weyl documents the claim by ospina pérez and others that roa was influenced by others and perhaps did not commit any crime at all. he discusses the questions raised by milton bracker of "the new york times" and u.s. ambassador willard l. beaulac of whether roa had acted on his own. ambassador beaulac then speculated that roa was simply used to cover the identity of the real assassins. ospina pérez and azula barrera considered the evidence that the revolver roa had carried was incapable of accurate fire, that roa was not thought to have any firearms training, the assassination had been committed at some distance, and that no eyewitness saw roa anywhere near the assassination, that he was first seen between two policemen. from this evidence the government of colombia concluded that the impoverished roa with his diminished mental capacities had been paid to stand near the event with a recently fired revolver.