LHO on the lam? An intriguing possibility!

[Charles Collins]

The evidence suggests that LHO walked out the front door of the TSBD within around 3-minutes of the shots. Free lance photographer Jim Murray ran to his car and got his cameras and was near the front door of the TSBD around 3-minutes after the shots. Murray made several photos there. However several of them were completely over exposed due to an issue with his camera. Thankfully, there is one photo that Murray made at that location at that time that did turn out well. Here is a copy of the photo:



As you can see in the photo, there are a couple of ladies apparently upset; Howard Brennan is looking up at the window where he saw the assassin shoot JFK; and there is a cop (William Barnett) looking in the direction of the camera (which is around the end of the island in front of the TSBD). I have drawn a yellow arrow to a figure that appears to be just to the other side of Brennan. All that can be seen is apparently the back part of the head and a left shoulder. This figure appears to be wearing a white t-shirt. The figure doesn’t seem to be looking at Brennan. Rather he appears to be trying to blend in with the other people and appears to be trying to avoid letting the cop see his face.



Here is an image of LHO from a similar angle:



Could the figure in Murray’s photo be LHO? I think that it is an intriguing possibility. The time and place seems to be correct for this possibility. The behavior of the figure seems to be what I imagine could have happened. What do you think?

[Duncan MacRae]

Good observation, Charles. 

A closer view, one image colourised.



Maybe a bit too balding to be Oswald?

Also, is he wearing a working man's Boiler Suit / Overalls, or is that a shadow on the Man's back and left Shoulder?

I don't think it's a Shadow as the Oswald Doppleganger appears to be in front of the tall guy with the Cap standing behind him.

Nothing appears that I can see in the Photograph that could cast such a small Shadow on the back of the Man's body.

[Charles Collins]

Good observation, Charles. 

A closer view, one image colourised.

Thanks Duncan! If we think about the irony of a photo of LHO standing next to the man who said he could identify him (but looking the other way) it is overwhelming. If there was another photo from another angle that could positively identify this figure as LHO and Brenan was shown it, I think his heart attack might have happened sooner.  . If someone were to make a movie and present this possibility, they could have LHO hearing Brenan say he saw the assassin, then turning away with his infamous smirk on his face….

[Charles Collins]

Good observation, Charles. 

A closer view, one image colourised.



Maybe a bit too balding to be Oswald.

Also, is he wearing a working man's Boiler Suit / Overalls, or is that a shadow on the man's back?

I don't think it's a Shadow as the Oswald doppleganger appears to be in front of the tall guy with the Cap standing near him.

Also, is he wearing a working man's Boiler Suit / Overalls, or is that a shadow on the man's back?

If it is LHO, then I think it might be his shirt hung over this shoulder. I think he had that shirt on when Baker/Truly encountered him. Then he apparently had taken it off when the lady saw him walk through the office. And he might have just slung it over his shoulder.

[Michael Capasse]

The evidence suggests that LHO walked out the front door of the TSBD within around 3-minutes of the shots. Free lance photographer Jim Murray ran to his car and got his cameras and was near the front door of the TSBD around 3-minutes after the shots. Murray made several photos there. However several of them were completely over exposed due to an issue with his camera. Thankfully, there is one photo that Murray made at that location at that time that did turn out well. Here is a copy of the photo:

As you can see in the photo, there are a couple of ladies apparently upset; Howard Brennan is looking up at the window where he saw the assassin shoot JFK; and there is a cop (William Barnett) looking in the direction of the camera (which is around the end of the island in front of the TSBD). I have drawn a yellow arrow to a figure that appears to be just to the other side of Brennan. All that can be seen is apparently the back part of the head and a left shoulder. This figure appears to be wearing a white t-shirt. The figure doesn’t seem to be looking at Brennan. Rather he appears to be trying to blend in with the other people and appears to be trying to avoid letting the cop see his face.

Could the figure in Murray’s photo be LHO? I think that it is an intriguing possibility. The time and place seems to be correct for this possibility. The behavior of the figure seems to be what I imagine could have happened. What do you think?

 

[Richard Smith]

I think there is some doubt as to whether Oswald even exited the building by the front door.  That would be a fairly brazen thing to do under the circumstances given the availability of alternatives.  He could reasonably have anticipated that door was the mostly likely exit to encounter any law enforcement rushing into the building. 

[Charles Collins]

I think there is some doubt as to whether Oswald even exited the building by the front door.  That would be a fairly brazen thing to do under the circumstances given the availability of alternatives.  He could reasonably have anticipated that door was the mostly likely exit to encounter any law enforcement rushing into the building.

Yes, there is some doubt about pretty much any aspect of this case. However, how reasonable is it? LHO had already encountered Baker on the second floor and shown that he didn’t visibly panic. Also, he was last seen only a short distance from and heading in the direction of the front door with only the stairs and the front door between him and the great outdoors. Two men thought they encountered LHO when they entered the building looking for a phone. And in the photo there is a cop right outside the building who apparently wasn’t rushing into the building. LHO’s best bet was to try to blend in with the other people. I think that he knew that.

[Dan O'meara]

The evidence suggests that LHO walked out the front door of the TSBD within around 3-minutes of the shots. Free lance photographer Jim Murray ran to his car and got his cameras and was near the front door of the TSBD around 3-minutes after the shots. Murray made several photos there. However several of them were completely over exposed due to an issue with his camera. Thankfully, there is one photo that Murray made at that location at that time that did turn out well. Here is a copy of the photo:



As you can see in the photo, there are a couple of ladies apparently upset; Howard Brennan is looking up at the window where he saw the assassin shoot JFK; and there is a cop (William Barnett) looking in the direction of the camera (which is around the end of the island in front of the TSBD). I have drawn a yellow arrow to a figure that appears to be just to the other side of Brennan. All that can be seen is apparently the back part of the head and a left shoulder. This figure appears to be wearing a white t-shirt. The figure doesn’t seem to be looking at Brennan. Rather he appears to be trying to blend in with the other people and appears to be trying to avoid letting the cop see his face.



Here is an image of LHO from a similar angle:



Could the figure in Murray’s photo be LHO? I think that it is an intriguing possibility. The time and place seems to be correct for this possibility. The behavior of the figure seems to be what I imagine could have happened. What do you think?

Not convinced by the Oswald ID but excellent spot of Brennan and Barnett.
Barnett describes this very moment in his WC testimony:

Yes, sir; I was back where No. 8 is then. That was probably 2 1/2 minutes after the last shot was fired. About that time, my sergeant came up from this way, from the north of Houston Street and asked me to get the name of that building. I broke and ran to the front and got the name of it. There were people going in and out at that time. I ran back and told him the name of it, and about that time a construction worker ran from this southwest, corner of the intersection up to me and said, "I was standing over there and saw the man in the window with the rifle." He and I and the sergeant all three broke and ran for the door. I kept the man there with me. The sergeant ran to the back to make sure it was covered.

I'm assuming the other officer in the picture is the elusive Sergeant Howard and this is the moment just before all three men head for the front door. The timings work with Murray's account of taking the picture.