Episode 2.5 // An Assassin’s Escape: What Happened to John Wilkes Booth?

After former president Abraham Lincoln was shot dead at Ford’s Theatre, a manhunt for John Wilkes Booth ensued immediately. History tells us Booth was captured by Union soldiers on a farm in Virginia 12 days after the assassination, but contrarians to this story have been begging to differ even since. Did John Wilkes Booth escape after all? On this episode, we’ll explore alternative fates for the famed killer and the theories behind them.

SOURCES:

• https://www.npr.org/2015/04/15/399579416/historian-john-wilkes-booth-not-a-deranged-lone-madman

• https://archive.knoxnews.com/news/local/letter-threatening-jacksons-life

• Meltzer, Brad. History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time. Kindle Edition.

• https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/31/4395960/john-wilkes-booth-killed-lincoln-

• Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack - Season 4, Episode 2

• https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/a-conspiracy-theory

• https://archive.org/details/escapesuicideofj00bate/

• https://www.inquirer.com/news/john-wilkes-booth-lincoln-conspiracy-photo-recognition-20190415.html

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/assassins-end

• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/04/14/lincoln-assassination-new-york-herald

TRANSCRIPT:

JohnWilkesBooth

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