New Lawsuit Demands Release Of Original JFK Assassination Film

A lawsuit claims that an original film of the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy may prove a long-lasting theory about the event. The federal government has held a film that captured the murder for decades, according to a recent lawsuit, which demands its release.

A Texas maintenance worker named Orville Nix shot the original footage on Nov. 22, 1963. Nix filmed the footage from the center of Dealey Plaza, which allowed for a clearer view of the area around the event. 

Several eyewitnesses claimed that shots rang out from a nearby grassy knoll, which may be more visible in the film’s original copy.

While copies of the film exist, they have lost some visual fidelity from the original. Nix sold the rights to the original footage to United Press International (UPI) for a 25-year license.  

The last public record of the original film was in 1978 at the direction of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, which subpoenaed the original copy.

The congressional panel determined that the president was “probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy” and believed that “two gunmen” opened fire. 

This is not the first time that Nix’s family has attempted to retrieve the original copy of the film. A similar 2015 suit was dismissed. 

However, the new lawsuit was filed with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and includes a number of documents related to the original film. 

The suit alleges that the National Archives and Records Administration lied to Nix’s family and even claimed not to have its original copy. However, the suit shows evidence that the original film was received by the National Archives in 1978. 

The lawsuit requests nearly $30 million in damages and for the film to be released.

The revelations come as former President Donald Trump recently announced that he would declassify the remaining documents related to Kennedy’s assassination.

During his time in the White House, Trump released a number of records related to the public. However, a number are still in the possession of the National Archives. 

“I released a lot, as you know,” the former president said earlier this month. “And I will release everything else.”