The House Select Committee on Assassinations

The House Select Committee on Assassinations was created on February 2, 1977, with the mandate to conduct a "full and complete investigation and study of the circumstances surrounding the assassination and death of President John F. Kennedy and the assassination and death of Martin Luther King, Jr. The House Resolution 1540, by the 94th Congress, second session, authorized the 12-member select committee.

Despite the passage of many years since final conclusions were reached regarding the death of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., the American people did not believe that the truth concerning these assassinations had been disclosed, and they continued to question the adequacy and integrity of the original investigations. The Select Committee on Assassinations, in its report to the 94th Congress stated that the passage of time had not healed the national trauma caused by these assassinations. In the ensuing years, old doubts had remained and new disturbing questions had been raised as additional evidence had been discovered. As a result, there was a growing sense of national concern about the adequacy and integrity of the original investigation. The history of these assassinations has demonstrated that the passage of more time would only increase that concern.

Under the mandate contained in the enabling Resolution, the committee commenced its activities under the leadership of Chairman Thomas N. Downing (who would later resign). The committee divided itse

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second and third shots he fired struck the President. The third shot killed him. The report stated that the President was struck by two rifle shots fired from behind him. These were fired from the sixth floor window of the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository building. Lee Harvey Oswald owned the rifle that was used to fire the shots from the sixth floor, and shortly before the assassination, he had access to and was present on the sixth floor of the building. In addition, the committee found that Oswald's other actions tended to support the conclusion that he assassinated the President. In the draft report of December 13, 1978, the committee concluded that there was insufficient evidence to find that there was a conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy. However, by December 29, the committee, after hearing new evidence, had changed its conclusions. Scientific acoustical evidence established a high probability that two gunmen fired at the President. Other scientific evidence did not preclude the possibility of two gunmen firing at the President. The committee believed, on the basis of the evidence available, that President Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. The commit

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