The Two Marguerite Oswalds

      by John Armstrong



As students of the assassination of President Kennedy, it is important to suspend for a moment the details on the ground in Dealey Plaza, in order to understand a period of unprecedented change in America in the postwar world of 1945-63.  That world was becoming an increasingly scary place.  In August, 1945, the world's first atomic bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The British Empire, Germany, and Japan were in a state of collapse.  A new world order was being shaped with two superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, locked in an ideological struggle and an arms race.  The new American foreign policy of "containment" and the "domino theory" were being taught to school children.  A March 1946 poll showed that 60 percent of Americans believed that U.S policy toward Russia was "too soft."  Winston Churchill delivered his "Iron Curtain" speech on March 6, 1946; his famous image served to define the world in a pair of binary opposites.  A new national security network was created with virtually unlimited powers, as the Central Intelligence Agency was created on July 26, 1947, when President Truman signed the National Security Act into law.  In a climate of fear that extended through the McCarthy era, the prevailing view was that extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures.  It appeared as though American people were willing to accept secrecy from their government in return for keeping everyone safe.  It was in this world in the late 1940s that a relatively inconsequential Cold War intelligence operation unfolded with the purpose of planting a Russian-speaking American spy in the Soviet Union.  This story has nothing to do directly with the assassination of President Kennedy.  But it has everything to do with understanding the true identity of Lee Harvey Oswald and Marguerite Oswald.

For hundreds of years secret agents and spies have been used to confuse, mislead, and deceive, in order to acquire sensitive military information. Spies often assume the identity of a person who died as a child, died in battle, or simply disappeared. However, there are many problems when a spy assumes the identity of a dead person. The main problem has always been the inability to trace the biography of a spy back to their families, to their childhood, and to their birth record. A comprehensive background investigation of a suspected spy will uncover their true identity and will also uncover the identity of the person who's identity they assumed.

RUSSIAN SPIES




Julius and Ethel Rosenburg
Rudolph Abel
Kim Philby



A basic requirement for infiltrating a spy into a foreign country is that he/she speak and read the local language fluently. After all, it would be pointless to send an English speaking spy into China, Russia, the middle east, unless they spoke and read the language. Tens of millions of people were killed in Europe during World War II, which resulted in tens of thousands of refugee children from many different countries. Thousands of these underage children, who spoke only their native languages, were relocated to the United States and placed with foster families. One of these children, in my opinion, was a 6-7-8 year old Russian-speaking boy who was placed with a middle aged woman caretaker in New Jersey and/or New York.  This caretaker was given the name "Marguerite Oswald." I call this woman the Marguerite Oswald impostor.


AMERICAN SPIES



Oleg Penkovsky
Lee HARVEY Oswald


1920--Robert Edward Lee Oswald & Margaret Emma Keating





Robert Edward Lee Oswald was born on March 4, 1896. As an adult he worked for the Metropolitan Life Insurance company in New Orleans. On November 1, 1920, 24 year old Robert married 28 year old Margaret Emma Keating (DOB April 28, 1892). Thirteen years later, on January 10, 1933, the couple divorced. Mz. Keating never remarried and continued living in her home at 120 N. Telemachus in New Orleans for the next 30 years.

1929--Edward John Pic & Marguerite Francis Claverie



Marguerite Oswald-1927

Edward John Pic (DOB August 21, 1907) and Marguerite Francis Claverie  (DOB July 19, 1907) were married on August 1, 1929. On January 17, 1932 John Edward Pic was born. A year and a half later the couple divorced, on July 15, 1933. Mr. Pic eventually remarried and in 1964 was interviewed in New Orleans by the Warren Commission. Mr. Pic lived a long life and died at age 94 on January 22, 2002.


1933--Robert Edward Lee Oswald and Marguerite Oswald





Five days after divorcing Edward John Pic, Marguerite married Robert Edward Lee Oswald (DOB March 4, 1896) in New Orleans on July 20, 1933. Nine months later, on April 7, 1934, Robert Oswald was born. On August 19, 1939 Robert Edward Lee Oswald died from a heart attack at age 43. Two months later, on October 18, LEE Harvey Oswald was born in New Orleans.

In the early 1940s, after two marriages and three children, Marguerite Claverie Oswald began working for the US Navy in Algiers, Louisiana, across the river from New Orleans.  Marguerite soon met Edwin Ekdahl (DOB September 26, 1895), an electrical engineer who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Ekdahl was working for Ebasco Services Company in New York City. One of Ebasco's projects was the design of a large electrical generation station in the Soviet Union, which suggests this company worked closely with US intelligence. In 1964, following the assassination of President Kennedy, the FBI requested information from Ebasco related to the employment of Mr. Ekdahl. The FBI was told that Ebasco was unable to provide such information. In 1945 Marguerite Claverie Oswald (photo below, left) moved to Ft. Worth and married Edwin Ekdahl. Two years later, in the summer of 1947 while living with Ekdahl and her three sons at 1505 8th Avenue in Ft. Worth, another "Marguerite Oswald" (photo below, right) was living at 101 San Saba in Benbrook, TX with a young Russian-speaking boy who was given the name "HARVEY Oswald."

What follows is a detailed biographical study of a government sponsored caretaker, who I call the "Marguerite Oswald impostor," who was given the job of taking care of young HARVEY Oswald.  For the next 12 years, this impostor and HARVEY lived in close proximity to Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her son LEE Harvey Oswald. As these young boys lived nearby in the same cities, often attended the same schools, and later spent time in the Marines Corps, both HARVEY Oswald and LEE Oswald had established very similar backgrounds. At age 18 the plan was to have Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald "assume" the identity of American born LEE Harvey Oswald. HARVEY would then "defect" to the Soviet Union, where his native speaking Russian ability would be invaluable. The Russian KGB, if concerned or curious about this American "defector," would then be able to track Lee Harvey Oswald's background back to his birth.

The mother of LEE Oswald and the caretaker/impostor mother of HARVEY Oswald were part of what CIA accountant James Wilcott called “the Oswald Project,” a highly secret American intelligence operation cryptonamed RX ZIM. The intent of the Oswald Project (RX ZIM) was to send a young man who could read, write, and speak the Russian language to the Soviet Union with a U.S. identity. The American public was never supposed to know anything about HARVEY Oswald (the second “Lee Harvey Oswald”) or his caretaker, the Marguerite Oswald impostor. The following sheds light on both the two “Lee Harvey Oswalds” as well as the two women who served as their mothers. It dates back to as early as 1947.







Above left is Marguerite Claverie Oswald, the tall, attractive, well dressed mother of LEE Harvey Oswald (1957 photo). Note her horizontal eyebrows, wide smile, and pleasant appearance. On the right is the caretaker of HARVEY Oswald, the young man who was accused of assassinating President Kennedy (1954 photo). This short, heavy-set impostor switched identities with Marguerite Claverie Oswald in 1959--in preparation for Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald's "defection" to the Soviet Union. She (the "impostor") was very short (around 5'0"), had very downward slanting eyebrows, a small mouth, was heavy-set, poorly dressed, and wore glasses.

Marguerite Claverie Oswald, the Mother of LEE Harvey Oswald



Marguerite Claverie Oswald was born in New Orleans on July 19, 1907. She married Edward Pic in 1929 with whom she had a son (John Pic). Marguerite and Pic divorced, Marguerite soon married Robert E.L. Oswald in 1933 with whom she had two sons (Robert Oswald, LEE Harvey Oswald). Marguerite was relatively tall (about 5' 6" - 5' 7"), attractive, well groomed, always dressed nicely, was continually employed, had straight horizontal eyebrows, a wide smile, and was never known to wear glasses.






1937
1945
1942
1960


On May 7, 1945 Marguerite Claverie (Oswald) and Edwin Ekdahl were married in Rockwall, TX. The photo below (left) shows 5'6" Marguerite and 5'11"-6'0" Ekdahl standing in front of Ekdahl's 1938 Buick on their wedding day. The photo in the middle shows Marguerite and Ekhahl in 1947.  The photo on the right is of Marguerite in 1949 standing in front of her car at 101 San Saba in Benbrook, TX.




1945
1947
1949


Marguerite Claverie Oswald was a steadying influence on her son LEE Oswald, who always had a history of good attendance at schools in Fort Worth, New York City, and New Orleans. In 1947 Marguerite (Oswald) Ekdahl was living with her husband and son (LEE) in the upstairs apartment of a duplex at 1505 8th Avenue in Fort Worth. In the summer of 1947 fifteen year old John Pic worked at Walgreens and then at the Tex Gold ice cream parlor, four blocks south of their apartment. By the end of summer (1947) Pic was promoted to assistant manager. In the fall of 1947 LEE Oswald attended the nearby Lilly B. Clayton Elementary School. The Oswalds (Pic, Robert, LEE) spent the Christmas holidays of 1947 at 1505 8th Avenue with Ekdahl.  1947 WAS A VERY IMPORTANT YEAR FOR THE OSWALD FAMILY.

Christmas 1947 at 1505 8th Avenue LEE Oswald, riding his tricyle at 1505 8th Avenue


On July 7, 1947  Marguerite C. Ekdahl purchased a small home at 101 San Saba in Benbrook, TX, a suburb of Fort Worth. Georgia Bell, who lived across the street, said that a "short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald" and her young son lived in this house from the summer of 1947 until Thanksgiving. Marguerite C. Ekdahl, who was then living at 1505 8th Ave. in Fort Worth, owned and rented this house to tenants. The photo on the left shows the tall, nicely dressed Marguerite (Claverie) Ekdahl standing in front of her car, a 1938 Plymouth. The photo on the right shows the same car, a building in the background, and the notation "Blackie, 1949." The small building was built and owned by Mr. Sells. Both photos were taken at 101 San Saba, in Benbook, a house which Marguerite owned and rented  from 1947 to August 20, 1952.





In March of 1948 Marguerite Claverie Oswald left Edwin Ekdahl, filed for divorce, and moved to a small home at 3300 Willing St. in Fort Worth. On March 19 LEE Oswald transferred to the nearby George Clark Elementary School in the 2nd grade. John Pic told the Warren Commission, "We (Pic and Robert Oswald) returned from Chamberlain-Hunt in May 1948, to a house I don't remember the address of, sir, but we were back down in the lower class again....It was right slap next to the railroad tracks (3300 Willing Street)....I remember we had to listen to the trains going back and forth. She had moved into this house a couple or 3 months prior to us returning from school.

