" on his "hand, forearm and face" to remove any sign of firing a gun (via a paraffin test). He said that when he crossed the "Texas state line," headed north back to Chicago, that he knew he "had it made." Toward the end of the meeting, "Mr. F" specifically stated that "Chuck Nicoletti and I killed John F. Kennedy." Barry and I drove silently away from the prison. F had signed the release and we were in a hurry to get as far away from that prison as we could. I was in a big hurry to get back to Texas so I could call the man that dug up the .222 shell casings in Dealey Plaza in 1987. I had read about him in Joe West's files. May 4, 1993MEMO TO: DICK CLARK AVIVA BERGMANFROM: BOB VERNONRE: 5/3/93 MEETING WITH PRISONER As per Barry Adelman’s request, the following is an attempt to provide you with a written report between Barry Adelman, Bob Vernon and inmate James E. Files held on May 3, 1993 at the Illinois State Prison in Joliet, Illinois. Due to the extreme mass of information and topics discussed during that meeting, please understand that this reconstruction is based entirely from my memory and is presented to you by the individual topics discussed although not necessarily in the order in which these topics were discussed. It is virtually impossible to provide you with a 100% accurate reconstructure due to the length of the meeting (almost 4 hours) and the vast topics covered. Any and all of the verbatim statements of the prisoner will be enclosed by quotation marks (“ “). I will now attempt to provide you with a factual reconstruction to the best of my ability. Barry Adelman and I arrived at the prison at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 3, 1993. After over an hour of clearance procedures and waiting, we were allowed to enter the maximum security prison and led to the area where we talked with Mr. Files. The meeting room was hot and humid and we were allowed to sit in a far corner with the prisoner for as much privacy as possible. Mr. Files appeared calm and mannerly. He has long silver-white hair and he resembles Willie Nelson, particularly when he smiles. He is around 52 years old. He was dressed in standard prison dress and he had on a Western blue jean jacket.TOPIC: DON ERVIN I explained to Files that Houston attorney Don Ervin, who was previously scheduled to be present, had been unable to come due to a conflict in his schedule due to the fact that he represents many of the David Koresh – Waco – members which have recently made international news. I further explained that I had faxed Mr. Ervin answers to some of his initial questions concerning Files’ meeting with FBI agents and that Mr. Ervin would be continuing his quest for immunity for Files. I further stated that Files would be meeting with Mr. Ervin in the very near future, hopefully in the next 10 – 14 days. I explained that Mr. Ervin would be coming to meet privately with Files in the form of an attorney visit.TOPIC: JOE AND EARLENE WEST Files expressed his fondness for the late Joe West and his widow, Earlene. Files stated that he couldn’t explain how he and West had hit it off right from their first meeting, but that it was “magic” of some sort. Files expressed care and sentiment for Earlene due to the loss of Joe West in February of 1993. I explained to Files how Joe West died and reassured him that the death was due to medical complications following open heart surgery. I further informed the prisoner that Joe’s medical bills had left Earlene with $177,000 in debt. I further explained that the only way Earlene could hope to pay these huge bills was to license the right to the investigative legacy of Joe West, which legacy is West’s investigative findings into the murder of John F. Kennedy. I explained that West and I had completed a television and book presentation of which Files himself was the last chapter in both. Files agreed to help Earlene in any way possible and stated his concern for her well being and comfort. Files said that he would not be able to go on television and be interviewed without immunity for he could be indicted for what he knows. Again, I stressed the fact that attorney Ervin is working on his immunity and that I believed it would come forth very quickly. I further explained that Mr. Ervin had been involved in gaining immunity for other persons and that the immunity process takes around 2 months or so.TOPIC: dick clark productions I introduced Barry Adelman to Files. I asked Barry to please give Files a business card. Files seemed very impressed with card and asked to keep it for his scrap book. Barry explained that because of Dick Clark’s great respect for the late Joe West, that Dick was willing to attempt to get a broadcast deal for Joe’s television program on the 30th anniversary program if successful. Barry then explained that he understood from talking with the late Joe West, Earlene, and Bob Vernon, that Files may have some additional information that could be added to the program content. Files again stated that he must have immunity before allowing himself to be video taped. Barry and I expressed our understanding of the immunity request.TOPIC: THE MURDER OF JFKNOTE: Dick, the following information was provided by Files over the course of almost 4 hours. What follows is a complete summary of his testimony and verbal confessions to the best of my memory and my ability, so help me God:Files participated in his first murder at the age of 16. He started working with mobster/hitman Charles Nicoletti at the age of 19. Files later ran the mafia “chop shop” car operation. Files said he transported thousands of cars for the “mob” and that he was arrested for same. Charles Nicoletti and Sam Giancana went to a party at mob boss Tony Accardo’s house in Chicago in 1963. Nicoletti then came to Files and told him they were going to hit his buddy. Files thought that Nicoletti meant someone from around the neighborhood. Nicoletti (often referred to as Chuckie by Files) then told Files that the hit was to be on President Kennedy. Files said it was “just another hit to him” for Files and Chuckie had killed lots of people “all in a day’s work.” Files expressed concern over so much interest in the death of “one man” since he had been directly involved in the deaths of many people at once. Files stated that the CIA had once flown him and others into South America where they had “wiped out 40 – 50 people at once, including men, women and children.”Files stated that he had no remorse for anyone he had every killed and that he had “never killed anyone that hadn’t deserved to be killed.” Files said that he had not cared for Kennedy at all.