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With Malice: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Murder of Officer J. D. Tippit
The definitive work on the murder of Dallas patrolman J. D. Tippit—killed forty-five minutes after President Kennedy—and its far-reaching implications for the JFK assassination and aftermath
Although considered the Rosetta stone of the case against Lee Harvey Oswald, the murder of Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit—killed less than an hour after the assassination of President Kennedy—has proven to be one of the most misunderstood, largely ignored, and often twisted aspects of the Kennedy assassination. For five decades, a community of doubters has contorted official accounts of the shooting to exonerate Oswald. There have been many questions raised about Tippit's death over the past fifty years, but few real attempts to find the answers.
Did Oswald murder Tippit? Was Tippit a part of the plot to murder President Kennedy? What really happened on Tenth Street?
In With Malice, Dale K. Myers brings thirty-five years of research to this second-by-second account of the murder of Officer Tippit and the frantic manhunt that ended in the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald. Filling a major void in Kennedy assassination literature, it weaves firsthand accounts, newly released documents, and previously unpublished photographs into a detailed tapestry of facts that lifts the veil on the mystery surrounding this pivotal moment in American history.
Although considered the Rosetta stone of the case against Lee Harvey Oswald, the murder of Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit—killed less than an hour after the assassination of President Kennedy—has proven to be one of the most misunderstood, largely ignored, and often twisted aspects of the Kennedy assassination. For five decades, a community of doubters has contorted official accounts of the shooting to exonerate Oswald. There have been many questions raised about Tippit's death over the past fifty years, but few real attempts to find the answers.
Did Oswald murder Tippit? Was Tippit a part of the plot to murder President Kennedy? What really happened on Tenth Street?
In With Malice, Dale K. Myers brings thirty-five years of research to this second-by-second account of the murder of Officer Tippit and the frantic manhunt that ended in the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald. Filling a major void in Kennedy assassination literature, it weaves firsthand accounts, newly released documents, and previously unpublished photographs into a detailed tapestry of facts that lifts the veil on the mystery surrounding this pivotal moment in American history.
1239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1998
About the author
Dale K. Myers
2 booksDale K. Myers is a thirty-eight-year veteran of radio and television. Winner of numerous awards for his work in the broadcast industry, including four Emmy Awards for his computer animation work, Myers is a recognized expert on the JFK assassination. Over the last two decades, he has served as an on-camera expert and technical consultant for numerous television networks including ABC News, the BBC, PBS, the Discovery Channel, and the History Channel.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 25, 2017
Of the hundreds of books that I have read on the JFK assassination, Myers' monumental study of the Tippit murder stands head and shoulders above anything that I have encountered previously. The events in Dealey Plaza are largely omitted as the author presents an in-depth scrutiny of what occurred at Tenth and Patton in Oak Cliff.
Utilising colour and black and white plates of the murder scene that provides superb detail of witnesses, street plans and chronologies along with DPD radio transcripts and reports, 'With Malice' documents the minute by minute chaos and confusion of the dragnet.
Dale Myers shows great respect for Tippit and his family from page one. His reverence is apparent in the autopsy photographs where the victims face is blurred, unlike in Joe McBride's 'Into the Nightmare'.
Much of the ambiguity involved in this case is dealt with fairly and with logic as the book details the reasons for initial confused reports, doubtful witness interpretations, ballistic chains of evidence and the crime scene investigation, which produces a balanced view of the many alternate theories that have hung around this part of the events of November 22nd 1963.
The Kindle edition contains a bewildering amount of data from official Warren Commission transcripts and H.S.C.A. documents as well as National Archive material, some of these items I have never come across before. However it is the authors own interviews with a vast amount of those involved that brings great clarity and understanding.
I would have liked more magnification on many of the plans and photo plates where the detail was straining my eyesight, but there was little to detract from this five star work.
Utilising colour and black and white plates of the murder scene that provides superb detail of witnesses, street plans and chronologies along with DPD radio transcripts and reports, 'With Malice' documents the minute by minute chaos and confusion of the dragnet.
Dale Myers shows great respect for Tippit and his family from page one. His reverence is apparent in the autopsy photographs where the victims face is blurred, unlike in Joe McBride's 'Into the Nightmare'.
Much of the ambiguity involved in this case is dealt with fairly and with logic as the book details the reasons for initial confused reports, doubtful witness interpretations, ballistic chains of evidence and the crime scene investigation, which produces a balanced view of the many alternate theories that have hung around this part of the events of November 22nd 1963.
