A Forgotten Mysterious CIA Death in Thailand

A long-buried case revealed in the JFK files dates from the 1950s and involves the mysterious death of a former Civil Air Transport (CAT) employee, Mr. Kilham, in Thailand, allegedly linked to CIA personnel. CAT was a Nationalist Chinese airline that later became owned by the CIA. It played a key role in supporting U.S. covert operations across East and Southeast Asia during the Cold War. Testimony from CIA General Counsel Lawrence Houston before the U.S. Senate in 1975 discussed suspicions that two CIA employees, Peter Joost and Dennis Fleming, may have been involved in Kilham’s death and the disposal of his body.

The case was first raised within the CIA around 1955 by station chief Justin O’Donnell and escalated to senior officials, including Lyman Kirkpatrick and Frank Wisner. Houston recalls that the investigation was hindered by a lack of clarity and interpersonal conflicts. The CIA Director at the time, Allen Dulles, insisted on reporting the matter to the Department of Justice, but the DOJ determined that there was no U.S. crime, considering it an offense against Thai sovereignty.

There was no known effort to assist Thai authorities, as the CIA believed they had equal knowledge of the situation. No significant action appears to have been taken against the accused CIA personnel. When the matter resurfaced in later Senate hearings, former CIA officer Samuel Halpern denied any knowledge of the incident. The case remains unresolved and shrouded in secrecy.

From the recently declassified JFK files in the testimony of CIA General Counsel Lawrence Houston before the U.S. Senate on August 12, 1975:

Mr. Wides. Do you recall the infamous Kilham case involving the alleged wrongful death of a former CAT [Civil Air Transport] airline agency employee in Thailand in which it was alleged that two other agency employees—Mr. Kilham, I believe, had been a CAT employee. And at the time Mr. Joost and the other fellows were CIA employees of the station at Thailand in 1951, they were alleged to have been involved in disposing of Mr. Kilham’s body, and there was a serious question as to whether one or both of them had been involved in his death. And then I believe in 1955 this was brought to the attention of the Agency through the efforts, among others, of Mr. O’Donnell, who was then the station chief, Justin O’Donnell, who came back and raised it with Mr. [Frank] Wisner, and then I believe it was raised with Mr. [Lyman] Kirkpatrick and with yourself.

Do you recall that incident and the eventual denouement of the affair?

Mr. Houston. I cannot remember the exact chronology. I had thought they had gotten the report on the problem a little earlier than you suggested. But I can’t argue it.

Mr. Wides. Do you know if any action was taken earlier than the time in 1955 when Mr. O’Donnell first raised it with Mr. Wisner?

Mr. Houston. I didn’t know that Justin O’Donnell was the one—at least I don’t recall it, so I don’t know exactly how it first came to my attention. But when it did, to the best of my recollection Lyman Kirkpatrick and I, and I think Frank Wisner was probably involved, tried to assemble all the facts to find out insofar as possible what had gone on. It was a confused picture. All sorts of interpersonal feelings that I recall were going on out there. And I think one of the Thai police might have been involved.

Mr. Wides. I don’t know if it refreshes your recollection, but I believe a Colonel Rack was a local official who had some knowledge of it.

Mr. Houston. To the best of my recollection I put this together and talked to Allen Dulles who was much concerned about it. He said, I think we ought to report that to Justice.

And I said, there is no particular problem, because there is nothing we can do about it because there is no crime against the U.S. that I can find in this situation, it is a crime against the Thai sovereignty.

And Allen said, that well may be. But I still think that I want to report this to Justice.

And he asked me to prepare a detailed report on a classified basis. I have forgotten the nature of the classification. I suppose the relations with CAT at that time were still basically top secret.

So, I did prepare a report and delivered it to—I can’t remember—probably to the Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, whoever it was.

They said to the effect, thank you, that is it. There is nothing we can do.

Mr. Wides. Was there any discussion of the possibility of giving information to the Thai authorities so that they could decide whether to exert jurisdiction?

Mr. Houston. My recollection is that the indications were that the Thai authorities had as much information as we did. I don’t remember to the contrary, but a lot of the information we got came from the Thais.

Mr. Wides. Did Mr. Kirkpatrick go over to Thailand to talk to some of the people there to find out what they knew about the situation?

Hr. Houston. I don’t recall.

Mr. Maxwell. Was any action taken against either of the CAT employees?

Mr. Wides. Dennis Fleming was the other one. And he was recalled.

Mr. Houston. And Kilham?

Mr. Wides. Joost and Fleming were the two persons against whom the charges or allegations were raised. Kilham was the victim.

Mr. Houston. I remember Joost being a problem, but I can’t remember what the outcome was. And Dennis Fleming just strikes a very faint bell. I can’t remember at this time.

The U.S. Senate had briefly brought up the same topic in the testimony of former CIA officer Samuel Halpern earlier on June 18, 1975:

Mr. Schwarz. What do you know about the killing of a person called Kilham?

Mr. Halpern. The name is brand new to me, sir.

Mr. Schwarz. Do you know anything about the killing of a CIA employee or associate in Thailand in the 1950s?

Mr. Halpern. No, sir.

Mr. Schwarz. Do you know anything about the burial of such a person, in which you participated along with a man called Dennis Fleming and one called Peter Joost?

Mr. Halpern. That I participated? No, sir.

Mr. Schwarz. Do you know anything about the killing of a CIA operative in Bangkok?

Mr. Halpern. No, sir. I was only in Bangkok, I think, once in my life.

Mr. Schwarz. That doesn’t ring a bell at all?

Mr. Halpern. No, sir.

Mr. Schwarz. Do you know about any other killings?

Mr. Halpern. No sir.