Pic told the Warren Commission, "sometime in the summer of 1948, the divorce took place in Tarrant County, city of Fort Worth (June 24).... Right after this is when she purchased the house in Ben-brook, Tex., the little house. It was an L--shaped house, sir, being the top of the L was her bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room with a screened-in porch. She and Lee slept together. My brother and I slept in the living room in the screened-in porch on studio couches." Marguerite Claverie Oswald then began working at Leonards Department Store, and in late July at the W.C. Stripling Company. Pic told the Warren Commission "....my mother informed me that the best thing for me to do was not return to school but to get a job and help the family supplement its income....I obtained a job at Everybody's Department Store which belonged to Leonard Bros....about the same time that I went to work and Lee and Robert returned to school is when my mother bought the house at 7408 Ewing (September, 1948). From John Pic's testimony we learn that Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her three sons lived in the small house at 101 San Saba in July and August, 1948.

From July thru September, 1949 Marguerite Claverie Oswald was Assistant Store Manager of the Lerner's Store in Fort Worth. From September 10 thru November 24, 1949 she was working at Burt's Shoe Store. On November 22 she began work in a booth at Cox's Dept Store under the supervision of Mrs. Lowell Hopkins. In January, 1950 John Pic joined the US Coast Guard and was assigned to Cape May, New Jersey. In the Spring of 1950 Marguerite Claverie Oswald was fired at Cox's Dept Store and worked briefly for McDonald Kitchens as a hostess. In June she began working for the Joseph Luker Insurance Agency (National Bankers Life), where she was employed for the next year and a half. Researchers should note that the FBI did a good job in piecing together Marguerite Claverie Oswald's work history in the 1940s thru the mid 1950s.

On November 1, 1951 Marguerite transferred title to 101 San Saba to Otis Carleton and on November 15 she purchased a small house at 4833 Birchman, 6 blocks from Stripling Junior High School.

On March 6, 1952 Marguerite left the Luker Agency and began working for Evans and Associates. On July 15, 1952 Robert Oswald left home and joined the Marines. One month later, on August 20, Marguerite sold her home at 7408 Ewing. She quit her job and two weeks later Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her son LEE drove their 1948 Dodge to New York City and moved into John Pic and his wife's small apartment in Manhattan. John Pic told the Warren Commission that LEE Oswald enrolled in a school close to the Pic's apartment. John Pic said this school was between 89th & 90th Streets and between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. But LEE Oswald's older brother, Robert Oswald, wrote "Lee entered the 8th grade at Public School 44 on Columbus Avenue at 76th St. (LEE, by Robert Oswald, pg. 63). This school is the William J. O'Shea Junior High School, identified as PS 44 (Public School 44) in Manhattan. The Warren Commission ignored John Pic's testimony, ignored Robert Oswald, and instead chose to rely on black and white "photographs" of Oswald's school records given to them by the FBI. These photographs showed that LEE Oswald attended Trinity Lutheran School and Public School 117, in the Bronx, and were miles away from schools in Manhattan as reported by John Pic and Robert Oswald.

NOTE: There was a PS #44 (Public School #44) in each of the 5 New York City burroughs--Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. It would have been very easy to place LEE in PS #44 in Manhattan, and place HARVEY in PS #44 in another burrough at the same time. Following the assassination of President Kennedy NYC Judge Florence Kelly obtained Oswald's original NYC school records. She allowed the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI's New York City office, John Malone, to review those records and make notes only in her presence. Later, after conferring with colleagues, Judge Kelly gave Oswald's original NYC school records to Malone, and those records disappeared. The FBI then provided the Warren Commission with black and white "photographs," allegedly of Oswald's school records, which the Commission accepted without question.


5' 1" husky LEE Oswald in 6th grade in 1952. John Pic identified this photo as his brother. The following year, in 1953, NYC school records listed LHO's height as 5' 4" in 1953.


In January, 1953 the House Un-American Activites Committee (HUAC) file in New York City made reference to a "Mrs. M. Oswald" in a CIA Office of Security file. This file contained references to 1941, Nazi's and New Jersey. Judge John Tunheim, of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) wrote to Henry Hyde and requested the HUAC file on "Mrs. M Oswald," but his request was denied. The day after President Kennedy was assassinated the FBI office in NYC received a telephone call from Mrs. Jack Tippit, of Westport, Connecticut. Mrs. Tippit told FBI Agent James McCarthy about a phone call she had just received from a woman with a foreign accent. The woman read about the death of DPD officer Tippit and thought Mrs. Tippit might be a relative. The woman said she was from NYC, would not identify herself, but had come to Westport, CN for the purpose of calling Mrs. Tippit. The woman said, "she knew Oswald's father and uncle, who were Hungarians and Communists...Oswald's father and uncle had lived at 77th and 2nd Avenue in Yorkville, NYC, were unemployed, and spent all of their time on Communist activities." The woman mentioned the name "Weinstock," editor of Woman's World (or perhaps Workers World), "Emile Kardos," and said something about a "brother-in-law" before ending the conversation. Louis Weinstock was head of the Communist Party in NYC, and may have been secretly working for the US government. In 1962 Harvey Oswald wrote to the "Worker," and requested literature and pamphlets.

In February, 1953 John Pic and his family were invited to dinner at the Oswald's apartment. This was the last time Pic would see his brother for 9 years. In 1962 Pic was invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at Robert Oswald's home, where he met the Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald. Pic told the Warren Commission, "the Lee Harvey Oswald I met in November of 1962 [Thanksgiving] was not the Lee Harvey Oswald I had known 10 years previous [in New York]." When the Warren Commission showed John Pic photographs of HARVEY Oswald taken in 1953, 1957, and 1963 he refused to identify these photos as his brother. Robert Oswald most certainly knew that the Russian speaking HARVEY was not his brother, because Robert had lived with both HARVEY Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor at 4936 Collinwood for 6 months in 1956.

On February 17, 1953 Marguerite Claverie Oswald began working at Martin's Dept. Store, 501 Fulton St., Bronx, NY, listing former employers as Lerners Shops (NYC--Oct, 1952 to Jan, 1953), Evans and Associates (Ft. Worth, TX--Jan, 1952 to Aug, 1952), National Bankers Life (Ft. Worth, TX--June, 1950 to Jan, 1952). On May 9, 1953 Marguerite began working for Lady Orva Hosiery, 404 Park Ave. South, NYC. She voluntarily terminated employment with Lady Orva on December 26, 1953.

In January, 1954 Marguerite Claverie Oswald and LEE Oswald re-located from New York to New Orleans, where LEE enrolled in Beauregard Junior High and was assigned to homeroom #303. Marguerite rented an apartment at 1454 St. Marys from her long time close friend Myrtle Evans and began work at Burt's Shoe Store on February 19. Myrtle Evans and Marguerite had known each other for 20 years. Myrtle saw and talked with Marguerite and LEE Oswald "nearly every day" when they lived in her apartment building in 1954. Myrtle said, "Marguerite was a very good housekeeper, very tasty... she was always so lovely herself... she was beautiful." Myrtle's husband, Julian Evans, said of Marguerite, "she was a fashion plate."

In late summer, 1954 Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her son LEE moved to 126 Exchange. Marguerite continued to work at Burt's Shoe Store until she was discharged on October 9. A month  later, on November 15, she began working at Chandler's Shoe Store. In the fall of 1954 LEE Oswald became friends with Ed Voebel, who visited their apartment and met Lee Oswald's mother, Marguerite Claverie Oswald. Following the assassination Voebel saw Mrs. Oswald (the impostor) on television and photographs of her in the newspapers. Voebel told the Warren Commission, "...I had a picture in my mind which was different from when I saw her in the paper after all of this happened. I didn't recognize her. She was a lot thinner, and her hair wasn't as grey, as I recall it, when I met her." The woman Voebel met in 1955, the tall, nice-looking Marguerite Claverie Oswald, was not the woman he saw in the newspapers and on television--the short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor.


In June, 1955 Lee Oswald joined the Civil Air Patrol, and got a full time job at the Gerald F. Tujague Company, a local freight forwarder.  LEE Oswald's supervisor, Frank DiBenedetto, told the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) that Oswald worked at Tujague's for "a year to a year and a half," from June, 1955 thru the summer of 1956. This was a serious problem. In the fall of 1955, while "Lee Harvey Oswald" was working with Frank DiBenedetto at Tujague's, another "Lee Harvey Oswald" was attending Warren Easton High School.The FBI solved the problem by manipulating Oswald's employment records. The day after the assassination they collected all of Oswald's weekly time cards from Tujague's. However, they used only a small number of those time cards to show the WC that Oswald began working at Tujague's only after he dropped out of Warren Easton High School. They then used a few time cards to show the WC that Oswald quit work at Tujague's prior to working for Nick Mazza at the J. R. Michaels Co in mid-January The FBI then created fake W-2 forms for 1955 and 1956 that matched the amount of wages paid to Oswald for those two months. The FBI 's manipulation and fabrication of evidence was essential in covering up the existence of two Lee Harvey Oswalds in 1955 thru early 1956.

On January 7, 1956 Marguerite Claverie Oswald's employment at Chandler's Shoes ended. According to neighbor Mildred Sawyer, Marguerite then found work at Kriegers and later at Goldrings Dept Store on March 16. It is worth noting that the FBI never obtained employment records for "Marguerite Oswald" from either Goldrings or Kriegers in New Orleans. Why? Because her employment at Goldrings in 1956 conflicted with the Marguerite Oswald impostor living in Fort Worth at the same time. Her employment in New Orleans from 1959 thru 1961 conflicted with the Marguerite Oswald impostor living and working in Fort Worth.

After working 4 1/2 months at Goldrings Dept Store Marguerite Claverie Oswald voluntarily terminated her employment on July 31, 1956.  LEE Oswald quit his job at Tujague's and told his boss, Frank DiBenedetto, that he was going to join the Marines. John Pic told the WC that Robert Oswald drove to New Orleans, picked up his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) and brother (LEE) and drove them to Fort Worth. Marguerite rented an apartment at 3830 W. 6th in September and resided in this apartment for the next two years. At the same time Robert Oswald was living 1.8 miles away at 4936 Collinwood, with the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY Oswald.


