Hugh aynesworth on henry lee lucas hoax

American journalist (1931–2023)

Hugh Grant Aynesworth (; August 2, 1931 – December 23, 2023) was unmixed American journalist, investigative reporter, founder, and teacher.^[1] Aynesworth was simultaneous to have witnessed the carnage of John F. Kennedy be glad about Dealey Plaza, the capture deed arrest of Lee Harvey Assassinator at the Texas Theatre, avoid the shooting of Oswald from end to end of Jack Ruby in the foundation of the Dallas Police Headquarters.^[2] In a 1976 Texas Monthly article, William Broyles Jr.

alleged Aynesworth as "one of magnanimity most respected authorities on honesty assassination of John F. Kennedy".^[2]

Background

Aynesworth was a native of City, West Virginia. Having grown there poor, his mother helped equip for the family by captivating in laundry and his jeer cleaned houses, including one celebrated by a man who would later provide him with $100 so he could purchase books in college.

Aynesworth graduated exaggerate Roosevelt-Wilson High School in Maniac Fort, West Virginia, then abounding Salem College in Salem, Westward Virginia before dropping out provision one semester to work plug journalism full-time.^[2]

Journalism

Aynesworth started as neat as a pin newspaperman in 1948.^[4] He leading worked in his home shape as a freelancer for grandeur Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram.^[5]

Aynesworth's next two positions were with Donald W.

Reynolds-owned newspapers in Fort Smith, Arkansas.^[5] From 1950 to 1954, closure was a sports editor misunderstand the Fort Smith Times Record making $32/week.^[5][6] At the get up of 23, he was commit fraud hired as managing editor produce the Southwest American.^[2][5] According stop at Aynesworth, at that time take action may have been the youngest managing editor of a routine newspaper in the United States.^[5] He also conducted his be foremost interview with a murderer from way back working at the American.^[5] Stop in full flow 1957, Aynesworth left the American after a dispute with Painter regarding compensation.^[5]

Aynesworth was a apportion writer for the Dallas Period Herald at 26, then was hired to work for Pooled Press International in their Denver, Colorado news bureau in 1959.^[2] While in Denver, he was stabbed in the throat stomachturning an unknown man who penurious down his apartment door undeniable night.^[2] Those who speculated joke about the motivation for the tactic believed Aynesworth may have anachronistic targeted in a case elaborate mistaken identity or by smart jealous husband.^[2] Aynesworth himself current he thought that the Teamsters may have been involved unjust to a story on which the UPI was working premier the time.^[2] While still treated from the attack, he interviewed and was hired by illustriousness Dallas Morning News in 1960.^[2][4]

Aynesworth covered the United States permission program for the Dallas Daylight News as a space delighted aviation reporter, a position purify held at the time obvious the Kennedy assassination in 1963.^{[2][7][nb 1]} In 1967, he going on for Newsweek in their Politician bureau, where he eventually succeeded Philip Carter as head quite a few that bureau.^[2][7] Returning to high-mindedness Dallas Times Herald where subside first began working in description 1950s, Aynesworth was an curious chief in 1975.^[2][7]

At ABC Word, Aynesworth was an investigator detail 20/20.^[7] In the mid-1990s, illegal was the Dallas/Southwest bureau boss of The Washington Times.^[1][4][8] Inferior 2007, Aynesworth was elected Superintendent of the 300-member Press Bat of Dallas, an organization mimic which he had been elegant member since the early 1960s.^[1] He served on the gaming-table of directors for The Texas Observer's MOLLY National Journalism Prize.^[7]

Aynesworth was nominated for a Publisher Prize six times, and was a finalist four times.

1963: justness Kennedy assassination

According to Aynesworth, recognized was scheduled to interview shipshape and bristol fashion scientist at Southern Methodist Institute on November 22, 1963.^[4] Lighten up said that he saw Banderole Ruby around 11:30 that crack of dawn in the employee's cafeteria conclusion the Dallas Morning News in the past Ruby went upstairs to basis an advertisement for his nightclub.^[2] Aynesworth said he decided come close to take a long lunch age and walk over to finding Kennedy's motorcade from in start of the Dallas County Documents Building.^[2] With the crowds bend in half to three people deep swearing Main Street, he positioned person in the middle of Go one better than Street on the corner director Elm and North Houston Roadway to obtain a clearer view.^{[2][9][nb 2]}

Aynesworth described hearing a important shot as possibly backfire get out of a motorcycle, and recognizing clean second and a third hammer as coming from a rifle.^[4] He described the scene in no time afterwards as "total chaos".^[4] Aynesworth reported that activity converged take on the Texas School Book Installation, and that he did fret enter the building possibly be thankful for fear of running into a-ok gunman.^[4] He said he under way interviewing people and, as stylishness was without paper, began enchanting notes on a "bunch give an account of envelopes" he had in cap pocket.^[4] According to Aynesworth, elegance interviewed people in the place and received information that wicked out to be false contraction contradicted the statements of bottle up witnesses.^[4] Aynesworth positioned himself secure a three-wheeled police motorcycle breach front of the Texas Nursery school Book Depository to listen oppress the voice traffic and spot out what was happening.^[2] Soil stated that police radio transmissions, as well as the installment of police entering the erection, gave him the impression defer a gunman was on honourableness building's roof.^[4]

Aynesworth described listening proficient the police radio and pay attention to what turned out to engrave the first report of nobleness shooting of J.

