Andrew L. Urban.
‘Failure to search is failure to find’ goes the investigator’s mantra, and boy, does Ex-Detective Sergeant/Task Force Team Leader and latterly author Colin McLaren prove that to be true with his exhaustive and explosive book, JFK: The Smoking Gun (2013, Hachette). Now his new book is due out on January 29, 2019 – Southern Justice (Hachette), taking apart the tortured Sue Neill-Fraser case.
McLaren’s four and a half year search into the crime that stopped the world – the killing of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 – and the subsequent investigations, carries a punch as powerful as the exploding bullet of the AR-15 assault rifle that blew the President’s brain out – accidentally. That’s right. And the AR-15 was fired by an inexperienced Secret Service Agent in the car behind the Presidential limo, immediately after Lee Harvey Oswald’s second shot – which famously went through Kennedy’s neck and into Texas Governor John Connally’s wrist. That was a very different kind of bullet. That was a full metal jacket bullet from Oswald’s Carcano rifle, designed to go clean through a body. Not the frangible bullets used in the AR-15, which are designed to explode on impact to cause maximum damage to the victim.
McLaren describes the subsequent Warren Commission investigation and its massive report as a ‘commission of omission’ – and he should know, having read it, reread it and followed up leads and witness statements – including those that never made it into the Commission hearings. This book defines ‘thorough investigation’. It also presents compelling evidence that the Secret Service was desperate to cover up the truth. And they were pretty successful – until McLaren came along, well after all the bloated conspiracy theories had floated, and are still afloat.
In anticipation of Southern Justice, I have just read JFK:The Smoking Gun, which I somehow missed on its release in 2013 – ironically, the year my attention was entirely captured by the Sue Neill-Fraser case. Quite apart from the extraordinary investigation into the JFK killing, McLaren lays out his findings with clarity and conviction. It is a gripping read. In other circumstances I might have said ‘it blows your mind’.
Both books available in store and online at Amazon. (Southern Justice advance orders) Review of Southern Justice coming soon.
McLaren also worked on filmmaker Eve Ash’s (Shadow of Doubt) upcoming Seven Network true crime series Undercurrent, to go to air in February 2019.
Last night (2024 04 26) I watched on SBS Sydney
JFK: The Home Movie That Changed The World
Documentary:
Abraham Zapruder was the only man to completely film John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Zapruder’s own words and images, combined with eyewitness testimony from spectators, police outriders and photographers, paint a vivid portrait of that day.
You can (hopefully) view it here:
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/watch/2277692483853
Remenber Nov 21/22/1963 SSA men were involved in a ‘drinking incident’ at the Dallas Press Club and later The Cellar night club,during JFK visit Tx and JFK assassination, wore sunglasses probarbly hangover?(During Obama trip )has yet to interview two of the 12 women who reportedly spent the night with SSA employees,misconduct ( is it true.)Suarez said the men hustled to pool together some money, gave her $250 and she agreed to leave/Only goes to show that SSA Mar 11, 2015 · Obama administration is investigating allegations that two senior Secret Service agents, including a top member of the president’s protective detail, drove a government car into a barracade.How about the intruder that got into WH Sept 20,2014 why didn’t the SSA prevent that from happening?Colin McLaren JFK: The Smoking Gun Book :claims that George Hickey, a Secret Service man riding in the car behind Kennedy, accidentally fired his weapon on November 22, 1963. A witness (of many) Hugh Betzner said he standing along motorcade take pictures he saw a man either in pres_ car or in (SSA ) car behind his pull out what look like a rifle.Why did it take Clint Hill so long to help Jackie when she got out of her seat got on back of trunk after Jfk got Shot?
If you have seen any of Mclarens mafia documentaries, then the absolutely silly information put forward in this book wouldn’t come as much of a surprise. But hey, them coppers ALWAYS make sure to only ever speak the truth now don’t they???
Colin McLaren’s book on the Secret Service accidental shooting of JFK is not new info, it was thoroughly and comprehensively outlaid in a book “Mortal Error” by Bonar Menninger well over twenty years ago. If you had not actually read any of the many JFK assassination books written, and read the Menninger book in isolation, it would be pretty convincing but up against other studies particularly the Jim Garrison book and others of his school of thought the Menninger book skates on thin ice. Here in australia a big believer in the Menninger book was radio “personality” and current senator (???!!!!) the Human Headline Derryn Hinch, his support makes it look even flimsier.
Additionally, in my opinion Colin McLaren’s work on what happened to Lady Di is remarkable investigative work.