The Most Famous Murders in History: Part Two

Each murder in this article has changed history forever. Some of these cases are considered solved, while others are still surrounded by intrigue and conspiracy theories. Although some of the convicted are subject to suspicion, others were acquitted that seemed to be guilty. Whether guilty or innocent the lives of family members and many others were forever changed by these murders.

John Lennon

The murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980, shocked the world. Immediately after the local news reported the murder, crowds began to gather at the hospital and in front of the Dakota, where Lennon and Ono lived. John Lennon was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Luke's Hospital while Mark David Chapman read: "The Catcher in the Rye."

The Obsession

Chapman attempted suicide in 1977, but sadly the attempt failed. After he was discovered, Chapman was taken to a local mental health center, and was then admitted to Castle Memorial hospital for clinical depression.

In 1979 Chapman had married, and was working at Castle Memorial as a printer; working alone. After he was fired, then rehired, Chapman got in an argument with a nurse and abruptly quit the job. He then took a security job and started drinking very heavily.

Chapman then developed an obsession with the book "The Catcher in the Rye," artwork, and John Lennon. It was then that Chapman started hearing voices again. On December 8th 1980, Chapman spent most of the day near the Dakota.

The Day of the Murder

Annie Leibovitz arrived on the morning of December 8th at the Dakota to see John Lennon about a photo shoot for Rolling Stone Magazine. After Leibovitz left the Dakota Lennon gave his last interview to a San Francisco DJ. Then at approximately 5:00 p.m Lennon and Ono left to work on the track: "Walking on Thin Ice" at Record Plant Studios.

When Lennon and Ono walked to the limousine they were approached by several autograph seekers; Chapman was one of those people. At first he came to New York to kill Lennon in November, but then changed his mind. Today he would not change his mind.

He handed John Lennon a copy of the album "Double Fantasy," and Lennon signed the album. After Lennon autographed the album he politely asked Chapman: "Is this all you want?" Chapman nodded his head in agreement. The Lennon's spent the next several hours at the studio then returned to the Dakota around 10:50 p.m.

Jose Perdomo (the doorman at the Dakota) and also a cab driver noticed Chapman "standing in the shadows by the archway." Yoko Ono walked past Lennon and headed towards the reception area. As Lennon passed Chapman, John Chapman turned and fired five hollow point bullets at John Lennon.

The newspapers claimed that Chapman hollered out: "Mr. Lennon," and then dropped into a combat stance: although Chapman reported that he didn't remember calling out for Lennon. Two shots "struck Lennon in the left side of his back, and two more penetrated his left shoulder." All four shots were severe wounds, and one of the shots pierced John Lennon's aorta.

Lennon struggled trying desperately to make his way up the steps to the reception area and said: "I'm shot," and then collapsed. The concierge, Jay Hastings then covered John with his uniform, and removed his glasses.

Aftermath

The death of John Lennon has been felt around the world. Yoko Ono sent a request to the crowd outside of the Dakota. She asked if they would "re-convene" to Central Park the following Sunday for "ten minutes of silent prayer." Millions of people around the world responded to her request.

An estimated thirty thousand people gathered in Liverpool, and over 225,000 amassed at Central Park which was close to the shooting. Two Lennon fans committed suicide which led Ono to comment to the public not to "give in to despair."

John Lennon has been the subject of many memorials and tributes. A memorial garden in Central Park: "Strawberry Fields" is across the street from the Dakota. In December of 2000 Fidel Castro unveiled a bronze statue of John Lennon on a park bench in Havana.

A John Lennon Museum was opened in Saitama Japan, and Liverpool also renamed its airport as the John Lennon Airport. This airport has also "adopted the motto "Above us only sky." There was no funeral for Lennon, his body was cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Westchester.

Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman

The Murder

At 10:15 p.m. on the night of June 13th 1994, screenwriter Pablo Fenjves hears a dog's "plaintive wail." Then at 10:35 p.m. Steven Schwab notices Nicole Simpson's dog Kato running around with no color, and bloody paws. Kato Kaelin also hears "three loud thumps" on the outside wall of his room. Kaelin gets off the phone and goes to investigate the noise.

Alan Park, a limo driver who was scheduled to pick up O.J. Simpson drives around to the gate at the Simpson house at 10:40 p.m. but see no cars in the driveway. He then rings the buzzer "repeatedly" but gets no answer.

At 10:52 p.m. Park sees Kato Kaelin coming from the back of the house with a flashlight. Moments later Park sees a 6' tall black man dressed in dark clothing enter the house. Park rings the buzzer again at 10:56 and O.J. Simpson answers and replies: "Sorry, I overslept, and I just got out of the shower. I'll be down in a minute."

