Backhoes began the exhumation process with the onset of sufficient daylight at about 6:30 am Central time. The primary concern of those in charge of the physical exhumation was an expeditious removal of the remains for both security reasons and to minimize the impact on daily operations at Rose Hill.

The initial plan called for the removal of the concrete vault containing the casket, which would then be transported to the vault company for opening. The casket itself would subsequently be removed from the vault and driven to nearby Baylor Medical Center where the examination and identification of the remains would take place. When the uncovered vault was found to be cracked this idea was abandoned and a trench was instead dug alongside the vault allowing easy access for workmen to open the Oswald crypt. It was immediately obvious that the casket and body had suffered extensive water damage because of the cracked vault. The casket cover was noted to be severely weakened and one section had fallen in, actually exposing the remains to onlookers and resolving the question of whether or not the grave was empty.

The casket, covered by a specially made cardboard lid, was carefully slid onto a wooden platform that had been placed in the trench. The entire platform was then raised and placed in a waiting hearse for the trip to Baylor. The completed exhumation took about two and a half hours, by which time the small crowd had turned into a large one that included members of the news media. Rumors had circulated among the media that the examination would take place at the Dallas Institute of Forensic Science. Because of this, many members of the press traveled to that facility instead of Baylor. This was a fortuitous development from the viewpoint of the examination team as it facilitated a quick and somewhat clandestine transfer of the remains.

The remains arrived at Baylor at about 9:20 am CDT and the examination began at 10:00 am. The casket was opened and it was obvious that the water that had so damaged the coffin had caused marked decomposition of the body as well. The exposed ribs crumbled with only mild pressure and the beige viscera bag containing the organs (placed in the bag after the original ’63 autopsy by Dr. Earl Rose) was in full view.

        Oswald Skull

Mortician Paul Groody, who had embalmed and buried Oswald in 1963, remained in the examination room long enough to identify the remains as those he had worked with. Groody used several observations during the brief time he was in the room in order to make this identification. First, he observed rings on the hands of the body that were placed there by Marina Oswald. The rings, a gold wedding band and a red stone ring, were the same and seemed to be in the same position as he remembered. Secondly, Groody recognized the aforementioned viscera bag that was not in common use in 1963. Finally, Groody noticed that the clothes were those that he had placed on Oswald before he was laid to rest. After making his identification, Groody promptly left the examination room.

After a cursory examination of the body, it was time for the Norton team to do the work that would ensure a proper identification of the remains. The identification would be made primarily using dental records. However, the team was aware of two additional procedures performed on the skull of the deceased that could strengthen their findings if present. One was a craniotomy incision made by Dr. Earl Rose as a normal part of the autopsy he performed in 1963. The other was a defect in the mastoid process resulting from an operation Oswald had as a child. If both anomalies (resulting from procedures that occurred nearly twenty years apart) could be identified, it would provide convincing proof of the identity of the corpse.

The head was removed from the body in order to facilitate the examination by an incision near the second cervical vertebral interspace. The autopsy saw cut was indeed present in the usual position providing the first confirmation that this was Oswald. The doctors also observed the defect from Oswald’s childhood mastoid operation, which was described as “irregularly ovoid” and about one by one-half centimeters in size. Using photos taken that day, Dr. Vincent DiMaio (a member of the Norton team) told the author that the mastoid defect was normal in appearance. He also identified the craniotomy cut as the one he remembered.

Having confirmed the autopsy cut and mastoid defect, the Norton team moved on to the dental examination. The teeth were cleaned and photographs and x-rays taken. The two forensic odontologists, Drs. Cottone and Sopher, then charted the complete dentition independently and dental casts were made. The team recorded identical radiographic morphology in three teeth and similar radiographic morphology in three others. Additionally, similar pulpal anatomy was noted in one other tooth. A positive dental identification of Lee Harvey Oswald was therefore made by the team on the strength of the identical and similar factors in the dentition and the lack of any unexplainable inconsistencies. A news conference was held at about 3:00 pm to announce the findings of the team. Linda Norton stepped before the cameras and made the following statement:

“The findings of the team are as follows: We independently and as a team have concluded beyond any doubt, and I mean beyond any doubt, that the individual buried under the name of Lee Harvey Oswald in Rose Hill Cemetery is in fact Lee Harvey Oswald.”

The Norton team was confident that their examination would end any further speculation about the identity of the corpse. Dr. Irvin Sopher said, “… is no doubt that the in-life records and the X-rays match the body in the casket.” Sopher added that the matching of dental records can be “as exact as a fingerprint”. Dr. Norton stated that a “mist of mold” covered the body proving the remains had not been tampered with.

After nearly three years of legal action and considerable expense, Michael Eddowes was gracious in defeat. Commenting through his attorneys, he stated, “Though surprised, I am in no way disappointed in the apparent disproving of my evidence of imposture. Rather, I have accomplished my objective in obtaining the exhumation and I am glad for those who have steadfastly maintained the contrary for whatever reason.” Marina Oswald was “totally satisfied” with the results of the exam. She told UPI, “I always intended for this to be a private matter, but it became public because of circumstances beyond my control. It’s very unfortunate it became such a public event. Now I have my answers…”

The main characters in the drama that unfolded that autumn day had no way of knowing that the controversy about who was in the Fort Worth grave was not over. New allegations would raise further questions about the examination and fuel new theories.

Next: Paul Groody

Go To Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bibliography Trivia Links