|
Page 445
Mr. BELIN. You want to raise your hand and stand up and be sworn.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I do.
Mr. BELIN. Will you state your name for our reporter, please ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Domingo Benavides.
Mr. BELIN. How old are you, sir?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I am 27, April the 9th. I am now 26.
Mr. BELIN. Single or married?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Married.
Mr. BELIN. Family?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Two children and one expected sometime this month.
Mr. BELIN. Where are you from originally?
Mr. BENAVIDES. From Dallas.
Mr. BELIN. You were born in Dallas?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Go to school in Dallas?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. How far did you go through school?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Tenth grade.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do when you got out of school?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I just went to work.
Mr. BELIN. Where did you work first?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Merchants Delivery.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I was helper on a truck and part-time mechanic; mechanic
helper.
Mr. BELIN. How long did you work for them ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I imagine about 2 years.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I went into the Navy.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do in the Navy ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yeoman and seaman.
Mr. BELIN. How long were you in the Navy?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Three years.
Mr. BELIN. Honorable discharge?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. You did not have an honorable discharge?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do when you got out of the Navy ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I returned to work for Merchants Delivery.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, just from there I jumped around from roofing
companies. I started in roofing then and I worked for Donald Bost, which is Town &
Country Roofing Co., for on up until about 4 years ago, I guess. Then I just started
mechanicing.
Mr. BELIN. You started to become an automobile mechanic?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. For whom did you work then?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I worked in Martinez, Calif., for Donley Chevrolet &
Cadillac Co., and then later on I was transferred to their paint and body shop, and then I
came back to Dallas and I worked for Mr. Harris.
Mr. BELIN. For whom?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Mr. Harris, at Dootch Motors.
Mr. BELIN. Dootch Motors?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Are you still working for them now? That is, as a mechanic?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. How long have you been working for Dootch now?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, off and on about 3 years. During this time I went
back to Merchants Delivery and worked there and then I worked for Southern Delivery, too.
445
Page 446
Mr. BELIN. Now when was the last time you went back to Dootch Motors?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It's been a year ago.
Mr. BELIN. You have been working for them ever since?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Taking you back to November 22, 1963, anything unusual
happen that day?
Mr. BENAVIDES. On the 22d?
Mr. BELIN. 22d of November 1963?
Mr. BENAVIDES. This would be embarrassing. Was that the day of the
Assassination of the President?
Mr. BELIN. Yes.
Mr. BENAVIDES. I was thinking it was the 24th. Well, nothing except it
seemed like a pretty nice day.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember what day of the week it was?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I don't remember.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember the day that the President was assassinated?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember that he was assassinated in Dallas?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Oh, yes; I remember this.
Mr. BELIN. That day you had lunch, were you at work that day?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. You had lunch ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I had lunch. And then this man had stalled this car in
the middle of the street and asked me if I would fix it. Something was wrong with the
carburetor, or pump that had broken in it, and I went around to the parts house to get the
parts for it.
Mr. BELIN. Where had the man's car stopped in the middle of the street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, on Patton Street.
Mr. BELIN. Patton and what?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Between Jefferson and 10th.
Mr. BELIN. A car stopped in the middle of the street between--
Mr. BENAVIDES. Jefferson and Tenth.
Mr. BELIN. About what time of day was this?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I imagine it was about 1 o'clock.
Mr. BELIN. You imagine it was about 1 o'clock ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It was after lunch. I had already eaten. It was after I
had lunch and I had eaten around 12, somewhere around 12 o'clock.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do? You were going to get a carburetor part, so
what did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I was in a rush and I ran off and forgot the number of
the carburetor.
Mr. BELIN. You forgot the number of the carburetor?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I circled back. I left down the alley.
Mr. BELIN. Which alley is this?
Mr. BENAVIDES. The one directly between 10th and Patton and Jefferson
Street.
Mr. BELIN. It runs parallel to 10th and Jefferson and it runs, the
alley would run east of Patton Street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. All right. The alley runs right behind Dootch Motors there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What kind of vehicle were you driving?
Mr. BENAVIDES. 1958 pickup truck Chevrolet.
Mr. BELIN. All right, what route did you take? Were you headed east or
west in the alley ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. East.
Mr. BELIN. To what ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. To Denver street.
Mr. BELIN. Which is the next street over from Patton ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. First street east of Patton, then where?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I turned right, which is east on 10th. Wait, Denver
would be north, I imagine. I turned from the alley north on Denver.