(NOTE: Dick, perhaps Barry can elaborate on how Files stated his hate for Kennedy for I simply cannot remember everything due to the mass of statements made by Files.)Files made a statement pertaining to the fact that Kennedy was trying to “do away with the CIA.” Files said that Chuckie had ordered him to bring the guns, ammunition and hand grenades to Dallas in 1963. They had planned a hit on Kennedy for Chicago but that was “too close to home.” Files drove to Dallas in Chuckie’s car, a 1963 burgundy Chevy, that Files said “everyone talks about.” Files said that he had a Remington Fireball, a .222 high velocity pistol with a scope, that had a bullet velocity of over 3,000 feet per second. Files said that he and “Wolfman” (a friend who is now dead) had made special “Mercury rounds for the .222.” He also stated there was a “30-06 rifle” in the trunk of the Chevy. He said he parked the car near Dealey Plaza by the Dal-Tex building for Chuckie wanted to be able to leave his spot in the Dal-Tex building and “jump into the car.” Files said that since he was younger than Chuckie “that he could run the hundred yards to the car easy.” Files said that on the morning of November 22, 1963 that he picked up “John Roselli at the Dallas Cabana Hotel.” Roselli was talking to “Eugene Hale Brading alias Jim Braden” when he first pulled up to pick up Roselli. Files said that Roselli had “flown in on a ‘commercial’ flight.” Files did not know for sure when Roselli flew in but “thinks it was the day before.” Files said that he drove “Roselli to breakfast in Fort Worth.” Files said that his job was to “cover Roselli in case something broke out.” Files sat at a counter while Roselli met with “Jack Ruby.” Files explained that he had been at the counter for if he had “sat at the table,” he wouldn’t have been able to pull his guns if there had been trouble. Ruby “handed Roselli an envelope “which contained “the last minute change in the parade route.” Files said that they had toured the entire parade route looking for the best spot to “hit Kennedy.” Files said he “arrived at Dealey Plaza before noon” and stood around in the pergola (knoll) area. Files said he saw “Frank Sturgis of the CIA” standing behind him. Files said that he saw lots of faces he knew. Files said it “looked like old home week.”Files said he did not know where Nicoletti and Roselli were during the shooting but that “Chuckie was supposed to be in the Dal-Tex building.” Files showed Barry and I an accurate hand drawn map of Dealey Plaza with a “X” on the spot where he was standing. Files said that the “X” was not in the right spot but that he would put it in the “right spot” after he receives the immunity.” Files said that he thinks that “five or six shots were fired.” Files said that “two shots were fired almost at once.” He said that the “shooter behind the fence” fired a shot at approximately the same time as Nicoletti fired a shot and that both shots hit Kennedy’s head within a “split second of each other.” Files used my head to show Barry and I where the “head shots hit Kennedy.” He pointed and placed his finger on my right front temple between my right eye and my right ear. He touched the rear of my head to show where the front shot exited and touched the top left side of my bald spot to show where Nicoletti’s almost simultaneous shot hit Kennedy. He said the “shooter behind the fence had Kennedy in his sights for some time.” Files said that Chuckie hit Kennedy in the back and in the top left rear head and that they “discussed it later.” Files also said that one of Nicoletti’s shots “hit Connally.” Files did not know anything about the wound to James Teague down by the triple overpass, but said he was probably hit by “concrete or a piece of ‘shrapnel’.” Barry asked Files if the guns they were using displayed smoke when fired and Files said “yes.” Files said that after the shooting, he placed his gun into a case, took off his jacket and reversed it and put it back on, pulled a cap out from under his arm and put it on and went to the car. Files said that he, Nicoletti and Roselli drove out of the Plaza area in the chevy. I do not recall where he said he let Nicoletti and Roselli out of the car. Files said he then went back to his motel in Mesquite, took a shower and shaved and put “hot wax on his hand and forearm and face” to remove any sign of firing a gun (via a paraffin test.) He said that when he crossed the “Texas state line,” headed north back to Chicago, that he knew he “had it made.” SPECIAL NOTE: Dick, please understand that throughout the lengthy meeting with Files, he was very careful not to say exactly where he was standing. He stated over and over that he could not do that until he received immunity. Toward the end of the meeting, James E. Files (real name: Sutton) specifically stated to Barry and I that “Chuck Nicoletti and I killed John F. Kennedy.” Barry and I both heard him confess to this and I will never forget it. Barry and I feel that he let this slip and Barry and I discussed the fact that we do not believe it was intentional. Barry will provide you with further details.TOPIC: OTHERFiles told Barry and I a lot more about his life and many other gruesome murders and crimes he has committed. Since these other crimes are not important to us at this time. I do not feel it is necessary to elaborate on them.Also, please understand that the room and conditions to which Barry and I were subjected were less than human. As crude as this may seem to you, we were actually in a room where visiting wives and girlfriends were masturbating their inmate husbands and boyfriends. At one point, we were interrupted by a black prisoner who passed behind Files to get a mop bucket and mop so that the black prisoner could clean up sexual fluids on the floor. The temperature was over 100 degrees in the room and the mixture of heat and sexual stench was extremely disgusting and uncomfortable. At one point, I actually felt faint from heat exhaustion. I assure you that I will never be able to forget our meeting with Mr. Files.In closing, I’m sure Barry can fill in the blank spots and tie up the loose ends for you. In the event that I am able to recall any further details of our meeting with Files, I will fax them to you.I am totally convinced that James E. Files was involved in the murder of John F. Kennedy and that he was an actual gunman and participant in the murder. According to his blatant and unashamed confession to Barry and I, please understand that I am even further convinced that James E. Files fired the fatal frontal head shot that is morbidly displayed in the film of Abraham Zapruder.God bless Joe West. May his soul rest in peace for eternity.cc: Suzanne Phillips Earlene West

