Oswald’s Widow Gives Evidence In Trial (Press, 26 February 1969)

Clay Shaw has recently faced a setback in his trial regarding allegations that he conspired to murder President John F. Kennedy. A court in New Orleans denied his request for acquittal, prompting the defence to call its first witness, Marina Oswald Porter, the widow of accused assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. During her testimony, Mrs Porter, currently residing in Richardson, Texas, claimed she had never heard her husband mention Clay Shaw or David Ferrie. Additionally, she refuted claims made by the prosecution’s key witness, Perry Raymond Russo, who asserted that Oswald had worn a beard and cohabited with Ferrie in New Orleans. David Ferrie, a former airline pilot whose life was marred by issues related to his sexuality, was found dead in New Orleans in February 1967. Oswald, identified as the lone assassin of President Kennedy by the Warren Commission, was killed by Jack Ruby two days after the assassination on 24 November 1963. Shaw, a 55-year-old retired businessman, was arrested on 1 March 1967 on the conspiracy charges, maintaining throughout that he is innocent. The evidence and argumentation from the prosecution heavily relied on the testimony of Russo, who claimed he overheard Shaw, Oswald, and Ferrie discussing their plans to assassinate Kennedy at a social gathering in Ferrie’s apartment in September 1963. However, before Mrs Porter took the stand, Judge Edward A. Haggerty refused a defence motion to direct the jury to find Shaw innocent. Under questioning by defence lawyer Mr Dymond, Mrs Porter was asked whether she recognised the names of Shaw and Ferrie; she stated she did not. She indicated that the only time Oswald was absent from their home was during his incarceration for distributing pro-Castro leaflets in New Orleans in 1963. Furthermore, she denied that Oswald had ever worn a beard or had long hair, contrasting sharply with Russo's description of him as unkempt. In response to queries about Oswald's activities, Mrs Porter denied any knowledge of him travelling to Clinton, Louisiana, unlike several witnesses presented by District Attorney Jim Garrison, who testified that Oswald, Shaw, and Ferrie had been in Clinton in August 1963, where Oswald allegedly attempted to register to vote. The court proceedings are ongoing as the trial continues, with ongoing discussions about the credibility of witnesses and the evidence presented.

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