From - Mon May 12 10:35:57 1997
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From: dperry12@juno.com
Subject: Bob Vernon/Files Story
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Dave Perry’s Response To Bob Vernon On The Jim File’s Story

On August 6, 1990 the now defunct JFK Assassination Information Center
(hereafter JFK Center) of Dallas, Texas in conjunction with Bud
Fensterwald of the Assassination Archives & Research Center of
Washington, D.C. conducted a "press conference." The respective staffs of
the two organizations presented "evidence" that Roscoe White was the
"grassy knoll" assassin.

Discussing particulars of the plot were, in addition to Fensterwald, JFK
Center representatives J. Gary Shaw, Larry Ray Harris and Larry Howard, a
self-styled Texas Certified Legal Investigator from Houston named Joe
West, Reverend Jack Shaw (no relation to J. Gary Shaw) and the  accused
assassin’s son, Ricky Don White. Their description of events including
the fact that the grassy knoll assassin was Roscoe White differs markedly
from the Jim Files a.k.a. James Sutton story.

On September 15, 1990 Joe West held his own press conference in Houston,
Texas. At this conference West claimed Geneva White (Roscoe White’s
widow) had given him a diary. This diary written by White gave additional
detail on White’s alleged role in the assassination. Unfortunately for
West, during the conference, someone pointed out that the diary was
written in felt tipped pen. The felt tip pen was invented AFTER White’s
death on September 24, 1971. Geneva later indicated she put the diary
together. Apparently the Texas Certified Legal Investigator hadn’t
conducted much of a check on the diary. (See Houston Post, 9/15/90)

In the December, 1990 issue of Texas Monthly there was a article
concerning the JFK Center’s investigation of the Roscoe White story.
Written by Gary Cartwright "I Was Mandarin . . . " gives further detail
on the narrative. It again differs from the Files/Sutton version of
events. On page 168 there is the following,

"At the last minute, (J. Gary) Shaw decided to include on the
investigative team an outsider, a Houston private investigator named Joe
H. West, who had been working with Shaw on other aspects of the
assassination. Shaw’s partners didn’t trust West. They saw him as
reckless, comically secretive, and self-aggrandizing - a buffoon who
unfailingly introduced himself as "a certified legal investigator
licensed by the State of Texas" as though that were something truly
special."

The Houston Post of February 17, 1992 reported under the headline
"Houston duo dogs JFK assassination case - Private detective (Joe West),
lawyer (Don Ervin) hope evidence spurs criminal probe" that West now had
supporting evidence that White was indeed the grassy knoll assassin. 

West claimed to have interviewed and video taped a confession from a
Mafia hitman code name "Hugh." Additionally, "West says, he (possibly a
third unknown gunman) admitted that his friend Roscoe White was among
Kennedy’s killers and became highly agitated at the prospect of his role
in the assassination being revealed."  

In June of 1995 Bob Vernon issued the following "press release":

TOP SECRET 
MURDER OF JFK SOLVED!
THREE CONFESS
OSWALD JUST A PATSY

The flyer goes on to state "Vernon and a certified legal investigator
from Texas located a known Mafia/CIA dual operative (N.B. Is this Hugh?)
who has revealed who was the real Kennedy assassin, not Oswald." Vernon
and West have the ". . . video confessions of the 3 ACTUAL PARTICIPANTS
in the murder including the man who fired the fatal last shot into the
right front temple of President Kennedy." 

Of course, we now know that is the claim Vernon was making on behalf of
James Files.

Files claims intimate knowledge of the Chicago mob and the mob’s
participation in the assassination. However, in their 1992 book, Double
Cross, Sam and Chuck Giancana (respectively godson and brother of mob
boss Sam Giancana) paint yet another picture of the assassination.
Details are revealed on pages 334 - 335.

 "Mooney (Sam Giancana) said that both (Richard) Cain and (Chuck)
Nicoletti were the actual gunmen for the hit, being placed at opposite
ends of the Dallas Book Depository. In fact, he asserted it was Cain not
Oswald , who’d actually fired from the infamous sixth-story window."

"Mooney also alleged that the CIA had added several of their own
‘soldiers’ to the team, using Roscoe White and J.D. Tippit as the actual
gunmen - along with Frank Forini and Lee Harvey Oswald."

Mr. Vernon accuses me of distorting the facts and spreading
disinformation. Because I question his version of events I’m obviously
involved with the CIA. I find this a usual ploy of "researchers" whose
proofs are more form than substance. Here are my questions. 

Just who is spreading disinformation? 
Which author of what story are we to believe?

