Overview
- A Jan. 15 order by Court of Federal Claims Judge Stephen Schwartz authorizes discovery into the government's handling of the Orville Nix assassination film.
- The camera-original 8mm footage has not been publicly seen since 1978, with custody claims involving the FBI, United Press International, Congress, and The Aerospace Corporation, while the National Archives says it holds only a copy.
- Family attorneys say modern optics and AI could draw new detail from the original film focused on the grassy knoll, though what it might show remains unproven.
- The Nix heirs seek either the film’s return or payment, with lawyers presenting a preliminary valuation near $930 million based on interest-adjusted comparisons to the $16 million Zapruder award in 1999.
- Government arguments are expected to rely on the 1992 JFK Records Act, and the family’s legal team is also pressing for disclosures about other assassination materials they say are unlocated, including autopsy records and brain fragments.