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Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination The FBI’s War on Rock Stars By Salvador Astucia
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FBI Files on the Early Beatles (1964) Death threat against Beatles! SUMMARY
(To see all 21 pages of the file, click here.)
August 18, 1964 - A Denver rock 'n' roll promoter, Vern Byers, receives an anonymous postcard--postmarked from Greeley, Colorado--containing a death threat against the Beatles. The postcard states that a hand grenade would be thrown at the Beatles while they perform at a scheduled show, on August 26, 1964, at the Red Rocks Ampitheater, in Jefferson County, Colorado, if the show is not cancelled. (see postcard) The local police beef up security for the ensuing concert. The Denver Police Department assigns approximately 200 officers to handle the crowd during the scheduled Beatles' concert. About 50 additional officers will be supplied by the Jefferson County Sheriff's in Golden, Colorado, to assist the Denver Police with crowd control. As standard procedure, the local police advise the local FBI office of the threat against the Beatles. A special agent is assigned and, consequently, a report is filed. (see report) Per the advice of the Assistant U.S. Attorney in Denver, James A. Clark, the case is erroneously classified as extortion, rather than a murder threat, because according to Clark, "the threat [falls] within the purview of the Federal extortion statute." The FBI agent indicates the postcard will be forwarded to the FBI crime lab for fingerprint analysis to determine the identity of the person who made the threat.
August 24, 1964 - FBI crime lab receives the threatening postcard. (see laboratory work sheet)
September 4, 1964 - FBI crime lab concludes the origin of the postcard cannot be determined. Two letter letters, both signed by J. Edgar Hoover, are sent to the Denver field office stating that (a) "no latent impressions of value" were found on the threatening post card and (b) "the results of the latent fingerprint examination will be forwarded separately." (see form letter A and B, both signed by Hoover, and lab results)
September 21, 1964 - The FBI closes the case due to lack of suspects. The final report indicates an investigation was conducted at Greeley, Colorado, where the postcard was postmarked, but no suspects were found. Individuals from the local post office, police department, and high school were reportedly questioned in the stated community. (see FBI report)
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