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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesE. Howard Hunt’s reported “last confession” does not establish who killed President John F. Kennedy. The claim was relayed by Hunt’s son, Saint John Hunt, in a 2007 Rolling Stone article; it is not an official finding, and the available account does not independently authenticate the purported notes or audio. Separately, the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded in 1979 that Kennedy was probably killed as a result of a conspiracy, but could not identify another gunman or the conspiracy’s extent.
What was E. Howard Hunt’s reported confession?
The phrase “last confession” refers to claims attributed to former CIA officer E. Howard Hunt by his son, Saint John Hunt. Erik Hedegaard’s article, “The Last Confession of E. Howard Hunt,” appeared in the April 5, 2007 issue of Rolling Stone. It describes the son’s account and the alleged plot, but reporting an allegation is not the same as independently verifying it or establishing it as fact. Read the article as reproduced online.
The copy located for this account is a reproduction, not the original Rolling Stone page. The article reports that notes and audio materials were associated with the claims, but the available information does not establish that any recording or transcript was independently authenticated. The claim should therefore be described as Hunt’s son’s account of what his father allegedly said, not as a verified recording or a proven confession.
What did the official investigations conclude?
The Warren Commission
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, commonly called the Warren Commission, stated in Chapter 1 of its report: “The Commission has found no evidence that anyone assisted Oswald in planning or carrying out the assassination.” That was the Commission’s finding based on its investigation; it should not be blended with the later HSCA’s distinct conclusion. Read Chapter 1 of the Warren Commission Report at the National Archives.
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The House Select Committee on Assassinations
In 1979, the HSCA reached a different conclusion about the possibility of a conspiracy. The National Archives reproduces the committee’s statement: “The Committee believes, on the basis of the evidence available to it, that President John F. Kennedy was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. The Committee is unable to identify the other gunman or the extent of the conspiracy.” Read the HSCA findings at the National Archives.
The HSCA also reported that it found no evidence that the CIA, FBI, or Secret Service were involved. It found insufficient evidence to conclude that individual members of anti-Castro Cuban groups or the national organized crime syndicate were involved. Its probable-conspiracy conclusion does not identify Hunt, any person named in the reported confession, or a particular agency as responsible.
How should the claim be weighed?
The central distinction is between a relayed personal account and findings made by official investigations. The Rolling Stone article is a contemporary report of Saint John Hunt’s claims; it is not independent confirmation of the alleged plot. The HSCA and Warren Commission reports are official records, but their conclusions differ and neither establishes the details asserted in the reported confession.
- Who is speaking? The confession account reaches readers through Saint John Hunt, rather than through an authenticated original recording or transcript established here.
- Can the underlying material be verified? The available account does not establish independent authentication of the reported notes or audio.
- What does an official finding actually cover? The HSCA said a conspiracy was probable but could not identify another gunman or its scope. It did not find the named agencies responsible.
- Is a later retelling corroboration? Reprints or commentary that repeat the claim do not independently corroborate it simply by repeating it.
So, who killed JFK?
The reported Hunt confession does not answer that question. The Warren Commission said it found no evidence that anyone assisted Oswald in planning or carrying out the assassination. The later HSCA judged that a conspiracy was probable, while leaving the other gunman and the conspiracy’s extent unidentified. Those are the documented conclusions; neither turns the allegations attributed to Hunt into proof of a specific killer or plot.
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