Google image


NOTE:  On February 21, 1961 the Ft. Worth Retail Merchants Association, at the request of FBI Agent John Fain, provided information from their files on Marguerite Claverie Oswald. On  May 29, 1957 she was residing at 3830 W. 6th, with previous addresses listed as 7408 Ewing (1948-1952), 3300 Willing (summer, 1948), and 1505 8th Avenue (1947--summer, 1948). This is an accurate and complete list of Marguerite Claverie Oswald's addresses in Ft. Worth from 1947 thru 1959. However, not a single one of these addresses were for the Marguerite Oswald impostor. The short, heavy-set impostor lived at 101 San Saba, 4936 Collinwood, 1031 W 5th, 3124 W. 5th, 2220 Thomas Place, 313 Templeton Drive, 3613 Harley, 1410 Hurley St, 1407 8th Ave., 1501 W. 7th, in Waco, TX., Boyd, TX, and Vernon, TX. In other words, while residing at more than a dozen different addresses in and around Ft. Worth, the Marguerite Oswald impostor avoided contact with any business that would request a credit report on "Marguerite Oswald." This impostor did not apply for employment at a medium or large business in Ft. Worth, she did not open a bank account in Ft. Worth, she had no utility services in her name (water, sewer, electricity, gas, telephone, garbage, etc), she had no homeowners or auto insurance, and she never applied for credit. The Marguerite Oswald impostor avoided any and all contact with businesses that that would cause her name to be reported to the Ft. Worth Retail Merchants Association or any other credit bureau.

NOTE 2: This same report, from the Ft. Worth Retail Merchants Associatiion, shows their file on Marguerite Claverie Oswald was opened in April, 1936. But in April, 1936, Marguerite Claverie Oswald was married and living in New Orleans, LA. Her first known visit to Ft. Worth was 10 years later, in 1946, with Edwin Ekdahl. So, how and why was the Ft. Worth Retail Merchants Association able to open a credit file on Marguerite Claverie Oswald in April, 1936?

In October, 1956, LEE Oswald joined the Marines and visited his mother at 3830 W. 6th, apt #3 when on leave. Marguerite's neighbor, Mr. Lee McCracken, told the FBI that LEE Oswald resided with his mother on one or two occasions when on leave from the Marines, and stayed around the home for about two weeks on each trip. There are no known FBI reports of an interview with the landlord, which would have showed that Marguerite Claverie Oswald lived in apt 3 from late August, 1956 thru late Spring, 1959. Such information would have conflicted with numerous FBI interviews that placed a 2nd "Marguerite Oswald" at more than 11 different locations during the same time period. Marguerite obtained employment at Clyde Campbells Mens Store and later at Paul's Shoe Store (see photo below) at 606 Houston St. in Ft. Worth. During 1957 and 1958 Marguerite was also a sales representative for Avon products and visited the homes of fellow co-workers.

Paul's Shoe Store--Christmas 1957


In the Spring of 1958 Marguerite Claverie Oswald left Paul's Shoe Store and began working for Family Publications. In the fall she began working for Cox's Dept Store, 7th & Throckmorton, where she had previously worked in the early 1950s, under the supervision of Mrs. Lowell Hopkins.  An FBI report indicates that in 1963 Mrs. Hopkins said that "after seeing Mrs. Oswald's picture in the newspaper and on television, she could not say that she recognized the picture as being Mrs. Oswald because, in her opinion, there has been a great deal of change in her physical appearance."The 1958 Fort Worth City Directory still listed her address as 3830 W. 6th. A year later, in the summer of 1959, Marguerite Claverie Oswald was working for Cox's Dept Store. As of June 27, 1960 she was employed as a saleslady for Avon Products. From the available evidence, it appears that Marguerite Claverie Oswald left Ft. Worth and moved to New Orleans  during the last half of 1960.

In New Orleans Marguerite Claverie Oswald once again obtained employment with Kriegers Dept. Store and Goldrings. Mrs. Logan Magruder, who had known Marguerite since 1943, saw and talked with her at Kriegers Dept Store in New Orleans. Mrs. Magruder told the FBI that she met and visited with Marguerite, "about three years ago" (circa 1960-61). Mrs. Oris Duane, who used to be Marguerite's supervisor at Jean's Hosiery shop in New Orleans, was interviewed by the FBI in 1964. She told the FBI that "3 or 4 years ago" (circa 1960-1961) Marguerite stopped by Lady Oris Hosiery where Mrs. Duane was store manager. Marguerite told Mrs. Duane that she was working at Goldrings Dept Store selling dresses on the 2nd floor. These two women, long time friends of Marguerite Claverie Oswald, place the real Marguerite Claverie Oswald in New Orleans in the early 1960s. The FBI now had information that Marguerite (Claverie) Oswald was working at Goldrings and Krieger's Dept. Stores in the early 1960's. To confirm her dates of employment the FBI only needed to secure employment records from Goldrings and Krieger's Dept Stores and interview management and co-workers. The FBI could also have obtained cancelled payroll checks from Goldrings and Kriegers as well as state income tax records from the State of Louisiana. But if the FBI had conducted an honest investigation concerning Marguerite Claverie Oswald's employment in Ft. Worth and New Orleans from 1956 thru 1963, those records would have conflicted with the Marguerite Oswald impostor's various residences and employment in New Orleans and Texas at the same time. Local FBI agents thoroughly investigated Marguerite Claverie Oswald's employment from the early 1940's thru the mid 1950's. They interviewed employers, co-workers, and beginning and ending dates of her employment. But in 1956 their investigation of Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her employment ended, because their investigation was now focused on the Marguerite Oswald impostor.

While Marguerite Claverie Oswald was living in New Orleans, in the summer of 1959, the Marguerite Oswald impostor was unemployed and living in Ft. Worth. In fact, when researchers look closely into the work history of the Marguerite Oswald impostor they find that during most of her life she was unemployed. She was unemployed in 1947 while living in Benbrook and did not have a car. There is no record of her employment in New York in 1952 and 1953. And there is only one record of her employment in New Orleans from 1954 thru 1956, and that was only for a few months working at Dolly Shoe.

In October, and months thereafter, the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY were living in the Hotel Senator in New Orleans. In 1957 this hotel would be considered a 3-4 star hotel. How this unemployed woman could afford rent in a New Orleans upper-scale hotel remains unknown. In 1959 Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald was in the Marine Corps in Santa Ana, CA where he constantly spoke Russian and talked about Cuba, Castro, and communism in preparation for his upcoming "defection" to the Soviet Union. In September HARVEY Oswald was discharged from the Marines, secured passage on a boat to Europe, and obtained a visa to enter the Soviet Union. A month later, after his "defection' became public, the press focused their attention on his "mother," the Marguerite Oswald impostor, who was living in Ft. Worth, while the real Marguerite Claverie Oswald was living in New Orleans.

NOTE: LEE Oswald, unlike his mother who was living quietly in New Orleans, remained visible after HARVEY Oswald"s "defection" to the Soviet Union. LEE Oswald used his real name and participated in Cold War shenanigans in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and New York. These activities, in 1960 and 1961, raised an alarm bell at the FBI, and J. Edgar Hoover believed that an "imposter" was using Oswald's identity while HARVEY was in Russia.

THE MARGUERITE OSWALD IMPOSTOR SWITCHED IDENTITIES WITH MARGUERITE CLAVERIE OSWALD

The short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor


The Marguerite impostor around 1956. Note the eyebrows slanting down away from her nose behind her glasses.

This is the "Marguerite Oswald" who testified to the Warren Commission, claiming to be the mother of Lee Harvey Oswald. She was, however, an impostor. This woman was not the mother of HARVEY Oswald and, in fact, was physically in stark contrast to the much taller, attractive, pleasant, well dressed mother of LEE Oswald. In the latter half of the 1940's this woman became the caretaker of a young Russian-speaking boy who was relocated to the United States by an agency of US intelligence. The young boy was given the name "Lee HARVEY Oswald," while this unidentified and unknown woman was given the name "Marguerite Oswald." Their assignment was to mirror the lives of Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her son, LEE Oswald, for the next 10 years. They accomplished this by sharing the same name and living in close proximity, which provided HARVEY and LEE an opportunity to attend the same schools. The goal was for both boys to live and experience very similar backgrounds. As young adults Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald would then switch identities with LEE Oswald for the purpose of "defecting" to the Soviet Union. In the Soviet Union, Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald could gather information and act as a spy on behalf of our Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). These two "Oswald families" were the central figures in the "Oswald project," a plan created by US Intelligence to place a young Russian speaking American person in the Soviet Union.

The "Marguerite Oswald impostor," was a short (5' 0" tall), heavy-set, poorly dressed woman who appeared to be many years older than Marguerite Claverie Oswald. Her origin, background, and details of her life prior to 1947 are unknown. This woman (the impostor) was questioned by the House Select Committee on Assassinations about her employment with New Orleans attorney Raoul Sere in the 1920's. But the woman employed by Mr. Sere was Marguerite Claverie Oswald, and not this woman--the Marguerite Oswald impostor. This impostor knew nothing about Mr. Sere or of his employment of Marguerite Claverie Oswald. When interviewed by the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) this impostor "declined to discuss her past activities at any length, refusing to respond to various questions."

The Marguerite Oswald imposter first appeared with HARVEY Oswald in Benbrook, TX, a suburb of Fort Worth, in June, 1947. They moved into a small house at 101 San Saba that was recently purchased by the real Marguerite Claverie Oswald, who was then living with husband Edwin Ekdahl at 1505 8th Avenue in Ft. Worth (7 miles distant). I met and visited with Georgia Bell on numerous occasions in 1995. Georgia was 83 and still living in the home that she and her husband had built in 1947 at 100 San Saba, directly across the street from 101 San Saba. Georgia remembered the short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor very well. I showed Georgia the photo on the left  (circa 1956) and she said, "That's her, just like I remember her." I then showed Georgia the photo on the right of Marguerite Claverie Oswald (1957) and she replied, "I don't know who that is."



Georgia Bell said, "That's her,
just like I remember her."

Georgia Bell said, "I don't know
who that is."



