Jim Leavelle
James Robert "Jim" Leavelle (August 23, 1920 – August 29, 2019) was a Dallas, Texas homicide detective who was escorting Lee Harvey Oswald through the basement of Dallas Police headquarters when Oswald was shot by Jack Ruby.
Jim Leavelle | |
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 Jack Ruby shoots Lee Harvey Oswald on November 24, 1963. Leavelle is just left of Oswald, in the light suit. | |
| Born | James Robert Leavelle August 23, 1920 Red River County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2019 (aged 99) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
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Early life
Leavelle was born and raised in Red River County, Texas. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, and was a sailor on board the USS Whitney during the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor bombings.[1]
Career
He joined the Dallas Police Department in April 1950 and retired in April 1975.[2][3]
Leavelle later said to author Joseph McBride that to him, the murder of President John F. Kennedy was "no different than a south Dallas (n-word) killing". This remark reveals that Leavelle was a racist who was not really concerned about who killed President Kennedy.[4]
When Leavelle testified before the Warren Commission, he claimed that the first time he had ever sat in on an interrogation with Oswald was on Sunday morning, November 24, 1963.[5] When Counsel Joseph Ball asked Leavelle if he had ever spoken to Oswald before this interrogation, he stated; "No; I had never talked to him before".[5] Leavelle then stated during his testimony that; "...the only time I had connections with Oswald was this Sunday morning [November 24, 1963]. I never had [the] occasion to talk with him at any time..."[5]
Leavelle believed that Oswald acted alone in killing Kennedy,[1] and said that in a 2006 discussion, he was told by Oswald's brother Robert that he believes the same thing, "because I knew my brother."[1]
Death
Leavelle died at a hospital on August 29, 2019, at the age of 99 while on a trip to Denver, Colorado.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brokaw, Tom (December 7, 2006). "Pearl Harbor survivor witnesses history — twice". MSNBC.com.
- ↑ "Warren Commission, Volume VII: James R. Leavelle" (PDF). Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ↑ Stengle, Jamie (May 14, 2013). "Dallas police honor detective cuffed to Oswald". Associated Press.
- ↑ Eugenio, James Di (September 20, 2016). Reclaiming Parkland: Tom Hanks, Vincent Bugliosi, and the JFK Assassination in the New Hollywood. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. p. 251. ISBN 9781510707771.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Testimony of James R. Levelle". Hearings Before the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Volume VII. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office. 1964. pp. 260–270.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|chapterurl=ignored (help) - ↑ Jackson, Matt. "Dallas Detective Cuffed to Oswald Dies at 99". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth.