"Stone and DiEugenio claim Barry Ernest's work (Girl on the Stairs) definitely proved Oswald was not on the 6th floor"
Secret Service Reenactment of Oswald leaving the 6th floor downstairs
Another feature in Stone's "JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass" film has author Barry Ernest talking about his book "Girl on the Stairs". For those not familiar with the story, it revolves around two ladies (particularly Victoria Adams) descending down the back stairs on the Texas School Depository after the shots were fired at the President's motorcade. Author Earnest gives a good description of the story starting around the 00:33 minute mark in Stone's film.
The main point of the Vicki Adams story conveyed in the film is she, and another co-worker, Sandra Styles, descended down the back stairs, and saw no one going down. Hence, Lee Oswald was not seen or heard making his way down the same flight of stairs from the 6th floor. Somehow to the author, as well as Stone, this exonerates or proof positive that Oswald was not on the 6th floor. Yep, case closed, Oswald is innocent.
Well, it's not case closed as you will see when it's examined in greater detail.
This Vicki Adams story has been studied, debated and discussed on JFK forums for many years previous to Stone's film being released. Again, Stone uses this "Girl on the Stairs" story as another cornerstone in his case of conspiracy in his "JFK Revisited "film.
Recently on a trip to Dallas with fellow JFK researchers, we had the pleasure to talk to Dallas based researcher, Jerry Dealey again. Jerry, who describes himself as a "Fence-Sitter" in the JFK assassination argument, prefers to remain neutral. He has pointed out mistakes on both side of the argument. Having known of Jerry and his excellent past research with Greg Jaynes, I thought I would ask him again of his opinion of the "Girl on the Stairs" book.
First of all, Jerry Dealey has studied and walked the original Texas School Book Depository in great detail for years. I know of no other researcher that has that vast amount of "hands on" knowledge of the old building and its history. Not only the building, but he also has great knowledge of the layout of Dealey Plaza down to the old steam lines, sewer systems, etc. Both he and co-researcher Greg Jaynes single-handily debunked the old looney Sewer Shot on Elm Street at the Motorcade.
In short, Jerry disagrees with Barry Ernest and his conclusions in his book. As I listened to him explain his reasoning, it began to make logical sense. Here's why.
Several witnesses out of the street, saw a man with a rifle in the 6th floor Southwest corner window of the building. That is undeniable fact. So, somebody was up there. What happened to the shooter? If Lee Oswald was not on the 6th floor, then somebody was.
There is no attempt in Stone's film to explain the obvious "800-pound Gorilla" question, how come Adams/Styles never saw anyone going down and Officer Marion Baker and Roy Truly going up? Where did this phantom shooter go?
Years ago, Jerry laid out a possible time scenario of the movements of Adams/Styles, Shooter, and Baker/Truly. Although it can't be 100% exact, it's a good approximate estimate.
Timeline Spreadsheet by Jerry Dealey
The bottom line here, and it's very reasonable; the shooter came down the stairs from the 6th floor just before Adams/Styles made their descent from the 4th floor.
Therefore, Adams/Styles wearing 3" heels going down, not seeing anyone or hearing anyone, including Truly/Baker, had to have missed the shooter. Why? Truly and Baker were in the 2nd floor lunchroom questioning Oswald. They completely missed each other. Then after Truly vouched for Oswald, both men ascended up on the stairs eventually reaching the roof.
You can read Jerry's article here (page 8) http://dealey.org/updown3.pdf
It should be noted that researcher Sean Murphy interviewed Sandra Styles, and she was surprised by Adams' time estimate.
What about that Stroud Document mentioned in the film?
Stroud Document
No mystery, the Stroud document is correct. From the document: "Miss Garner, Miss Adams' supervisor, stated this morning that after Miss Adams went downstairs she (Miss Garner) saw Mr. Truly and the policeman come up".
All of that can be explained when the shooter was already down before Truly/Baker made their way up the stairs (encountering Oswald in the 2nd floor lunchroom), and the shooter in all logical probability, had already traveled down the stairs ahead of Adams/Styles.
Author Barry Ernest has a blog and has written a few articles preceding the Stone film release. One of the strangest blog articles has him mentioning the actual Adams' Warren Commission document, signed by Adams, is stamped "Top Secret", July 6th. https://thegirlonthestairs.wordpress.com/
Mr. Ernest makes a big deal out of this, trying to create another mystery. However most, if not all those original Warren Commission Testimony documents were also stamped "Top Secret". Here's just one example: Jack Beers, photographer for the Dallas Morning News, in the Ruby shooting. Silly, isn't it?
Ira J. Beers Original Warren Commission Testimony, National Archives
Conclusion
In light of the physical evidence on the 6th floor (Oswald's rifle, prints on the Sniper's lair boxes, Palm Print on the rifle bag, Palm Print on the rifle, movement of the Rolling Reader book boxes to the Sniper lair), everything points to Oswald beating Adams/Styles down the stairs.
Every piece of evidence has to be accounted for in total.
What is not addressed is the following
1. Mr Truly was ahead of Officer Baker and already going up to the third floor when Baker confronted Oswald. Truly then saw Baker was not with him so went back down the stairs and vouched for Oswald making it unlikely Miss Adams and Styles would have missed seeing Baker and Truly.
2. Mrs Garner who remained on the 4th Floor says in an interview with Ernest Barry she heard Miss Adams and Styles going down the stairs in the 3 inch heals Miss Adams says she was wearing
It is improbable that Baker and Truly would not have heard the women if Mrs Garner could hear them on the 4th Floor, and…