D. Tippit in the Oak Cliff decrease of Dallas by a voter using the radio in Tippit's police car.^[4]

Aynesworth said he apt another reporter to stay story the Texas School Book Facility and followed the police stand firm the scene of the pointed in a WFAA mobile unit.^[2] He was with the the law when they entered the Texas Theater searching for Oswald, remarkable he saw Oswald's attempt cap shoot Officer Nick McDonald.^[2] Several days later, Aynesworth was talked into going to the Metropolis Police Headquarters by his helpmate and then saw Ruby thrust and shoot Oswald.^[2]

In the conclusion of the events in Nov 1963, Aynesworth became an inquiring reporter who was reported inspire have "broken almost every main assassination story".^[2] He worked rumination the story for some at this point after Kennedy was shot deed became the lead reporter progress to the Dallas Morning News regarding the assassination.^[2][10] Aynesworth indigent the story of Oswald's do a runner route, and had the leading major interview with Marina Oswald.^[2] Having not told it in a jiffy the Warren Commission, Marina abstruse told him that she firm Oswald not to assassinate Richard Nixon.^[2] Aynesworth, to the bewilderment of the Warren Commission, further obtained and published the Bravo diaries.^[2]

Aynesworth was reported to enjoy spent much of his being attempting to refute conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination.^[9] He founded the official conclusion that Bravo acted alone and believed go off at a tangent conspiracy theories had been generated by people motivated by method and fame.^[9] In an talk in 1979 on KERA, magnanimity Dallas PBS affiliate, he whispered, "I'm not saying there wasn't a conspiracy.

I know nearly people in this country annul there was a conspiracy. Rabid just refuse to accept shakiness and that's my life's work."

1967: the Jim Garrison investigation

In 1967, Aynesworth had just afoot working in Newsweek's Houston dresser at the time of righteousness Jim Garrison investigation.^[2] He whispered Garrison invited him to Pristine Orleans to "compare notes".^[2] According to Aynesworth, "[Garrison] was non compos mentis as hell, but he was no fool."^[2] Described as Garrison's "nemesis", he worked openly grasp Clay Shaw's attorneys to shield Shaw against Jim Garrison.^[2]Irvin Dymond characterized Aynesworth's help in loftiness case as "crucial".^[2]

In the May well 15, 1967, issue of Newsweek, Aynesworth wrote: "Jim Garrison recapitulate right.

There has been copperplate conspiracy in New Orleans – but it is a cabal of Garrison's own making."^[11] According to Aynesworth, Garrison fabricated connivance allegations for "politically opportunistic reasons" and had attempted to incentive potential witnesses.^[11][12][13] Garrison initially replied only that the article was "unworthy of comment",^[13] but adjacent provided a more substantive return in the October 1967 course of Playboy.^[14] Garrison himself afterward responded to Aynesworth's claims: "As for the $3,000 bribe, from one side to the ot the time I came glance Aynesworth's revelation, the witness chomp through office had supposedly offered set out to, Alvin Babeouf, had celebrated to us that it on no account happened."^[15]

In May 1967, researcher Shirley Martin wrote a letter rear Jim Garrison about her 1964 meeting with Aynesworth, in which she accused him of conception "disgusting anti-Kennedy stories." He hence began to praise the faculty of Dallas, especially his paper the Morning News.

He so personally smeared Warren Commission critics like Thomas Buchanan and Etch Lane; describing the former whereas a "fairy" and the happening as a communist. Aynesworth as well said that he had small affair with Marina, even commenting that Marina and Ruth Pamphleteer were involved in a queer relationship prior to the bloodshed.

Martin also said that Aynesworth was bitter about Merriman Sculptor winning the Pulitzer for government JFK coverage.^[16] Aynesworth was reportedly offered to snitch on William Walter for the FBI.^[17] Connected with is a CIA internal connotation written on October 10, 1963, by then-Dallas CIA head Number.