The Marguerite Oswald impostor first appeared with HARVEY Oswald in Benbrook, TX, a suburb of Fort Worth, in June, 1947. They moved into a small house at 101 San Saba that was recently purchased by the real Marguerite Claverie Oswald, who was then living with husband Edwin Ekdahl at 1505 8th Avenue in Ft. Worth (7 miles distant). I met and visited with Georgia Bell on numerous occasions in 1995. Georgia was 83 and still living in the home that she and her husband had built in 1947 at 100 San Saba, directly across the street from 101 San Saba. Georgia remembered the short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor very well. She said that "Marguerite" had a young son, did not have a car, did not have a job, and occasionally worked as a practical nurse. Georgia said that Marguerite often had male visitors who arrived by car. Georgia often purchased groceries for Mrs. Oswald while neighbor Lucille Hubbard would, on occasion, drive Mrs. Oswald to her former residence (2220 Thomas Place) to pick up clothes. Georgia said that Mrs. Oswald left around Thanksgiving, 1947, and the small house was then rented to a family named "Charbenaur." Georgia Bell lived at 100 San Saba for the next 49 years, and knew all of her neighbors very well. The owner of this property, Marguerite Claverie Oswald, continued to rent 101 San Saba for the next 4 years. Georgia recalled that when a neighbors house burned down the neighbor moved into 101 San Saba. The neighbor was Otis Carleton, who eventually purchased the home from Marguerite on November 6, 1951.

In the fall of 1952 the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY Oswald were living in New York City where, according to NYC school records published by the Warren Commission, Lee HARVEY Oswald very briefly attended Trinity Lutheran School and then briefly attended Public School #117.

In January, 1953, while HARVEY and the Marguerite Oswald imposter were living in the Bronx, there are indications of CIA involvement. The House on Un-American Activites Committee (HUAC) had a file that made reference to a "Mrs. M. Oswald" in New York City that originated from a CIA Office of Security file. This CIA file contained references to 1941, Nazi's, and New Jersey. Judge John Tunheim, of the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) wrote to Henry Hyde and requested the HUAC file, but his request was denied.

In February, 1953 John Pic and his family were invited to dinner at the Oswald's apartment. This was the last time Pic would see his brother for 9 years. Nine years later, in 1962 Pic was invited to Thanksgiving Dinner at Robert Oswald's home, where he met the Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald. Pic told the Warren Commission, "the Lee Harvey Oswald I met in November of 1962 [Thanksgiving] was not the Lee Harvey Oswald I had known 10 years previous [in New York]." When the Warren Commission showed John Pic photographs of HARVEY Oswald taken in 1953, 1957, and 1963 he refused to identify these photos as his brother. Harvey Oswalds caretaker, the Marguerite Oswald impostor, was not invited to the Thanksgiving dinner. Why not? Because John Pic and his wife would have immediately known this woman was not Pic's mother. Robert Oswald, however, most certainly knew that the Russian speaking HARVEY was not his brother. In June, 1956, while LEE Oswald was still working for Tujague's in New Orleans, Robert Oswald moved into an upstairs apartment at 4936 Collinwood with HARVEY and the Marguerite Oswald impostor. For the next 6 months Robert was with HARVEY every day, and was able to learn about his background, the schools he attended, previous jobs, where he had lived. A few years later, after HARVEY Oswald "defected" to Russia, Robert was able to answer news reporters questions relating to his brother's (HARVEY'S) background. In 1964, however, Robert was questioned intensely by Warren Commission attorneys. Sometimes he unwittingly provided information about HARVEY's background that conflicted with LEE's background. On one occasion, thanks to former CIA Director Allen Dulles, Robert was able to avoid questions relating to 1947, the year in which HARVEY was living at 101 San Saba in Benbrook while LEE was living at 1505 8th Ave in Ft. Worth.

HARVEY Oswald failed to attend either Trinity or PS #117 regularly, was adjudged truant, and placed in Youth House in the spring of 1953. The photo below on the left, taken in 1952 shows the tall (5'2"), husky, well-built LEE Oswald. One year later, in 1953, NYC school records recorded his height at 5'4". The same year (1953) the photo on the right was taken of the short (4'6"), thin HARVEY Oswald at the Bronx Zoo. The Marguerite Oswald impostor was "caretaker" of HARVEY Oswald from 1947 thru his enlistment in the Marine Corp in 1956.


Lee in 1952
Harvey in 1953

While HARVEY Oswald  was truanting and later placed in Youth House, LEE Oswald was attending Public School #44 with near perfect attendance. In fact, LEE Oswald attended school, held jobs, and served in the Marines for extended periods, while HARVEY Oswald's involvement with schools, jobs, and the Marines was very sporadic. The Marguerite Oswald impostor was interviewed at the Youth House by probation officer John Carro. During this one interview this Marguerite Oswald impostor made countless mistakes about her family background, mistakes that the real Marguerite Claverie Oswald would never make.  Following are a few biographical mistakes made by the Marguerite Oswald impostor during this one interview.

The Marguerite Oswald impostor told John Carro that she was the youngest of 6 children, yet there were 5 children in the Claverie family. She gave Lee Oswald's father's name as Robert Lee Harvey, when his real name was Robert Edward Lee Oswald. She said Lee's father died at age 45, yet we know he was 43 years old when he died. This "impostor" gave her marriage date as July 19, 1929, yet she married Robert Oswald in 1933. She gave her sister's name as Lillian Sigouerette, when we know her sister's name was Lillian Murrett. She said she formerly owned a house in Corning, Texas, yet there is not and never has been a "Corning," Texas. She gave Lee Harvey Oswald's birth date as October 19, when the correct date was October 18th. She said Lee was baptized at the Trinity Lutheran Church in New Orleans, when the records show he was baptized at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in New Orleans. When this "impostor" was asked whether Lee's father was right or left handed she replied "I do not remember, sir" (Warren Commission testimony). Marguerite Claverie Oswald, mother of LEE Oswald, would never have made these errors concerning her background. But probation officer John Carro interviewed the Marguerite Oswald impostor, and this woman was not prepared to answer detailed questions about Marguerite Oswald's background.

In the summer of 1953, a few months after HARVEY Oswald was released from Youth House, the unemployed Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY somehow left New York City and resided briefly in Stanley, North Dakota (July, Aug, 1953). Marguerite Claverie Oswald and her son, LEE, were still living in NYC. It was in North Dakota that HARVEY became friends with William Henry Timmer, and talked about his involvement with teenage gangs in NYC. After the assassination Timmer's mother wrote a letter to President Johnson and described her son's brief friendship with Oswald in Stanley, ND. The Secret Service turned the letter over to the FBI who sent agents to interview Timmer.

NOTE: I say "somehow" because in the 1950s the Marguerite Oswald impostor did not own a car, yet she managed to move from Fort Worth to NYC, to North Dakota, to New Orleans, to Fort Worth, to New Orleans, and back to Fort Worth.

In the fall of 1953 the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY somehow left North Dakota and moved to New Orleans, where they resided at 126 Exchange Place in the French Quarter. HARVEY began attending Beauregard Junior High school part time in the 8th grade, while the Marguerite Oswald impostor worked as a bar maid where little personal information or payroll tax information was required.

In January 1954, while living at 126 Exchange Place, HARVEY Oswald began attending Beauregard JHS full time and was assigned to the homeroom of physical education teacher Myra DaRouse (YouTube video interview with Myra DaRouse).  Myra only had a homeroom for a single school year while she taught at Beauregard, and her homeroom was located in a basement room that also served as the school cafeteria.  During the same school year LEE Oswald, while living at 1454 St. Marys St., attended the spring semester of the 8th grade at Beauregard JHS, and was assigned to homeroom 303 on the third floor of the building. As strange as it may seem HARVEY Oswald, with homeroom in the basement cafeteria, and LEE Oswald, homeroom 303, were both in the 8th grade at Beauregard Junior High at the same time during the spring semester of 1954.

In the fall of 1954 the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY left New Orleans and moved into an apartment at 2220 Thomas Place, unit B (rear apartment in a duplex) in Fort Worth. It is worth remembering that the Marguerite Oswald impostor had furniture and clothing stored at this same address in 1947. HARVEY began attending the 9th grade at Stripling Junior High school, which was directly across the street. HARVEY was remembered by classmates Doug Gann, Jackie and Bobby Pitts, Roy Parkin, Fran Schubert (YouTube interview with Fran Schubert) and physical education teacher Mark Summers. Also enrolled in the 9th grade at Stripling was Peter Gregory, who would later befriend HARVEY and Marina after they arrived in Fort Worth in June, 1962. Fran remembered that HARVEY was thin, short, wore a leather jacket and his mother always wore a white nurse's uniform.
NOTE: In October, 1959, after HARVEY Oswald "defeccted" to the Soviet Union, Robert Oswald was interviewed and told the Fort Worth Star Telegram that his “brother” had attended Stripling Junior High School. In June, 1962, when HARVEY Oswald returned to the United States, Robert Oswald was again interviewed and told the Ft. Worth Star Telegram that his "brother" had attended Stripling Junior High School. How did Robert Oswald know that HARVEY Oswald had attended Stripling Junior High School? Robert lived with HARVEY and the Marguerite Oswald impostor at 4936 Collinwood in 1956. During the 6 months they lived together they likely discussed Stripling Junior High, which was nearby, as both young men had previously attended Stripling in the 9th grade. In 1964, when interviewed by the Warren Commission, Robert Oswald once again said that his brother had attended Stripling Junior High School. But Robert did not realize that at the same time (fall, 1954) his real brother, LEE Oswald, was attending Beauregard Junior High School in New Orleans. THIS WAS A HUGE PROBLEM, as it threatened to expose the two Oswalds.

On Nov 23, 1963, the day after President Kennedy was killed, assistant principal Frank Kudlaty gave HARVEY Oswald's school records (Stripling JHS) to the FBI (YouTube interview with Frank Kudlaty). In 1964 Robert Oswald told the Warren Commission that his brother had attended Stripling Junior High. In 1995 I called and spoke with Ricardo Galindo, then Principal of Stripling JHS. Mr. Galindo told me "it's common knowledge among staff and faculty that Oswald attended Stripling."


Today, however, the FBI denies they have any records of Oswald's attendance at Stripling.  The Stripling school records had to disappear,  because if made public they would show that LEE Harvey Oswald attended Beauregard JHS in New Orleans while at the same time Lee HARVEY Oswald was attending Stripling JHS in Ft Worth. (See cumulative Beauregard records.)  This attempted cover-up was far from perfect, but it fooled the Warren Commission. But it did not fool Frank Kudlaty or students who knew for a fact that HARVEY Oswald had attended Stripling.