446
Page 447
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. And east on 10th.
Mr. BELIN. Then you turned east on----
Mr. BENAVIDES. The parts house sets on Marsalis and 10th.
Mr. BELIN. Marsalis and 10th?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes; so I got almost up to the parts house and I thought
about the number, so I was going to go back and get the number off the carburetor. I
turned in a drive and turned around and started back.
Mr. BELIN. On what street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. On 10th Street.
Mr. BELIN. On East 10th?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I was going west on 10th Street.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I got almost up to the corner when I seen the
policeman. I first seen the car stop up there.
Mr. BELIN. Now, you say you got almost to a corner. What corner was
that?
Mr. BENAVIDES. At Denver and 10th.
Mr BELIN. You almost got up to Denver and 10th heading west on 10th
Street when you saw something?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I saw this police car.
Mr. BELIN. You saw a police car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Where was the police car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It was sitting about 4 or 5 feet from the curb and down
about 2 houses from the corner of Patton Street.
Mr. BELIN. All right. Was it between Patton and Denver?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. On what side of East 10th, north or south?
Mr. BENAVIDES. On the south side.
Mr. BELIN. What direction was it headed?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It was headed east.
Mr. BELIN. What did you see then?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I then pulled on up and I seen this officer standing by
the door. The door was open to the car, and I was pretty close to him, and I seen Oswald,
or the man that shot him, standing on the other side of the car.
Mr. BELIN. All right. Did you see the officer as he was getting out of
the car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; I seen as he was, well, he had his hand on the door
and kind of in a hurry to get out, it seemed like.
Mr. BELIN. Had he already gotten out of the car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. He had already gotten around.
Mr. BELIN. Where did you see the other man?
Mr. BENAVIDES. The other man was standing to the right side of the car,
riders side of the car, and was standing right in front of the windshield on the right
front fender. And then I heard the shot. Actually I wasn't looking for anything like that,
so I heard the shot, and I just turned into the curb. Looked around to miss a car, I
think.
And then I pulled up to the curb, hitting the curb, and I ducked down,
and then I heard two more shots.
Mr. BELIN. How many shots did you hear all told?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I heard three shots.
Mr. BELIN. You heard three shots?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir,
Mr. BELIN. Where were you when your vehicle stopped?
Mr. BENAVIDES. About 15 foot, just directly across the street and maybe
a car length away from the police car.
Mr. BELIN. Would you have been a car length to the east or a car length
to the west of the police car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. East of the front side of it.
447
Page 448
Mr. BELIN. So your vehicle wouldn't have quite gotten up to where the
Police car was?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; it didn't.
Mr. BELIN. How fast were you going when you watched the policeman
getting out of his car?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Oh, I imagine not maybe 25 miles an hour. I never did
pay much attention to it.
Mr. BELIN. You say you stopped the car right away? Your vehicle, I
mean?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir. I just didn't exactly stop because I just
pulled it into the curb.
Mr. BELIN. Then you say you heard a shot and you then ducked?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes. No; I heard the shot before I pulled in.
Mr. BELIN. Oh, I see. You heard the shot and pulled in and then what?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I ducked down.
Mr. BELIN. Then what happened?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I heard the other two shots and I looked up and the
Policeman was in, he seemed like he kind of stumbled and fell.
Mr. BELIN. Did you see the Policeman as he fell?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What else did you see?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I seen the man turn and walk back to the sidewalk
and go on the sidewalk and he walked maybe 5 foot and then kind of stalled. He didn't
exactly stop. And he threw one shell and must have took five or six more steps and threw
the other shell up, and then he kind of stepped up to a pretty good trot going around the
corner.
Mr. BELIN. You saw the man going around the corner headed in what
direction on what street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. On Patton Street. He was going south.
Mr. BELIN. He was going south on Patton Street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes; do you know Dootch Motors?
Mr. BELIN. Do I know Dootch Motors?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Was he on the east or the west side of Patton as he was
going?
Mr. BENAVIDES. On the east side.
Mr. BELIN. You saw him going on the east?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. How far did you see him go down Patton ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Just as far as the house would let the view go. In other
words, as soon as he went past the house, I couldn't see him any more.
Mr. BELIN. Now, the first time that you saw him, what was his Position
Mr. BENAVIDES. He was standing, the first time I saw him. The man that
shot him?
Mr. BELIN. Yes.
