Case Closed by Gerald Posner

Like many people of my generation, my knowledge of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy has been largely clouded by popular literature, documentaries and movies.

If there is such a thing as exoneration by media, Lee Harvey Oswald is history’s greatest beneficiary.

Not that I’m a assassination buff by any means, but a suggestion by a colleague to read Gerald Posner’s Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK certainly made me think twice about who actually killed the American president more than 43 years ago.

Part biography, part documentary, Posner meticulously chronicles the multitude of events leading up to that fateful day in Dallas, including establishing a clear motive for Oswald based on his life and times. Oswald’s actions leading up the event are cross referenced with the speculation of many conspiracy theories – including his supposed acquaintance with his eventual killer Jack Ruby.

The exact truth may never be known, but Case Closed certainly presents a compelling argument that Oswald acted alone. Everything from Oswald’s mentality, political persuasion and overall motive, to eyewitnesses, to computer-aided forensic evidence are examined in the book. For example, the famous “back and to the left” scene in the Zapruder film, accentuated by the movie JFK, was the result of an exit wound to the president’s head according to medical experts involved in the autopsy.

The amount of detail presented in Case Closed is far more than any blog can give justice to, so you’ll just have to read it yourself. Believe me when I say it’s well worth it as the book is a fine example of what investigative reporting should entail.

After reading Case Closed even the staunchest conspiracy theorist will find it difficult to accepting the outlandish concept of some organized government plot to kill JFK. As Posner advocates throughout the book, consider as much history as possible before jumping to conclusions based on obscure, and isolated, possibilities.

If you’ve seen the movie JFK, you owe it to yourself to read Case Closed.

About the author

IANAE! (I am not an epidemiologist)

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