Court TV's The JFK Assassination: Investigation Reopened, Examines Alleged Audio Evidence of Second Shooter.

Entertainment Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2003

Forensic Files(TM) Special Uses Digital Audio Forensic Technology to

Show That "Gunshot" Famous Sounds on Police Tape Took Place After the

Assassination; Premieres Wednesday, November 19th at 9:00 PM ET/PT

It was a crime that shocked the world - and sparked an investigation that is still going on today. Even after 40 years, the assassination of John F. Kennedy remains one of the 20th century's most enduring and controversial mysteries. Was there a conspiracy? A cover-up? Was Lee Harvey Oswald the only gunman? As the network of record in forensics and criminal investigations, Court TV's(R) signature series Forensic Files(R) will take a fascinating new look at the forensics behind the Kennedy assassination investigation, including a controversial piece of evidence that may hold clues to whether there was just one gunmen - or more. The JFK Assassination: Investigation Reopened premieres on Wednesday, November 19th at 9:00 PM ET/PT on Court TV. The one-hour special airs three days before the 40th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's killing.

The explosive theory of an additional gunman first gained wide acceptance during a 1978 congressional investigation into the assassination. Those who supported the theory pointed to a newly discovered recording. It was believed that during the fateful motorcade, a Dallas police motorcycle's microphone was stuck in the "on" position and was recorded on a dictaphone, subsequently recording all the sounds of the assassination. Some experts believed the recording contained audio proof of a second gunman and therefore, a larger conspiracy to kill the President.

"This Forensic Files(R) special has given us the opportunity to re-examine the assassination of John F. Kennedy for the 40th anniversary." commented Art Bell, President, Court TV. "As the Investigation Channel(TM), how appropriate it is that we have discovered some very important information through our own forensic analysis and investigation."

Court TV worked exclusively with Boston-based forensic acoustic expert Bob Berkovitz, who conducted a state of the art digital audio analysis of the Dallas police audio recording that has long been thought to contain the sounds of the gunshots that killed the President. The special documents Berkovitz's detailed testing, including the surprising results which shed new light on this 40-year-old mystery and provided a new forensic perspective. In the end, Berkovitz concluded that this recording does not, in fact, include the sounds of assassination, and that in fact recorded 61.5 seconds after the fateful bullets were fired.

In addition to Bob Berkovitz, other experts appearing in the special include forensic pathologists Michael Baden and Cyril Wecht, former Chief Counsel of the House Select on Assassinations G. Robert Blakey, forensic investigator Dr. John Lattimer and former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis - among others.

The JFK Assassination: Investigation Reopened was produced by Medstar Television for Court TV. Paul Dowling is the Executive Producer and Michael Joseloff is the producer for Medstar. Ed Hersh, Sr. VP of Documentaries and Specials for Court TV, served as executive producer for Court TV.

"With Forensic Files' proven ability to engagingly reveal how today's forensic science and technology can solve crimes, a special that uses these modern scientific techniques to investigate JFK's assassination was a natural fit," added Executive Producer Paul Dowling.