In January, 1955 HARVEY Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor left Fort Worth and returned to New Orleans where both began working full time for Maury Goodman at the Dolly Shoe Store on Canal Street. Mrs. Oswald was asked to fill out detailed personal information required by the store's insurance company. She ignored the request. A few months later, when again asked to fill out detailed personal information, the Marguerite Oswald impostor repeatedly refused and was fired. Newly hired store manager Louis Marzialle (YouTube video interview with Louis Marzialle) recalled that after Mrs. Oswald's employment was terminated at Dolly Shoe he saw her working as a bar maid at the Tradewinds Bar on Decatur St. in New Orleans. The photo on the left is of the Marguerite Oswald impostor in 1954, and she has extremely downward slanting eyebrows. This striking and distinct facial feature was later hidden by her ever present large frame glasses. The much taller and thinner Marguerite Claverie Oswald's eyebrows were nearly horizontal, as can be seen in the photo on the right, taken at Paul's Shoe Store in 1957. And she never wore glasses.

In the fall of 1955, while LEE Oswald was working full time at the Gerard F. Tujague Co., HARVEY Oswald began attending Warren Easton High school in New Orleans (10th grade). On October 7 a handwritten note was delivered to Warren Easton that read, "...we are moving to San Diego in the middle of this month Lee must quit school now...." The Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY Oswald may have moved to California, but the date of their move is unknown. They were living in New Orleans in mid-October, (Warren Easton High School) in New Orleans in mid-January (J.R. Michaels Co.), and living in Ft. Worth, TX on June 1, 1956 (4936 Collinwood).



In October of 1963, HARVEY Oswald was interviewed by Texas Employment Commission worker Laura Kittrell. HARVEY told Mz. Kittrell, "It was just before I went into the Marines. It was when I was just 16. I had this messenger-boy job in California....It was for an investment company, and I worked there six months. The name of it was the "ETI Realty Company, but it was an investment company too." Laura Kittrell remembered the company was located in Encino, CA. JFK researchers William Weston and Steve Gaal drove to Encino and visited the library. In the 1950's City Directories and phone books they were not able to find "ETI Realty or ETI Investment Co." They did, however, find "Encino Title Insurance Company," which could be the "ETI Company" where HARVEY Oswald had worked briefly as a messenger-boy in 1955 or 1956.

In mid-January, 1956 HARVEY and the Marguerite Oswald impostor were in New Orleans, and HARVEY began work at the J.R. Michaels Company on the 3rd floor of the Sanlin Building. LEE Oswald was still working full time for the Gerard F. Tujague Co., which was located one floor above J.R. Michaels in the same building (Sanlin Bldg). Oswald's employment at J.R. Michaels lasted only a week. It appears likely that he and the Marguerite Oswald impostor then left New Orleans and moved to Encino, CA, where HARVEY Oswald was employed as an office worker and a motorcycle delivery boy (question: did he have a drivers license??). Five months later (June, 1956) they arrived in Fort Worth and rented an apartment at 4936 Collinwood from Mrs. James Taylor. Robert Oswald (age 22) moved in with HARVEY Oswald and the "Marguerite Oswald impostor," and, on July 13, opened a bank account at the West Side State Bank listing his address as 4936 Collinwood. Robert was dating Vada Mercer, who he would marry 5 months later (November, 1956).  But prior to their marriage he never introduced Vada to the Marguerite Oswald impostor or to HARVEY Oswald, probably because they were not his blood relatives.
 
NOTE: In the author's opinion it was during this time, while living in the apartment with the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY Oswald, that Robert Oswald learned that HARVEY had attended the nearby Stripling Junior High School. After HARVEY Oswald "defected" to the Soviet Union Robert Oswald told news reporters that his "brother" had attended Stripling Junior High School. Four years later, in 1964, Robert Oswald told the Warren Commission that his "brother" had attended Stripling Junior High School. Robert Oswald did not realize that when HARVEY Oswald was attending Stripling Junior High in Ft. Worth, his real brother (LEE Oswald) was attending Beauregard Junior High School in New Orleans at the same time (Sept/Oct, 1954).

On July 31, 1956, Marguerite Claverie Oswald quit her job at Goldrings Dept. Store in New Orleans. LEE Oswald, after working one year at Tujague's, told supervisor Frank DeBenedetto that he was quitting in order to join the Marine Corps. According to John Pic, Robert Oswald drove to New Orleans, picked up his mother (Marguerite Oswald Claverie) and his brother (LEE Oswald) and drove them back to Ft. Worth. Marguerite rented apartment #3 at 3830 W. 6th, where she lived for the next 2 years. This address was given to the Marine Corps, to the Red Cross, to the Ft. Worth Retail Credit Merchants Association, and appeared in the Ft. Worth city directory. A neighbor, Lee McKracken, remembered that LEE Oswald visited his mother on two occasions when on leave from the Marines, and stayed in the apartment with her about two weeks each time .

On September 6 HARVEY Oswald, while living with Robert Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor at 4936 Collinwood, enrolled as a sophomore in Arlington Heights High School. Three weeks later, on September 28, HARVEY dropped out of Arlington Heights. On October 3 he wrote a letter to the Socialist Party of America and asked if there was a branch in the area that he could join. A few days later, on October 8, Robert Oswald wrote a check to Lee HARVEY Oswald in the amount of $10.00 (see below). On the check Robert wrote his current address and phone number. This is very important because while Robert was living at 4936 Collinwood with HARVEY Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor, his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) was living nearby in apartment #3 at 3830 W. 6th.

NOTE: It is worth remembering that Robert told the WC that he took the photo of young HARVEY Oswald at the Bronx Zoo in 1953. Two years later, in July, 1955, Robert lived with his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) and his brother LEE Oswald at 126 Exchange in New Orleans for one week. A year later, in late summer 1956, Robert Oswald drove his mother and brother (LEE) from New Orleans to Ft. Worth where they rented apartment #3 at 3830 W. 6th. At the same time (June thru November, 1956) Robert Oswald was living with HARVEY Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor at 4936 Collinwood.



On May 29, 1957 the unemployed Marguerite Oswald, the short and heavy-set impostor, was still living in Mrs. James Taylor's apartment building at 4936 Collinwood. On the same day the tall Marguerite Claverie Oswald, residing at 3830 W. 6th, applied for employment at Leonard's Dept Store. The Retail Merchants Credit Association, at the request of Leonard's, reported the following information: 
It is important to understand the significance of these addresses. In 1947, when Marguerite Claverie Oswald was living (with Mr. Ekdahl) at 1505 8th Avenue in Ft. Worth, the short, heavy-set M.O. impostor was living at 101 San Saba in Benbrook, TX (unknown to the Retail Merchants Credit Association). In May, 1957, when the tall Marguerite Claverie Oswald was living in apt. #3 at 3830 W. 6th, Ft. Worth, the short, heavy-set M.O. impostor was living at 4936 Collinwood in Ft. Worth (unknown to the Retail Merchants Credit Association). The tall Marguerite Claverie Oswald was employed continuously as a saleslady in clothing and shoe stores in both New Orleans and Ft. Worth. She had bank accounts, was known to credit bureaus, and owned properties in New Orleans, Ft. Worth, Dallas, and Benbrook, TX. She had a good reputation, and had a habit of residing in a particular location (apartment/house) for a long time. Prior to 11/22/63 the short, heavy-set M.O. impostor, however, never owned a single property, had a terrible reputation, sporadically worked "off the books" as a "practical nurse/caretaker," continuously and frequently moved from one room/apartment to another, never had a bank account, never had a phone number, never established a credit history, and was almost always paid in cash (the one exception was when she worked for Dolly Shoe in N.O.). In the 1950s the short, heavy-set M.O. impostor lived a very discrete and secret life, and was unknown to the Retail Merchants Credit Association.

On July 1, 1957 the Marguerite Oswald impostor left 4936 Collinwood, but owed her landlady for unpaid utility bills. On three separate occasions Mrs. James Taylor, her landlady, drove to 1031 W. 5th, where the Marguerite Oswald impostor was living, but she always refused to pay the utility bills.

It is worth noting that from 1947 thru early 1962 the Marguerite Oswald impostor did not own a car and was not known to drive. How she was able to travel, and pay expenses to move from Ft. Worth to New York, to Stanley, ND, to New Orleans, to Ft. Worth, to California, to New Orleans, to Ft. Worth remains unknown. How she was able to move from one address to another in a New Orleans (several addresses), Ft. Worth (over a dozen addresses), and small town (several addresses) in North Texas remains unknown.

In the fall of 1957 the unemployed Marguerite Oswald impostor left Fort Worth, travelled to New Orleans, and moved into the Hotel Senator. How this unemployed woman was able to afford a relatively expensive hotel, month after month, remains unknown. HARVEY Oswald, after attending Aviation Electronics school in Memphis with fellow Marine Allen Felde, may have briefly lived in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Sgt. Donald Swarz, of the Intelligence Unit of the Columbus, Ohio Police Dept., had information that Oswald had briefly attended classes at Antioch College (also attended by Ruth Paine). In late September 17 year old HARVEY Oswald was living with the Marguerite Oswald impostor at the Hotel Senator on Dauphine St. in New Orleans. HARVEY began working at the Pfisterer Dental Laboratory, directly across the street, where he met co-worker Palmer McBride. According to Linda Faircloth, who spoke with the owners and employees of Pfisterer's when HARVEY Oswald was employed, he delivered the companies dental products to customers with his motorbike. Readers may remember that HARVEY Oswald told Texas Employment Commission intake officer Laura Kittrell that he had worked in California as a motorcycle delivery boy. On October 4, 1957, HARVEY and Palmer McBride discussed the Russian launching of "Sputnik," the first satellite to orbit the globe. On October 12, HARVEY and Palmer attended the Boris Godounov opera in New Orleans.

During the Christmas holidays of 1957 HARVEY Oswald attended the first of several meetings of the New Orleans Amateur Astronomy Association (NOAAA) with his friend and co-worker Palmer McBride. At the same time Marguerite Claverie Oswald, the mother of LEE Oswald, was still working at Paul's Shoe Store in Ft. Worth. She is pictured in a photo that was taken during the Christmas holidays of store employees. In early 1958 HARVEY Oswald accompanied Palmer McBride to his home one evening. As HARVEY and McBride talked, mostly about astronomy, their conversation began to focus on recent Russian space success's and the virtues of communism. McBride's father, after hearing HARVEY Oswald praise the communist way of life, became upset and demanded that he leave their home.

