PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION
ON THE ASSASSINATION OF
PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY
STATE OF TEXAS,
_County of Dallas, ss_:
I, Bardwell D. Odum, having first been duly sworn, depose as follows:
I am presently a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
U.S. Department of Justice, and have been employed in such a capacity
since June 15, 1942.
On November 23, 1963, while acting officially in my capacity as a
Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I obtained a
photograph of an unknown individual, furnished to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation by the Central Intelligence Agency, and proceeded to
the Executive Inn, a motel, at Dallas, Texas, where Marina Oswald was
staying.
In view of the source of this picture, and, in order to remove all
background data which might possibly have disclosed the location where
the picture was taken, I trimmed off the background. The straight cuts
made were more quickly done than a complete trimming of the silhouette
and I considered them as effective for the desired purpose.
I desired to show this photograph to Marina Oswald in an attempt to
identify the individual portrayed in the photograph and to determine if
he was an associate of Lee Harvey Oswald.
It was raining and almost dark. I went to the door of Marina Oswald's
room and knocked, identifying myself. Marguerite Oswald opened the door
slightly and, upon being informed that I wished to speak to Marina
Oswald, told me that Marina Oswald was completely exhausted and could
not be interviewed. Marguerite Oswald did not admit me to the motel
room. I told her I desired to show a photograph to Marina Oswald, and
Marguerite Oswald again said that Marina was completely exhausted and
could not be interviewed due to that fact. I then showed Marguerite
Oswald the photograph in question. She looked at it briefly and stated
that she had never seen this individual. I then departed the Executive
Inn. The conversation with Marguerite Oswald and the exhibition of the
photograph took place while I was standing outside the door to the room
and Marguerite Oswald was standing inside with the door slightly ajar.
Attached hereto are two photographic copies of the front and back of a
photograph.[G] I have examined these copies and they are exact copies
of the photograph of the unknown individual which I showed to Mrs.
Marguerite Oswald on November 23, 1963.
Signed this 10th day of July 1964.
(S) Bardwell D. Odum,
BARDWELL D. ODUM.
[G] The photograph referred to in the above affidavit of
Special Agent Bardwell D. Odum appears in the exhibit
volumes as Odum Exhibit No. 1.