Photo courtesy Library of Congress

I happen to catch the new show Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on The History Channel the other night and was amazed at the controversy surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. More specifically the controversy surrounding John Wilkes Booth.

There were some fascinating cases made that contend not only that JWB was not killed in Garrett’s barn but that he went on to live a full and seemingly happy life. There are so many angles to this story it’s difficult to find a starting point but one thing is true; it’s hard to argue many of the points made in this presentation. In fact even if you aren’t that interested in History I guarantee you will be glad you took the time to watch this. This is not grain of salt stuff.

Here is the preface to the episode from the History Channel. I hope you enjoy the video.

Best-selling author Brad Meltzer and his Decoded team examine claims that John Wilkes Booth actually escaped to freedom after murdering President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The “official” version of events says federal agents cornered Booth and killed him just days after the assassination. But Brad and the team uncover glaring inconsistencies in that 150-year-old account: Why did the authorities hide Booth’s body from public view? Why was Booth autopsy’s conducted in complete secrecy in the cramped confines of an ironclad gunboat? Searching for answers to these and other troubling questions, the team finds startling evidence that strongly suggests Booth may indeed have lived into old age without ever facing punishment for his crime.

Note: Videos reproduced as fair use under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976

As I said, I never really thought much about JWB beyond the assassination but I was thoroughly entertained by this and now I have a totally different outlook on the subject, even with my high level of skepticism.

What say you the readers?