Nicole Simpson's dog Kato leads neighbors: Sukru Boztepe and his wife Bettina to 875 South Bundy at 12:00 a.m to the dimly lit gated entrance of the condo. Boztepe then sees a body "sprawled on the Spanish tile walkway."

Nicole's throat was "slashed through to the spinal column." A "5 ½ in by 2 ½ inch" gash ran from the left side of her neck, to her right ear. There were also additional wounds such as: four puncture wounds on the left side of the neck, and three more punctures on the back of the head. Her hands were raised as if trying to protect herself.

Ronald Goldman's body was lying ten feet from Nicole. Ronald's neck was slashed on both sides, and he had also been stabbed in the chest three times. Goldman's hands had been cut numerous times, and he had also been stabbed in the abdomen, and on the thigh.

The evidence which was collected at the crime scene led police to suspect O.J. Simpson as the murder suspect. The time frame of the murder was estimated to be between: 10:15 -10:40 p.m.

The Trial

After the elusive Bronco chase when Simpson threatened to commit suicide and O.J finally turned himself in, the "trial of the century" was underway. Simpson was indicted by the Grand jury on two counts of murder.

Simpson hired a high profile team of lawyers to discredit any DNA evidence that was collected at the murder scene. This "Dream Team" was estimated to have cost Simpson between 3 to 6 million dollars.

The defense team argued that Simpson "was the victim of police fraud." They also stated that the scene of the murder was contaminated by "sloppy internal procedures." The defense then tried to prove that detective Mark Furman planted evidence at the scene of the murder.

While the prosecution had no murder weapon, no witnesses, and also no good fingerprints, they were still convinced that they had a solid case with the DNA evidence collected at the scene.

Evidence showed that Simpson left a trail of blood from Nicole's body to the condo, and then to the Bronco. Samples of bloody footprints leading away from the murder scene were tested with "restriction fragment length polymorphism." These samples were found to match Simpson's blood and footprints at the scene; there was also O.J. Simpson's blood on the gate.

Dennis Fung testified that DNA evidence "put Simpson at Nicole Brown's townhouse at the time of the murders." Gary Simms (California Department of justice) testified on May 16th that a glove found at Simpson's house tested positive for a match of Ronald Goldman's blood.

The other blood stained glove was found at the murder scene which contained both victim's blood as well as O.J. Simpson's blood. A witness also testified that they saw "a car similar to Simpson's Bronco speeding away from the area at 10:35 p.m."

Evidence Omitted from the Trial:

* Blood on O.J. Simpson's socks, which was identified as Nicole Brown Simpson's blood.

* The blood stained gloves were determined to be a match, but were not admitted as evidence.

* Store receipts from Ross Cutlery, which indicated that Simpson purchased a 12 inch stiletto knife six weeks before the murder.

* Rosey Grier, and also a jailer had testified to Judge Ito that Simpson had "yelled out that he didn't mean to do it." Judge Ito ruled that this evidence was not allowed in court.

After the "longest jury trial in California history" the jury acquitted O. J. Simpson of both murders. Some jurors stated that reasonable doubt on the DNA evidence had helped with this verdict. Later at a civil trial Simpson was found liable in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman.

John F. Kennedy

One of the most controversial murders of all time is the murder of JFK. Since the assassination of JFK on November 22nd 1963, many conspiracy theories immediately started right after his death, and some still exist to this day. Included in these conspiracy theories are: the CIA, the American Mafia, KGB, Vice President: Lyndon B. Johnson, J. Edger Hoover, and also Cuban President Fidel Castro, just to mention a few.

The Murder

The Kennedy assassination is "one of the most traumatic events in U.S. history." This assassination has inspired a wave of scientific investigation even forty years after the murder.

At 12:30 pm (Central time) President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza in Dallas Texas. Although a ten month investigation of the murder by the Warren Commission states that the president was assassinated by Oswald, other witnesses and theories suggest otherwise.

In 1979 the (HSCA) House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that the original FBI investigation, and also the Warren Commission Report to be "seriously flawed." The HSCA also stated that at least "four shots were fired" and it was "probable that a conspiracy existed."

When the Presidential Motorcade turned and passed by the book depository on Elm Street shots were fired at the president. Most of the witnesses interviewed reported hearing three shots. As the President waved to the crowd the first shot ripped through JFK's back and neck area. Governor John Connolly turned to look for the president but was also shot.

The final kill shot "possibly" entered the right rear of the presidents head and exploded leaving blood and skull fragments (and brain material) covering the interior of the vehicle, on the hood of the car, on both sides of the windshield, and also on the trunk lid of the vehicle.

