Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

 I know it's difficult for people to accept that Ruby did not kill Oswald, and I've heard all the talking points: that millions saw him do it on television, that he admitted doing it, etc. But, there is no talking point that can't be rebutted and refuted. And, I'm going to tell you something now that I hope will get you over the hump to believing that Ruby didn't do it. 

The point is: that the Dallas Police, Secret Service, and FBI took custody of Marina on Saturday afternoon. 

We have spousal privilege in this country, which means that a wife is considered a witness for and advocate for her husband. Their conversations are privileged. She does not have to divulge what was said between them, and she cannot be forced to testify against her husband. 

Oswald was charged with murder, and D.A. Henry Wade already announced that he would seek the death penalty. So, the State was out to put Oswald to death. He was entitled to a fair trial, but that couldn't possibly happen if the State was holding his wife. 

You know how Oswald reacted when he found out that the FBI went to talk to Marina. He stormed into the FBI office and made a scene. It's been claimed that he threatened to blow up the building if they harassed his wife again, but we don't know if that's true. 

But, I don't doubt that he was mad. So, how would he have reacted upon hearing that the FBI had taken his wife and kids? 

The idea that it was necessary for her safety is completely unfounded. There were no threats against Marina. On the contrary, there was a lot of sympathy for her. Americans started sending her money. 

But, what you need to realize is that because of the way our legal system works, they could not have proceeded to prosecute Oswald while holding his wife. That has NEVER happened in the history of American jurisprudence, that a wife, who was not suspected of any wrongdoing, was held by the State during his prosecution. 

And consider further that, had he lived, they couldn't go much longer without getting him a lawyer. He was already clamoring about it. They concocted the phony story that he was offered a lawyer by H Louis Nichols, and he turned it down. Don't believe it. You didn't hear it from Oswald, did you? Oswald pleaded to the whole world the night before for legal assistance. He devoted his whole Midnight Press Conference speech to it. Do you really think that less than 24 hours later, he would shrug and say "Nah" when offered one? I hope you're smarter than that. I hope you know that that was John Armstrong's "Lee" who met with Nichols, not "Harvey," who was the Oswald of fame. 

So, if they didn't get Oswald a lawyer soon, the whole world would have known that they were violating his Constitutional rights. Remember: Ruby was allowed to speak to a lawyer before he had to speak to Fritz. Fritz waited while Ruby talked to his lawyer.  Fritz even said to reporters, and we have it on tape, "I'm going to talk to him, but he's talking to his lawyer right now, which is his right." 

His right? What about Oswald's right?

So, the authorities took possession of Marina on Saturday afternoon. Didn't they know that Oswald was going to scream Bloody Murder as soon as he found out? Didn't they know that Oswald's inevitable lawyer would too and file a complaint with the Court, demanding her release? The authorities had to know those things. 

So, why did they do it if they knew it was going to ignite a firestorm, and that it could not endure? 

There is only one possible answer: It was because they knew that Oswald was going to be killed on Sunday. 

Do you know that it is part of the record that Oswald was unable to reach Marina on Saturday evening? He tried calling her. He reached Ruth Paine at 9:30 pm. Ruth divulged that Marina wasn't there, but she wouldn't tell him where she was. 

Mrs. PAINE - I said she was not there, that I had a notion about where she might be, but I wasn't at all certain. That I would try to find out. He said, he wanted me to--he said he thought she should be at my house. He felt irritated at not having been able to reach her. And he wanted me to--
Mr. JENNER - Did he sound irritated?
Mrs. PAINE - Yes; he sounded just a slight edge to his voice. And he wanted me to deliver a message to her that he thought she should be at my house.
Mr. JENNER - And he so instructed you?
Mrs. PAINE - Yes.
Mr. JENNER - That is what he said?
Mrs. PAINE - Yes. That was so far as I remember, the entire conversation.
Mr. JENNER - What response did you give to his direction?
Mrs. PAINE - I said I would try to reach her.

Now, that doesn't wash. It is not credible. The fact is that if she said she had a notion where Marina might be, Oswald would have demanded to know what that notion was. Any man would have. I can speak for the entire gender. And was it really just a notion? Ruth and Marina were friends. So, if Marina were just out somewhere at 9:30 at night, wouldn't Ruth have been frantic with worry? Ruth knew where she was, and she, obviously, didn't want to tell Oswald. 

There isn't a smidgen of doubt that the Secret Service and the FBI, with the cooperation of the Dallas Police, took Marina Oswald into federal custody on Saturday afternoon, and that is proof-positive that they knew that Oswald was going to be dead on Sunday. That action of taking possession of Marina on Saturday could ONLY have been made if they knew that Oswald was to die on Sunday. That is certain and incontrovertible.