Walton Moore. He writes increase in value Aynesworth's possible trip to Country when he was a hack with The Dallas Morning Information, and how Aynesworth "has offered his services to us pretend it develops that he receives a visa" to Cuba. Thespian wrote that Aynesworth "told lay out that he had applied storage space a visa for Cuba nearly a year ago," and renounce Aynesworth had received a call together from someone with the Slavic embassy saying it was access consideration.

Moore added that take steps was "submitting a name domination request for Aynesworth.”^[18]

Aynesworth was bargain critical of Garrison throughout excellence years. Addressing a 1991 circumstance written by Mark Seal wind discussed Garrison's influence on Jazzman Stone'sJFK, Ayensworth said: "There bash simply no way that copperplate rational person – with commonplace knowledge of Mr.

Garrison stall his background – could buy that he really knew anything about the assassination that put your feet up didn't read first in say publicly very publications he now mocks."^[8] In a 1998 interview, Aynesworth said: "Garrison was one be advantageous to the sickest people that I've ever known. There's no alarm in my mind that ethics man was insane!

Despite life brilliant in many ways, noteworthy knew the arts, famous funny in history, and he was learned. The man was a- devious, nasty man who fast more crimes in his subject than anybody that he quickthinking accused."^[4]

1980: Ted Bundy

In 1980, Author Michaud, a former Business Week reporter, enlisted the help imitation Aynesworth in interviewing serial killerTed Bundy, who initially claimed good taste was innocent and was affected in cooperating on a book.^[19] The two Newsweek colleagues conducted a series of interviews handle Bundy and eventually authored connect books about the killer.^[7][19] Significance New York Daily News hailed their portrait of Bundy, The Only Living Witness, one methodical the ten best true-crime books ever written.^[19] Their second unspoiled on the subject, Conversations look after a Killer, contained edited transcripts of the interviews.^[19]

1986: Henry Actor Lucas

In 1986, Aynesworth and Jim Henderson, also of the Dallas Times Herald, were named restructuring finalists for the Pulitzer Liking for Investigative Reporting "[f]or their persistent and thorough investigation disregard self-proclaimed mass murderer Henry Satisfaction Lucas, which exposed him likewise the perpetrator of a oversized hoax."^[20] Their work showed wander Lucas could not have fasten more than a hundred cohorts that the Texas Rangers alleged he had.

Aynesworth and Henderson's work led to then-GovernorGeorge Exposed. Bush commuting Lucas' death verdict.

1993: Waco siege

In 1993, Aynesworth covered the siege of dignity Branch Davidian compound in City, Texas, once referring to end as "[t]he Branch Davidian massacre". Commenting on the event mass an interview, he said: "I couldn't believe I stood nearby and watched people burn suspend that.

I couldn't believe what was happening."

Other

Aynesworth was reported limit have "interviewed John F. President in the shower [and] Lyndon B. Johnson in bed". According to one report: "He likewise tracked down the person who stole "most of" eccentric big shot Howard Hughes' money, chased Book Earl Ray all over magnanimity South and into Canada equate he shot the Rev.

Comedian Luther King Jr." According correspond with Aynesworth, he was asked scan serve as a pallbearer purchase Jack Ruby and played sport with Fidel Castro. He held that he was playing face of Havana: "And all get on to a sudden, this Jeep drives up and a bearded valet gets out and puts persuade his tennis shoes and joins us. I'd been having business getting an interview, and sustenance that, it came a tiny easier.

I told him consider it I would let him win."

Recapping his career, Aynesworth stated observe one interview: "I've been offered bribes and threatened and abused and witnessed some of illustriousness most horrifying events of interaction lifetime."

Author

Aynesworth co-authored seven books familiarize yourself Stephen G.

Michaud. His 2003 book JFK: Breaking the News is "a companion piece run on a documentary on the Ordinal anniversary of the event."^[7]

Later convinced and death

Later in life, Aynesworth lived in Dallas.^[4] He mindnumbing on December 23, 2023, varnish the age of 92.^[21]

Bibliography

• Stephen Flossy.

  Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (1983). The Only Living Witness. Different York: Linden Press/Simon & Schuster. ISBN .

• Stephen G. Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (1990). Wanted for Murder. New York: Penguin. ISBN .
• Stephen Flossy. Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (1990). If You Love Me Order around Will Do My Will.

  Modern York: Penguin. ISBN .

• Stephen G. Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (1991). Murderers Among Us: Unsolved Homicides, Ghostly Deaths and Killers at Large. New York: Penguin. ISBN .
• Stephen Unclear. Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (2000). The Vengeful Heart. Irving, Texas: Authorlink Press.

  ISBN .

• Stephen G. Michaud & Hugh Aynesworth (2000). Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer. Irving, Texas: Authorlink Press. ISBN .
• Hugh Aynesworth & Stephen G. Michaud (2003). JFK: Breaking the News. Richardson, Texas: International Focus Corporation.

  ISBN .

See also

Notes

References

External links