Mr. BENAVIDES. He was standing like I say, on the center in front of
the windshield, right directly on the right front fender of the car.
Mr. BELIN. He was not moving when you saw him?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; he wasn't moving then.
Mr. BELIN. All right, after you saw him turn around the corner, what
did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. After that, I set there for just a few minutes to kind
of, I thought he went in back of the house or something. At the time, I thought maybe he
might have lived in there and I didn't want to get out and rush right up. He might start
shooting again.
That is when I got out of the truck and walked over to the Policeman,
and he was lying there and he had, looked like a big clot of blood coming out of his head,
and his eyes were sunk back in his head, and just kind of made me feel real funny. I guess
I was really scared.
Mr. BELIN. Did the Policeman say anything?
Mr. BENAVIDES. The Policeman, I believe was dead when he hit the
ground, because he didn't put his hand out or nothing.
Mr. BELIN. Where was the Policeman as he fell, as you saw him?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I saw him as he was falling. The door was about half way
448
Page 449
open, and he was right in front of the door, and just about in front of the fender. I
would say he was between the door and the front headlight, about middleway when he started
to fall.
Mr. BELIN. Did you notice where the gun of the policeman was?
Mr. BENAVIDES. The gun was in his hand and he was partially lying on
his gun in his right hand. He was partially lying on his gun and on his hand, too.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then I don't know if I opened the car door back further
than what it was or not, but anyway, I went in and pulled the radio and I mashed the
button and told them that an officer had been shot, and I didn't get an answer, so I said
it again, and this guy asked me whereabouts all of a sudden, and I said, on 10th Street. I
couldn't remember where it was at at the time. So I looked up and I seen this number and I
said 410 East 10th Street.
Mr. BELIN. You saw a number on the house then?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. Then he started to--then I don't know what he said; but
I put the radio back. I mean, the microphone back up, and this other guy was standing
there, so I got up out of the car, and I don't know, I wasn't sure if he heard me, and the
other guy sat down in the car.
Mr. BELIN. There was another passerby that stopped?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Who was he, do you know?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I couldn't tell you. I don't know who he was.
Mr. BELIN. Was he driving a car or walking?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I don't know. He was just standing there whenever I
looked up. He was standing at the door of the car, and I don't know what he said to the
officer or the phone, but the officer told him to keep the line clear, or something, and
stay off the phone, or something like that. That he already knew about it. So then I
turned and walked off. I never did assist him after that at all.
Mr. BELIN. Then what did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. At the time I walked out, I guess I was scared, so I
started across the street--alley between the two houses to my mother's house, and I got in
the yard and I said I'd better go back, or Just caught myself until I got over there, I
guess, so I went back around there.
Mr. BELIN. When you went back, what did you do? First of all, was there
anything up to that time that you saw there or that you did that you haven't related here
that you can think of right now?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, I started--I seen him throw the shells and I
started to stop and pick them up, and I thought I'd better not so when I came back, after
I had gotten back, I picked up the shells.
Mr. BELIN. All right. Now, you said you saw the man with the gun throw
the shells?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Well, did you see the man empty his gun?
Mr. BENAVIDES. That is what he was doing. He took one out and threw it.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember in which hand he was holding his gun?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; I sure don't.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember if he was trying to put anything in the gun
also?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes. As he turned the corner he was putting another
shell in his gun.
Mr. BELIN. You saw him?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I mean, he was acting like. I didn't see him actually
put a shell in his gun, but he acted like he was trying to reload it.
Maybe he was trying to take out another shell, but he could have been
reloading it or something.
Mr. BELIN. Let me ask you now, I would like to have you relate again
the action of the man with the gun as you saw him now.
Mr. BENAVIDES. As I saw him, I really---I mean really got a good view
of the man after the bullets were fired, he had just tuned. He was just turning away.
449
Page 450
In other words, he was pointing toward the officer, and he had just
turned away to his left, and then he started. There was a big tree, and it seemed like he
started back going to the curb of the street and into the sidewalk, and then he turned and
went down the sidewalk to, well, until he got in front of the corner house, and then he
turned to the left there and went on down Patton Street.
Mr. BELIN. When he got in front of the corner, when you say he turned
to his left, did he cut across the yard of the house, or did he go clear to the corner and
turn off?
Mr. BENAVIDES. There is a big bush and he catty-cornered across the
yard.
Mr. BELIN. He kitty-cornered across the yard?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes. In other words, he didn't go all the way on the
sidewalk. He just cut across the yard.
