The murder of John F. Kennedy became perhaps one of the most sensational events in the history of Dallas. The Homicide and Robbery Bureau of the Dallas Police Department, headed by Will Fritz, was caught in the middle of events. They quickly arrested Lee Harvey Oswald as the main suspect. Dallas1.one will tell you more about Fritz’s role in solving the assassination of the president.
Early years
John William Fritz was born in Dublin, Texas. In his youth, he made money by trading horses and mules. During World War I, Will joined the army. At the age of twenty, he entered Tarleton State College (now Tarleton State University) in Stephenville, TX. Fritz had to sell three horses to pay for his education.
In 1921, he got a job as a police officer in Dallas, and shortly after, Will Fritz was appointed as a detective. In 1934, when the Homicide and Robbery Bureau was established, he was promoted to captain. The newly formed division quickly gained a reputation as an elite unit of the Dallas Police Department. Fritz was considered one of the best investigators in the United States.
In 1935, Will became an inspector of detectives. However, he chose to return to the position of captain in 1944. In 1947, he refused the offer to become the chief of the police and instead accepted a special title, Senior Captain.
Murder of the President
The 35th President of the United States, J. Kennedy was killed on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas. At the moment when Kennedy was riding in a presidential motorcade on Elm Street, he was shot with a rifle.
A few minutes after the murder, witnesses reported seeing a man with a gun in the window of the sixth floor of a nearby book depository. One of the employees informed that his subordinate, Lee Harvey Oswald, had left the building right after the fire shots and gave Oswald’s home address.
Captain Fritz was called to the book depository. As the chief of the Homicide and Robbery Bureau of the Dallas police, he was assigned to lead the investigation into President Kennedy’s murder. A rifle was found between the book boxes. Then the FBI discovered Oswald’s handprint on the gun barrel, as well as threads from his shirt. It was determined that the bullets stuck in the president’s limousine were fired from this firearm.
Interrogation of Oswald
Lee Oswald was arrested about an hour after the murder. He was spotted attempting to sneak into the Texas Theatre without paying for a ticket. Fritz started questioning Oswald. The detective’s notes became the only record of the conversation because there was no audio recording or stenographer. The interrogation lasted about 12 hours.
Oswald was also charged with the murder of a police officer. However, all this time, he denied any connection to the shooting. Fritz himself said that he had enough evidence to lock Oswald up. On the night of November 22nd, Fritz officially accused Oswald of the murder.
Murder of Oswald
Fritz was one of those who transferred Oswald from the police department to the Dallas county jail on November 24th. On that day, nightclub owner Jack Ruby, who was in the crowd of reporters, shot Oswald. As a result, Oswald’s charges were never proven or disproven in court.
Will Fritz served in the police for 49 years and retired in 1970 when he was 74. He is considered one of the best police investigators in the state. Under his administration, the Homicide and Robbery Bureau of the Dallas Police Department solved about 98 percent of murders each year.