Rare John F. Kennedy assassination documents to be auctioned in Scottsdale

PHOENIX — Rare documents and photos from the investigation into the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy will be auctioned Thursday night in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The auction features original crime scene photography and research from the estate of Cecil Kirk, formerly of the Scottsdale Police Department. Kirk worked for more than 20 years with the Washington, D.C. Metro Police where he served as a crime scene unit supervisor before joining the Scottsdale Police Department in 1980.

Josh Levine, owner of J. Levine Auction & Appraisal, said the auction will include several dozen photos and documents relating to the JFK criminal investigation.

“My phone is ringing off the hook from all over the world with people wanting to bid and buy,” he said. “They’re asking how to value this? We have no idea because nothing like this has ever come up for auction.”

And this auction almost never happened.

“The documents and photos were in bins in Scottsdale to be put out in the trash,” he said. “When we were cleaning out Kirk’s estate we saved them.”

Levine said Kirk came to Scottsdale in 1980 to help update the Scottsdale Police Department’s forensics capabilities after the Bob Crane murder case. Crane was the star of the popular television sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” and was found murdered at his Scottsdale apartment in 1978.

J. Levine Auction & Appraisal is located at 10345 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Live online bidding can be accessed through jlevines.com or through Artfact.com.

For more information, visit jlevines.com or call (480) 496-2212.