Cuba Archive - Case 3867

Case ID: 3867

Title: N/A

First name: William D.

Last name: Pawley

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: William Powell

Age: 40

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:7 / Month:9 / Year:1986

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:7 / Month:1 / Year:1977

Citizenship: United States

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Miami

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: United States

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Miami, Florida

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: United States

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: 1963 Flying Tiger II friendly fire incident

Case description:

U.S. citizen with had businesses in pre-Castro Cuba who later became involved in CIA anti-Communist covert operations in Cuba. He reportedly committed suicide faced with a congressional investigation  regarding a failed CIA 1963 covert operation he had led to smuggle Soviet defectors out of Cuba. U.S. Navy ships had accidentally gunned down the infiltration boat Flying Tiger II, killing the entire 10 man infiltration team (reportedly, they had information that not all Soviet missiles had been removed from Cuba after the October 1962 missile crisis). Pawley died of gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a suicide. Conspiracy buffs argued that it had something to do with investigations being carried out by the House Select Committee on Assassinations. More likely, as relatives argued, Pawley was in excruciating pain from a severe case of shingles, and took his life in order to find relief. 
See case records 4676, 4670, 4677, 4678, 4679, 4684, 4685, 4689, 4673 and 4669.
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Ciudadano estadounidense que tenía negocios en la Cuba anterior a Castro y que luego se involucró en operaciones encubiertas anticomunistas de la CIA en Cuba. Según los informes, se suicidó ante una investigación del Congreso sobre una operación encubierta fallida de la CIA en 1963 que había llevado a cabo para sacar de Cuba clandestinamente a desertores soviéticos. Los barcos de la Armada de los EE. UU. Habían disparado accidentalmente al barco de infiltración Flying Tiger II, matando a todo el equipo de infiltración de 10 hombres (según se sabe,éstos tenían información de que no todos los misiles soviéticos habían sido retirados de Cuba después de la crisis de los misiles de octubre de 1962). Pawley murió por heridas de bala y su muerte fue declarada suicidio. Los aficionados a la conspiración argumentaron que tenía algo que ver con las investigaciones llevadas a cabo por el Comité Selecto de Asesinatos de la Cámara de Representantes. Lo más probable es que, como argumentaron los familiares, Pawley sufriera un dolor insoportable debido a un caso severo de herpes zóster y se quitó la vida para encontrar alivio.
Consulte los casos 4676, 4670, 4677, 4678, 4679, 4684, 4685, 4689, 4673 y 4669.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Suicide/Alleged Suicide

Occupations: - Business and Financial Operations Occupations - Protective Service Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Collaborator / informant / paramilitary (political)

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - William D. Pawley