Testimony of Elmer L. Boyd

The testimony of Elmer L. Boyd was taken at 11 a.m., on April 6, 1964, in the office of the U.S. attorney, 301 Post Office Building, Bryan and Ervay Streets. Dallas, Tex., by Messrs. Joseph A. Ball, John Hart Ely and Samuel A. Stern, assistant counsel of the President's Commission. Dr. Alfred Goldberg, historian, was present.

Mr. Ball.

Mr. Boyd, do you swear that the testimony you are about to give before this Commission shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

Mr. Boyd.

I do.

Mr. Ball.

Will you state your name, please?

Mr. Boyd.

Elmer L. Boyd.

Mr. Ball.

And what is your occupation?

Mr. Boyd.

I am a detective in the homicide and robbery bureau for the Dallas Police Department.

Mr. Ball.

You received a letter asking you to appear here today, didn't you?

Mr. Boyd.

I think they received one over at the office and they notified me.

Mr. Ball.

And you have been told the purpose of this investigation is to inquire into the facts and circumstances surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy?

Mr. Boyd.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Ball.

I'm going to ask you what you learned during the course of your investigation.

Mr. Boyd.

All right.

Mr. Ball.

Now, can you tell me something about yourself, where you were born and where you went to school and what you have done most of your life?

Mr. Boyd.

Well, yes, sir. I can tell you I was born in Navarro County---the particular place was Blooming Grove, Tex., and it's about 15 miles west of Corsicana, and I was raised up about 7 miles north of there. I attended school, well, I started at a little country school---it was Pecan, was the name of the school. I went there 2 years and then they sent me to Blooming Grove and I started to school in my second grade. The reason I was in the second grade I had to go through a primer before I got in the first grade I didn't fail--I just had to go through this primer before I got in the first grade, and I graduated from high school at Blooming Grove in 1946 and I went into the Navy and served for 2 years, I believe I served about 22 months in the Navy--I joined and I went through boot training at San Diego, went from there to Newport, R.I., and caught my first ship, the USS Kenneth D. Bailey. I don't recall just how many months I spent on that--somewhere around 15 or 16 months, I've forgotten, and then they sent me to---I transferred from that ship and went on the USS Cone, that's another destroyer [spelling] C-o-n-e, and along about the first part of January, I believe, in 1948, they transferred me to Pensacola where I caught my third destroyer, the U$S Forrest Royal, and we operated in and out of there until I got out of the Navy, and I believe it was about the first day of April 1948, when I was discharged, and I came to Dallas and I have been here in Dallas ever since.
I went to work on the police department May 19, 1952. Prior to that I worked, I believe, about 3 years for the gas company and I started out reading gas meters, and then I went into collecting, and I was a collector for the gas company when I came on the police department. I think I worked a couple of more places before then---one for a printing company down here on Cockrell, down here by Sears & Roebuck for a while, but I didn't stay there long.

Mr. Ball.

How long have you been in homicide?

Mr. Boyd.

I came in there on October 15, I believe, in 1957.

Mr. Ball.

November 22, 1963, what were your hours of duty?

Mr. Boyd.

Well, my hours of duty on November 22, 1963, I believe, was 4 to midnight.

Mr. Ball.

So, on that day you went to work earlier?

Mr. Boyd.

Yes, sir; I did.

Mr. Ball.

What time?