JFK RFK MLK Assassination Forum

Has anyone attempted a detailed analysis of the possible exit routes for both James Files and Abraham Zapruder to see which is most likely to be "shadowman" in the famous photo by Bothun? This could include coming up with a likely timeline based on Files' testimony for his movements and the photos of Dealey Plaza during the immediate aftermath of the assassination for Zapruder's movements. Personally, I believe "shadowman" to be Files, but it has always been in the back of my mind that it very well may be Zapruder as well. If no one has attempted this, I may give it a shot beyond the quickly conceived analysis I have done below. Thoughts?

To me, there is no doubt that the man leaving the scene in the Bothun photo is Jimmy Files.Jim Marrs - All right, so as you walk away and these two guys cover for you, describe your actions then.Jimmy Files - Oh, as I'm walking away, I 've got my briefcase, guncase, in my right hand, I've got my left hand over by my coat pocket, I've got a 45 there, I've got it fully loaded with 6 rounds in it, it's ready to go if I need it .Jim Marrs- You have already reversed your jacket?Jimmy Files - I've already reversed my jacket. When I picked up the guncase, I reversed my jacket, no plaid side, I 've got the poplin grey material on the outside, I took the fedora hat under the sleeve of it, snapped it out and put it back on my head and I walked away, carrying the briefcase and my 45 inside my coat pocket.

The question I got with this photo is this. Was it turned over to the FBI and than given back to Bothun or not??? Because why can you see the other four men in the photograph clearly, but not the fifth man who is only 20 or thirty feet from the other four, and all you see is just a shadow of a man???

Also in this photo, we see "walkie talkie man" sitting on the curb next to "umbrella man" on Elm Street. Many of us believe that "walkie talkie man" was really Orlando Bosch. Jimmy Files said that he saw Bosch in Dealey Plaza that day.I believe both of the men were spotters for the assassination teams.

Two questions. I hope they aren't dumb questions.1. What did spotters do?2. Why did those two sit down and run the risk of being identified or detained? I would have gotten out of Dodge after the shooting, but maybe it was standard for spotters to stick around. Thanx.

Bob Jonas wrote:Two questions. I hope they aren't dumb questions.1. What did spotters do?2. Why did those two sit down and run the risk of being identified or detained? I would have gotten out of Dodge after the shooting, but maybe it was standard for spotters to stick around. Thanx.Two fair questions, Bob. As Confucius once said, "He who asks a question might feel silly for a moment, but he who never asks a question will be silly forever."I believe there were a number of shooters. But like Jimmy has said, the teams were compartmentalized. In other words, Files knew that Chuck Nicoletti was going to be a shooter in the Dal-Tex Building, but he didn't know who (if any) the other shooters might be. That being said, Files said that it looked like a CIA convention in Dealey Plaza that day. There were plenty of Operation 40 (assassination group) members there. The main recruiter of Op 40, Poppy Bush, was also there.Bosch had the walkie talkie and he let the shooting teams know when and if there was a kill shot. The "umbrella man" pumped his umbrella up and down as the limo passed, as JFK had not been fatally wounded yet.Just like Files, both spotters knew to stay calm. Why? All the people (the DPD and the bystanders) were going to the top of the Grassy Knoll where at least one shot came from. At the top of the hill, they all met the fake Secret Service agents in the area, which allowed Files and anyone else involved to proceed to their getaway in a normal fashion. While all the commotion was going on at the top of the knoll, Bosch and his buddy were able to walk away like nothing happened.

I respectfully disagree with a team (or teams) having to be radioed, or signaled with a flapping umbrella, that a fatal shot hasn't struck. Not logical. Any sniper would be able to see that through his scope. I figured you were gonna say they were there to distract bystanders' eyes away from the top of the knoll when the shooting stopped to help Files get away undetected. We know that the CIA had called off the hit. Is it possible those two were there, as Plumlee said he was, to flush out any shooters? The umbrella may have been a part of it and maybe Bosch was communicating with others from the abort team. Just a theory I'm still chewing on...

We don't know that the CIA called off the hit. It is inferred that they did, but I'm not so sure. Especially with so many members in attendance at the time of the shooting. Why stick around then? I'm talking about folks like Hunt, Sturgis, Bosch and several others who all were stationed around Elm Street as the motorcade went by.

If the hit wasn't called off, why would Roselli bail? Unless you're implying that Files made that part of the story up. His whole story depends on the abort.To me, Bosch and umbrella man look stunned; as if they can't believe it happened. Were they expecting a minor disturbance as Chauncey Holt testified only to see (in Plumlee's words), all hell break loose?I'll be thinking this through with an objective mind over the next several days without any preconceived disposition or desired outcome. Hopefully logic will prevail as I hate when my theories become based on emotions.

Besides taking out their enemies, what do the CIA and the Mob have in common? They use disinformation all the time. Jimmy Files worked for both organizations. You brought up Johnny Roselli. If the hit was off, than why did he meet Jack Ruby the morning of the assassination and receive some key details about how the hit was going to go down? Jimmy Files drove him to the diner where that took place and witnessed the meeting between Roselli and Ruby. Also, if the hit was really supposed to be called off, why did Roselli go with Chuck Nicoletti to the Dal-Tex Building, when he knew Chuckie was going to be a shooter?Bottom line, I've always tried to keep an open mind about the assassination. My opinion has changed over the years about a number of circumstances regarding what went down on 11/22/1963.I'm not saying I'm right regarding the abort issue, but it just doesn't seem to add up in my mind.