The testimony of Theresa Wood was taken at 4 p.m., on April 1 1964,
in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan
and Ervay Streets, Dallas, Tex., by Mr. Wesley J. Liebeler, assistant
counsel of the President's Commission.
Mr. LIEBELER. Would you rise and raise your right hand, please. Do you
swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mrs. WOOD. I do.
Mr. LIEBELER. Please sit down. My name is Wesley J. Liebeler. I am
a staff attorney on the President's Commission investigating the
assassination of President Kennedy. Mr. Rankin wrote a letter to your
husband and your son last week, telling them that he wanted to question
them. I have just concluded questioning both of them. I would like to
ask you a couple of questions about some points that came up during
their statements.
Mr. LIEBELER. Would you state your full name, for the record, please?
Mrs. WOOD. My married name?
Mr. LIEBELER. Yes; your married name.
Mrs. WOOD. Theresa Wood.
Mr. LIEBELER. You are the wife of Dr. Homer Wood, are you not?
Mrs. WOOD. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. And the mother of Sterling Charles Wood?
Mrs. WOOD. Yes, sir.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you recall that sometime after the assassination of
the President, your husband saw a picture of Oswald either in the
newspaper or on television and said something to you about it? Do you
remember that?
Mrs. WOOD. Yes.
Mr. LIEBELER. Tell me what happened, and the circumstances and what you
saw?
Mrs. WOOD. He thought he was the same man they saw out at the gun
range. In fact, he was sure of it. And he asked Sterling, and Sterling
said, "Yes, daddy, it is the same man." And they were very, very sure
of it at the time.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now, was Sterling in the room? Did your husband first
see Oswald's picture on the television or in the newspapers; do you
remember?
Mrs. WOOD. I don't remember exactly. I think it was the newspapers
or somewhere. They had three pictures of him. I think it was in the
newspapers. Could have been on television.
Mr. LIEBELER. Now, was Sterling there at the time your husband first
spoke of this to you?
Mrs. WOOD. No, I don't think so. I think he later asked Sterling.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you remember whether he asked Sterling, or whether
Sterling mentioned it of his own accord without any prompting from his
father? Do you remember how that happened?
Mrs. WOOD. No, I don't remember exactly. I know they were both talking
about it. They were both pretty sure that he was the man.
Mr. LIEBELER. But you have no recollection at this point that your
husband first saw a picture and said to you, now, in substance, that
this looked like the man he saw on the rifle range and he wanted to
wait and see if Sterling recognized him also, and that he purposely did
not mention it to Sterling, but waited to see if Sterling would come
forward with the same idea? Do you remember that happening?
Mrs. WOOD. No; my husband was very, very sure. In fact, he was
positive. And there was a friend that they met at the range. I think
it was the same day. He called him to see if he thought, or if he had
recognized Oswald.
Mr. LIEBELER. What was that friends name?
Mrs. WOOD. It was Kenny Longley.
Mr. LIEBELER. You didn't talk to Longley, did you?
Mrs. WOOD. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. Your husband did?
Mrs. WOOD. I think my husband called, but he never did talk to the boy.
The boy was in school.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know if he ever talked to the boy about it
afterward?
Mrs. WOOD. I don't think so. Kenney Longley though was a good ways off
or something, and I don't know whether he really saw him. According to
my husband, he said he could have.
Mr. LIEBELER. Do you know of anybody else that was out at the rifle
range that your husband or your son knew who might have seen this
fellow?
Mrs. WOOD. No.
Mr. LIEBELER. That is about all I wanted to ask you. Thank you very
much for your cooperation.