The Why Files: Operation Podcast 615: Lincoln Conspiracy: a Diary, a Mummy and The Escape of John Wilkes Booth
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Oct 27, 2025 Delve into the mystery surrounding Lincoln's assassination, where missing diary pages and altered narratives raise eyebrows. Discover claims of a larger conspiracy involving Edwin Stanton and alternate theories of Booth's survival. A deathbed confession from a Texas bartender and the touring mummy add bizarre twists. Skepticism surrounds the autopsy details and access to DNA testing, begging the question: did the real assassin escape? Reflect on how American history might have shifted had Lincoln lived.
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Familiar Story — Or A Hidden Conspiracy?
- Popular history states Booth shot Lincoln and died twelve days later on a Virginia farm.
- The episode frames an alternative theory that Booth escaped and powerful allies covered it up.
Booth's Shift From Kidnap To Assassination
- John Wilkes Booth was a famous actor and Confederate spy who moved in elite circles and planned to kidnap Lincoln.
- He abandoned the kidnap plan after Lee's surrender and decided to assassinate Lincoln at Ford's Theatre.
Stanton As Power Broker
- The episode alleges Secretary of War Edwin Stanton orchestrated or enabled Booth's plot to seize control.
- It claims Stanton removed protection and manipulated plans so the assassination would succeed and consolidate power.
