Chris Newton

Biography

Christopher M. Newton was born in Washington, D.C. on October 24th, 1959. His father, an international banker,moved the family to Italy for several years before returning to the United States and settling in a Philadelphia suburb.

Newton attended grade school in the area as well as St. Marks School in Massachusetts and graduated from the Stowe School in Vermont in 1978. Newton then spent several years studying and working in Mexico and Central America before returning to the US in 1981.

Newton enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1982 and spent four years as a crewman on the first M1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks in Texas and Germany. Discharged in 1986, Newton was inspired by the tank computer simulators then being developed by the US Army and embarked on a career in MIS in South Florida. Newton has also been a Infantry Squad Leader in Florida's Army National Guard and most recently had a seven year stint as an Operations Systems Analyst for Motorola's former Paging Division.

As a toddler, Christopher's earliest memory is of watching the funeral of President John F. Kennedy on the family's small black and white television. That memory and the realization that the Vietnam conflict may have had an alternate history had the assassination not taken place, fueled a life-long curiosity about the event.

Primary Sources

(1) Chris Newton, JFK Research Assassination Forum (22nd March, 2004)

Dr. Jose Albert Rivera, in my opinion, was involved in MKULTRA. We know for certain that MKULTRA sub projects dealt with the unwitting testing of LSD on a wide variety of subjects. There are many references and a few lawsuits that refer to the use of LSD on unwitting subjects in the halls at Langley and other installations as well as in public. So there's a strong precedent to the CIA just slipping it to someone. There is the Frank Olson case to consider as proof. If Dr. Rivera had access to these drugs then he was certainly in the "program". so to speak. We may never know if, when he slipped LSD to Adele, it was part of an "official" experiment or it was just a sick personal agenda. I feel pretty strongly that Lee (and Harvey) Oswald's situation was probably also a MKULTRA sub project. It has already been established that some MKULTRA projects involved children (I have not yet read Armstrong so correct me if I'm wrong). If the CIA was building a double agent and melding two persons into one character then psycho drugs and mind control would be right in line with building this "Manchurian Candidate". So following this train of thought I decided to find a link that I could follow from Rivera to Oswald.

Ed Haslam states "There were other connections between NIH and New Orleans. Of particular interest was Jose Rivera, M.D. Ph.D., who sat on the NIH Board of Directors in the 1960’s. We will note that the Dr. Rivera was really Col. Jose A. Rivera, one of the U.S. Army’s top experts in biological warfare, and that in the summer of 1963 he was in New Orleans handing out research grants from NIH (Institute for Neurological Diseases and Blindness) to Tulane Medical School, LSU Medical School, and the Ochsner Clinic".

I don't know who Rivera might have talked to in New Orleans, other than his "friend" Winston, but we could assume that he would probably visit one of his esteemed peers in biological research who lived nearby, H. Warner Kloepfer. While reading the next statement keep in mind the note above in which Haslam mentions Tulane, LSU and Ochsner.

I quote, "Kloepfer exemplified the historical problem of financial deprivation amongst genetics clinics in the state: In the late 1970's, he disclosed to me that his rank and salary at Tulane had never changed. His was able to accomplish his monumental field studies by traveling on an economical BMW motorcycle; however, lack of funds for lodging dramatically limited the range of those studies. He was able to obtain meaningful research support mainly for peripheral subjects, such as the inheritance of split dermal ridges. His peer-reviewed publications on genetic diseases in Louisiana spanned the 25 years from 1955 to 1979. To my knowledge, none of those landmark publications was grant-supported, though he left several file drawers of rejected grant applications. Toward the untimely end of his career, he was the author with the greatest number of citations in Mendelian Inheritance in Man. The citations are referenced online at http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/ (search term, "kloepfer").