Mrs. Kennedy then climbed out on the back of the limousine to retrieve part of the president's skull. Governor Connolly heard Mrs. Kennedy reply: "I have his brains in my hand," when she returned.

Witnesses

When the fatal shot was fired, the presidential limousine was passing a grassy knoll which some witnesses testified hearing gunshots. Police and several witnesses immediately ran to the grassy knoll to possibly investigate a sniper.

Lee Bowers testified before the Warren Commission that four men were in the area of the grassy knoll when the president was fatally shot. Bowers also testified that when the presidential motorcade arrived at the grassy knoll, two of the men moved in front of the fence on the knoll when the shootings began.

Out of 104 witnesses interviewed about the directions of the shots: 51.9% reported that the shots fired came from the book depository, 31.7% stated that the shots were fired from the grassy knoll, and 4.8% interviewed thought that all of the shots came from different directions.

Nellie Connally (wife of Governor John Connally) stated adamantly in her book: "From Love field: Our Final Hours" that her husband was shot by a separate bullet than those that hit the president. Although this contradicts the theory of the Warren Commission that the same "magic bullet" which shot Kennedy in the back and exited out of his throat area, was the same bullet that also entered the governor.

Conspiracy Theories

In the book: "Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy" Jim Marrs speculates that the assassination of JFK could have been motivated by the an executive order which would enable the Treasury to print silver certificates that would by-pass the Federal Reserve.

Craig Roberts also theorizes in his 1994 book: "Kill Zone" that this executive order was the beginning of a plan by Kennedy to do away with Federal Reserve, and that Kennedy was murdered by international bankers determined to foil this executive order.

Howard Hunt who is a former CIA agent has also been considered as a participant in several conspiracy theories. Although Hunt has denied being involved in any conspiracy to kill the president, he also fingered others who were involved in a conspiracy.

In 2007 shortly before his death, Hunt authored an autobiography which stated that Lyndon B. Johnson had orchestrated the Kennedy assassination with help from CIA agents: Cord Meyer, and Bill Harvey to mention a few. A French gunman was also reportedly the one who shot Kennedy from the grassy knoll.

An article published in 2007 by The Rolling Stone, stated that Howard Hunt confessed to his son on his dying bed that Lyndon B. Johnson along with the CIA agents were the masterminds behind the assassination on JFK.

Madeleine D. Brown, who claimed to be the mistress of Johnson, also implicated Johnson in the conspiracy to kill the president. In 1997 Brown alleged that Howard Hunt and Lyndon B. Johnson had been planning the assassination of Kennedy since 1960. Brown stated that the conspiracy involved dozens of people such as the: FBI, Mafia, and also "well known" politicians, and journalists.

In the book: "The Men Who Killed Kennedy," Mrs. Brown and a former employee of Clint Murchison "both placed J. Edger Hoover and LBJ at a dinner at Murchison's mansion shortly before the assassination." Brown stated in the book that Johnson told her after the party that "the Kennedy's will never embarrass me again."

One the latest theories is that William Greer (the driver of the presidential limousine) is the one who fired the fatal shot that killed JFK. William Cooper states in his book: "Behold a Pale Horse" that Greer can be seen in the unedited version of the Zapruder film placing a silver object on his right shoulder as he turns his head and shoots Kennedy in the right forehead. After the shot is fired Greer can be seen throwing the gun out the window of the limousine.

Three witnesses: Mary Moorman, Jean Hill, and also Austin P. Miller stated that they all saw gunfire from the "inside" of the vehicle. All of these witnesses were standing next to the vehicle when the final "shots" were fired. Moorman testified that she saw Greer fire, but thought that Greer was returning fire from a sniper.

The Cover-up

Although many witnesses have testified that the entire front of Kennedy's head was destroyed by the kill shot, the autopsy photographs still show just a bullet hole in the back of the president's head. If there was no conspiracy, then why were these photographs altered? And why was there also a decoy hearse?

Several sources have stated that while Kennedy was on the way to the hospital, the wounds on the president were altered to look like the president had been shot from behind. Three calls were made from Lyndon B. Johnson to the Dallas homicide division to "back off" the investigation due to federal security. Something is definitely wrong with this scenario.

Will we ever know all of the details in these murders? Or will people continue to die and take their secrets with them to the grave? Maybe someday the "correct" documentation of these murders will fall into the wrong hands, and be made public. If this ever happens, it could quite possibly be another Civil War.

Sources of information:

educate-yourself.org/cn/drivergreershotjfk.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy_assassination
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._J._Simpson_murder_case
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_John_Lennon