UNION, Ill.—Sixty years later, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 23, 1963, in Dallas, remains clouded in mystery and tangled in conspiracy theories. The property of one of the major players in the search for answers surrounding that historic day comes to auction Friday, Nov. 17, at Donley Auctions.
The property of firearm and ballistic expert, Monty Lutz, who testified before the United States House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations in 1978, is featured in a lone impressive lot as part of Donley Auctions Fall Classic Auction Nov 16-19. Lutz’s report verified the conclusion of the 1964 Warren Commission Report that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone using a 6.5 mm bolt-action Carcano carbine in the Kennedy assassination.
During his more than 40-year career, Lutz worked as the expert on many firearms-related cases for the military and the government, including the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
The auction lot includes, from the Kennedy investigation, six bound volumes of Lutz’s personal notes, photographs, VHS tapes of the House Select Committee proceedings, supporting materials, and a bolt action Carcano carbine with scope (with the Queen’s seal) that was used in the 1986 movie, On Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald in which Lutz played himself. Also included is an image of the nationwide newspaper image of Lutz holding the JFK gun, and a DVD of the movie On Trial: Lee Harvey Oswald which starred Lutz, Vincent Bugliosi and Gerry Spence. From the King investigation, bidders will find two bound volumes from Lutz’s November 1978 testimony of his assassination findings and test bullets fired from the Remington Model 760 Gamemaster rifle that killed King.
“With the 60th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination upon us, this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a collection of this magnitude,” auctioneer Randy Donley said. “This collection has only been viewed by a handful of people and has never been for sale. After Mr. Lutz’s passing last year, his daughter (Vicky) approached us about handling the sale of her fathe’s estate. She wants to see it go to a collector or institution that appreciates its importance.
“The size of the collection is impressive. Monty Lutz served in the U.S. Army Military Police and C.I.D. for 20 years and all of those items are there in addition to the Kennedy and King items. It is quite a treasure trove,” Donley said.
Bidding on the one-lot collection on Friday, Nov. 17, is both live in Union, Ill., and online at Donley Auctions. Auction online preview is available now, with in-person viewing starting Nov. 15. For more information visit DonleyAuctions.com.
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