George de Mohrenschildt
George Sergius de Mohrenschildt (Russian: Георгий Сергеевич де Мореншильд; April 17, 1911 – March 29, 1977) was an American petroleum geologist, anti-communist political refugee, professor, and occasional CIA field agent. De Mohrenschildt, who moved to the Dallas area in October 1961, is best known for having befriended Lee Harvey Oswald in the summer of 1962.
George de Mohrenschildt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jerzy Sergius von Mohrenschildt April 17, 1911 Mozyr, Russian Empire (now Belarus) |
| Died | March 29, 1977 (aged 65) Manalapan, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot |
| Nationality | American (naturalized) |
| Education | Polish Cavalry Academy |
| Alma mater | Institute of Higher Commercial Studies University of Liège University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Petroleum geologist |
| Known for | Befriending Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy |
| Spouses | Dorothy Pierson
(m. 1942; div. 1944)Phyllis Washington
(m. 1947; div. 1949)Wynne Sharples
(m. 1951; div. 1956)Jeanne LeGon
(m. 1959; div. 1973) |
| Children | 3 |
De Mohrenschildt's testimony before the Warren Commission investigating the assassination was one of the longest of any witness.
Since his testimony and subsequent suicide, de Mohrenschildt has been a popular figure in conspiracy theories regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. For example, those who believe that the United States Government was responsible have accused de Mohrenschildt of being Oswald's CIA handler. On the other hand, Ion Mihai Pacepa, a high level defector from Communist Romania and occasional CIA asset, has alleged that de Mohrenschildt, despite his claims to be a descendant of the Russian nobility and an anti-communist political refugee from the Red Terror, was in reality a KGB First Chief Directorate illegal field agent, who focused on collecting military intelligence and who acted as Oswald's Soviet intelligence handler.