Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Lot #452
Kennedy Assassination: James Leavelle Typed Letter Signed on Lee Harvey Oswald: "I said to him more in jest than any thing else. 'Lee if any one shoots at you I hope they are as good a shot as you are'"

"I said to him more in jest than any thing else. 'Lee if any one shoots at you I hope they are as good a shot as you are'"

Estimate: $1000+

The 30 Minute Rule begins November 11 at 7:00 PM EST. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By November 11 at 6:00 PM EST To Participate After 6:00 PM EST

Server Time: 10/15/2026 09:31:12 AM EDT
Sell a Similar Item?
Refer Collections and Get Paid
Share:  

Description

"I said to him more in jest than any thing else. 'Lee if any one shoots at you I hope they are as good a shot as you are'"

TLS signed “James R. Leavelle,” one page, 8.5 x 11, October 17, 1991. Letter to Jason Register, regarding his escort of Lee Harvey Oswald. In full: "In answer to your letter earlier this month regarding any conversation with Lee Harvey Oswald while we were transferring from the City jail to the County jail. There was not much conversation between us after we left my office. However just before I left the office I said to him more in jest than any thing else. 'Lee if any one shoots at you I hope they are as good a shot as you are' (meaning of course that they hit him and not me) He just laughed and said, 'You are just being melodramatic, or something like that, Nobody is going to be shooting at me. I said well, if they do you know what to do, don't you? He said, 'The Captain told me to follow you, so I will follow you. After he was shot he never said another word, I was with him until he was pronounced dead, and we placed his body in the morgue." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope.

This remarkable firsthand account captures one of the most shocking moments in American history. Leavelle was handcuffed to Lee Harvey Oswald when Jack Ruby stepped from the crowd and fired the fatal shot on November 24, 1963. His recollection of the eerily prescient warning—and Oswald’s dismissive response—adds extraordinary immediacy to the event, offering a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on an episode witnessed live by millions and forever embedded in the national consciousness.

Auction Info






This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for (inquire for price)

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.

Third-party authentication service applies only to signatures and handwriting, and does not cover the addition of sketches, artwork, musical quotations, etc.