The Kindle edition contains a bewildering amount of data from official Warren Commission transcripts and H.S.C.A. documents as well as National Archive material, some of these items I have never come across before. However it is the authors own interviews with a vast amount of those involved that brings great clarity and understanding.
I would have liked more magnification on many of the plans and photo plates where the detail was straining my eyesight, but there was little to detract from this five star work.
January 11, 2018
Eh...
Went into this book not caring for its premise. I still don't care for it. I find that there really isn't any testimony presented that isn't in the official record that concludes Oswald killed Kennedy and Tippit. I just can't accept the puny presentation and lack of willingness to examine information outside the early, official record. Sorry I read this.
Went into this book not caring for its premise. I still don't care for it. I find that there really isn't any testimony presented that isn't in the official record that concludes Oswald killed Kennedy and Tippit. I just can't accept the puny presentation and lack of willingness to examine information outside the early, official record. Sorry I read this.
February 12, 2019
Complete irresponsible journalism replete with lies, mistaken and unverified "eyewitnesses" accounts backed up by no factual or scientific evidence whatsoever. Do not waste your time or money on this insult to the american public.
The worst study of the Tippitt shooting ever written.
O. Star rating and a prime example of Fake Journalism at it's worst
The worst study of the Tippitt shooting ever written.
O. Star rating and a prime example of Fake Journalism at it's worst
November 30, 2017
Myers is one of the more scholarly supporters of the Warren Commission, but there are only so many ways to put lipstick on a pig. This book contains many photos and diagrams, and Myers did a lot of interviews and serious research. But he decided to ignore a lot of the evidence and just support the official story anyway. It certainly is a lot easier!
But there are researchers like Larry Ray Harris, Greg Lowrey, Gary Murr, Bill Drenas, Ken Holmes and Bill Pulte who spent decades digging into this case. The late Larry Ray Harris actually took a job as a letter carrier in Oak Cliff so he could investigate the murder. Gary Murr wrote an excellent 1971 monograph called "The Murder of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit" which you can find in John Armstrong's online archives.
According to the earliest evidence, the Tippit murder actually occurred somewhere between 1:06pm and 1:10pm. The only way Oswald could reach the scene that quickly is if he was driven there. And that would obviously present some problems for the no-conspiracy crowd.
Joseph McBride's new book "Into the Nightmare" contains several chapters on the Tippit murder and sums up the multitude of problems with the official story. Mark Lane recalled that when he and Emile de Antonio went to Dallas to film interviews for the documentary Rush to Judgment, "There was absolutely no tension at all on the scene of the assassination. We were there three hours. All the tension is where Tippit was killed." Witnesses were afraid to talk; some had already been victims of violence or had received threats. Some had left town. The fear was still palpable in the neighborhood many years later.
But there are researchers like Larry Ray Harris, Greg Lowrey, Gary Murr, Bill Drenas, Ken Holmes and Bill Pulte who spent decades digging into this case. The late Larry Ray Harris actually took a job as a letter carrier in Oak Cliff so he could investigate the murder. Gary Murr wrote an excellent 1971 monograph called "The Murder of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit" which you can find in John Armstrong's online archives.
According to the earliest evidence, the Tippit murder actually occurred somewhere between 1:06pm and 1:10pm. The only way Oswald could reach the scene that quickly is if he was driven there. And that would obviously present some problems for the no-conspiracy crowd.
Joseph McBride's new book "Into the Nightmare" contains several chapters on the Tippit murder and sums up the multitude of problems with the official story. Mark Lane recalled that when he and Emile de Antonio went to Dallas to film interviews for the documentary Rush to Judgment, "There was absolutely no tension at all on the scene of the assassination. We were there three hours. All the tension is where Tippit was killed." Witnesses were afraid to talk; some had already been victims of violence or had received threats. Some had left town. The fear was still palpable in the neighborhood many years later.
December 17, 2013
This started out as a promising human portrait of Officer Tippit—something which doesn't seem to exist in many (if ANY) other books on the subject of Oswald's flight. Clearly well-researched and written, it also comes with the benefit of the Tippit family's input and support. But less than midway through, the tone changes and becomes increasingly repetitive and monotonous, as Myers continues to deliver the same scenarios through the eyes of multiple witnesses, when he could've relayed these once, much more concisely.