[ChristophMessner]

Tanks, Wim, for this detailed reminder! dankbaar wrote: “Mr. F” said he saw “Frank Sturgis of the CIA” standing behind him. “Mr. F” said he saw lots of faces he knew. “Mr. F” said it “looked like old home week.” If "behind him" means behind the fence and also James Files confessed to Pamela Ray in another phone interview, that Lansdale would have also been checking behind the fence, as well as witness Lee Bowers confirmed 3 cars driving in and around the parking lot behind the fence spotting there, that means Frank Sturgis even could have been the second shooter behind the fence, although in his 2003 confession interview James Files said, Frank Sturgis would have stood in front of the pergola on the grass for a while. After being told that Rademacher had found 2 shell casings, Files remark, that "his" was only 1, could be interpretated as an indirect confession of the presence of a second shooter behind the fence. Also: if Nicoletti fired 2 shots, Files+X fired 2 shots and in sum there were 5-6 shots, 1-2 must have come from elsewhere, not necessarily the TSBD even. dankbaar wrote: “Mr. F” said that he thinks “five or six shots were fired.” “Mr. F” said that “two shots were fired almost at once.” That should be checkable with the original dictabelt audio tape version. dankbaar wrote: Quote Vernon: "Files told Barry and I a lot more about his life and many other gruesome murders and crimes he has committed." This means that Vernon and Barry know more and are in danger.Is it estimatable, who gave Ruby the fake ID's? The ones he handed over to Johnny Roselli then.

[Bob]

Listen to Bob Vernon in 1993 and listen to Gary Mack in 1988. Now listen to them both today. Follow the money.

[Bruce Patrick Brychek]

Dear JFK Murder Solved Forum Members and Readers:04.08.2009 - Mr. Wim Dankbaar Posted this Headline that was, and still is, packed with provocative facts that have never been disproved by anybody, anywhere.Reviewing this material on 11.22.2012 seems to carry special significance for me.Comments ?Respectfully,BB.