Unveiling the Debated Saga of David Ferrie: A Relatively Unknown Figure Potentially Involved in the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
David Ferrie and the JFK Assassination: A Controversial Figure
David William Ferrie, born on March 28, 1918, was a controversial figure who found himself linked to one of the most significant events in American history – the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Ferrie, a former pilot, was associated with Lee Harvey Oswald, and allegations of conspiratorial activities surfaced during various investigations. He had estranged connections with Oswald and was suspected of suspicious behavior, including discussions about how to kill Kennedy[1].
In 1967, Jim Garrison, the New Orleans District Attorney, launched his own investigation into the Kennedy assassination. Garrison focused on David Ferrie, who had previously worked with Clay Shaw, another suspect in Garrison's investigation[3].
The House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), which re-examined the JFK assassination in the late 1970s, concluded that Kennedy was "probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy." However, the Committee did not find conclusive proof linking David Ferrie to the assassination[2][4].
The acoustic evidence presented by the HSCA suggested the presence of a second gunman, aligning with theories of a conspiracy. Yet, the Committee was unable to identify other conspirators or connect Ferrie definitively to the crime[2][4].
Investigations found apparent suicide notes near Ferrie's body, and a photograph provided by CAP member John B. Ciravolo, Jr., showed Ferrie and Oswald at a CAP cookout in 1955[5]. In November 1963, private investigator Jack Martin contacted the police, alleging that Ferrie might have had something to do with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy[6]. Martin claimed that Ferrie had been in Texas during the assassination, was meant to serve as a getaway pilot, and knew Oswald from their time in the Civil Air Patrol.
Ferrie was questioned by the FBI just days after the JFK assassination. He admitted to being angry about President Kennedy's failure to support Cuban rebels during the Bay of Pigs and using the colloquial expression "He ought to be shot." Ferrie worked with anti-Castro Cuban revolutionaries, possibly offering financial assistance, flying lessons, and weapons smuggling[7].
Despite the allegations, Ferrie denied any involvement in the assassination and claimed he never knew Lee Harvey Oswald. Tragically, Ferrie died on Feb. 22, 1967, just days before Garrison planned to arrest him, due to a berry aneurysm[8]. Garrison declared that he had "solved the assassination" and that Lee Harvey Oswald had "never fired a shot."
Ferrie's career was marked by unconventional behaviour. He left seminary school due to emotional instability and was fired from his job as a high school teacher for allegedly psychoanalyzing his students instead of teaching them[9]. Ferrie held deeply anti-communistic views and publicly disparaged Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy for not doing enough to fight communism[9].
In conclusion, while David Ferrie remains a disputed figure in JFK assassination theories, the official investigation by the HSCA did not find sufficient evidence to formally link him to the assassination[1][2][4]. The ambiguity surrounding Ferrie's role in the assassination continues to fuel speculation and debate among history enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists.
| Aspect | Details | |-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Evidence against Ferrie | Associations with Oswald, alleged conspiratorial discussions, investigation by DA Garrison | | HSCA Findings | Kennedy's death likely involved a conspiracy; no conclusive proof of Ferrie's involvement | | Ferrie's Role | Considered a suspect by some investigators; no prosecutable evidence found | | Allegations | Emotional instability, anti-communistic views, and questionable behaviour |
- The investigations led by Jim Garrison and the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) delved into the connections between David Ferrie and Lee Harvey Oswald, who were both associated with war-and-conflicts, given Ferrie's ties to anti-Castro Cuban revolutionaries, and Oswald's alleged links to the Soviet Union.
- Beyond the JFK assassination, David Ferrie's career was marked by controversy, touching upon several aspects of general-news, crime-and-justice, and politics. His unconventional behavior, such as leaving seminary school and being fired from a teaching job, and his deeply held anti-communistic views, earned him a reputation as a divisive figure in history.