The author also comes across as being a bit too contentious with others who've written about the JFK assassination. No surprise, given the the epic controversy of the subject, but he seems to go out of his way to take certain writers to task; and at some point it just starts to grate away at what could've been a much more interesting story about Tippit's life, career, and final moments.
Another important detail: while I applaud the meticulous research and documentation that went into this, I was disappointed to find that literally half the book turned out to be appendix material and notes.
The author also comes across as being a bit too contentious with others who've written about the JFK assassination. No surprise, given the the epic controversy of the subject, but he seems to go out of his way to take certain writers to task; and at some point it just starts to grate away at what could've been a much more interesting story about Tippit's life, career, and final moments.
Another important detail: while I applaud the meticulous research and documentation that went into this, I was disappointed to find that literally half the book turned out to be appendix material and notes.
April 6, 2011
A thorough, blow-by-blow account fo the murder of Officer Tippet and how the evidence all points to Lee Harvey Oswald being the killer. This case has clear ramifications for the assassination of JFK. Despite the fact that a conspiracy is much more interesting than the lone gunman theory it is the latter that looks the most likely and books like this underline that in clear and difficult to reute language.
January 3, 2025
Good book. Completely disagree with the author. Oswald didn’t kill Kennedy and didn’t kill Tippit. There was a conspiracy and that’s simple… a lot of mistakes were made that day.. you either had incompetence beyond belief, or people involved in a conspiracy.. since the People of Dallas didn’t like Kennedy, it’s pretty obvious it was a conspiracy.
December 12, 2013
A well written book on the other murder in Dallas,Texas on 11/22/63. The author goes out of his way to discredit witnesses that do not stand with his central thesis that Lee Harvey Oswald killed Officer Tippitt. For another view of the Tippitt murder read Joseph McBrides book Into the Nightmare.
November 28, 2013
Look no further if you want a thorough examination of Lee Harvey Oswald's murder of JD Tippit.
September 11, 2025
It's a functional effort. The opening section describing Tippet's life and family is respectful but not very eventful. It's probably what was needed to get the family's buy-in.
It very much takes one interpretation of the facts - some of which is fresh and insightful - but ultimately it sticks rigidly to the establishment view. It does acknowledge some alternative theories - but is quite selective in doing so and gives unnecessary time to some outlandish and easily dismissed/even irrelevant theories at the expense of other most troubling/challenging interpretations. It occasionally feels that it is giving lipservice to alternative positions here in order to rebuff accusations of one-sidedness.
Unfortunately, it also falls into the trap of contradictions that many books of this type embrace. For example, within just a ten-page section, Oswald is described as being calculating and "not stupid" and someone who was a "voracious reader" to strengthen one point made, but is then quickly dismissed as being "of low intelligence" to prove another.
It very much takes one interpretation of the facts - some of which is fresh and insightful - but ultimately it sticks rigidly to the establishment view. It does acknowledge some alternative theories - but is quite selective in doing so and gives unnecessary time to some outlandish and easily dismissed/even irrelevant theories at the expense of other most troubling/challenging interpretations. It occasionally feels that it is giving lipservice to alternative positions here in order to rebuff accusations of one-sidedness.
Unfortunately, it also falls into the trap of contradictions that many books of this type embrace. For example, within just a ten-page section, Oswald is described as being calculating and "not stupid" and someone who was a "voracious reader" to strengthen one point made, but is then quickly dismissed as being "of low intelligence" to prove another.
August 28, 2025
This is a very thorough and documented review of a subject given only minor attention by most authors of the murder of J.D.Tippit on the same day of the J.F.K assassination. While some inconsistencies still exist in the evidence, there does seem to be sufficient data to indicate Oswald was involved
. Recommended.
. Recommended.
March 14, 2023
I would have rated this higher, but I just finished "Reclaiming History – The Assassination of John F Kennedy" by Vincent Bugliosi. Trust me, this was a hard act to follow.
April 14, 2026
Molto accurato nella ricostruzione di un crimine che per anni non ha interessato veramente nessuno. Eppure era un poliziotto ucciso in servizio
January 24, 2019
The definitive work on the Tippit killing. Extensive witness statements, detailed maps, crime scene photos, and logical answers to some of the burning questions from this little-discussed subplot within the larger tapestry of the JFK assassination.
August 2, 2016
A sober chronicle of the OTHER murder that took place in Dallas on November 22, 1963--though it seems a bit sparse to be called a 'definitive work.'
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews