JFK Assassin Speaks Out: “The Files Are a Lie,” Says Chicago Mobster

More than 60 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, James Files, a former Chicago mob hitman, continues to claim that he was the one who fired the fatal shot. Speaking to The Times UK, Files insists that despite the declassification of thousands of government documents—including those ordered released by former President Donald Trump—America is no closer to the truth.

Files, now 83, describes in vivid detail how he allegedly positioned himself behind the fence on the infamous grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza, tracking Kennedy through his gun’s crosshairs. “Before I lost my line of sight, I took the fatal shot. I hit Kennedy in the right temple and blew the back side of his head out,” he claims. Files also asserts that he was part of a team of Chicago mafia hitmen, recruited and trained by the CIA, who escaped the scene in a burgundy Chevrolet Impala moments after the assassination.

His story directly challenges the official conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Yet, despite the passage of time and the release of nearly 320,000 related documents, approximately 4,000 files remain classified—many within the CIA’s archives. Historians, researchers, and conspiracy theorists continue to debate whether those hidden records contain definitive proof of a broader plot involving intelligence agencies, the mafia, or foreign governments.

When Trump ordered the release of JFK assassination records, he declared, “Everything will be revealed.” However, even his administration delayed full disclosure, citing national security concerns. Files is skeptical that the truth will ever come out. “The CIA has lied to the American public for 61 years,” he said. “A hundred years from now, they will still say Oswald acted alone.”

Polls consistently show that most Americans doubt the official story, with many believing the government, the FBI, the mafia, or even foreign actors played a role. Jefferson Morley, an expert on the assassination, argues that key documents could contain explosive details—such as CIA surveillance of Oswald before the killing or evidence of covert operations linking him to intelligence agencies.

Yet, as Tom Samoluk, former deputy director of the Assassination Records Review Board, points out, missing leads from the initial investigation may mean the full truth was lost long ago. “Unfortunately,” he said, “I think the truth was lost to history.”

Despite decades of speculation, conflicting narratives, and ongoing secrecy, one thing remains clear: the assassination of John F. Kennedy continues to haunt American history, with answers still just out of reach.