Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES

0:28Hey guys, it's Sarah. cults. If you love mystery, madness, and diving deep into the world's most unbelievable true stories, you won't want to miss this show. I have a clip here from their episode about the assassination of JFK, which is out right now. If you like what you hear, don't forget to follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen. In November 1963, 46-year-old John F. Kennedy was riding high. He was about halfway through his first term as president and already gearing up for re-election. He was confident he could win, especially in the wake of his latest political achievement.

1:13The year before, in October of 1962, Soviet nuclear missiles had been discovered off the coast of Cuba, close enough to strike almost anywhere in the U.S. All of a sudden, people were stockpiling supplies, tracking emergency news alerts, and preparing for the worst. In the wake of this discovery, Kennedy got on the radio and spoke directly to his constituents. He promised the U.S. would come out unscathed. And he was right. Through some careful political maneuvering, he managed to convince Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev to withdraw the missiles. Thanks to Kennedy's skillful diplomacy, the American people could rest assured they were safe.

1:56Now, he hoped that they'd trust him with the country's highest office once again. On November 22nd, 1963, Kennedy touched down in Dallas, Texas. He was on a two-day tour of the Lone Star State, and he really needed it to go well. Texas was historically Republican. If he could flip it Democrat, he was one step closer to a second term. The First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, as well as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, were there for extra support. So far, their trip had been a success. They'd had a big turnout at their first three stops in San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth. Now they were on to do the same in Dallas.

2:39When they arrived, they were met with an adoring crowd. Kennedy was scheduled to give a speech about 10 miles away from the airport to keep the energy high, the group decided to travel there by motorcade. That way, everyone could get a good look at the president. JFK and Jackie smiled and waved from the open convertible they shared with Texas Governor John Connolly and his wife. It was a sunny day, and there were thousands of people lined up to see JFK. But there was someone in the crowd with much darker intentions. At around 12.30 p.m., the procession entered downtown Dallas in an area known as Dealey Plaza.

3:21At that very moment, three loud pops rang out. A team of Secret Service agents had been tailing Kennedy and his entourage. Between the sounds of cameras flashing and the raucous applause, they thought maybe it was a firecracker. Then the agents heard screaming and realized this was no light show. It was gunshots. They raced over to Kennedy's car and saw the president slumped over in the rear seat of the convertible. One agent, Clint Hill, hurled himself over the trunk. That's when he saw Governor Connolly had been shot in the leg, and Kennedy had been hit in the head. The president was covered in blood.

4:02There were skull fragments and brain matter splattered across the back of the car, including on the first lady. Agent Hill knew they needed to get Kennedy to a hospital now. The driver rushed them to nearby Parkland Memorial. As soon as they arrived, medical staff raced out with stretchers. They hurried the president and the others inside while the Secret Service provided cover. For the next 20 minutes or so, doctors fought to save President Kennedy and Governor Connolly. They were able to stabilize the governor, but sadly, Kennedy was too far gone. At 1 p.m., President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was declared dead, which meant an assassin was on the loose in Dallas.

4:49FBI agents and Dallas police officers scoured Dealey Plaza, looking for the killer. Many onlookers were still there, and witnesses claimed they heard gunshots coming from two different locations. One was an area known as the Grassy Knoll, a large, hilly field next to the road. The other was the Texas School Book Depository building within the plaza. The president's car had just passed the depository when the shots rang out. A group of investigators ran to the Grassy Knoll, but they didn't find any evidence that a shooter had been there. At the same time, a pair of DPD officers headed to the book depository and began sealing off the seven-story building.

5:31Before doing anything else, the officers rounded up all the employees and questioned them. No one seemed suspicious, so they let them go. After that, the officers searched the building. The first few floors were clear, but when they arrived at the 6th, they sensed something was wrong. There was a stack of cardboard boxes sitting in front of an open window overlooking the motorcade route. The officers knew this was where the assassin had fired from. They became even more certain when they looked through the boxes. Inside were three empty shell casings and a military-style rifle. They had the evidence and a possible murder weapon.

6:13Now they needed to track down a suspect. Just as they were deciding where to look next, the building manager burst onto the sixth floor. He'd realized something important. When the officers were questioning the employees, one person was missing. 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald. He was new, and he'd been on the sixth floor that day. It turned out Lee had left before the officers arrived. The manager didn't think anything of it at the time. Lee had seemed calm, too calm to have been the shooter. Now, the manager wasn't so sure. He gave the police Lee's address, and the officers booked it back to the station to alert their supervisors.

6:56To their surprise, Lee was already in the interrogation room. It turned out he'd been arrested for shooting and killing another police officer after the assassination. And that wasn't all. Several witnesses had seen a man who looked just like him running through that part of Dallas after the president was hit. That, coupled with his suspicious behavior at the book depository, sealed the deal. Officers were certain Lee was their man. They quickly alerted the FBI. Agents rushed to the station, and when they learned who the suspect was, they were floored because Lee Harvey Oswald had been on their radar for months.

7:37Somehow, Kennedy's killer had slipped right through their fingers. Thank you for listening to the start of my show, Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes. If you want to hear what happens next, search Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes and follow wherever you listen to podcasts. I really hope you enjoyed that clip, and thank you for listening. To catch the rest of this episode and so much more, search for Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes wherever you get your podcasts. I'll also drop a link in the show notes.