The CHAIRMAN. The Commission will come to order. The purpose of today's
hearing is to take the testimony of Paul Stombaugh and James C.
Cadigan. Mr. Stombaugh is a hair and fiber expert with the FBI, and Mr.
Cadigan is a questioned documents expert with the FBI. They have been
asked to provide technical information to assist the Commission in its
work.
This is just to advise you of the nature of the interrogation today.
Will you rise: Do you solemnly swear the testimony you are about to
give before this Commission will be the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you God?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. I do.
The CHAIRMAN. You may be seated. Mr. Eisenberg, you may proceed with
the examination.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Stombaugh, could you state your full name and your
position?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Paul M., for Morgan, Stombaugh. I am a Special Agent of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assigned to the hair and fiber
unit of the FBI laboratory as a hair and fiber examiner.
Mr. EISENBERG. What is your education, Mr. Stombaugh?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from
Furman University, Greenville, S.C., and I received a 1-year period
of specialized training in the hair and fiber field in the laboratory
under the supervision of the other experts.
Mr. EISENBERG. How long have you been in the hair and fiber field?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Since 1960.
Mr. EISENBERG. Could you approximate the number of examinations you
have made in this field?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. I have made several thousand hair examinations and about
twice as many fiber examinations.
Mr. EISENBERG. Have you testified in court?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Yes, sir; I have testified in approximately 28 States,
both federal and local courts, as an expert.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I would like permission to examine the
witness as an expert in this area.
The CHAIRMAN. The witness is qualified.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Stombaugh, I now hand you Commission Exhibit No.
140, which for the record consists of a blanket which was found in
the garage of Mr. and Mrs. Paine, and a piece of string marked Paine
Exhibit No. 2, and I ask you whether you are familiar with these items?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Yes, sir; I am. My mark is here on the blanket, and
when this was received in the FBI laboratory this string was around a
portion of it.
Mr. EISENBERG. Could you tell us what your mark is exactly, Mr.
Stombaugh?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Due to the fact this was a piece of fabric and hard to
mark, I put a piece of evidence tape on the blanket, stapled it to the
blanket, and put my initials "PMS" with the date 11-23-63 thereon.
Mr. EISENBERG. When did you receive this blanket, Mr. Stombaugh?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. This was approximately 7:30 a.m., on the morning of
November 23, 1963.
Mr. EISENBERG. Can you describe the shape of the blanket and the
position of the string, Paine Exhibit 2, when you received it?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. May I use this?
Mr. EISENBERG. What you are holding up is a piece of paper which--will
you describe it, please?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. This is a piece of kraft paper approximately the same
shape as this blanket. When I received the blanket, it had been folded
together with both ends even; a slight triangle had been folded into
one corner of the blanket, and another fold had been taken into the
blanket thus.
Mr. EISENBERG. When you say "thus," you are folding the piece of kraft
paper, and is the paper now folded into approximately--in a manner
approximating the way the blanket was folded when you received it?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. That is correct.
Mr. EISENBERG. Mr. Chairman, may I have permission to introduce the
piece of paper which the witness has so folded?
The CHAIRMAN. It may be so admitted.
Mr. EISENBERG. That will be Commission Exhibit 663.
(Commission Exhibit 663 was marked and received in evidence.)
Mr. EISENBERG. There is a safety pin inserted into Exhibit 663, Mr.
Stombaugh. Was there an equivalent safety pin on the blanket?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. Yes, sir; there was a much larger safety pin attached
to the blanket in approximately the same place as the small pin in the
piece of paper.
Mr. EISENBERG. Now, the blanket is folded so as to approximate
approximately a right angle triangle, and the safety pin is at one
angle of that triangle opposite the right angle, is that correct?
Mr. STOMBAUGH. The safety pin would be at the vertex of the right
angle----