</s>2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 104-10305-10005 104-110305-1005 MEMORANDUN FOR THE RECORD 1983 23 August 1978 FROM: Bruce L. Solie Chief, Security Analysis Group SUBJECT: NAGELLI, NAGELI, Richard Case #264 170 1. This memorandum identifies those Office of Security files which were reviewed by House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) staff members in conjunction with the HSCa's investigation into the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2. Under procedures established with the HSCA, certain items of information were not reviewed by HSCa staff members. these items were placed in envelopes, sealed, appropriately Identified, and put back into the security file prior to Identified and put in back into a security file. The security file is to files should maintain the integrity of each envelope below so that interested parties may know what was was not reviewed by HCSA staff members, 3. In some instances, the above files contain material marked in the lower right-hand corner with a green circular dot. This mark should-hand office of Security personnel to the fact that the mark should alert office of the security personnel to file at the time of the HCSa review and was seen by an HSCAA staffer(s). This material should not be removed from the file. 4. Attached to this memorandum is a review sheet which identifies the name of the hSCA reviewer(s) and the date of his review. 5. Questions regarding the above procedure and/or the HSCAA's review should be directed to the Security Analysis Group. REVIEWED BY FAVIRK TASK FORCE V RELEASE IN PART TOTAL DENNIAL Attachment Bruce L . Solie SECRET

Summary  
The documents detail Richard Case Nagell’s alleged associations with U.S. intelligence agencies, his arrest for bank robbery in El Paso, Texas, and claims of involvement in JFK assassination conspiracies. Nagell, a former U.S. Army captain discharged honorably in 1959, was arrested on September 20, 1963, for attempting to rob the State National Bank. During his arrest, he fired shots into the ceiling but denied intent to commit robbery, citing dissatisfaction with judicial processes and personal grievances. His military service included participation in the Korean War and a 1954 plane crash that resulted in head injuries and subsequent diagnoses of chronic brain syndrome and paranoid features.  

Nagell claimed ties to Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, stating they met in Mexico City and Texas but maintained only social relationships. He alleged CIA involvement in his life, including being approached by foreign agents and subjected to surveillance. Nagell also reported interactions with Soviet operatives in Washington, D.C., and claimed to have been targeted for his alleged espionage activities. His mental health history includes psychiatric evaluations at Veterans Administration hospitals and a 1964 FBI memorandum noting his claims of CIA persecution.  

Nagell’s legal proceedings involved multiple court orders for competency assessments, including a 1964 evaluation in Springfield, Missouri, where he was deemed legally competent. He faced charges of attempted bank robbery, with a bond set at $25,000, and refused to consult an attorney. His case drew attention from the FBI, which investigated his alleged Communist ties and connections to the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Nagell also claimed to have been detained illegally in East Germany in 1968 and sought assistance from U.S. consulates in Zurich and Berlin.  

Key People  
- **Richard Case Nagell**: Former U.S. Army captain, arrested for bank robbery in El Paso; alleged CIA ties, interactions with Soviet agents, and claims of involvement in JFK assassination conspiracies.  
- **Lee Harvey Oswald**: Accused of assassinating President John F. Kennedy; Nagell claimed to have met him in Mexico City and Texas but denied knowledge of his assassination plans.  
- **Marina Oswald**: Wife of Lee Harvey Oswald; did not recognize Nagell in a 1963 photograph.  
- **Bruce L. Solie**: Chief of the Security Analysis Group, oversaw HSCA file reviews related to JFK and MLK assassinations.  
- **William W. Turner**: Journalist who wrote articles linking Nagell to JFK assassination conspiracies.  
- **Dr. Edwin Weinstein**: U.S. Army psychiatrist who evaluated Nagell’s mental state, concluding he was not psychotic but exhibited paranoid tendencies.  

Key Locations  
- **El Paso, Texas**: Site of Nagell’s 1963 arrest for attempted bank robbery and subsequent legal proceedings.  
- **Mexico City, Mexico**: Where Nagell claimed to have met Lee Harvey Oswald and interacted with U.S. consulates.  
- **Zurich, Switzerland**: Location of U.S. consulate where Nagell sought assistance in 1968.  
- **East Germany**: Alleged site of illegal detention by Soviet authorities in 1968.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: Where Nagell claimed interactions with a suspected Soviet agent and Russian Embassy.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Nagell’s residences and places of employment; also linked to his alleged Communist connections.  

