05
2016A chat with Ian Griggs
Yesterday I met up with Ian Griggs, author of No Case To Answer.
He has been researching this case for decades and he has visited Dallas many many times (he has lost count). A former police officer himself he has dug into the Dallas Police Department more than anyone else. In the DPD section I show a brief summary of how the DPD was organised. This is all thanks to him and his tenacious efforts in compiling this.
Obviously we discussed mostly Dallas Police related matters, and we went down his memory lane while he showed me around in his house of which one room was a mini museum with his collection, of which I post a few shots down below. I hope to do a proper interview in the near future.
Ian has interviewed quite a few people such as Beverly Oliver, James Tague, Jim Leavelle, Warren Caster to name a few, but his specialty lies with the DPD, of which he is writing another book which hopefully will be published later this year.
Some of our discussions:
- After his article on Postal Inspector Harry Dean Holmes called The Four Faces Of Harry Dean Holmes, he was contacted by family members of Holmes and they were less than pleased with his assessment. Well they better not look at my page then ;)
- He has been acquainted with Marina Oswald-Porter on a talk panel and she even bought him a massive plaque of JFK. He said she asked him if he wanted some thing from an antique shop to which he replied your country is not old enough to have an antiques shop (which is a joke in case you missed it, although it has some truth to it). She went into the shop and bought it for him for about $ 25.00. Some researchers’burned’ Marina Porter, not much later and now she will not talk to anyone, which is a real shame as I and a few other scholars would love to talk to her.
JFK Plaque gifted by Marina Oswald-Porter to Ian Griggs. Pic: Barto.
- He has tried to contact Harry Olson’s former missus Kay Coleman a few years back, but was warned not to pursue this any further. Kay Coleman remarried and lives in Ca.
Kay Coleman on the right with Jack Ruby.
- Will Fritz bred horses.
- The so called recording room right opposite Will Fritz’s Homicide and Robbery Division office, was not wired for sound.
Dallas Police Department Floor plan. Courtesy of No Case To Answer by Ian Griggs
- Ian Griggs had a decommissioned Mannlicher-Carcano rifle. I had no measuring tape so could not say how long it was, but the rifle was broken apart, so I just held the wooden part of it and I can tell you now that there is no way that rifle could be inside the paper bag since this piece is way too long. I could not cup this underneath my shoulder and inside the palm of my hand.
Holding a Mannlicher-Carcano, which is way too long for cupping it. Pic: Barto
Colony Club flyer signed by Beverly Oliver. Pic: Barto
Dallas Police Buckle. Pic. Barto
Jim Leavelle and R.C. Graves autographed photograph of Ruby shooting Oswald.
- Ian also had a nice collection of newspapers from that period, I produce two here with some interesting bits related to ‘our’ case, I hope to be able to reproduce more in the future.
Kingsport Times Nov 22nd 1963. Pic: Barto
Kingsport News Nov 23rd 1963. Pic Barto
- Last but not least a time sheet of some major Dallas Police Department Officers from Nov 1963.
Dallas Police Department Time Sheet Nov 1963
I hope to see Ian again at the Dealey Plaza UK Canterbury conference on April 23rd/24th where I will present a Prayer Man talk and also will be doing a Q&A with Malcolm Blunt.
I have also been notified that my chat with Rob Clark of the Lone Gunman Podcast has become the highest listened to show so far, not bad indeed! Thank you Robbo!!!