On May 17, 1958 a $1000 life insurance policy on LEE Harvey Oswald lapsed due to non-payment of premium. On June 10, 1958 the National Life and Accident Insurance company notified Mrs. Oswald of the policy lapse, by letter, addressed to 126 Exchange Place in New Orleans. The letter was delivered 3 weeks later to LEE Oswald, in Japan. On June 30, 1958, while incarcerated in the brig/jail in Atsugi, Japan, LEE Harvey Oswald applied to the company for reinstatement of the policy. He listed his address as US Marine Corps, MAG 11, MAC S-1, FPO San Francisco, CA., and listed his mother's address as 126 Exchange Place in New Orleans. The application was witnessed by fellow Marine, Peter Cassisi, who later told the FBI that he "did not recognize (LEE) Oswald as a former Marine associate when pictures of (HARVEY)  Oswald were published in the media (after the assassination)." HARVEY Oswald and the Marguerite Oswald impostor were likely residing at 126 Exchange in June, 1958. After leaving New Orleans HARVEY Oswald wrote a letter to the dental lab and said that he was working for a shoe store in Fort Worth. The letter was read to employees by the office manager of the dental lab.


Google map


NOTE: It is worth remembering that Marguerite Claverie Oswald (3830 W. 6th, apt 3) and the Marguerite Oswald imposter (4936 Collinwood) lived nearby each other in Ft. Worth from August, 1956 thru June, 1957. In early October, 1957 the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY were living at the Hotel Senator in New Orleans, directly across the street from the Pfisterer Dental Lab where HARVEY worked and became close to co-worker Palmer McBride. At the same time Marguerite Claverie Oswald (mother of LEE Oswald) was still living at 3830 W. 6th in Fort Worth, and working at Paul's Shoe Store. When HARVEY and the Marguerite Oswald impostor left New Orleans and returned to Ft. Worth in the summer of 1958, Marguerite Claverie Oswald was still living at 3830 W. 6th and was now working at Family Publications.

After returning to Ft. Worth the Marguerite Oswald impostor began working for King Candy Company on August 28, 1958. She worked alone and sold candy in a booth at the Fair Ridglea Department Store located at 4109 Westridge Ave. At the end of October, 1958 the Marguerite Oswald impostor was living at 1013 5th Avenue and still working for King Candy. On Friday, Oct 31 (Halloween), John Pic and his family spent the night at his mothers home while driving to the west coast. Pic told the Warren Commission that during their stopover in Ft. Worth he visited his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) while she was working at Cox's Dept Store selling women's clothing.

NOTE: When interviewed by the FBI officials of King Candy, upon reviewing Margerite Oswald's employment application, said, "She came to Ft. Worth from New York City and had excellent  references." This was the first job, since 1955, in which the Marguerite Oswald impostor worked for a company that paid her a salary, withheld taxes, and was provided with workers compensation insurance.

On Dec 5, while working at King Candy, the Marguerite Oswald impostor claimed that a jar fell on her head, causing injury. She visited several physicians in December and, on January 30, 1959, told Dr. Milton Goldberg that her "son" (Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald) wanted to "defect" to Russia. In February she visited two more doctors and the following month received treatments on March 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, and 30. In April she received treatments on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 9th, 11th and was referred to Dr. W.W. McKinney and Dr. J. C. Baker. On April 20 the Marguerite Oswald impostor filed a "Notice of Claim for Compensation" with the Industrial Board of Texas. On May 9 she had x-rays taken at the Ft. Worth Osteopathic Hospital. On May 19 Liberty Insurance suspended compensation payments. On Aug 4 the Texas Industrial Accident Board ordered Liberty Insurance to pay $29.19 per week for 12 weeks. Unsatisfied with the result the Marguerite Oswald impostor hired an attorney and filed suit on August 11. Following her "injury" on Dec 5, 1958, the Marguerite Oswald impostor was unemployed for the entire year of 1959. While the Marguerite Oswald impostor was unemployed and busy visiting doctors, Robert Oswald told the Warren Commission that he visited his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) at Cox's Dept. Store on a Saturday in April, 1959. Robert Oswald and John Pic place their mother at Cox's Dept Store in the fall of 1958, and both men saw her working when they visited the store in the Spring (April) of 1959.

THE MARGUERITE OSWALD IMPOSTOR WAS WORKING FOR KING CANDY, AUG-DEC, 1958,  AND WAS THEN UNEMPLOYED THRU ALL OF 1959. AT THE SAME TIME MARGUERITE CLAVERIE OSWALD (mother of LEE, Robert, and John Pic) WAS WORKING AT COX DEPT STORE FROM THE FALL OF 1958 THRU APRIL, 1959. TWO MARGUERITE OSWALDS, LIVING IN FT. WORTH, AT THE SAME TIME, AND WORKING FOR DIFFERENT COMPANIES.

In August, 1959 the Marguerite Oswald impostor applied for a hardship discharge to the US Marine Corps so that her "son" (Russian speaking HARVEY, now at MACS 9 in Santa Ana, CA) could return to Fort Worth and care for her. On the Parents Dependency Affidavit, her son is listed as "HARVEY Lee Oswald." The Marguerite Oswald impostor, pictured below, was now the one and only "Marguerite Oswald." She would claim to be the mother of "Lee HARVEY Oswald" who would soon "defect" to Russia, and four years later be accused of killing President Kennedy.





The very short, heavy-set, MO impostor in 1963 (age 56) with her ever present glasses and mole under her right eye lid.

The two photos below, taken 6 years earlier (left) and 3 year earlier (right), are of Marguerite Clavierie Oswald, mother of John Pic, Robert Oswald, and LEE Oswald.  Note her near straight horizontal eyebrows, wide smile, no glasses and no mole under her right eye.


Paul's Shoe Store, Christmas, 1957
Marguerite Claverie Oswald, 1960


HARVEY OSWALD SWITCHES IDENTITIES WITH LEE OSWALD


In the fall of 1958,  after briefly working at a local shoe store, HARVEY Oswald left Fort Worth, re-entered the Marines, and was sent to Atsugi, Japan. On September 14, 1958 HARVEY Oswald boarded the USS Skagit for Taiwan, accompanied by Marines who never knew or were associated with LEE Oswald. On October 6, HARVEY Oswald was listed on Marine Corps Unit Diary #158-58 at Ping-Tung (South Taiwan). When later interviewed in Moscow by reporter Priscilla Johnson, HARVEY Oswald said, "After I finished high school I joined the Marines at 17.... I was in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Formosa (the Dutch name for Taiwan). While HARVEY was in Taiwan, LEE Oswald remained in Japan and made repeated visits to the Atsugi Station Hospital on Sept. 16, 20, 22, 23, 29, and was admitted to the hospital on October 6. On October 5 HARVEY Oswald left Taiwan and returned to Japan. In late October, 1958, while LEE Oswald remained in Japan, HARVEY Oswald left Japan and soon arrived at MACS 9 in Santa Ana, CA, where he was examined at the base hospital. HARVEY was stationed at the lighter than air facility in Santa, Ana, CA (600-700 Marines) where he would remain until discharged in Sept., 1959.

On November 2, 1958, HARVEY Oswald was stationed at the lighter than air facility in Santa Ana, CA. LEE Oswald was in Yokosuku, Japan and the following day boarded the USS Barrett and arrived in San Francisco on November 15. LEE Oswald was then given leave, went home to Ft Worth, and returned to the jet base in El Toro on December 22. While LEE Oswald was aboard the USS Barrett en route to San Francisco, and during his military leave, HARVEY Oswald was in Santa Ana, CA., getting acquainted with Nelson Delgado and fellow Marines with whom he worked and shared a hut. After his leave LEE Oswald was stationed at the Marine Corps jet base in El Toro, CA (5000 Marines). According to Major William P. Gorsky, Assistant Provost Marhsall at the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, LEE Harvey Oswald was discharged from the Marines in March, 1959. LEE OSWALD DISCHARGED FROM THE MARINES IN MARCH, 1959 IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, because HARVEY Oswald remained at the Marine Corps base in Santa Ana, CA and was not discharged from the Marine Corps until Sept. 11, 1959.


Lee (left) and Harvey (right) in 1958




Lee (left) and Harvey (right) in these 1959 photos taken just a few days apart


THE SWITCHING OF IDENTITIES FROM "LEE OSWALD" TO "HARVEY OSWALD" WAS NOW COMPLETE


LEE Oswald was out of the Marines and his mother (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) was living in New Orleans working at Goldrings Dept. Store. The Marguerite Oswald impostor was living in Ft. Worth, where she would remain for the rest of her life. Russian speaking HARVEY Oswald was now stationed with a group of Marines in Santa Ana, CA., Marines who had no former contact with LEE Oswald in Japan. HARVEY had switched identities with LEE Oswald. Harvey was now the one and only "Lee Harvey Oswald." He soon began to speak Russian to fellow Marines, read Russian newspapers, listened to Russian records, took and passed a Russian language exam, and expressed interest and sympathy for Cuba and communism. Soon, the CIA's plan of placing a Russian-speaking "American" in the Soviet Union would become a reality.
 
Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald had successfully switched identities with American born LEE Oswald. HARVEY Oswald became the historical "Lee Harvey Oswald" who "defected" to the Soviet Union in 1959, returned to the USA with a Russian wife and child in June, 1962, and was accused of killing President Kennedy in 1963.

From 1947 thru 1958 the Marguerite Oswald impostor and HARVEY were shadow-like personas of Marguerite Claverie Oswald and LEE. These two families lived in the same cities and often, at slightly different times, at the same address. HARVEY and LEE often attended the same schools, were both in the Marine Corps, both attended radar school at Kessler AFB in Biloxi, MS, and on occasion had the same friends, again at slightly different times. This was the CIA's "Oswald project," and the intent was to merge the identity of a Russian-speaking youth (HARVEY) with the background of an American citizen (LEE Oswald). Once complete the Russian-speaking youth (HARVEY) could be verified as born in the USA, raised in USA, and a former Marine. Lee HARVEY Oswald was now ready to "defect" to the Soviet Union, where his proficiency in the Russian language would be invaluable.

The Marguerite Oswald impostor moved continuously, had no close friends, was never able to hold a job for more than a few months, and almost always worked for cash. This woman, known to the public as Marguerite Oswald--mother of Lee Harvey Oswald, was an impostor. Even though her real name and identity remain unknown, she was the caretaker of Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald, whose real name and identity also remain unknown.  On November 30, 1978, while testifying before the HSCA the Marguerite Oswald impostor declined to discuss her past activities at any length, refusing to respond to various questions.



John Hart Ely


John Hart Ely was a dedicated 25 year old staff attorney for the Warren Commission. His assignment was to gather background information on the Oswald family. Ely wrote, "My purpose was to obtain a chronology based on then existing data in our files of the background facts--life, school, places of residence, etc.--of Mrs. Oswald, her several marriages, her husbands, her three children and, in particular, Lee Harvey Oswald."  Ely relied on, and trusted, that documentation given to the Warren Commission by the FBI was genuine. Ely had no reason to mistrust the FBI.

