Introducing: CONSPIRACY THEORIES, CULTS, AND CRIMES

From Jonestown to Heaven’s Gate, to the Octopus Murders and the Waco Siege, the world is full of deception, manipulation, and destruction. Listen to Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes every Wednesday as we explore the real people at the center of the world’s most shocking secrets and nefarious organizations. Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes is a Crime House original powered by PAVE Studios. Follow the show now so you don’t miss a single story. Listen Now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conspiracy-theories-cults-crimes/id1828469754 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

• 0:09Speaker 00

  Hey, it's Chris. If you've enjoyed our recent series on infamous kidnappings and you're looking for your next listen, check out a new podcast from Crime House called Conspiracy Theories, Cults, and Crimes. Each week, Vanessa Richardson will uncover the true stories behind the world's most shocking crimes, deadly ideologies, and secret plots. From mass suicides and political assassinations, to secret government experiments and UFO cults. If you love mystery, madness, and diving deep into the world's most unbelievable true stories, you won't want to miss this show. Here's a clip from their episode about the JFK assassination. The episode is out right now, and if you like what you hear, follow Conspiracy Theories,

• 0:54Speaker 00

  Cults, and Crimes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

• 1:03Speaker 01

  In November 1963, 46-year-old John F. Kennedy was riding high. He was about halfway through his first term as president and already gearing up for reelection. He was confident he could win, especially in the wake of his latest political achievement. The year before, in October of 1962, Soviet nuclear missiles had been discovered off the coast of Cuba, close enough to strike almost anywhere in the US. All of a sudden, people were stockpiling supplies, tracking emergency news alerts, and preparing for the worst. In the wake of this discovery, Kennedy got on the radio and spoke directly to his constituents. He promised the US would come out unscathed, and he was right.

• 1:48Speaker 01

  Through some careful political maneuvering, he managed to convince Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev to withdraw the missiles. Thanks to Kennedy's skillful diplomacy, the American people could rest assured they were safe. Now, he hoped that they'd trust him with the country's highest office once again.

• 2:09Speaker 01

  On November 22nd, 1963, Kennedy touched down in Dallas, Texas. He was on a two-day tour of the Lone Star State, and he really needed it to go well. Texas was historically Republican. If he could flip it Democrat, he was one step closer to a second term. The first lady, Jackie Kennedy, as well as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, were there for extra support. So far, their trip had been a success. They'd had a big turnout at their first three stops in San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth. Now they were on to do the same in Dallas. When they arrived, they were met with an adoring crowd. Kennedy was scheduled to give a speech about 10 miles away from the airport.

• 2:53Speaker 01

  To keep the energy high, the group decided to travel there by motorcade. That way, everyone could get a good look at the president. JFK and Jackie smiled and waved from the open convertible they shared with Texas Governor John Connally and his wife. It was a sunny day, and there were thousands of people lined up to see JFK. But there was someone in the crowd with much darker intentions. At around 12:30 PM, the procession entered downtown Dallas in an area known as Dealey Plaza. At that very moment, three loud pops rang out. A team of Secret Service agents had been tailing Kennedy and his entourage.

• 3:36Speaker 01

  Between the sounds of cameras flashing and the raucous applause, they thought maybe it was a firecracker. Then the agents heard screaming and realized, this was no light show, it was gunshots. They raced over to Kennedy's car and saw the president slumped over in the rear seat of the convertible. One agent, Clint Hill, hurled himself over the trunk. That's when he saw Governor Connally had been shot in the leg, and Kennedy had been hit in the head. The president was covered in blood. There were skull fragments and brain matter splattered across the back of the car, including on the first lady. Agent Hill knew they needed to get Kennedy to a hospital, now.

• 4:20Speaker 01

  The driver rushed them to nearby Parkland Memorial. As soon as they arrived, medical staff raced out with stretchers. They hurried the president and the others inside while the Secret Service provided cover. For the next 20 minutes or so, doctors fought to save President Kennedy and Governor Connally. They were able to stabilize the governor, but sadly, Kennedy was too far gone. At 1:00 PM, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was declared dead, which meant an assassin was on the loose in Dallas.

• 4:56Speaker 01

  FBI agents and Dallas police officers scoured Dealey Plaza, looking for the killer. Many onlookers were still there, and witnesses claimed they heard gunshots coming from two different locations. One was an area known as the Grassy Knoll, a large, hilly field next to the road. The other was the Texas School Book Depository Building, within the plaza. The president's car had just passed the depository when the shots rang out. A group of investigators ran to the Grassy Knoll, but they didn't find any evidence that a shooter had been there. At the same time, a pair of DPD officers headed to the book depository and began sealing off the seven-story building.

• 5:38Speaker 01

  Before doing anything else, the officers rounded up all the employees and questioned them. No one seemed suspicious, so they let them go. After that, the officers searched the building. The first few floors were clear, but when they arrived at the sixth, they sensed something was wrong. There was a stack of cardboard boxes sitting in front of an open window overlooking the motorcade route. The officers knew this was where the assassin had fired from. They became even more certain when they looked through the boxes. Inside were three empty shell casings and a military-style rifle. They had the evidence, and a possible murder weapon. Now they needed to track down a suspect.

• 6:22Speaker 01

  Just as they were deciding where to look next, the building manager burst onto the sixth floor. He'd realized something important. When the officers were questioning the employees, one person was missing: 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald. He was new, and he'd been on the sixth floor that day.

• 6:44Speaker 01

  It turned out Lee had left before the officers arrived. The manager didn't think anything of it at the time. Lee had seemed calm, too calm to have been the shooter. Now, the manager wasn't so sure. He gave the police Lee's address, and the officers booked it back to the station to alert their supervisors. To their surprise, Lee was already in the interrogation room. It turned out he'd been arrested for shooting and killing another police officer after the assassination. And that wasn't all. Several witnesses had seen a man who looked just like him running through that part of Dallas after the president was hit. That, coupled with his suspicious behavior at the book depository, sealed the deal.

• 7:27Speaker 01

  Officers were certain Lee was their man. They quickly alerted the FBI. Agents rushed to the station. And when they learned who the suspect was, they were floored because Lee Harvey Oswald had been on their radar for months. Somehow, Kennedy's killer had slipped right through their fingers.

• 7:51Speaker 01

  Thank you for listening to the start of my show, Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. If you want to hear what happens next, search Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes, and follow wherever you listen to podcasts.

• 8:04Speaker 00

  Thanks for listening. To catch the rest of the episode and much more, search for Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes wherever you get your podcasts. I'll drop a link in the show notes.