/internal/media/dispatcher/34234/fullT25 Report of Psychiatric Examination of Jack Ruby by Dr. Louis Jolyon West04/26/196413 × 8 1/2 in. (33 × 21.6 cm)PaperThe Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza Collection2002.034.00020Photocopy of five-page typed "Report of Psychiatric Examination of Jack Ruby" by Louis Jolyon West, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, dated Sunday, April 26, 1964. Report was notarized in front of David J. Candish, Notary Public in and for Dallas County, Texas, on April 27, 1964.
The report discusses Dr. West's psychiatric examination of Ruby, detailing the conversation and behaviors of Jack Ruby. This examination was conducted the day after Ruby attempted suicide by banging his head on the walls of his jail cell.
Dr. West describes Ruby's delusions that outside his jail cell is a widespread massacre of the Jewish people, caused by the fact that the nation now blames him for President John F. Kennedy's assassination. Ruby distrusts both the doctor and Candish, since they both deny that these massacres are happening. Dr. West concludes with a diagnosis of acute psychosis, a paranoid state, and suicidal tendencies. He recommends that Ruby be transferred to a mental facility for proper assessment and treatment. The report is signed by Dr. West and Candish.
The report is typed and five pages long.
Document in ok condition. Deep horizontal fold crease across middle of all pages. Staple holes in upper left corner of each page. Paper is yellowed. Small, random ink marks throughout pages. (JM 11/27/2019)Documents6318821.590000000033.020066040121745DocumentReport of Psychiatric Examination of Jack Ruby by Louis Jolyon West, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine in Oklahoma City, dated Sunday, April 26, 1964. The report discusses Dr. West's psychiatric examination of Ruby, conducted the day after Ruby attempted suicide by banging his head on the walls of his jail cell.
Dr. West describes Ruby's delusions that outside his jail cell is a widespread massacre of the Jewish people, caused by the fact that the nation now blames Ruby for the Kennedy assassination. Ruby distrusts the doctor since he denies that these massacres are happening. Dr. West concludes with a diagnosis of acute psychosis, a paranoid state, and suicidal tendencies. He recommends that Ruby be transferred to a mental facility for proper assessment and treatment. The report is signed by Dr. West and David Candish, Notary Public.
The report is typed and five pages long.PsychiatryJack Ruby trialX-RaySuicideMental healthHearingOswald, Lee HarveyDecker, BillRuby, JackWest, Louis JolyonCandish, DavidDallas County JailDallas County District Attorney's OfficeState of TexasDallasIn a Museum oral history recorded less than two months before his death, defense attorney Phil Burleson discussed Jack Ruby's delusions, which included his belief in the widespread murder of Jewish people:
"[Jack Ruby] became erratic. It was worse after the sentence, during the course of the appeal. He was of the opinion the Jews were being killed by the thousands.... I would go see him--again, this is after the verdict--and he said, 'I saw them kill Earl last night.' And I said, 'No, they didn't kill Earl.' \'"Yeah, I saw them kill him.' And I'd get on the telephone and get Earl on the telephone, and he'd talk to Earl and they'd talk about things that only he and Earl would know about. He'd hang up and say, 'That wasn't Earl...'
At that point, he was totally out of it. I mean, this is after many, many, many months of him seeing Earl being killed and [sister] Eva being killed and hundreds of Jews being killed, and that [Lyndon] Johnson was involved in the assassination of the President. I can't even remember all of the accusations that he made during that period of time." - Stephen Fagin, Curator