Description:

John F. Kennedy
Garland, TX, February 8, 1999
James Leavelle on L.H. Oswald's Shooting: Police Dept. Didn't Know if JFK Assassination "was a conspiracy or not"
TLS

[John F. Kennedy]. James R. Leavelle (1920-2019) typed letter signed. Two pages, 8.5" x 11"; Garland, Texas; February 8, 1999. The former Dallas homicide detective had been one of two officers escorting Lee Harvey Oswald through the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters on November 24, 1963, when Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald. He writes to "Mr. Heck" recalling the events of the day. Signed in full at the conclusion, "James R. Leavelle." Both sheets have a single horizontal fold at center, otherwise fine.

"The question most often asked me is, ‘What went through your mind at the time of the shooting in the basement?' And if I saw Ruby before the shot was fired? I did see Jack Ruby as he stepped from the crowd and take the two short steps and double action the shot into Oswald. I later timed it with film from TV Cameras that recorded the event and it took only a fraction over one second for him to step out and fire the shot. You cannot do much in that length of time…"

Leavelle opens the letter with his thoughts on Kennedy's assassination: "The assassination was a moment in history that any one living at that time can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing. I don't know if you would call it world shaking or not, but it was an event that the whole world took notice of. We in the police department did not know if it was a conspiracy or not, and it took many thousands of hours of investigation before we determined that there was no conspiracy."

A lengthy letter with great detail of the events from the perspective of a firsthand participant. In fact, Leavelle was handcuffed to Oswald when he was shot. The letter also includes Leavelle's verbal exchanges with Oswald, and his later interrogations of Jack Ruby who stated he killed Oswald because "he just wanted to be a Hero."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 8.5" x 11"
  • Medium: TLS

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

November 19, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000