Putting rumors to rest? Final JFK assassination files unveiled

After decades of anticipation, the last classified documents on the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy have been made public. More than 60 years later, these files are igniting fresh interest and speculation about the circumstances surrounding one of the nation's most shocking historical events.

These documents, released by the National Archives, include previously undisclosed information about a KGB investigation into assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and theories suggesting the involvement of a "small clique" within the CIA. Despite extensive efforts and President Trump's initiative in ordering this release, many experts believe these documents are unlikely to significantly alter the understanding of Kennedy's assassination, reports the New York Post.

Theories and Clues

According to the New York Post, the files reveal a 1967 memo indicating that former U.S. Army intelligence officer Gary Underhill suggested a CIA clique was behind the assassination. Underhill reportedly confided to friends that he feared for his life and was later found dead, a case ruled as suicide but surrounded by doubts, such as the discrepancy of a right-handed man found shot behind his left ear.

Another critical file highlighted by the New York Post details a November 1991 teletype from the KGB, showing official Leonid Nikonov concluded Oswald was not under KGB control, despite being monitored. This raises questions about Oswald's time in the Soviet Union and his potential motivations.

Public response

According to a statement from the White House back in January 2025, President Trump claimed that former President Joe Biden “issued subsequent certifications with respect to these records in 2021, 2022, and 2023, which gave agencies additional time to review the records and withhold information from public disclosure,” noting that complete transparency to the public is most important. 

Historians like Kevin Boyle and Fredrik Logevall mentioned to NPR that these newly released files will likely not revolutionize the narrative surrounding Kennedy's assassination but may offer additional context.

The public continues to grapple with uncertainties about Kennedy's death, with conspiracy theories persisting. One of those theories was previously unveiled months prior in an interview that conservative podcast host Candace Owens held with a USS Liberty survivor; in the interview, the veteran speculates that Kennedy’s death had to do with criticizing the government of Israel for its involvement in the attack on the ship, which was being deemed an accident. 

The release of the Kennedy files marks another chapter in a complex and enduring historical inquiry. Only time will tell what to conclude from its contents as experts comb through these files further.