On November 22, 1963, the world was shaken by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Just hours later, Dallas police officer J.D. Tippett was shot and killed. For decades, these two murders have been linked, with Lee Harvey Oswald named as the lone gunman in both cases. But what if the truth is even stranger than we thought? What if there wasn’t just one Oswald, but two?
The Official Story vs. The Hidden Truth
What We’ve Been Told
For years, we’ve heard the same story: Lee Harvey Oswald killed President Kennedy, then shot Officer Tippett while trying to escape. He was then caught at the Texas Theater and arrested. It all seemed to fit together neatly.
A New Theory Emerges
But researcher John Armstrong has uncovered evidence that suggests something much more complicated. His theory? There were actually two different people using the name “Lee Harvey Oswald” – and both were at the Texas Theater on that fateful day.
The Two Oswalds Theory
Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?
Before we dive into the two Oswalds theory, let’s take a moment to think about who Lee Harvey Oswald was supposed to be:
- A former U.S. Marine
- Someone who had lived in the Soviet Union
- A man with connections to both pro-Castro and anti-Castro groups
- The alleged assassin of President Kennedy
But what if this complex background was the result of combining the lives of two different people?
Armstrong’s Discovery
John Armstrong spent years researching the Kennedy assassination and the Tippett murder. He found something shocking: there were many instances where “Oswald” was seen in two different places simultaneously. This led him to develop his “Harvey and Lee” theory.
The Texas Theater Incident
The Official Version
According to the official story, Oswald snuck into the Texas Theater without paying. He was spotted by shoe store owner Johnny Brewer, who alerted the police. Officers then arrested Oswald in the theater.
A Different Story Emerges
But Armstrong’s research suggests something much stranger happened that day. Here’s what he found:
- There were reports of two different arrests in the theater.
- One “Oswald” was arrested in the balcony and taken out the back.
- Another “Oswald” was arrested in the main seating area and taken out the front.
The Eyewitness Accounts
Bernard Hare’s Testimony
Bernard Hare, who owned a store near the theater, saw something very interesting. He witnessed what he thought was Oswald’s arrest in the back alley behind the theater. Here’s what he saw:
- Police officers with rifles
- A man being arrested
- The arrested man being put in a car or truck and driven away
But this doesn’t match the official story of Oswald’s arrest inside the theater!
The Mysterious Balcony Arrest
Researcher Joe McBride found evidence of another arrest that day:
“There was a, you know, this mysterious arrest in the balcony, too, that They hauled somebody out and they let him go.”
This second arrest doesn’t fit with the official story either. Who was this other person, and why were they let go?
The Ruby Connection
The story gets even stranger when we consider the connections to Jack Ruby, the man who later killed Oswald on live TV.
Planted Witnesses?
Some researchers believe that key witnesses at the theater were connected to Ruby:
- Johnny Brewer, the shoe salesman who reported Oswald, was with Tommy Rowe.
- Rowe had connections to Jack Ruby.
- There were also two “IBM employees” who helped identify Oswald to the police.
Were these people planted there to make sure the right “Oswald” was arrested?
The Timeline Problem
One of the biggest issues with the official story is the timeline. It just doesn’t add up when you look closely.
The Movie Schedule
Researcher Gavan McMahon found an interesting piece of evidence – the movie schedule for the Texas Theater that day:
- The doors opened at 12:45 PM
- There was a 20-minute session of cartoons, news, and ads
- The main feature didn’t start until 1:20 PM
- The movie began with several minutes of Audie Murphy talking about war heroes
This means the movie itself probably didn’t start until about 1:25 PM.
The Problem with the Official Timeline
The official story says Oswald was arrested around 1:50 PM. But if the movie had only been playing for about 25 minutes, how did all of these events happen:
- Oswald enters the theater
- He’s spotted by Johnny Brewer
- Brewer alerts the police
- Dozens of police cars arrive at the theater
- Officers search the theater
- Oswald is arrested
It seems like there wasn’t enough time for all of this to happen!
The Bigger Picture
The idea of two Oswalds in the theater isn’t just an interesting detail – it could change everything we think we know about the Kennedy assassination and the Tippett murder.
A Planned Setup?
Some researchers believe that the events at the theater were part of a larger plan:
- One “Oswald” was meant to be arrested as the patsy (the person blamed for the crimes)
- The other “Oswald” was possibly part of the plot
The Importance of the Tippett Case
While often overshadowed by Kennedy’s assassination, the Tippett murder is crucial for understanding what really happened that day. As researcher David Belin put it, the Tippett murder is “the Rosetta Stone of the case.”
Unanswered Questions
Despite decades of research, many questions about the two Oswalds theory remain unanswered:
- If there were two Oswalds, who were they really?
- How did they manage to lead parallel lives for so long?
- What happened to the “other” Oswald after the arrest at the theater?
- Who was really behind the plot, if it wasn’t just one man acting alone?
The Challenge of Cold Case Research
Investigating events from so long ago isn’t easy. As Joe McBride notes:
“This is a cold case going back more than 60 years. So Gavin and I and other people are digging into leads and witnesses that are, you know, a lot of the witnesses are gone.”
This makes it hard to find new evidence or interview people there. But researchers keep trying, hoping to uncover the truth.
The Power of Family Secrets
One promising avenue for future research may lie with the families of those involved. As Gavan McMahon points out:
“Families are very tight. Families are very knowing. Families are very close. And they get told things. And a lot of the information we can glean when we look at it all now is coming back through the families who are being told the truth and are told don’t say anything, all that sort of stuff. And it’s slowly coming out years and years and years and years later.”
This suggests that more revelations may come as family members decide to share long-held secrets.
The Search for Truth Continues
The story of two Oswalds in the Texas Theater is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. It challenges everything we thought we knew about one of the most important days in American history. While we may never know the full truth about what happened on November 22, 1963, researchers like John Armstrong, Joe McBride, and Gavan McMahon continue to dig for answers.
As we uncover more about the events of that day, we’re reminded of the importance of questioning official stories and the power of persistent investigation. The search for truth about the Kennedy assassination and the Tippett murder continues, driven by dedicated researchers who refuse to let these mysteries remain unsolved.
The journey to uncover the truth is ongoing, and each new piece of evidence brings us closer to understanding what really happened. As we move forward, let’s keep an open mind and remember that sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction. The case of the two Oswalds in the theater proves that there’s always more to discover when it comes to history.
