The JFK Assassination -- Witness Marita Lorenz

Attorney Mark Lane questions witness Marita Lorenz in the trial, Hunt v. Liberty Lobby.  Excerpted from the book Plausible Denial by Mark Lane.


Lane:  During and before November of 1963, did you work on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency in the Miami area?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did you work with a man named Frank Sturgis, while you were working for the CIA?

Lorenz:  Yes, I did.

Lane:  Was that in Miami, during and prior to November 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  What other names, to your knowledge, is Frank Sturgis known by?

Lorenz:  Frank Fiorini, Hamilton; the last name, Hamilton. F-I-O-R-I-N-I-.

Lane:  Was Mr. Fiorini or Mr. Sturgis, while you worked with him, also employed by the Central Intelligence Agency?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  During that time were payments made to Mr. Sturgis for the work he was doing for the CIA?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did you ever witness anyone make payments to him for the CIA work which you and Mr. Sturgis were both involved in?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Who did you witness make payments to Mr. Sturgis?

Lorenz:  A man by the name of Eduardo.

Lane:  Who is Eduardo?

Lorenz:  That is his code name; the real name is E. Howard Hunt.

Lane:  Did you know him and meet him during and prior to November 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did you witness payments made by Mr. Hunt to Mr. Sturgis or Mr. Fiorini on more than one occasion prior to November of 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did you go on a trip with Mr. Sturgis from Miami during November of 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Was anyone else present with when you went on that trip?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  What method of transportation did you use?

Lorenz:  By car.

Lane:  Was there one or more cars?

Lorenz:  There was a follow-up car.

Lane:  Does that mean two cars?

Lorenz:  Backup; yes.

Lane:  What was in the follow-up car, if you know?

Lorenz:  Weapons.

Lane:  Without asking you any of the details regarding the activity that you and Mr. Sturgis and Mr. Hunt were involved in, may I ask you if some of that activity was related to the transportation of weapons?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did Mr. Hunt pay Mr. Sturgis sums of money for activity related to the transportation of weapons?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did Mr. Sturgis tell you where you would be going from Miami, Florida, during November of 1963, prior to the time that you traveled with him in the car?

Lorenz:  Dallas, Texas.

Lane:  He told you that?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did he tell you the purpose of the trip to Dallas, Texas?

Lorenz:  No; he said it was confidential.

Lane:  Did you arrive in Dallas during November of 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  After you arrived in Dallas, did you stay at any accommodations there?

Lorenz:  Motel.

Lane:  While you were at that motel, did you meet anyone other than those who were in the party traveling with you from Miami to Dallas?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Who did your meet?

Lorenz:  E. Howard Hunt.

Lane:  Was there anyone else who you saw or met other than Mr. Hunt?

Lorenz:  Excuse me?

Lane:  Other than those?

Lorenz:  Jack Ruby.

Lane:  Tell me the circumstances regarding your seeing E. Howard Hunt in Dallas in November 1963?

Lorenz:  There was a prearranged meeting that E. Howard Hunt deliver us sums of money for the so-called operation that I did not know its nature.

Lane:  Were you told what your role was to be?

Lorenz:  Just a decoy at the time.

Lane:  Did you see Mr. Hunt actually deliver money to anyone in the motel room which you were present in?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  To whom did you see him deliver the money?

Lorenz:  He gave an envelope of cash to Frank Fiorini.

Lane:  When he gave him the envelope, was the cash visible as he had it in the envelope?

Lorenz:  Yes.

Lane:  Did you have a chance to see the cash after the envelope was given to Mr. Fiorini?

Lorenz:  Frank pulled out the money and flipped it and counted it and said "that is enough" and put it in his jacket.

Lane:  How long did Mr. Hunt remain in the room?

Lorenz:  About forty-five minutes.

Lane:  Did anyone else enter the room other than you, Mr. Fiorini, Mr. Hunt, and others who may have been there before Mr. Hunt arrived?

Lorenz:  No.

Lane:  Where did you see the person you identified as Jack Ruby?

Lorenz:  After Eduardo left, a fellow came to the door and it was Jack Ruby, about an hour later, forty-five minutes to an hour later.

Lane:  When you say Eduardo, who are you referring to?

Lorenz:  E. Howard Hunt.

Lane:  When did that meeting take place in terms of the hour; was it daytime or nighttime?

Lorenz:  Early evening.

Lane:  How soon after that evening meeting took place did you leave Dallas?

Lorenz:  I left about two hours later; Frank took me to the airport and we went back to Miami.

Lane:  Now, can you tell us in relationship to the day that President Kennedy was killed, when this meeting took place?

Lorenz:  The day before.

Lane:  Is it your testimony that the meeting which you just described with Mr. Hunt making the payment of money to Mr. Sturgis took place on November 21, 1963?

Lorenz:  Yes.


[Note:  Marita Lorenz returned to her home in Miami that same night, but said Frank Sturgis later told her what she had missed in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963:  "We killed the president that day."]