On November 22, 1963, Dallas police officer J.D. Tippett was shot and killed, just hours after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. For decades, the Tippett murder has been shrouded in mystery and controversy. Recent research has uncovered a disturbing truth: some key witnesses may have been planted at the scene, and others were paid or rewarded for their testimony. Let’s dive into this shocking revelation and explore what it means for the case.
The Official Story vs. The Hidden Truth
What We Were Told
For years, the official story was simple: Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating President Kennedy, also killed Officer Tippett while trying to escape. This version of events seemed to tie everything up neatly, connecting the two murders and painting Oswald as a desperate killer on the run.
What Really Happened?
But as researchers dug deeper, they found cracks in this story. Some key witnesses at the Tippett murder scene had connections to Jack Ruby, the man who later killed Oswald. Others changed their stories over time or were rewarded for their testimony. These discoveries suggest that the truth about Tippett’s murder might be very different from what we’ve been told.
The Planted Witnesses
Helen Markham: A Key Figure
Helen Markham was one of the main witnesses to Tippett’s murder. She claimed to have seen the whole thing happen. But there are some strange things about her story:
- She changed her description of the killer over time.
- She had trouble identifying Oswald in a police lineup.
- There are questions about whether she was actually at the scene when she said she was.
Most shockingly, researcher Gavan McMahon found evidence that Markham was paid for her testimony. This raises serious questions about whether she was telling the truth or just saying what she was paid to say.
William Scoggins: The Cab Driver
William Scoggins was another important witness. He was a cab driver who said he saw the shooting. But there are some odd things about his story too:
- He was given a cushy job in the aviation industry after his testimony.
- His son later revealed that this job was “well above his pay grade.”
- There are hints that Scoggins might have had connections to organized crime.
These facts suggest that Scoggins might have been rewarded for giving testimony that fit the official story.
The Ruby Connection
Jack Ruby’s Cronies at the Scene
Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald on live TV, seems to have a strange connection to the Tippett murder. Some of the people at the scene had ties to Ruby:
- Daryl Wayne Garner, a petty criminal who worked for Ruby, was a possible suspect in Tippett’s murder.
- A Ruby stripper provided an alibi for Garner when he was suspected of shooting another witness.
- Other witnesses at the scene had connections to Ruby’s world of nightclubs and criminal activities.
This Ruby connection adds another layer of mystery to the case. Was Ruby involved in setting up the scene of Tippett’s murder?
The Markham Brothers: A Shocking Revelation
A Plan Gone Wrong?
One of the most surprising discoveries comes from the Markham family. James and William Markham, brothers of Helen Markham, were allegedly paid $1,000 each to set up Oswald for arrest. Here’s what researchers think was supposed to happen:
- The Markham brothers were to take Oswald “on a break.”
- They would set him up for Tippett to arrest him.
- This was all part of a larger plan to frame Oswald.
But something went wrong. Instead of Oswald being arrested, Tippett ended up dead. This revelation suggests that Tippett’s murder might have been an unintended result of a larger conspiracy.
The Cover-Up
Silencing Witnesses
After the murder, there seems to have been a concerted effort to control the story:
- Marie Tippett, the officer’s widow, was closely guarded and rarely gave interviews.
- Other witnesses were told to keep quiet about what they knew.
- The Dallas police seemed more interested in protecting certain stories than in finding the truth.
Lack of Investigation
Strangely, the Dallas police didn’t thoroughly investigate Tippett’s murder:
- They dropped the case almost immediately after Oswald was killed.
- Even when asked to look into it by the Warren Commission, they only produced a brief 19-page report.
- Important leads and inconsistencies were never followed up.
This lack of investigation is odd for the murder of a police officer, suggesting that there might have been something to hide.
The Bigger Picture
A Piece of a Larger Puzzle?
The planted witnesses and paid testimony in the Tippett case don’t just affect this one murder. They raise questions about the entire narrative of what happened on November 22, 1963:
- If witnesses were planted or paid in the Tippett case, could the same be true for the Kennedy assassination?
- Was Tippett’s murder part of a larger conspiracy?
- Why were authorities so keen to control the story around Tippett’s death?
The Importance of the Tippett Case
While often overshadowed by Kennedy’s assassination, the Tippett murder is crucial for several reasons:
- It’s seen as a “Rosetta Stone” that could help unlock other mysteries of that day.
- It reveals potential corruption within the Dallas Police Department.
- It highlights the complex web of relationships and motivations at play.
Unanswered Questions
Despite decades of research, many questions about Tippett’s death remain unanswered:
- Who really killed Officer Tippett?
- Why were witnesses paid or rewarded for their testimony?
- What was Jack Ruby’s role in all of this?
- Was Tippett’s murder connected to Kennedy’s assassination, and if so, how?
The Challenge of Cold Case Research
Investigating the Tippett case is no easy task:
- Many witnesses and potential sources have passed away.
- Official records are often incomplete or contradictory.
- The passage of time makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
As researcher Joseph 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.”
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 that we’re able to glean when we look at it all now is coming back through the families who are being told the truth and being told don’t say anything, all that sort of stuff. And it’s slowly coming out years and years and years and years later.”
A Call for Truth: The Journey Continues
The story of planted witnesses and paid testimony in the Tippett case is far from over. As more information comes to light, it’s clear that the official narrative doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The search for truth continues, driven by dedicated researchers and family members who refuse to let the story be buried.
As we uncover more about what really happened on that fateful day in Dallas, we’re reminded of the importance of questioning official stories and the power of persistent investigation. The Tippett case may be just one piece of a much larger puzzle, but it’s a crucial one in understanding the events that shook America on November 22, 1963.
The journey to uncover the truth about J.D. Tippett’s murder is ongoing. With each new revelation, we get closer to understanding not just what happened to one police officer, but the larger forces at work in one of the most pivotal moments in American history. The search for truth continues, and with it, the hope that one day, all the pieces of this complex puzzle will finally fall into place.
