The assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, remains one of the most hotly debated events in modern history. While the official Warren Commission report concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, countless theories suggest a deeper conspiracy, with fingers pointing at the CIA, the military-industrial complex, and organized crime.
One particularly intriguing figure in this web of intrigue is John Garrett Underhill Jr., a former military intelligence officer with ties to the CIA. Newly released documents dated July 19, 1967, shed light on his knowledge of a rogue CIA clique that he believed was responsible for JFK’s assassination. Shortly after revealing this information, Underhill was found dead under suspicious circumstances—leading many to question if he, too, was silenced.
JFK assassination files
Source: Archives.gov
John Garrett Underhill Jr.: A Man Who Knew Too Much
Underhill was no ordinary intelligence officer. His career spanned critical wartime and postwar intelligence operations:
- In 1943, he was ordered to active duty with the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), where he specialized in technical and photographic analysis.
- He received a War Department citation in 1945 for his outstanding intelligence work.
- By 1949, the CIA’s Contacts Division considered him a valuable foreign intelligence contact but carefully restricted his access to classified material.
- Over the years, he maintained close ties with both the CIA and FBI, working on intelligence projects, including discussions about Soviet military materials.
Despite his deep intelligence ties, the CIA repeatedly scrutinized him, running multiple security checks over concerns that he might be a liability.
A Deadly Secret: Underhill’s Claim About a CIA Clique
According to a Ramparts magazine article cited in the newly released CIA files, Underhill privately confided that a small group within the CIA had orchestrated JFK’s assassination. He expressed deep fear for his life after making this revelation.
This wasn’t the only indication that Underhill had stumbled upon dangerous secrets. He had knowledge of CIA-linked arms deals, including possible connections to Samuel George Cummings, a former CIA staffer-turned-global arms dealer. Cummings’ company, INTERARMCO, was deeply embedded in intelligence operations, supplying weapons for covert missions while maintaining unofficial ties with the CIA.
Could Underhill have been silenced for knowing too much?
A Suspicious Death: Suicide or Assassination?
Just six months after JFK’s assassination, Underhill was found dead in his Washington, D.C., apartment on May 8, 1964. The official cause of death? Suicide. But the details raise troubling questions:
- He was shot behind the left ear, an unusual location for a self-inflicted wound, especially since he was right-handed.
- The gun was found under his left side, a position inconsistent with his dominant hand.
- Journalist Asher Brynes, who discovered the body, suspected that a silencer had been used—a crucial detail, as no neighbors recalled hearing a gunshot.
- The case was quickly ruled a suicide, despite these clear inconsistencies.
These details reinforce suspicions of CIA involvement rather than dispelling them.
Was Underhill Another Casualty of the JFK Cover-Up?
The CIA’s extensive records on Underhill, combined with its documented history of covert assassinations, make it plausible that he was eliminated. The timing—just months after JFK’s assassination and shortly after he voiced fears for his life—adds to the suspicion that his death was not voluntary.
Moreover, the newly released documents reveal that INTERARMCO, despite its CIA ties, was never publicly investigated in connection to JFK’s assassination. This suggests that certain CIA-linked operations, particularly involving arms dealings, remained deliberately shielded from scrutiny.
If Underhill truly had information linking CIA operatives to JFK’s assassination, his death may have been a preemptive strike—an effort to bury the truth along with him.
Conclusion: A Pattern of Eliminations?
Underhill’s fate fits a disturbing pattern: key witnesses, informants, and intelligence insiders linked to JFK’s assassination often met untimely and suspicious deaths. His case, along with newly revealed CIA files, only deepens the shadow of doubt over the official story.
While absolute proof remains elusive, the circumstances of Underhill’s knowledge, fear, and sudden death strongly suggest CIA involvement—not just in his demise, but possibly in JFK’s assassination itself.
If the CIA truly had nothing to hide, why did those who questioned the official narrative keep turning up dead?
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