Oswald Interrogatons Time Line

This information is taken from

John Armstrong's Harvey & Lee –

1963 November 22-23 (Oswald in Custody) p. 877-936

Oswald's Interrogation Timeline

2 pm Oswald taken to 3^rd Floor Homicide and Robbery – under command of Capt. Fritz

In the interrogation room he is questioned by Detectives Sims and Boyd

2:20 pm  - Oswald taken to Fritz’s office where he is questioned for the first time by Capt. Fritz.

Also present are: Det. Sims, Det. Boyd, SS Insptector Kelley

2:39 pm – LBJ sworn in by Justice Hughes aboard AF1

2:50 pm – FBI SA James Hosty arrived at DPD HQ with an OSI agent of USAF? – meets Jack Revill.

Also photo of Revill and Hosty – taken by AP Fred Kaufman?

3:10 pm – WFAA Dallas broadcasts first photo of Oswald – and identifies him as a suspect.

3:15 pm – Hosty enters Fritz’s office and joins Oswald interrogation with FBI SA Bookout.

3:54 pm – NBC newsman Bill Ryan – “Lee Oswald seems to be the prime suspect in the assassination of John F. Kennedy.”

4:05 pm – First interrogation session interrupted for a police lineup – Helen Markham

4:10 pm – Oswald searched Detective Simms – who takes Oswald’s USMC ring, and five live rounds of .38 bullets are found in his left front pants pocket. Bus transfer 4459 found in left pocket of brown shirt.

4:35 pm – First Lineup – w/ W. E. “Bill” Perry (DPD officer in suit coat), DPD officer R. L. Clark, and jail clerk Don Ables.

4:45 pm – Oswald interrogation continued, w/ Capt. Fritz, SA Hosty, SA Bookhout, SSI Kelly and SS SAIC Forrest Sorrels, and possibly DPD Detectives.

Fritz asks Oswald if he had killed the President – Bookhout – “He spoke very loudly…he gave an emphatic denial….I suppose the word ‘frantically’ would probably describe it.” 71

Armstrong: “DPD officer Marrion Baker returned to DPD headquarters and parked his motorcycle at the end of his shift. After giving a statement relating to his activities at the time of the assassination Baker walked by Fritz’s office. He overheard one of the interrogator shout at Oswald, ‘Did you kill the President?...Did you kill the President?’ Oswald shouted back, ‘That’s absurd, I want a lawyer, I want a lawyer!” 73 Baker’s testimony shows that certain statements made by Oswald in his defense were not recorded by his interrogators or reported to the Warren Commission.”

6:20 pm. First interrogation session ends.

Capt. Fritz: “I noted that in questioning him that he did answer very quickly, and I asked him if he had ever been questioned before, and he told me that he had. Every time I asked him a question that meant something, that would produce evidence, he immediately told me he wouldn’t tell me about it and he seemed to anticipate what I was going to ask.” 75

Fritz: “You didn’t have to sit there very long and listen to them talk to Oswald to realize that this guy had been trained in interrogation. By that I mean resisting interrogation.”

6:20 pm  – Oswald taken by Dets. Sims, Boyd and Hall to basement for 2^nd lineup w/ Perry, Clark and Ables (for bus driver Cecil McWatters, Ted Callaway and Sam Guinyard).

Walking down the hall Oswald says: “I don’t know what this is about,…I didn’t shoot anyone…I never killed anybody.”

6:30 pm. – Hosty taken off the case by senior FBI Counterintelligence officer – who ordered him to have “no further discussion with Oswald and conduct no investigation of Oswald’s background.” 80

6: 37 pm – Oswald returned to Capt. Fritz’s office by Dets. Sims, Boyd and Hall.
In hall Oswald says: “I don’t know where you get your information. I haven’t committed any acts of violence….I want to get with a lawyer, Mr. Abt, in New York City….I never killed anybody.” 94

7:00 Vic Robertson of KFAA –TV saw Ruby try to enter Capt. Fritz’s office while Oswald being questioned.

7:04 pm – Justice of the Peace David Johnston and Asst. DA Bill Alexander enter Fritz’s office to have Fritz sign a complaint charging Oswald “With Malice Afterthought” in the murder of Officer J.D. Tippit.
7:10 Johnston reads the complaint to Oswald

Armstrong notes: “The charge against Oswald would have required the State of Texas to prove that Oswald went to 10^th and Patton with the intention of killing Tippit (premeditation), which would have been nearly impossible.

