Hugh Grant Aynesworth (/ˈeɪnzwɜːrθ/; August 2, 1931 – December 23, 2023) was an American journalist, investigative reporter, author, and teacher.

[2] In a 1976 Texas Monthly article, William Broyles Jr. described Aynesworth as "one of the most respected authorities on the assassination of John F.

[5] Aynesworth was a business writer for the Dallas Times Herald at 26, then was hired to work for United Press International in their Denver, Colorado news bureau in 1959.

[2] Those who speculated on the motivation for the attack believed Aynesworth may have been targeted in a case of mistaken identity or by a jealous husband.

[2] Aynesworth said he decided to take a long lunch hour and walk over to watch Kennedy's motorcade from in front of the Dallas County Records Building.

[4] Aynesworth reported that activity converged upon the Texas School Book Depository, and that he did not enter the building possibly for fear of running into a gunman.

[4] Aynesworth positioned himself near a three-wheeled police motorcycle in front of the Texas School Book Depository to listen to the voice traffic and find out what was happening.

[4] Aynesworth said he instructed another reporter to stay at the Texas School Book Depository and followed the police to the scene of the shooting in a WFAA mobile unit.

[2] Two days later, Aynesworth was talked into going to the Dallas Police Headquarters by his wife and then saw Ruby lunge and shoot Oswald.

[2] He worked on the story for some time after Kennedy was shot and became the lead reporter for the Dallas Morning News regarding the assassination.

[9] He supported the official conclusion that Oswald acted alone and believed that conspiracy theories had been generated by people motivated by money and fame.

"[11] According to Aynesworth, Garrison fabricated conspiracy allegations for "politically opportunistic reasons" and had attempted to bribe potential witnesses.

"[15] In May 1967, researcher Shirley Martin wrote a letter to Jim Garrison about her 1964 meeting with Aynesworth, in which she accused him of making "disgusting anti-Kennedy stories."

He then personally smeared Warren Commission critics like Thomas Buchanan and Mark Lane; describing the former as a "fairy" and the latter as a communist.

"[4] In 1980, Stephen Michaud, a former Business Week reporter, enlisted the help of Aynesworth in interviewing serial killer Ted Bundy, who initially claimed he was innocent and was interested in cooperating on a book.

[3][7][19] The New York Daily News called their portrait of Bundy, The Only Living Witness, one of the ten best true-crime books ever written.

Aynesworth and Henderson's work led to then-Governor George W. Bush commuting Lucas' death sentence.

[3] According to one report: "He also tracked down the person who stole "most of" eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes' money, chased James Earl Ray all over the South and into Canada after he shot the Rev.

Martin Luther King Jr."[3] According to Aynesworth, he was asked to serve as a pallbearer for Jack Ruby and played basketball with Fidel Castro.

"[3] Recapping his career, Aynesworth stated in one interview: "I've been offered bribes and threatened and maligned and witnessed some of the most horrifying events of our lifetime.