Earlier in this series, I stated that I would use a source that I considered a bad one. Normally, I avoid citing problematic sources. Often their facts are wrong, their biases overwhelming any kind of sense, common or uncommon. But just as a clock that doesn’t work at all is correct twice a day, sometimes a bad source will contain a valid point that requires attention.

The source in question is Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination by a writer going by the handle of Salvador Astucia. The main problem with the source is that it overreaches with respect to its conclusions. Moreover, the author betrays increasing amounts of anti-Semitism and paranoia as his cyberbook progresses (he even has a chapter accusing fellow posters on various Beatles boards of being spies—and amazingly, some respond to him).

Surprisingly, Susan agreed to answer questions over the telephone while I recorded the conversation. On August 4, 2003, I had posted a list of ten suspected FBI informants who police rec.music.beatles. Susan was on the list, along with Charlie Gauger (aka, Mr. Charlie), Ian Hammond, and John Web (aka, Johnny Dupe). When I established telephone contact with Susan, I was amazed that she would reveal so much information. Her Usenet responses to me had been less than cordial to say the least. Susan directed me to a webpage which shows photographs of several regulars on rec.music.beatles. She never admitted that she works for the FBI, but at one point she agreed with me that Lennon’s murder was probably sponsored by the US Government, then she tried to blame it on the CIA, instead of the FBI. When I asked her why she was doing the 'tap dance,' she claimed she cloaked the FBI and the CIA together. Then she also paid me some compliments which was quite unexpected. ‘I have been reading your stuff about the shooter and the different angles,’ Susan said. ‘I’ll not admit on the newsgroup that I’m reading your stuff, but yeah. It’s all very interesting. And I’d like to read a little more about that. I hope you can take it a little further.’

Of course, Astucia has developed a reputation as a crank with other posters, who sometimes simply poke fun at him, and at other times try to probe for the identity of the man behind the mask. Poking a little myself, I found a name associated with him on his website to a handle used by someone on a neo-Nazi site. I won’t assert that the poster there is Astucia, although that would certainly explain the anti-Semitism. And, it made me a bit circumspect about including him as a source.

You never rely on a poor source. And I haven’t here. In fact, I have enough sources—witness statements, death certificate, statements by attending physicians, and my personal on-site inspection of the Dakota--that I guess I could get away without mentioning Astucia at all. Yet, he was the first person I came across—and the only person I’ve found yet—to seriously question whether or not Chapman actually shot Lennon. I feel that to omit his name in this particular discussion would be dishonest.

I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination. But if you do, bring a salt truck with you.