7:15 pm – Oswald’s Second Interrogation Session w/ FBI SA Manny Clements, SA Bookout. Clements obtains detailed background info from Oswald for approximately 30 minutes. 103

7:40 pm (approx) Oswald taken for another lineup w/ DPD Det. Sims and Boyd, while Clements examines contents of Oswald’s wallet. 104 including DD 1173

Third lineup includes Richard Walker (prisoner), Ellis Carl Brazel (prisoners) and jail clerk Don Ables (for Barbara Jeanette and Virginai Ruth Davis)

7:55 pm – Sims and Boyd return Oswald to Fritz’s office.

In hall Oswald says: “They’ve taken me in because of the fact that I’ve lived in the Soviet Union. I’m just a patsy.” 114

In Fritz’s office FBI SA Clements questioned Oswald for another hour and a half, re: Alek James Hidell, past residences and occupations.

Clements- “He responded to my questions…he was courteous, responsive as to any questions, volunteered very little information…he seemed to be in command of himself both physically and mentally. He had what appeared to me to be a slightly haughty or arrogant attitude.” 112

8:55 pm – Oswald is fingerprinted in Fritz’s office by Det. Johnny Hicks and R. L. Studebaker of the DPD crime lab. Oswald refuses to sign fingerprint card. Also present are Capt George Doughty, head of crime lab, and Sgt. Barnes and Det. Hicks, who take paraffin casts of Oswald’s hands and right cheek. 113

9 pm – Chief Curry tells officer to take Oswald to the showup room in the basement for a press conference.

11 pm. SA Manny Clements resumed his questioning of Oswald w/ DPD Dets. John Adamcik and L.D. Montgomery, until Oswald says, “I think I have talked long enough. I don’t have anything else to say…what started out to be a short interrogation turned out to be rather lengthy…I don’t care to talk anymore….I am waiting for someone to come forward and give me legal assistance.”

11:15 pm. Chief Curry’s press conference begins, w/Ruby present.

11:25 pm. Oswald taken to police assembly (showup) room where DA Henry Wade read a prepared statement about Oswald – Ruby (“I’m a reporter tonight”) corrects him “That’s the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, Henry.”

11:26pm Capt. Fritz signs a formal complaint charging Oswald with the murder of President Kennedy. 136

Oswald tells reporters: “Well, I was questioned by Judge Johnston. However, I protested at that time that I was not allowed legal representation during that very short and sweet hearing. I really don’t know what this situation is all about. Nobody has told me anything except that I am accused of murdering a policeman. I know nothing more than that, and I do request that someone come forward and give me legal assistance.”

A reporter asked him, “Did you kill the President?”

Oswald: “No, I have not been charged with that. In fact, nobody has said that to me yet. The first thing I heard about it was when the newspaper reporters in the hall asked me that question.”

Chief Curry: “You have been charged.”

Oswald visibly shaken by Curry’s remark, as being led away said, “I did not do it. I did not do it. I did not shoot anyone.”

After the press conference Ruby gives Judge Johnston a Carousel Club card and arranges for WNEW newman Icarus Ike Pappas to interview Henry Wade.

12: 10 pm Oswald then taken to maximum-security cell on 5^th floor F Block.

12:23 am. Oswald is taken to 4^th floor Identification Bureau by Sgt. Wilson Warren, and T.V. Todd, fingerprinted for second time and photographed.
1:10 am – Oswald returned to his cell by Wilson and Todd.

1:15 am – Ruby arranges interview between Wade and KLIF radio man Russ Knight – Ruby asks Knight to ask Wade if Oswald is insane. 

1:35 am – Oswald taken back to 4^th floor ID Bureau and then taken before Justice of the Peace David Johnston, who arranged Oswald for the “Murder With Malice of John F. Kennedy.”

Oswald: “I don’t know what you are talking about. What’s the idea of this? What are you ding this for?....Well, I guess this is the trial. I want to contact my lawyer, Mr. Abt, in New York City. I would like to have this gentleman. He is with the American Civil Liberties Union.” 

Oswald then returned to his cell on 5^th Floor F Block

Chief Curry – around midnight decided to let the FBI have all the evidence and without written inventory,

3:30 am - FBI agent Vince Drain departed Carswell AFB on C-130 tanker with evidence to DC

FBI memo written from Mexico City around this time says: “If Oswald was part of a foreign conspiracy, he might be killed before he could reveal lit to US authorities.”

