Marina made a lot of contradictory statements over the months and years. So many that the HSCA compiled a 30 page document full of them:
http://iacoletti.org/jfk/marina-contradictions.pdfMarina was also pressured to "cooperate" by the suggestion that she would be allowed to remain in the country if she did. She also didn't have a great command of the English language. Ruth Paine was present when Marina showed the blanket in the garage to the cops. She was the one translating what Marina actually said that day. Therefore, it is important to look at what Ruth Paine said about it.
Mrs. PAINE - There were six altogether, and they were busy in various parts of the house. The officer asked me in the garage did Lee Oswald have any weapons or guns. I said no, and translated the question to Marina, and she said yes; that she had seen a portion of it--had looked into--she indicated the blanket roll on the floor.
Mr. JENNER - Was the blanket roll on the floor at that time?
Mrs. PAINE - She indicated the blanket roll on the floor very close to where I was standing. As she told me about it I stepped onto the blanket roll.
Mr. JENNER - This might be helpful. You had shaped that up yesterday and I will just put it on the floor.
Mrs. PAINE - And she indicated to me that she had peered into this roll and saw
a portion of what she took to be a gun she knew her husband to have, a rifle.
. . .
Mr. JENNER - And now, having examined the statement transcribed on Page 46, to the best of your recollection, to the extent it summarizes what was said, is it accurate?
Mrs. PAINE - Well, I particularly remember the part of the testimony or the statement, sworn statement, that talks about the rifle, that she had known there had been a rifle in the garage and that it was not there on the 22d, that she could not positively say it was her husband's rifle when they showed her a rifle at the police station. This is what I particularly remember.
Mr. JENNER - Do you recall that she fixed the time when she had seen the blanket prior to November 22 as having been 2 weeks prior thereto?
Mrs. PAINE - She was indefinite, more so than the statement here.
Mr. JENNER - The statement reads, "I opened the blanket and saw a rifle in it."
Mrs. PAINE - My recollection of that is that she opened the blanket and saw
a portion of what she judged to be a rifle, having known already that her husband had one.
Mr. JENNER - Did she identify the part she saw as the stock of the rifle?
Mrs. PAINE - I don't recall--that was all done by the police.