GARRISON INVESTIGATION OF KENNEDY ASSASSINATION: MARSHALL WILSON HOUTS.
Originator: CIA
From: PRATT, DONOVAN E., DC/CI/R&A
To: OGC, CIA
Document date: 04/23/1968
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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23 APR 1968.

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT:

Garrison Investigation of Kennedy Assassination:

Marshall Wilson HOUTS

consinis

1. HOUTS is the author of the article "President Kennedy's

Autopsy Was Bungled", which appeared in the 4 March 1968 issue of

Medical Economics. The article is condensed from the book Where

Death Delights: The Story of Dr. Milton Helpern and Forensic Medicine.

Dr. Helpern, the Medical Examiner of the City of New York, is the

actual source of the information. (There is no identifiable record of

Dr. Helpern in RID.) HOUTS is the writer.

2. HOUTS is also the source of the following biographic

information about himself:

28 June 1919, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

1935-1937, attended Brevard Junior College, Brevard, N.C.

1937-1941, attended University of Minnesota (received B.S.

and L. L. B.).

May 1941 -- September 1941, PFC, USMC Reserve. (He was

attending an OCS, was discharged at his own request to

become an aviation cadet, and then was not appointed

because of defective color perception.)

October 1941 -- December 1943, Special Agent, FBI (February

1943 to August 1943 in Rio de Janeiro under newspaperman

cover. October 1943. -- November 1943 in Havana as

an Assistant Legal Attache).

December 1943 -- February 1944, Unemployed.

February 1944 -- March 1944, Operations Agent, Eastern Air Lines.

April 1944 -- March 1946, in U.S. Army (served with OSS).

May 1946 -- October 1946, Special Agent, War Assets Administratio:

November 1946 -- July 1951, member of firm of Palmer and Houts,

Piperstone, Minnesota.

July 1951 -- June 1952, self-employed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as

a salesman and investigator.

3. HOUTS unsuccessfully applied for employment with this

Agency in 1952.

UNDEF 1

Exercis 1609 20410711

d2ün; dild

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4. According to the description of the author in Medical

Economics, HOUTS is the writer of nine other books on legal matters,

including an eight-volume work on trauma.

5. HOUTS served with OSS in the China-Burma-India Theater.

While in Burma he was asked by his Commanding Officer to participate 99

in illegal activity, because as a former FBI agent he could advise the

others involved. HOUTS agreed and actively participated in misappropriation

of weapons which were government property. He claimed later to the

OSS investigating officer that he had participated in the illegal activity

to obtain evidence. However, this claim is weakened by the facts that at

one point he deliberately destroyed some receipts which were evidence and

he actively participated in the action. The investigating officer recommended

that HOUTS be charged with conspiracy, larceny, and misapplication of

government property. There is no indication in the record, however,

that HOUTS was ever court martialed.

99

descrised Hoots

actuarty "

Burna.

Distribution:

1 - Office of General Counsel

1 - Office of Security

1 - C/OD/OMS

1 - A/ DCI

2 - Garrison files

1 - R&A chrono

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