10:30 am – Oswald’s Third Interrogation, w/Dets. Sims and Boyd check Oswald out of his cell and brought him to Fritz’s office, w/ Det. Billy L. Senkel, Dets. Fay M. Turner, SA Bookhout, US Marshall Robert Nash SSSAIC Forrest Sorrels, SS Agent David B. Grant, SS Inspector Thomas J. Kelley and Frits. 186

Fritz: Oswald said: “Ate lunch with some of the colored boys.”

Bookhout: “He had eaten lunch in the lunchroom at the Texas School Book Depository, alone, but recalled possibly two negro employees walking through the room during this period.”

11:25 am – Chief Jesse Curry tells UPI reporters that the FBI agents had interviewed Oswald recently and had him under surveillance. J. E. Hoover instructs C.D. DeLoach to contact FBI SAIC Gordon Shanklin to instruct Curry to retract his statements and make no more.

11:30 am – Frtiz terminates the interview and Boyd and Sims return Oswald to his cell

12:30 pm – Judge Joe Brown, Jr. issues search warrant for 2515 W. 5^th St. Irving Paine residence for Dets. Stovall, Moore, Adamcick and Rose, Irving PD det. McCabe.

12:35 pm. Oswald taken to Fritz’s officer for Fourth Interrogation session w/ SS Ins. Kelley, Dets. Senkel, Tiernon, SA Bookhout and Fritz. Fritz questions Oswald about the backyard photos.

1:00 pm. Marguerite and Marina Oswald granted permission to visit prisoner.

1:10 pm. Oswald returned to his cell.

1:15 pm. Chief Currey rephrased his remarks and told NBC TV FBI did not have previous info on Oswald. 201
1:15 pm Oswald removed from 5^th floor cell by “Stacy” 214 to meet with Marina and Marguerite.

2:15 pm. – Oswald’s fourth lineup w/  prisoners John Thurman Horne, Daniel Edmond Knapp and Daniel Gutierrez Lujan  (for cab drivers William Whaley, William Scoggins). Oswald uncooperative and causes disturbance.

2:45 pm At the request of FBI agent Hall, Det. J. Donihoo and Bobby G. Brown went to Oswald’s cell and obtained hair samples and fingerprint scrapings, placed in round pill boxes and given to Agent Hall.

3:37 pm – Oswald removed from his cell to see brother Robert Oswald  
“I don’t know what they’re talking about. Don’t believe all this so-called evidence.”

4:00 pm – Oswald requests permission to use telephone. Oswald tries to reach Abt in NYC and calls Mrs. Paine and asks her to try to contact him but there’s no indication she did.

4:00 pm. Chief Curry asks Fritz if he was finished questioning Oswald and Fritz said he wanted to begin questioning him again at 6 pm. Curry and Fritz reject the idea of moving Oswald at night and agree to move him to County Jail at Dealey Plaza at 10 am the next day.

5:30 pm President of the Dallas Bar Association H. Louis Nichols visits Oswald in his cell. Oswald said he is being “kept incommunicado.”

6:00 pm. Oswald taken to his Sixth Interrogation session at Fritz’s office w/ Fritz, Det. Sims, L.C. Graves, M.G. Hall, SS Insp. Kelley, FBI SA Bookout and Det. Gus Rose, who had just returned from Paine residence w/ backyard photos blown up by the DPD photo.

7:15 pm. Oswald returned to his cell.

8:00 pm Oswald asks DPD police officer J. L. Popplewell, to use telephone, spoke to someone for nearly half hour,

8:15 pm Chief Curry hold press conference, telling reporters that Oswald would not be transferred that evening but next morning at 10 am.

9:30 – Oswald calls Mrs. Paine and asks for Marina

10:00 pm. – Sixth Interrogation of Oswald in Fritz’s office with just Capt. Fritz

10:45 pm. – Oswald asks to use phone to call Mr. John Hurt in North Carolina.

9:30 am – November 24, 1963 Oswald’s last interrogation, w/ Fritz, Kelley, Sorrels, Dets. Levelle, Capt. C.N. Dhority,  and Postal Inspector Harry Holmes, L.C. Graves (arrives late)

11:10 am – Oswald given sweater to wear and asked if he wanted to cover his face and he said no.

“The only responsible deduction you can make is that Oswald was a double agent. He was the most arrogant son of a bitch I’ve ever questioned. Oswald was obviously trained to resist interrogation, he couldn’t have known how to do it on his own.”