(Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 8:02 pm
Former Victoria Police Homicide Squad sergeant Colin McLaren has dipped his toe into the murky waters of the JFK conspiracy river and come up with his own solution. McLaren claims to be the only homicide detective to have ever investigated the "Crime of the Century" and he makes a lot of noise about cutting through the BS. He made a point of going to Dealey Plaza in Dallas to see for himself; something every writer on the subject should do but not all have. He made a point of reading all 8000 pages of the Warren Commission into the shooting (now on .pdf).
According to McLaren, JFK was killed by accident.
Dismissing half a century of conspiracy theories, some of which I subscribed to, McLaren rehashes the work of a man called Howard Donahue from the late 1970s. It was Donahue, a firearms and ballistics expert, who first postulated that the controversial "Magic Bullet Theory" might be correct. It was also Donahue who produced evidence that there was a second shooter (assuming Oswald was the first).
Donahue's hypotheses were covered in a book called "Mortal Error: The Shot that Killed JFK" which was written by Bonar Menninger in the 1990s. Because of threats to sue, it was only printed once. I wouldn't say I was totally convinced. There are no witnesses to the actual discharge which he claims killed JFK, even though the weapon would have been in plain sight. Clearly McLaren believes it.
Although I don't know the man personally, I have worked on a lot of stories which he was involved in; the Tynan-Eyre murders in Walsh St, Mr Cruel and the murder of Karmein Chan. He seems blessed with the same spectacular ego you find in most Homicide Squad coppers. To be honest, they probably need it. In a high profile case they are expected to get a conviction or they tend to be reassigned.
His criticisms of the way the Warren Commission conducted his investigation are very valid. As a former copper, he would have been well used to the cut and thrust of a courtroom. Apparently the lawyers who were assigned to the hearing were pretty substandard and missed a lot of good detail.
Or did they?
This is where McLaren's dismissal of "conspiracy theories" falls down. He, himself, claims there was an elaborate cover up by the Secret Service, the branch whose job it is to guard the President. Conspiracy? Spectacular coincidence? You be the judge.
According to McLaren, JFK was killed by accident.
Dismissing half a century of conspiracy theories, some of which I subscribed to, McLaren rehashes the work of a man called Howard Donahue from the late 1970s. It was Donahue, a firearms and ballistics expert, who first postulated that the controversial "Magic Bullet Theory" might be correct. It was also Donahue who produced evidence that there was a second shooter (assuming Oswald was the first).
Donahue's hypotheses were covered in a book called "Mortal Error: The Shot that Killed JFK" which was written by Bonar Menninger in the 1990s. Because of threats to sue, it was only printed once. I wouldn't say I was totally convinced. There are no witnesses to the actual discharge which he claims killed JFK, even though the weapon would have been in plain sight. Clearly McLaren believes it.
Although I don't know the man personally, I have worked on a lot of stories which he was involved in; the Tynan-Eyre murders in Walsh St, Mr Cruel and the murder of Karmein Chan. He seems blessed with the same spectacular ego you find in most Homicide Squad coppers. To be honest, they probably need it. In a high profile case they are expected to get a conviction or they tend to be reassigned.
His criticisms of the way the Warren Commission conducted his investigation are very valid. As a former copper, he would have been well used to the cut and thrust of a courtroom. Apparently the lawyers who were assigned to the hearing were pretty substandard and missed a lot of good detail.
Or did they?
This is where McLaren's dismissal of "conspiracy theories" falls down. He, himself, claims there was an elaborate cover up by the Secret Service, the branch whose job it is to guard the President. Conspiracy? Spectacular coincidence? You be the judge.