Mr. BELIN. Where was he when you saw him throwing shells? Had he
already started across the yard?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir. He had just got back to the sidewalk when he
threw the first one and when he threw the second one, he had already cut back into the
yard. He just sort of cut across.
Mr. BELIN. Now you saw him throw two shells?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. You saw where he threw the shells?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Did you later go back in that area and try and find the
shells?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes. Well, right after that I went back and I knew
exactly where they was at, and I went over and picked up one in my hand, not thinking and
I dropped it, that maybe they want fingerprints off it, so I took out an empty pack of
cigarettes I had and picked them up with a little stick and put them in this cigarette
package; a chrome looking shell.
Mr. BELIN. A chrome looking shell?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. About how long did it take you to locate the shells once you
stared looking for them?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Just a minute. I mean not very long at all. Just walked
directly to them.
Mr. BELIN. You saw where he had thrown them?
Mr. BENAVIDES. One of them went down inside of a bush, and the other
one was by the bush.
Mr. BELIN. Did you see him after he turned the corner of the house?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Do you know whether or not he threw any--you said you heard
three shots. Do you know whether or not he threw other shells there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Did you look at all there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; I didn't bother to look there.
Mr. BELIN. Did you see him when he cut across the yard? Did he go
between the bushes to get to the sidewalk on Patton Street, or do you know?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Between the house and the bush; yes, sir. He had to cut
across the yard, because there was a big bush on the corner there.
Mr. BELIN. Anything else you can think of about the man after you saw
him? What was he wearing? What did he look like?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, he was kind of, well, just about your size.
Mr. BELIN. About my size? I am standing up.
Mr. BENAVIDES. You are about 5' 10"?
Mr. BELIN. I am between 5' 10" and 5' 11". Closer to 5'
11", I believe.
Mr. BENAVIDES. I would say he was about your size, and he had a
light-beige jacket, and was lightweight.
Mr. BELIN. Did it have buttons or a zipper, or do you remember?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It seemed like it was a zipper-type jacket.
Mr. BELIN. What color was the trousers?
Mr. BENAVIDES. They were dark.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember what kind of shirt he had on?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It was dark in color, but I don't remember exactly what
color.
450
Page 451
Mr. BELIN. Was he average weight, slender, or heavy?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I would say he was average weight.
Mr. BELIN. What color hair did he have?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Oh, dark. I mean not dark.
Mr. BELIN. Black hair?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No. Not black or brown, just kind of a----
Mr. BELIN. My color hair?
Mr, BENAVIDES, Yes.
Mr. BELIN. You say he is my size, my weight, and my color hair?
Mr. BENAVIDES. He kind of looks like---well, his hair was a little bit
curlier.
Mr. BELIN. Anything else about him that looked like me.
Mr. BENAVIDES. No. that is all.
Mr. BELIN. What about his skin? Was he fair complexioned or dark
complexioned?
Mr. BENAVIDES. He wasn't dark.
Mr. BELIN. Average complexion?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; a little bit darker than average.
Mr. BELIN. My complexion?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I wouldn't say that any more. I would say he is about
your complexion, sir. Of course he looked, his skin looked a little bit ruddier than mine.
Mr. BELIN. His skin looked ruddier than mine? I might say for the
record, that I was not in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, just your size.
Mr. BELIN. Did he look like me?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; your face, not your face, but just your size.
Mr. BELIN. Okay, well, I thank you. I was flying from St. Louis to Des
Moines, Iowa. at about this time. Is there anything else?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I remember the back of his head seemed like his hairline
was sort of--looked like his hairline sort of went square instead of tapered off. and he
looked like he needed a haircut for about 2 weeks, but his hair didn't taper off, it kind
of went down and squared off and made his head look fiat in back.
Mr. BELIN. When you put these two shells that you found in this
cigarette package, what did you do with them?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I gave them to an officer.
Mr. BELIN. That came out to the scene shortly after?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Do you remember the name of the officer?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir; I didn't even ask him. I just told him that
this was the shells that he had fired, and I handed them to him. Seemed like he was a
young guy, maybe 24.
Mr. BELIN. How old would you say the man that you saw with gun was?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I figured he was around 25.
Mr. BELIN. When the officers came out there, did you tell them what you
had seen?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What did you do?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I left right after. I give the shells to the officer. I
turned around and went back and we returned to work.
