One In A Billion!

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:58 pm

Kat gave me the idea for this thread with her "More Coincidences" thread. This is not about a "coincidence" as much as it is about a "very long shot," like one in a billion that this could ever happen.

I have been investigating the JFK assassination for almost 40 years. Now I'll put this aside for the moment...

About 18 years ago I was visiting a friend of mine and while we were talking she pointed to a man a few feet away and told me he was one of her relatives. I remember thinking to myself, "Yeah, big deal. I'm here to see you, not him."

Now about two years ago my friend told me to go to a certain website so I could read a little about her relatives background. So I'm sitting there reading and all of a sudden it mentions that my friend's relative was a doctor working in Parkland Hospital on November 22, 1963 and saw President Kennedy's wounds. When I read that I nearly fell out of my chair! I have always wanted to meet someone who actually saw Kennedy's wounds and I had the perfect opportunity to do that when my friend pointed him out to me. But she never told me what he did for a living. I had no way of knowing. I can still hear myself saying those stupid words to myself, "Yeah, big deal. I'm here to see you not him." Now to make matters worse I found out that he had died a few years ago so now I will never have the chance to talk with him.

Now I could have contacted some of the doctors that were there and perhaps meet with one maybe, but what are the odds of a friend of yours, who you have known for over 30 years or so, having a relative that was directly involved in the handling of President Kennedy on that day and in all those years you never knew that? I have been reading about this doctor's actions in this case all these years but never knew he was related to my friend. Her family must have gone out of their way to keep this connection quite. Things might have turned out different if I had told her I was into that case. Sometimes I feel like hiring someone to kick my backside!

Have any of you had a "one in a billion" shot happen to you? Good, bad, indifferent? Now is your chance to vent.

-1bigsteve (o:

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 10:43 pm

Okay, I'll bite - who was the doctor?

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:12 pm

When I Google her name and her relatives name together nothing pops up so I guess they have managed to keep the family connection quite. I don't mean to sound mysterious but I think it would be best to keep my mouth shut for now. But believe me I would love to blab it off! None of the family members of the Dallas doctors are mentioned, at least not very much, in the archives and testimonies so maybe that "secrecy" was par for the course for all those doctors. Next time I talk with her I'll ask her permission to shoot my mouth off. It just torques me off knowing I had the golden opportunity to talk with him and we never connected. Lately I've been telling everyone about my interest in the case in hopes that I may have another chance at it.

-1bigsteve (o:

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:57 am

Well, as it happens, I gave up being a pest to folks intimately associated with that case years ago anyway now that you mention it. While it would be of some mild interest to know the person's name, as I could then at least refresh myself on any testimony he or she might have given to official inquiries years ago and bother no one at all in so doing, the sun will rise in the early morn even if I'm not able to do that. Good luck to you!

FairhavenGuy · Post by **FairhavenGuy** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:06 am

Actually it's not such a one-in-a-billion shot. While doing some research into the "Kevin Bacon" game, I found out that almost anyone in the US is only six degrees away from anyone else. The trick is knowing who to ask.

Incidently, my Kevin Bacon number is 4.

Chris Richard with Chris LeBlanc, high school production of "My Fair Lady," 1977.

Chris LeBlanc, two episodes of "Quincy ME" with Jack Klugman, 1980.

Jack Klugman in "Smoking Scenes: Cigarettes, Cinema and the Myth of Cool" with Jason Patric, 2001.

Jason Patric in "Sleepers" with Kevin Bacon, 1996.

And I'm only four degrees from JFK himself:

Chris Richard>Elsie Souza, aide to US Rep Barney Frank, of MA,>US Rep Barney Frank, of MA>US Senator Ted Kennedy, of MA>JFK.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 11:23 am

What really eats me up, Chris, is that the doctor was right under my nose the whole time and I didn't know it. If I had just told my friend I was into the assassination, or if I had just asked her what he did for a living I might have enjoyed the opportunity of a life time! Now it's gone for good. Bummer.

I never heard of the Kevin Bacon game. Is it a game that connects us to him through other people? A young couple I knew met Cher in the early seventies and Cher later worked with Meryl Streep in "Silkwood" who later worked with Kevin Bacon in "River Wild." Thats four steps, I guess. A friend of mine worked in the film industry so there is probably a closer connection there to Kevin Bacon. A woman I know has visited with every President since Lyndon B. Johnson, so that puts me two steps away from them and three from JFK.

Here is an odd "connection," something I call a "double loop," like two circles touching. One of my friends worked with Sharon Tate in a film. Sharon Tate worked with a bodybuilder, in another film, who I talk with. Thats one circle. Now, Sharon Tate met up, unfortunately, with Susan Atkins who knew Charles Manson who talked with a man who knows me.

This makes me realize just how close we all are to both the "famous" and the "infamous." Think about it. How close are you to a mass murderer?

-1bigsteve (o:

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:15 pm

A few years back I helped cater a wedding that was "high maintenance". I believe it was within 3 months later the groom was arrested for having kidnapped two women & had planned to murder them & burn the bodies in a kiln on a farm.

Back in the late 80s I lived in a basement apt in east Toronto. One summer evening there was some guy at my window trying to talk his way inside (I had it open to the screen). I couldn't see him except below the waist...the hair on his legs was blondish. I asked him to leave several times & he wouldn't. I locked myself in the bedroom & called the police & a friend. My friend showed up with her dog & a baseball bat approx 1/2 hour before the police (!)

I have always wondered if this was Paul Bernardo...aka the Scarborough Rapist & (with his wife Karla) serial murderer. It was right at the time all that stuff was going on...I was in the right area of town...& the same age as some of the victims.

Brrr...