Several colleagues with strong inclinations toward Medical Genetics collaborated with Kloepfer at Tulane during this period: Ralph Platou (Pediatrics department head), William Sternberg (Pathology), and Carolyn Talley (Public Health). Platou had the first March of Dimes (MOD) Birth Defects Center (BDC) in Louisiana but only mentioned "defects of a presumptively genetic origin. Other Tulane specialists worked closely with Kloepfer to define syndromes in their specialties, including Vincent Derbes (Dermatology), Herbert Ichinose (Pathology), James Killian (Neurology), Jeannette Laguaite (Speech Pathology), J. William Rosenthal (Ophthalmology), and M. Bruce Sarlin (Psychiatry). Kloepfer collaborated with many extramural colleagues as well, including David Van Gelder (Pediatrics practice), Richard Juberg (Genetics, University of Virginia), ames McLaurin (Otolaryngology practice), Neal Owens (Ophthalmology practice), and Richard Paddison (Neurology-LSU). There were also Tulane colleagues whose association with Kloepfer was important: Norman Woody, in Pediatrics, who was working on biochemical genetic disorders, and Maria Varela, who was initially in Anatomy but moved to Pathology to run the Cytogenetics laboratory in 1970. Cytogenetics laboratories had been set up in the Pathology departments of both Tulane and Ochsner in the 1960's."

So these two "birds of a feather", Rivera and Koepfer must have known each other, no? Well you might already know where this is going. Ruth Koepfer, Warner's wife, was apparently the "Clerk" of the local Quaker friends organization. This is from Ruth Kloepfer and Ruth Paine's WC testimony. I've found out that this is another lie, Warner was the "secretary" or clerk of the society not his wife. The Dallas Organization, South Central Yearly Meeting of Friends (Quakers), has a website and there's a little scholarship setup in Warner's honor, not his wife's. I repeat, this is the Dallas group and I see no indication that any other southern group has a similar relationship.

So, I guess we're also to believe Ruth Paine when she states she's never met Ruth Koepfler. Even though they've both met Lee Harvey Oswald and they're both Quakers in groups that seem pretty cozy when they share scholarships for their clerks.

I quote from Richard Billings New Orleans notes, " . . Fair Play for Cuba meetings may have been held at Ruth Kloepfer's home... "

It gets better.....I quote again The Warren Commission: "Aside from Ruth Paine and Ruth Kloepfer and her daughters, the Murrets were the only social visitors the OSWALDS had." [CIA 475; WCD 75; WR 276] Ruth Kloepfer had received a letter from Ruth Paine requesting she help the OSWALDS for humanitarian reasons. Ruth Kloepfer was interviewed in May 1977: "I was not a friend of Ruth Paine, I had never met her before. I received an official letter, she was a Quaker in Texas...She knew OSWALD'S wife...and was concerned about her. They asked me if I, as a Clerk of the New Orleans Meeting, would stop by. The wife was not at home the first time I stopped by, but Mr. OSWALD was. I went back and saw her later. It was strictly because I was the Clerk of the New Orleans Quaker Meeting. I worked for Sheriff Hyde in the Criminal Courts building at the time." Asked if she had any CIA connection, Ruth Kloepfer said she had none. A CIA Office of Security document contained traces on Dr. Warner Kloepfer (born February 25, 1913): "Kloefper was of interest to OO/C during September 1963, apparently in relation to OSI requirements." Dr. Kloepfer was interviewed and queried about the CIA Office of Security record: "I have never been a CIA employee. I have been interviewed about other people from time to time, it seems to me, by the CIA. Someone wanted to know something about somebody. I think I have had this happen. I had something, I don't recall exactly what...somebody who they are checking on. They asked me to tell them what I knew about them. You say my name is in OSWALD'S address book? Well, that would be impossible. I mean there must be some error because there is no way for him to have my name." OSWALD did have the names, "Ruth Kloepfer" and "H Warner Kloepfer," in his address book on page 46. [CIA 646-277] The CIA's Office of Security files reflected H. Warner Kloepfer was a faculty member of Tulane University. FBI files noted he was on the mailing list of the Southern Conference Educational Fund.