Mr. BELIN. Then what happened? Did the officers ever get in touch with
you ?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Later on that evening, about 4 o'clock, there was two
officers came by and asked for me, Mr. Callaway asked me---I had told them that I had seen
the officer, and the reporters were there and I was trying to hide from the reporters
because they will just bother you all the time.
Then I found out that they thought this was the guy that killed the
President. At the time I didn't know the President was dead or he had been shot.
I was just trying to hide from the reporters and everything, and these
two officers came around and asked me if I'd seen him, and I told him yes, and told
451
Page 452
them what I had seen, and they asked me if I could identify him, and I said I don't think
I could. It this time I was sure, I wasn't sure that I could or not. I wasn't going to say
I could identify and go down and couldn't have.
Mr. BELIN. Did he ever take you to the police station and ask you if
you could identify him?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; they didn't.
Mr. BELIN. You used the name Oswald. How did you know this man was
Oswald?
Mr. BENAVIDES. From the pictures I had seen. It looked like a guy,
resembled the guy. That was the reason I figured it was Oswald.
Mr. BELIN. Were they newspaper pictures or television pictures, or
both, or neither?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, television pictures and newspaper pictures. The
thing lasted about a month, I believe, it seemed like.
Mr. BELIN. Pardon.
Mr. BENAVIDES. I showed--I believe they showed pictures of him every
day for a long time there.
Mr. BELIN. Did you talk to anyone at all there that witnessed what was
going on?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; sure didn't. There was people that asked me what
happened, came up in the crowd there and asked me what happened, and I said just the
policeman got shot.
Mr. BELIN. You talked to Ted Callaway, did you?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; afterward. You know, I told your---I told him, he
asked me when we went, when Ted Callaway got around there, he opened the car door and
picked up the phone and called in and told them there was an officer that had been killed.
But the officer on the other side of the radio told him to hang up the phone to keep the
lines clear, or something of that sort.
Then he jumped out and ran around and he asked me did I see what
happened, and I said yes. And he said let's chase him, and I said no.
Mr. BELIN. Why did you say "No"?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, he was reaching down and getting the gun out of
the policeman's hand, and I didn't think he should bother to go like that. So he then
turned around and went to the cab that was sitting on the corner.
Mr. BELIN. This cab?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes. There was a cab sitting---oh, there isn't a
sidewalk on Patton Street. I mean there is sidewalks, but not a curb, and this cab had
pulled in there by the stop sign.
Mr. BELIN. Which way was the cab headed on Patton Street?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It was headed north on Patton Street.
Mr. BELIN. Was it on the south side of 10th or the north side of 10th
when it was parked there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It would be on the south side of 10th.
Mr. BELIN. Was it on the east side of Patton or the west?
Mr. BENAVIDES. It would be on the east side of Patton.
Mr. BELIN. How close to the sidewalk on East 10th would the front part
of the cab have been?
Mr. BENAVIDES. The front part of the cab was, I would say, maybe 5 or 6
feet from the corner.
Mr. BELIN. From the corner?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. He was sort of, if it had been a curb there, he would be
up on the curb.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. And so Ted then got in the taxicab and the taxicab came
to a halt and he asked me which way he went. I told him he went down Patton Street toward
the office, and come to find out later Ted had already seen him go by there.
Mr. BELIN. Did Ted tell you later he had seen him go by?
452
Page 453
Mr. BENAVIDES; Yes; then we had a colored porter that said he-had seen
him go by.
Mr. BELIN. Would this be Sam Guinyard?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes.
Mr. BELIN. Did Ted say whether or not he had gone down to the police
station to try to identify the man?
Mr. BENAVIDES. After that---After I left that evening, I took off kind
of early because I was so shookup that I couldn't work, and so when I say early, I usually
work to 9 or 10 or 11 o'clock, at night. So I'd taken off early and the next day the kid
told me that he went down there. I think it was the next day, or the day after.
Well, it was the next day he told me that they went down and identified
him as the guy that came by the carlot.
Mr. BELIN. Ted told you the next day at work that he had gone down and
identified him?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes; I don't know if Ted told me, but somebody told me.
Mr. BELIN. Ted worked at Dootch Motors at the same time?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. What does he do there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. General manager.
Mr. BELIN. Used-car place?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. I am going to go down and get some clothing and see if you
can identify it and I will be back in 1 minute.
Mr. BENAVIDES. Okay.
