[Sample B: Approval/Signature Sheet] - George Mason University

November 9, 1963, Miami police informant William Somersett recorded the conversation
with Milteer, in which they discussed Kennedy’s upcoming visit to Miami, which
occurred just before the president traveled to Texas. Milteer described how one could
assassinate the president “From an office building with a high-powered rifle.” Somersett
asked “They are really going to try to kill him?” to which Milteer replied “Oh, yeah, it is
in the working.” 440 The Committee quoted this part of the conversation, but not a later
exchange about how to avoid detection. Somersett commented that “Boy, if that
Kennedy gets shot, we have got to know where we are at. Because you know that will be
a real shake, if they do that.” Milteer responded that “They wouldn’t have no stone
unturned there no way. They will pick up somebody within hours afterwards, if anything
like that would happen just to throw the public off.” This would suggest that a patsy
would obscure the true nature of the plot. In this scenario, a supposedly left-wing
Oswald would be picked up quickly to cover-up the right-wing conspirators. The Miami
police notified federal authorities about Milteer’s comments before Kennedy visited
Miami, and the president’s motorcade was cancelled. The motorcade, however, was not
cancelled later in Dallas – even though Milteer suggested the plotters could change their
plans quickly to take advance of presidential vulnerability. He stated “There ain’t any
count down to it, we have just got to be sitting on go.” 441
In its report, the House Committee blended into the assassination cultural stew
spicy ingredients -- anti-Castro Cubans, the mob, and a second gunman -- but failed to
440 House Report, 297.
441 Mary Farrell Archive.
196