But Ely soon realized the FBI was providing little information on Oswald and his family background. After reading a detailed description in LIFE Magazine of (LEE) Oswald's life in Fort Worth Ely wrote a memo to his boss and said, "We're getting more information from Life Magazine than we are from the FBI." In another memo Ely wrote, "Once again let me urge that we should not have to rely upon Life Magazine for such a list. The FBI should undertake a systematic identification and interview of Oswald's closest school friends." Unfortunately, Ely never realized that the FBI's failure to provide accurate background information on Lee Harvey Oswald and his family was intentional.

Mr. Ely was apparently never aware of the ongoing collusion between the FBI and the Warren Commission. Unknown to Ely was an agreement between the Commission and the FBI that allowed FBI agents and officials to review, and correct, transcripts of their testimony before the Commis­sion. For example, the "correcting" of FBI lab technician James Cadigan's testimony helped to conceal the fact that Oswald's possessions, a total of 225 items confiscated and inventoried by the Dallas Police on 11/22/63, were secretly sent to the FBI on November 23, 1963. Three days later (November 26, 1963), after numerous items of evidence had been altered, modified, substi­tuted, or added, the FBI returned a total of 455 items to the Dallas Police. These items were then jointly inventoried by the FBI and Dallas Police and a detailed report was given to the Warren Commission. The Commission apparently never bothered to compare the Dallas Police list of Oswald's possessions (225 items) to the 455 items inventoried by the FBI and Dallas Police 3 days later. The WC was apparently unaware that many of the items returned to the Dallas Police had been altered and manipulated. The WC was apparently unaware that the FBI received 225 items of evidence, but returned 455 "items of evidence."  Many "items of evidence" were added and not only helped to frame HARVEY Oswald as the man who assassinated President Kennedy, but also helped to conceal the existence of a second Oswald.

Among the 455 "items of evidence" returned to Dallas by the FBI were several fake W-2 forms (JR Michaels, Tujague's, Pfisterer's--all typed with the same typewriter). These documents were created for the purpose of merging the employment records of HARVEY and LEE. Here are two examples of why the FBI created these fake documents:
HARVEY Oswald worked at Pfisterers in New Orleans from Oct, 1957 thru May, 1958, while LEE was in Japan (2 LHO's in different places at the same time). The FBI solved this problem by creating a fake W-2 form to show that one "Lee Harvey Oswald" worked at Pfisterers in 1956, before joining the Marines. This fake W-2 form was among the 455 items of evidence returned to the Dallas Police on November 26, 1963.

LEE Oswald  worked at Tujague's an entire year, from June, 1955 thru August, 1956. This was a serious problem, because at the same time HARVEY was attending Warren Easton HS in the fall of 1955, worked for JR Michaels in January, 1956, and may have worked briefly for the Pfisterer Dental Lab in the spring of 1956. FBI officials, fully aware of two "Lee Harvey Oswald's," now had to explain Oswald's school and work history to the Warren Commission.  After receiving Oswald's possessions on November 23 the Bureau created two fake W-2 forms for Tujague's. These forms showed that Lee Oswald worked only a short time at Tujague's, not for a year to a year and a half as reported by his boss, Frank DiBenedetto. These fake W-2 forms were among the 455 items of evidence returned to the Dallas Police on November 26. The Warren Commission, piecing together the FBI's fake "evidence," was now able to show that one "Lee Harvey Oswald" attended Warren Easton HS in September, 1955, worked at Tujague's in November, December, and early January, 1956, and then worked one week at JR Michaels Company. The FBI, by creating W-2 forms that matched Oswald's time cards for 2 1/2 months of work at Tujague's, was able to merge the work and school history of HARVEY and LEE.
In addition to manipulating, creating, and laundering physical evidence, witness testi­mony, and FBI reports, the Bureau convinced the Warren Commission to accept photographs in lieu of physical evidence. This gave the FBI a much needed opportu­nity to alter and/or destroy original evidence, such as HARVEY and LEE Oswald's original school transcripts from New York and New Orleans, employment records for HARVEY (Dolly Shoe, Pfisterer Dental Lab) and LEE (Tujague's), and employment records (NYC, New Orleans, Ft. Worth) for the two Marguerite Oswalds. Photographs of laundered "evidentiary items" provided to the Warren Commission eliminated the possibility that original evidence, when properly examined, could have revealed alterations and/or fabrications.

The FBI provided the Warren Commission (John Hart Ely) with carefully screened and laundered evidence, photographs, and reports concerning the background of Marguerite and Lee Harvey Oswald. The Bureau sent very few reports concerning LEE Oswald in Japan and none concerning his activities at the jet base in El Toro, CA. They deliberately provided the Warren Commission with dozens of reports about HARVEY Oswald and his activities at the lighter than air facility in Santa Ana, CA. The sequestering of interviews of Marines who knew LEE Oswald in Japan did not stop with the Warren Commission. In the 1970's Henry Hurt, on behalf of Edward Epstein, interviewed Marines who had known LEE Oswald in Japan for his book, "Legend, The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald." Marines interviewed included George Wilkins, Bud Persons, John Donovan, Hugh Cherrie, Peter Cassisi, Zack Stout, Charles Rhodes, Jerome Daniels, and Lonnie Bates. These interviews have since remained sequestered in the Georgetown University Library in Washington, DC. Several prominent researchers have tried to obtain permission to review these materials but have always been denied access. My JFK researcher-friend from England, Malcolm Blunt, made several trips to this library, and was always denied access. In March, 2000 JFK researcher Jim Hargrove wrote to Mr. Fulton Oursler, Special Collections Division, and requested permission to copy these files. His request was denied. After hearing of these difficulties I spoke with my friend, Jones, Harris, a long time JFK researcher. Jones advised that he personally knew Fulton Oursler (senior Editor at Readers Digest) and would be happy to contact him. A few days later Jones called me and said that he was advised, by Oursler, that the materials were no longer in their collection. When Jones ask what had happened to the files he was told, "I don't know."

However Mr. Ely, on his own, interviewed Marines who knew and had personal contact with LEE Oswald. Ely came close to realizing there were two "Lee Harvey Oswalds" after interviewing Marines who knew the tall, husky LEE Oswald at El Toro (while the short, thin Russian-speaking HARVEY Oswald was stationed at nearby Santa Ana, CA). After interviewing Allen D. Graf, who served with LEE Oswald at the Marine Corps base in El Toro, CA, Ely wrote, "He (Graf) is equally clear that they were stationed together at El Toro and not at Santa Ana. They were, he says, stationed with Marine Wing Headquar­ters Group III, Airport Radar Team 1, and were not at the Lighter Than Air Station" (in Santa Ana, CA). Graf gave Ely the names of several Marines who he and LEE Oswald had known and worked with, but these names were not familiar to Ely. Ely wrote, "Moreover, the names he (Graf) mentioned as having been in his unit are not those generally mentioned as having been in the unit after Oswald returned from Japan." Graf then provided the names (John D) Castle, (Raymond W) Glidden, (James D) King, (Abraham) Rubenstein, Goutier, Herd, Maulden, and Sawchuk, who all knew and had worked with LEE Oswald at El Toro. Ely was confused by Graf's statements, and did not understand that Graf had served with LEE Oswald at the jet base in El Toro, while at the same time HARVEY Oswald was stationed at the lighter than air facility at Santa Ana, CA. Neither Ely, the Warren Commission, FBI, or the HSCA interviewed any of the Marines who served with LEE Oswald at the Marine Corps jet base at El Toro. Their stories and memories of LEE Oswald remain unknown, as do LEE Oswald's Marine Corps records from El Toro. The FBI and Warren Commission limited their investigation to HARVEY Oswald and Marines with whom he worked at the lighter than air facility in Santa Ana, CA.

There was one Marine at El Toro, interviewed by the FBI, who could have provided Ely with information that a second person named LEE Harvey Oswald was stationed at El Toro. That man was Major William P. Gorsky, Assistant Provost Marshal at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in El Toro, CA. If Mr. Ely had known and contacted Major Gorsky, he could have examined records that showed LEE Harvey Oswald was discharged from the Marines at El Toro, CA in March, 1959. These records would have placed LEE Oswald at El Toro, and confirmed Alan Graf's association and memory of LEE Oswald. But Ely also had Marine Corps records that showed Lee HARVEY Oswald was discharged from the Marines at Santa Ana, CA in September, 1959. Ely was very close to obtaining information and records that would have exposed LEE Oswald at El Toro, while at the same time HARVEY Oswald was stationed at Santa Ana. Unfortunately Mr. Ely never read the FBI's report nor did he meet Major Gorsky.

Mr. Ely did, however, manage to uncover contradictory information relating to the historical background of "Lee Harvey Oswald" and his mother.  He prepared and wrote a detailed chronology relating to Oswald and his family background that alarmed members of the Warren Commission. On April 10, 1964 Senior Counsel Albert Jenner wrote a memorandum to General Counsel J. Lee Rankin which read in part: "Our depositions and examination of records and other data disclose that there are details in Mr. Ely's memoranda which will require material alteration and in some instances, omission." The advice of the Warren Commission's General Counsel was clear--alter or omit certain background information on Oswald, his mother, and his family. Jenner's memorandum confirms that the Warren Commission intentionally altered or omitted information relating to Oswald and his family.

In December of 1963 the FBI interviewed Edward John Pic, Jr. (first husband of Marguerite Claverie Oswald), yet they chose not to share this information with the Warren Commission. Several months later, in the spring of 1964, a witness casually mentioned to Albert Jenner that he had recently seen Edward John Pic, Jr. on the street. Jenner was surprised because Jenner had been told that Mr. Pic was dead. Mr. Pic's former wife (Marguerite Claverie Oswald) told her son (John Edward Pic), since childhood, that his father was dead. Mr. Pic, however, outlived both "Marguerite Oswald" and his son, John Edward Pic. Mr. Pic, born in 1907, died at age 94 in January, 2002.

Warren Commission attorney Jenner interviewed Edward John Pic in April, 1964. Pic told Jenner that he did not recognize media photographs of "Marguerite Oswald," who was supposedly his former wife and the mother of their son. Mr. Pic said, "I didn't think even then she was the Oswald mixed up in this." It is worth noting that Jenner did not show Mr. Pic a recent and close up photograph of "Marguerite" during his testimony. We can only imagine Pic's response if he and "Marguerite Oswald" met together in person.