Mr. BELIN. I am handing you a jacket which has been marked as
"Commission's Exhibit 163," and ask you to state whether this bears any
similarity to the jacket you saw this man with the gun wearing?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I would say this looks just like it. Looks like he had
laundried it, but it looks like it was a newer coat than that.
Mr. BELIN. I am handing you what has been marked "Commission's
Exhibit 150," and see if this looks anything like the shirt that he had on?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I think the shirt looked darker than that.
Mr. BELIN. The shirt was darker?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I couldn't tell at the time because he had the Jacket on
there. That was a waist-type jacket, wasn't it?
Mr. BELIN. Yes; anything else you can think of.
Mr. BENAVIDES. Not offhand, except later on, I don't know if I seen it
on television but I believe I seen it on television where they was arresting him, the
policeman from the theater. But it didn't seem like he had a jacket on there.
Mr. BELIN. When he was being arrested you say he didn't have a jacket
on? Now at the time you saw him, did he have a jacket on?
Mr. BENAVIDES. He had a jacket on and it looked like that jacket there.
Mr. BELIN. Anything else?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; I guess that is all I can think of right now.
I think there was another car that was in front of me, a red Ford, I
believe. I didn't know the man, but I guess he was about 25 or 30, and he pulled over. I
didn't never see him get out of his car, but when he heard the scare, I guess he was about
six cars from them, and he pulled over, and I don't know if he came back there or not.
Mr. BELIN. Anything else?
Mr. BENAVIDES. That would be all. I think if anybody had seen anything
really closeup, that he must have fired just as they got past him, and they must have seen
him standing there, because he was right directly in front of me. And whenever you see a
squad car parked like that, you think something is wrong. At least that is what comes to
my mind.
Mr. BELIN. Anything else?
Mr. BENAVIDES. That is all I can think of right now that I can
remember.
Mr. BELIN. Pardon?
Mr. BENAVIDES. That is all I can think of right now that I can
remember.
Mr. BELIN. You and I never met before today, did we, except that one
day
453
Page 454
when we were around to see Ted Callaway and he introduced you at Dootch Motors and we
chatted for 3 or 4 minutes there?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes; you and two other men.
Mr. BELIN. Today when we met, you came up here and what is the facts as
to whether I asked you before the court reporter was able to get here to just relate to me
what happened, or did I start questioning you or try to tell you things as I saw them?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; you just asked me what happened and I described to
you what happened.
Mr. BELIN. Is there anything you said before the court reporter got
here that is different in anyway that you said after the court reporter started taking
your testimony?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Maybe now only in the change of time, or I imagine I
added a little bit since she was here.
Mr. BELIN. Is there anything that would be at variance with what you
told me before the court reporter got here?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Well, I don't understand.
Mr. BELIN. What I mean is, is there anything that you said before the
court reporter got here that you haven't included after the court reporter got here?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No.
Mr. BELIN. Anything you have said in front of the court reporter that
has been different insofar as being a fact which is opposite or different in anyway from
what you told me before?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Different in wording but---
Mr. BELIN. But are the facts different?
Mr. BENAVIDES. No; I don't believe the facts are different.
Mr. BELIN. Now you have a right, if you want to, to come back and read
the deposition and sign it, or you can just rely on the court reporter's accuracy and
waive the signing of it. Do you want to waive it or not?
Mr. BENAVIDES. I would like to read it.
Mr. BELIN. All right.
Mr. BENAVIDES. Maybe I could add something I didn't add.
Mr. BELIN. All right, I will ask the court reporter to try and get in
touch with you.
Mr. BENAVIDES. 3112 June Drive.
Mr. BELIN. She can reach you at Dootch Motors?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Dootch Motors.
Mr. BELIN. What is the address?
Mr. BENAVIDES. 501 East Jefferson.
Mr. BELIN. You did get notice of the taking of this deposition here
today?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. You are here voluntarily appearing in front of the
Commission?
Mr. BENAVIDES. Yes, sir.
Mr. BELIN. Well, we surely appreciate all of the cooperation you have
shown here, sir, and if there is anything else that you think is important, we would
appreciate your getting in touch with us.
Mr. BENAVIDES. That is the reason I wanted to read this, in case I
might have left out something.
Mr. BELIN. Would you please thank whoever is the general manager at
Dootch Motors for letting you come here and appear before us?
Mr. BENAVIDES. That is Mr. Harris.
Mr. BELIN. Thank you very much.
|