FERRIE, David

DAVID FERRIE served as a pilot for Eastern Air Lines until his dismissal in 1961 following accusations of homosexual behavior, after which he became involved with anti-Castro activities in New Orleans. A colorful and eccentric figure who suffered from alopecia totalis (complete hair loss), Ferrie wore obvious wigs and drew-on eyebrows that made him easily recognizable. His association with various intelligence-connected activities and right-wing political groups would later make him a person of interest in assassination investigations.

Following President Kennedy's assassination, Ferrie briefly came under FBI scrutiny due to his anti-Castro connections and alleged associations with Lee Harvey Oswald. Initial investigations found insufficient evidence to pursue charges, but Ferrie's name resurfaced prominently in 1966 when New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison began investigating alleged assassination conspiracies centered in New Orleans.

Garrison's investigation focused on Ferrie as a key figure in an alleged plot involving anti-Castro Cubans, CIA operatives, and New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw. Garrison claimed Ferrie had served as a getaway pilot for assassination conspirators and had trained Oswald in marksmanship. The investigation portrayed Ferrie as a central coordinator of conspiracy activities, though critics questioned the reliability of Garrison's witnesses and evidence.

On February 22, 1967, just days before he was scheduled to be arrested and shortly after giving press interviews denying involvement in assassination plots, Ferrie was found dead in his New Orleans apartment. The coroner ruled the death natural, caused by a cerebral hemorrhage, but the timing immediately generated suspicions of murder among conspiracy theorists and some assassination researchers.

Ferrie's apartment showed signs of having been ransacked, and suicide notes were found that suggested despondency over the investigation's impact on his reputation. However, no evidence of foul play was discovered, and toxicology tests detected only trace amounts of medication. The death occurred during a period when Ferrie was under intense pressure from Garrison's investigation and media attention.

Ferrie's role in JFK assassination theories remains controversial, with researchers debating whether his connections to anti-Castro activities, intelligence agencies, and New Orleans figures represent evidence of genuine conspiracy involvement or coincidental associations inflated by Garrison's investigation. His death continues to fuel speculation about silencing potential witnesses.