(2) Chris Newton, JFK Research Assassination Forum(2nd April, 2004)

In I think it all starts with the money and I believe there are two major conspiracies at work here. The first to remove the Kennedy Administration and the second to conceal and cover up. Not all the "players" needed to be actively involved in both phases.

Big Oil and the "Military Industrial Complex" both stood to lose and both were intertwined. Both these interests had their own back channels to the CIA and vice versa. I'm going to call this group including the rogue elements in the CIA, "Team A". (I use rogue loosely because if the director(s) is/are involved then the rogue element may really be the conservative element that's not witting).

Let's suppose that "Team A" decided to act before Kennedy had the chance to reduce our presence in South East Asia. The oil depreciation allowance was probably small potatoes compared to the funds spent on a major conflict. It takes a huge amount of oil and gas to deploy the U.S. Military for a long term conflict. Then there's the obvious equipment, weaponry supply and development necessary to sustain the conflict. Lastly, fresh sand in the sandbox for Dulles, Conien, Lansdale & Co. and a guarantee of continued employment.

"Team A" considers how to do this and sends their dirty trickster, Lansdale (recently woodshedded by the Administration), to cozy up to the target. They then approach their own asset and bagman extraordinaire, LBJ, and make him an offer he can't refuse. The Mob is already on their payolla because of ongoing operations, they have a joint interest in, against the tiny nation of Cuba. Would the Mob object to helping removing their biggest nemesis? I think not. "Team A" is also planning "phase 2", the cover up, so they get with LBJ's team at home under the big sky and enlist the players needed to control the aftermath, Clark, Cofer, Jaworksi, the local police, etc. In the meantime, Mr. Dirty Tricks has enlisted so many factions that the plot twists will offer decades of conjecture, dead ends and misdirections and offer up plenty of opportunities for "phase2".

The FBI so far is still unwitting but not unfriendly to the "Team A" plans. Hoover was a lot of things but the image and reputation of the Bureau was most important and he would not have risked that to be part of this treachery. I think his early remarks concerning the communists and Castro prove that he was looking at the angles, whether he examined "all the angles" is another matter. I'm going to call LBJ, the FBI and Warren Commission "Team B". LBJ, alone, may have been the only witting member and used his new-found power to mold and shape the priorities of "Team B".

Shortly after the dirty deed is accomplished LBJ wants to form a friendly board of inquiry with his minions at home in Texas. Only under pressure does he acquiesce and build the Warren Commission. As with Hoover, he demands that "for the good of the country", the patsy supplied conveniently by "Team A" must be found guilty as a "Lone Nut". This effectively deflects all legitimate investigation away from "Team A" and resources are expended proving the "unprovable" such as the SBT.

In Barr McClellan's Book, "Blood, Money & Power", there's a "factionalized" account of how LBJ enlists Clark into the conspiracy. I think, given Clark's connections with the oil aristocracy, that this may have happened "the other way around" that Clark may have enlisted LBJ.

(3) Chris Newton, JFK Research Assassination Forum(7th April, 2004)

Who killed JFK? The question has been asked by millions in the last forty years despite the conclusions of the Warren Commission set forth in September of 1964. The official story has been that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, fired three shots from the Texas Schoolbook Depository and that one of those bullets struck President Kennedy and killed him.

I believe that the evidence available to the Warren Commission at the time indicated beyond any doubt that there was more than one shooter and that many more individuals were involved. Conspiracy theories and suspects are equally plentiful and my own view is that there may have been two separate conspiracies that together helped cover up the treacherous act. An act of assassination is not unlike any other military operation and military operations consist of different phases that take place in a logical order. The first conspiracy, in my assassination theory, was this "Operation Order" (OPORD) which consists of these four basic stages:

- Identifying the problem

- Assessment of the situation

- Development of the course of action

- Execution of the the course of action

The Problem - President Kennedy had recently revealed that he was pulling troops home from the Vietnam Conflict and he was expected to target an "oil depletion allowance" for reduction that gave oil companies a twenty-five percent pre-tax profit. Neither of these actions were good for what was then called "Big Oil" or for what former President Eisenhower had labeled the "military-industrial complex". The CIA was under increasing pressure from the Kennedy administration because of operational failures, executive action, working relationships with the Mafia and a general consensus that they were simply out of control. Vice President Johnson was facing at least three different investigations, any of which could impeach him, and rumors had it that he would be removed from the next presidential election "ticket".

