Booth autopsy

[Jenny]

What Jim said.

To be honest, I was big "into" the escape theories when I was in middle school/early high school; the very first real book I received that went into detail on Booth's life was actually in an "Unsolved Texas Mysteries" book that highlighted the St. Helens/George mummy story. I was young, the theories were interesting, etc. but eventually I grew into wanting to know more about John Wilkes Booth's life before the assassination as well as the actual assassination itself, as well as the other players like Davey Herold and Lew Powell. Suddenly all of the "Booth escaped" theories started to be *too* coincidental, completely outrageous, have completely unreliable "witnesses," and despite claims of papers that proved otherwise, no such papers with "the evidence" for some escape theories have ever been shown to the public (Potter papers, anyone?).

I'd go so far as to email authors of "escape" books to ask about the so-called evidence papers; never got responses from them. Plus all that I was learning about Booth's early life and, especially, the actual assassination? That information pretty much snuffed out all of the "escape theories" for me, and by the time I went to college, I was sure Booth died in the barn. And that stance hasn't been changed, despite reading new claims of Booth escaping into Indian Territory or whatnot.

There is an excellent book/leaflet called "The Body in the Barn" that Ford's Theater sells (or used to sell) which pretty much debunks the men who are considered "key" witnesses for possible escape theorists as well as other factors. I highly recommend it! Laurie, does the Surratt House Museum sell the book also?

Just my personal experience with the "Booth escaped" theories.