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:57 pm

The closest I can come to that one – I have a friend out in Kansas that used to work (indirectly) with Dennis Rader, the “BTK” feller. Thinking about it now is mildly amusing. My friend is the docketing clerk for the court there, and Rader was city “compliance officer” – the feller in charge of citing folks for violations of certain ordinances, that sort of thing. More than once did the compliance officer and the humble docketing clerk have a few words. Once the citations were issued, Rader’s job was effectively done. But he had this habit of poking around – or trying to poke around – in my friend’s office files. They used to go ‘round and ‘round, he said – “Dennis, you're the compliance officer. You issued the citation. Your job is done. The court date is scheduled, so there’s nothing more for you to do. Keep your ***** nose OUT of my files!” Rader...took the hint, as they say.

They came to haul Rader away of course one day right around lunch time. My friend said later something to the effect that it made him sick to think of the number of times he and Rader had both kept late hours at work, sometimes the only two left in the building.

Bob Gutowski · Post by **Bob Gutowski** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:31 pm

Referring to the top of the thread, I just wanted to mention that I'm reading Vincent Bugliosi's FOUR DAYS IN NOVEMBER, which is his by-the-moment account of the assassination.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:36 pm

I can't top that one, but I was flabberghasted this weekend, just chatting to a guest about famous murder cases, and my daughter's trip last week to Hollywood and her visit to the Psycho house. The guest looked at me a long minute and asked if I knew who Ed Gein was. I did, and he told me he was Gein's nurse assistant for three years and was resposible for his feeding and daily care at Mendota Hospital in Madison Wisconsin until Gein died in 1984. He said he just looked like a scary old man. Gein loved sound equipment and used the little bits of money he could make at the institution to save up for speakers and audio equipment. He loved country music. Wow- I told this guy, named David, that he should write a book. Yes, we get ALL kinds of folks at #92!

Along with a 10 month old baby, a 6 year old, an anniversary couple, a gothic gal and her boyfriend, 2 ghostbusters, and a Grandpa- it was an interesting mix on Friday.

kssunflower · Post by **kssunflower** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:03 pm

doug65oh @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:57 pm wrote:The closest I can come to that one – I have a friend out in Kansas that used to work (indirectly) with Dennis Rader, the “BTK” feller. Thinking about it now is mildly amusing. My friend is the docketing clerk for the court there, and Rader was city “compliance officer” – the feller in charge of citing folks for violations of certain ordinances, that sort of thing. More than once did the compliance officer and the humble docketing clerk have a few words. Once the citations were issued, Rader’s job was effectively done. But he had this habit of poking around – or trying to poke around – in my friend’s office files. They used to go ‘round and ‘round, he said – “Dennis, you're the compliance officer. You issued the citation. Your job is done. The court date is scheduled, so there’s nothing more for you to do. Keep your ***** nose OUT of my files!” Rader...took the hint, as they say.

They came to haul Rader away of course one day right around lunch time. My friend said later something to the effect that it made him sick to think of the number of times he and Rader had both kept late hours at work, sometimes the only two left in the building.

I have a cousin in Wichita, KS, who had a run-in with this guy for some non-compliance issue. I don't recall what it was. This is before they traced that disk to his church and nailed him. Gives me the creeps thinking about it.......

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:07 pm

Shelley, do you ever get the feeling that you need to frisk some of your guests for hatchets?

-1bigsteve (o:

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:32 pm

Eddie Gein a hi-fi nut? Who'da thunk it?

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:56 pm

I'm not a bit surprised, kssunflower. From what comparatively little I've been told, Dennis Rader was quite a piece of work when it came to his job. If he issued citations in the general area of Park City, he would sometimes...oh, drive by the "offending" properties repeatedly - just to be seen and let whomever was involved know that "Ranger Rader" was on the job.

Shelley · Post by **Shelley** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:46 pm

Frisk the guests? Oh yes- once in a while we get some real humdingers. Never mind the Dead and the ghosts- it's the Living you have to watch out for!

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:43 am

Recently I tried investigating the disappearance of a local girl, Jennifer Kesse. She's been gone 2 years, but I had a dream about her about 6 months ago. Lately her name came up in my mind so much I decided to go test my dream, which I had written down. I didn't find her, but all the hints and landmarks in my dream were true. They reaffirmed her area where she lived, but did not help in finding her.
And also when I visited the apartment complex where her car was ditched I ended up parking within 7 spaces of where her car was found, by instinct.

Angel · Post by **Angel** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:26 am

When I was working for the Red Cross I actually shook hands with Hadden Clark, a man who later was found to be a grissley serial killer. It still curdles my blood to think of it. There are several web sites on him.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:54 am

Kat @ Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:43 am wrote:Recently I tried investigating the disappearance of a local girl, Jennifer Kesse. She's been gone 2 years, but I had a dream about her about 6 months ago. Lately her name came up in my mind so much I decided to go test my dream, which I had written down. I didn't find her, but all the hints and landmarks in my dream were true. They reaffirmed her area where she lived, but did not help in finding her.
And also when I visited the apartment complex where her car was ditched I ended up parking within 7 spaces of where her car was found, by instinct.

Oooh Kat! Keep with it. I think it would be amazing to be able to help police in this way.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:38 am

I do too. I went thru a rough period over this. It weighed heavily on me. I even paid a homeless vet my gas money for local info on the original search so I would not have to go traipsing into the woods in my dress.
I dreamed all the landmarks, but as for finding her- ziltch.
I phoned Harry at the end of the day before I returned home. I was so worn out, yet exhilarated.
When I would stop and ask people things about the area they would ask me "where do you want to go?" But I always answered "I don't know." It was odd. Driving and trying to be *open* and allow myself to be led was very hard, yet seemed so right.
I'm waiting for more inspiration. It's hard to differentiate between thinking too hard about it and just letting it come in time.