Assessment and Development - I believe that initially "Big Oil" and the "military-industrial complex" were probably the instigators and brought in the CIA who helped assess and develop the course of action. The Dulles brothers, Edward Lansdale and Lucien Conien are at the top of the heap for CIA suspects, all had been recently been removed from posts or otherwise reduced by the Kennedy Administration. Lansdale was a master of the art of dirty tricks, had planned several assassinations and was considered quite unorthodox in his techniques. The fact that we had Oswald and the CIA, anti-Castro Cubans, southern right-wingers, the mafia, russian double agents all as possible and probable conspirators indicates that an expert hand been developing and coordinating the plan. Many researchers have suggested that the assassination planning included possible cities other than Texas. I think that Dallas, which had an openly hostile atmosphere because of civil rights resistance and right wing politics, offered a better opportunity. In Texas, Vice President Johnson controlled the courts and local government through his lawyers and because of his political background. Johnson could enlist the help of local law enforcement officials and buy whatever influence was needed in the aftermath of the assassination.

Execution - Like "blood brothers" who share a common bond all the players above brought people to participate at Dealey Plaza. The CIA may have controlled Oswald, brought in anti-Castro cubans and Mafia hit-men (and Jack Ruby) as well as their own operators such as E. H. Hunt and Frank Sturgis. "Big Oil" and Johnson may have had a hand in enlisting Mac Wallace, "The Minutemen" (racist right wingers), elements of the Dallas Police Department such as Roscoe White and JD Tippett. Johnson himself may have been enlisted by Edward Clark who had connections with "Big Oil". Johnson even went so far as to have an argument with President Kennedy the morning of the motorcade concerning seating arrangements, he did not want a friend of his sitting in the Presidents car. There are many other suspects that have been named elsewhere almost all have some tie to the above people and organizations.

The second conspiracy started at least seconds after the President's convertible passed under the triple overpass. In the United States one is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. In this case, Lee Harvey Oswald was deemed guilty almost before the last echo had faded in the plaza. I cannot conceive of how the most professional investigative team in the history of law enforcement, the FBI, could so callously ignore evidence in the manner it did. Unless of course there was a mandate to satisfy the nation that this "silly little communist", as Jackie Kennedy called him, acted alone. There is ample evidence that witnesses testimony was changed and in some cases wholly re-written. Movies of the motorcade were altered. Photographs were cropped, suppressed and altered as well. Many witnesses died sometimes right before they were to testify. Many more witnesses were harassed or were afraid. Evidence that didn't fit was ignored. Witnesses admitted to being forced to perjure themselves such as the Parkland Hospital Staff. The CIA employed a full time staff to sow disinformation about conspiracy researchers (this may still be going on). The Warren Commission was reluctantly put together by LBJ after being pressured to do so. I invite anyone to read the proceedings to get an idea of how badly witnesses were treated.

I must say that I don't think J. Edgar Hoover had a role in the first conspiracy I mentioned. Maybe someone, like a close friend or neighbor, had speculated on whether he would cooperate if say a piano fell from on high and changed the administration. I think this is a more likely a scenario. Mr. Hoover would have had to have had an active role in the second conspiracy for it to be successful. LBJ, his Warren Commission and his old friend and neighbor, J. Edgar Hoover, directed the second conspiracy while most of those involved in the first part were silenced, either willingly or unwillingly.