1] Do we believe Joe West’s first story - the one he developed working
with The JFK Assassination Information Center naming Roscoe White as the
grassy knoll assassin?

2] We can’t possibly believe West’s second story can we? The one
propounded on September 15, 1990 involving the diary written in felt tip
pen.

3] Do we believe Joe West’s third story which still maintained White was
the grassy knoll assassin but offered proof through a taped confession
from a former Mafia hitman named Hugh?

4] Do we believe Sam and Chuck Giancana’s version of the plot which
includes Cain, Forini and Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit?

5] Or do we believe the Jim Files’ story? The one that flatly asserts
that West’s three solutions, as well as, Sam and Chuck Giancana’s version
are inaccurate!

Incidentally, Files’ name doesn’t seem appear anywhere in the Giancana’s
book. Since he had a reputation as a great driver, as well as, shooter I
should think he would at least be mentioned even if left unnamed.

In my view, when West discovered the White story was going nowhere, he
decided to convene a press conference. One based on a specious diary put
together by Roscoe’s widow. When the hoax was exposed he next created yet
a third version using "Hugh." The third attempt failed so he used bits
and pieces of the revised Ricky White story now substituting James Files
for Roscoe White. The bottom line is we are expected to disregard all
previous claims that West’s investigation proved conclusively Roscoe
White was the grassy knoll assassin, and that several years later the new
equally intensive  inquiry shows it was really Jim Files.

It’s obvious from the above some individuals providing information about
the assassination are obviously lying and some "researchers" are more
interested in monetary rewards than solving the case. There’s a saying
"Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." As far as I’m
concerned West, with some help from Vernon, has tried to fool us at least
four times. If I accept Vernon’s latest version at face value I’d have to
be crazy. 

Some final points:

Vernon asked where I was born. I was born in Worcester, MA. not somewhere
in the Northeast as he would have us believe Files would have answered. A
few months ago a friend of Bob Vernon’s, Arthur Swanson of Las Vegas, NV,
through an internet news group posting indicated he was conducting a
background check on me. When Swanson couldn’t find anything he concluded
I was some sort of governmental agent. When I discovered what Swanson was
up to I sent him a copy of my resume. Later, after some searching through
my attic, I offered to forward my high school and college yearbook
photos. Unfortunately, Mr. Swanson has never given me the courtesy of a
reply nor has he informed the internet forum of his receipt of my resume.


If anyone, including Bob Vernon, wants this material send a SASE to: 

Dave Perry 
4601 Ainsworth Circle 
Grapevine, TX  76051

Mr. Vernon has been pushing the Files story for over two years. If it’s
so good, so conclusive, so well researched why are there no takers? Even
the tabloid TV show Hardcopy wouldn’t buy it. I think it’s because people
like West and Vernon have cried wolf so many times. Some pro-conspiracy
advocates like myself have become very skeptical of assassins that come
forward with stories not based in historical fact. As far as I’m
concerned agencies of the Federal Government such as the CIA or FBI don’t
need to waste taxpayers money hiring disinformation or misinformation
specialists. As shown in my Rashomon To The Extreme, pro-conspiracy
"researchers" have come up with 61 different shooters and accomplices in
Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963.

And what of those other two video taped confessions? After all Vernon’s
"press release" claimed a total of three. If those confessions support
the Files’ story why are we not allowed to see them?

As for Bob Vernon’s charge that I’m not checking my facts - coming from
him I consider it a badge of honor. As part of the TOP SECRET MURDER OF
JFK SOLVED press release: 

"’JFK: MURDER SOLVED’ is the milestone program of Vernon (who is the man
who busted Jimmy Swaggart) . . ." 


Several years ago I looked into this claim and found the following: 

Jimmy Swaggart’s reputation was destroyed when it was discovered he was
seeing Debra Murphree who Penthouse magazine described as "the prostitute
behind the scandal of the century . . ." Murphree was interviewed by
Penthouse for their July, 1988 issue. The authors Art Harris and Jason
Berry explain how they were able to meet with Murphree. From page 106:

 "So it came to pass. A meeting was convened at Don’s Seafood House in
Lafayette early last March with Murphree, flanked by her agent, fast
talking New Orleans music promoter Bob Vernon, and a court reporter . . .
. ."

I don’t know about you but'I’m not ready to accept the findings of West
described as "a reckless, comically secretive, and self-aggrandizing . .
. buffoon" and Vernon touted as a "fast talking New Orleans music
promoter" who acted as the agent of a prostitute.



Dave Perry
4601 Ainsworth Circle
Grapevine, Texas
May 10, 1997