The fact that Albert Jenner did not show Edward John Pic, Jr. (John Pic's biological father, allegedly) a recent picture of "Marguerite Oswald" during his testimony is of particular interest. In 2024, researcher Paul Jolliffe recognized that the Warren Commission had intentionally disregarded and turned a blind eye to potentially exposing the truth about the background and identity of "Marguerite Oswald." Why? Because the Warren Commission didn't want to run the risk that Pic would refuse to identify the "Marguerite Oswald" then in the news as his former wife.

Edward John Pic’s testimony can be READ HERE. There was, naturally enough, more information about the “Oswald” family that had to be altered and/or omitted.

FBI Coverup

FBI agents interviewed neighbors, friends, and employers who knew and worked with Marguerite Claverie Oswald from the early 1940's to the mid 1950's. The majority of her employment was working in sales at hosiery shops, department stores, and shoe stores. A well dressed, people-oriented woman with a continuous work history. The bureau appears to have conducted a thorough investigation of her work and family background, but only thru the mid 1950's. FBI agents interviewed Lee McCracken, a neighbor of Marguerite's who lived in the same 4 unit apartment building at 3830 W. 6th in Ft. Worth from 1956 thru 1958. McCracken knew Marguerite and told agents that LEE Oswald had visited his mother on 2 or 3 occasions when on leave from the Marines. But after interviewing Mrs. James Taylor, owner of a small apartment building at 4936 Collinwood, they became aware of a serious problem. Mrs. Taylor told agents that she rented an apartment to Marguerite Oswald from June 1956 thru June, 1957, and contacted her at 1031 W. 5th in late summer. Mrs. Taylor also said that her two sons, Robert Oswald and Lee Harvey Oswald, lived with her in the apartment. The FBI now had reports that showed there were two "Marguerite Oswald's" living close to each other at the same time in Ft. Worth for over a year.

The FBI's investigation of Marguerite Claverie Oswald ended. They never interviewed employers or co-workers who knew and worked with Marguerite Claverie Oswald in Ft. Worth at Clyde Campbell's Men's Store (1957, Spring), the City of Ft. Worth (1957, fall), Paul's Shoe Store (1957-58, winter), Family Publications (1958, spring), Avon Products, or Cox's Dept. Store where she was employed in the fall/winter of 1958 and the Spring of 1959. The FBI did, however, interview a long-time employee of Cox's Dept Store who had known and worked with Marguerite Claverie Oswald in the early 1950's. Mrs. Lowell Hopkins was Mrs. Oswald's supervisor, yet she told the FBI, "after seeing Mrs. Oswald's picture in the newspaper, and on television, she could not say that she recognized the picture as being Mrs. Oswald because, in her opinion, there has been a great deal of change in her physical appearance." The FBI failed to obtain employment records or interview employers or co-workers who knew and worked with Marguerite Claverie Oswald at Goldrings or Krieger's in late 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963. The FBI could easily have identified and confirmed Marguerite Claverie Oswald's employment history thru state and federal tax withholding reports, social security contributions, and federal and state tax returns. A detailed history of her employment and her home addresses could be ascertained by contacting former employers, obtaining beginning and ending dates of her employment, interviewing former co-workers, examining employment applications and payroll records, contacting local credit bureaus, utility companies, banks, etc.

The FBI, however, intentionally avoided any company, and employer, and any co-worker who may have known and/or worked with Marguerite Claverie Oswald after 1954. They avoided these companies because former co-workers might refuse to identify the now well-publicized short, heavy-set Marguerite Oswald impostor as the woman they knew and worked with only a few years earlier. Store records would show the dates of employment for Marguerite Claverie Oswald (1955-1963), while at the same time the Marguerite Oswald impostor was either unemployed (1956-Aug, 58), visiting numerous doctors and receiving treatments following her "injury" of December 5, 1958 (unemployed during 1959), or working as a practical nurse/caretaker in various towns in north Texas. The FBI's intentional failure to investigate and make public the employment of Marguerite Claverie Oswald" is a clear indication that high level FBI officials had knowledge of two Marguerite Oswalds. This may explain why not a single one of her federal income tax returns have ever been released, are marked "referred...postponed in full," and remain unavailable to researchers.

NOTE: from 1955 thru the beginning of 1960--a period of 5 years--the only documented employment of the Marguerite Oswald impostor was a few months at Dolly Shoe in New Orleans in 1955 and a few months at King Candy in 1958.

Today, what remains, are an overwhelming number of FBI reports relating to the Marguerite Oswald impostor. Beginning in 1955, as the number of FBI reports relating to Marguerite Claverie Oswald diminished, the number of FBI reports relating to the Marguerite Oswald imposter increased. By the spring of 1959 the Marguerite Oswald impostor became the one and only "Marguerite Oswald," mother of the young man who would soon "defect" to the Soviet Union. From the early 1950's thru 1963 the majority of the Marguerite Oswald impostor's employment consisted of working at a bar, as a "practical nurse" or as a caretaker where she was paid in cash. Working for cash, and avoiding the use of a social security number, eliminated the possibility that government records and credit bureaus would record the employment of two "Marguerite Oswalds" at different locations at the same time. The Marguerite Oswald impostor told the Warren Commission that she had worked for some of the wealthiest and most influential families in Ft. Worth. In fact, the Marguerite Oswald impostor was employed by the Carter family, owners of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram newspaper, in the months leading up to the assassination of President Kennedy. How this elderly, financially destitute woman, with no verifiable employment history, was able to gain employment as a practical nurse with such a wealthy and influential family is unknown. And why her employment was terminated shortly before President Kennedy was assassinated remains a mystery. When interviewed by the Warren Commission the Marguerite Oswald impostor was handed written notes relating to the known background of Marguerite Claverie Oswald, yet she made and continued to make mistakes in her testimony relating to the historical background of Marguerite Claverie Oswald. A good example is when the Marguerite Oswald impostor was asked if the father of LEE Oswald was right or left handed. This Marguerite Oswald impostor replied, "I don't remember." We now understand, and must never forget, that Marguerite Claverie Oswald's federal tax returns remain "classified," and the social security records for both Lee Harvey Oswald and Marguerite Claverie Oswald have never been released.

One potential reason for this cover-up can be made obvious by examining the period from 1947-1951, one of profligate spending by Marguerite with no known documentation of the source of her income. In his testimony, John Pic recalled at the outset that the family was living in abject poverty. Marguerite had lost her divorce case and received no settlement. Pic felt that they were "back down in the lower class again.… right slap next to the railroad tracks." And yet, during this period, Marguerite was able to purchase multiple homes (San Saba, Ewing Street, and Birchman), spending in a way she had never done in the past. And it is at this precise moment that we have our earliest evidence of the Oswald Project with the Marguerite imposter and the little Russian-speaking boy residing at San Saba. It was no small accomplishment for a single mom without a sterling credit history to purchase three homes and continue to pay rent on other residences. The logical explanation for this windfall as the Great Depression was winding down is that Marguerite was paid a handsome sum for her cooperation in the Oswald Project.

Warren Commission co-counsel Burt W. Griffin described the FBI's involvement and collaboration in the investigation of the President Kennedy's murder. He said, "All of the records were in the hands of the two agencies [FBI and CIA] and, if they so desired, any infor­mation or files could have been destroyed or laundered prior to the time the Commission could get them." Griffin was correct. These agencies had destroyed and laundered evidence in order to frame HARVEY Oswald, conceal the existence of two "Lee Harvey Oswalds," and conceal the existence of the two Marguerite Oswald's--evidence that if made public would have exposed the government agency responsible for their creation, the CIA.

FBI official William C. Sullivan was well aware of the FBI's ability and willingness to withhold sensitive information. He said "When an enormous organization like the FBI with tremendous power can sit back and shuffle the deck of cards and pick up the card they want to show you it may be you're not going to get the entire picture as fully as you would otherwise." Sullivan knew the FBI was capable of withholding documents from the Warren Commission, documents which could prove there were two "Lee Harvey Oswalds."

NOTE: On November 9, 1977, days before he was to testify to the House Select Committee on Assassinations, William C. Sullivan was walking through the woods near Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, on the way to meet hunting companions. Another hunter, Robert Daniels, Jr., a twenty-two-year-old son of a state policeman, using a telescopic sight on a .30 caliber rifle, said he mistook Sullivan for a deer, shot him in the neck, and killed him instantly. The authorities called it an accident, fining Daniels five hundred dollars and taking away his hunting license for ten years.

Now, let's imagine what could have happened if the FBI and Warren Commission had conducted a proper investigation....


There are literally  hundreds of productive leads the FBI and/or the Warren Commission could have followed that would have exposed two "Marguerite Oswalds" and two "Lee Harvey Oswalds" if made public. With so many leads ignored, there is little doubt the FBI not only failed to conduct a proper investigation, but they intentionally destroyed, altered, fabricated, and created evidence in order to conceal the existence of HARVEY Oswald and LEE Oswald and frame HARVEY as the assassin of President Kennedy. The majority of WC members, even though led by former CIA Director Allen Dulles, were not convinced that Oswald acted alone in the assassination President Kennedy.

Warren Commission members


W.C. member Richard Russell said: "They [the FBI] have tried the case and reached a verdict on every count." Russell then wrote a letter of resigna­tion from the Warren Commission to Lyndon Johnson, which the President refused to accept.
 
W.C. member Hale Boggs said, "We have not been told the truth about Oswald." Boggs and Alaska Senator Nick Begich vanished when their small plane disappeared in the Alaska wilderness during a routine flight from Anchorage to Juneau.

W.C. member John I. McCloy told the HSCA in 1978, "I no longer feel we had no credible evidence or reliable evidence in regard to a conspiracy...."

W.C. member Senator John Sherman Cooper never agreed with the "single bullet theory," and expressed doubts to fellow members.

The two W.C. Commission members who remained committed to the conclusions of the Warren Report were, not surprisingly, former CIA Director Allen Dulles (who attended more WC meetings than any other member), and Gerald Ford, a man described by Newsweek the "CIA's best friend in Congress."

After leaving office, the man who created the Warren Commission, President Lyndon Johnson, expressed doubts about the Warren Commission's conclusion for the remain­der of his life. On one occasion he told his aide, Marvin Watson, that he was convinced there was a plot in connection with the assassination and "felt the CIA had something to do with the plot." Lyndon Johnson was correct, but it has taken JFK researchers nearly a half-century to arrive at the same conclusion.