Key Events  
- **September 20, 1963**: Nagell fired shots at the State National Bank in El Paso during an attempted robbery.  
- **November 1963**: Nagell filed a habeas corpus petition and refused psychiatric evaluation, citing constitutional rights violations.  
- **January 1964**: Court ordered Nagell to Springfield, Missouri, for psychiatric examination; he was deemed legally competent.  
- **1968**: Alleged illegal detention in East Germany by Soviet authorities; sought assistance from U.S. consulates in Zurich and Berlin.  
- **1963–1964**: FBI investigations into Nagell’s alleged Communist ties, espionage activities, and connections to the Fair Play for Cuba Committee.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Investigated Nagell’s alleged Communist affiliations, espionage activities, and interactions with foreign agents.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Alleged involvement in Nagell’s life, including surveillance and recruitment claims.  
- **U.S. Army**: Nagell’s military service included participation in the Korean War and treatment for head trauma at Walter Reed Army Hospital.  
- **Veterans Administration (VA)**: Provided psychiatric evaluations and medical records detailing Nagell’s chronic brain syndrome and behavioral disorders.  
- **House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA)**: Reviewed files related to Nagell’s alleged ties to JFK assassination conspiracies.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Handled legal proceedings for Nagell’s bank robbery charge, including court orders for competency assessments.

Summary  
The document contains records related to Richard Case Nagell, a U.S. Army veteran arrested in El Paso, Texas, on September 20, 1963, for bank robbery. It details his alleged mental instability, including claims of brain damage from a 1954 plane crash during the Korean War and episodes of depression, aggression, and emotional distress. Nagell was employed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) before being suspended and dismissed in 1962 for misconduct allegations. His arrest followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, during which he claimed no intent to rob the bank. The text references his interactions with U.S. intelligence agencies (CIA, FBI), including claims of contact with Soviet agents and possession of documents linked to U.S. Army intelligence units in Korea and Japan. A notebook recovered from Nagell referenced the Fair Play for Cuba Committee, foreign embassy addresses, and purported CIA agents. Internal agency communications note his alleged involvement in intelligence operations and disputes over medical evaluations.  

Key People  
- **Richard Case Nagell**: Central figure; U.S. Army veteran with legal troubles, alleged intelligence contacts, and claims of Soviet ties.  
- **John Floyd Parker**: Agency employee interviewed regarding Nagell.  
- **Frances Agnes Guthrie**: Agency employee with potential connections to Nagell.  
- **Creighton Churchill**: Individual linked to Japan during the 1950s.  
- **John Richard Sloss**: Interviewed about Nagell; no recollection of meeting him.  
- **Ernst Leibacher** and **Joseph Frances Davon**: Los Angeles Field Office employees with no knowledge of Nagell.  
- **Marina Oswald**: Wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, who claimed knowledge of Nagell post-assassination.  

Key Locations  
- **El Paso, Texas**: Site of Nagell’s bank robbery arrest (1963).  
- **Mexico City**: Location of Nagell’s alleged contact with foreign agents in 1962.  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Where Nagell was employed by the ABC and where agency records were maintained.  
- **Japan**: Sites of U.S. military operations during the 1950s, linked to Nagell’s service.  

Key Events  
- **November 22, 1963**: Assassination of President John F. Kennedy; Nagell was arrested in El Paso shortly after and claimed no intent to rob the bank.  
- **April 1970**: Nagell sent a letter to Francis X. Plant, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Army, detailing grievances over medical evaluations and alleged intelligence involvement.  
- **1954 Plane Crash**: Incident that contributed to Nagell’s mental health issues and subsequent legal troubles.  
- **1962 Suspensions/Dismissals**: Nagell was suspended and dismissed from the ABC for misconduct allegations.  

Key Organizations  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Involved in monitoring Nagell’s activities, including potential ties to Soviet agents.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Investigated Nagell’s alleged intelligence contacts and legal cases.  
- **California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)**: Employed Nagell before his dismissal in 1962.  
- **U.S. Army**: Nagell served as a soldier during the Korean War, with records indicating potential involvement in intelligence operations.  

Key People  
- **Richard C. Nagell** (ASN [SSN REDACTED])  
- **John Richard SLOSS** (#34490)  
- **Robert J. Leonard**  
- **Francis X. Plant** (Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of the Army)  
- **Robert C. Nolan** (ASN [SSN REDACTED])  

Key Locations  
- **El Paso, Texas** (arrest date: 20 September 1963)  
- **Washington, D.C.** (Pentagon addresses)  
- **Germany** (Deutsche Europeport Galen)  
- **New York, N.Y.**  

Key Events  
- **Arrest of Richard Case Nagell in El Paso, Texas, on 20 September 1963**  
- **Recovery of a notebook from Nagell referencing the Fair Play for Cuba Committee and foreign embassy addresses**  
- **Secret memorandum dated 3 March 1965 discussing a former CIC intelligence officer’s alleged contact with Russian and Cuban Intelligence agents**  

Key Organizations  
- **Combined Command for Reconnaissance Activities Par East (C-CRAFT)**  
- **Counterintelligence Corps (CIC)**  
- **U.S. Army, Pentagon** (Room G3520)  
- **CIA Historical Review Program**  
- **DIAISON SECTION, ARMY COORDINATING DETACHMENT**

JFK Declassified Files

104-10305-10005.pdf

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