Joseph Hugh West (1933 – 1993)

This website is dedicated to the memory of Joe West.

Without his incredible knowledge, tireless determination, and powerful investigative expertise, the facts herein could never have been brought forth to the public.

Private investigator from Houston, Texas, who located James Files in Joliet prison in 1992, acting on a lead of FBI agent Zack Shelton. West was preparing a lawsuit to exhume the body of JFK in order to prove a conspiracy. West had already uncovered evidence that Johnny Roselli and Charles Nicoletti had been involved in the assassination. Initially Files denied any knowledge of the JFK assassination, but West slowly developed a relationship with Files through personal visits and correspondence. Files ultimately agreed to tell what he knew in court on the condition that he would get immunity. West made efforts to arrange this with the help of Houston criminal attorney Don Ervin, who agreed to represent Files. During this time West suffered a heart attack and needed surgery in february of 1993. He passed away after complications from the operation. With his death, the lawsuit also died. Files believes that West’s death was not natural and claims to have been informed of this by a source he does not wish to identify. West died, not knowing that Files had been the gunman on the grassy knoll. As Files had started to like Joe West, he felt indebted to West and his memory, but it took 13 more months before associates of West succeeded to persuade Files to tell his story on videotape on March 22 1994.