Lucy Ramirez

Lucy Ramirez is the name Bill Burkett gave at one point as his source for the Killian documents, which purported to relate to George W. Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard, and which were used in CBS News coverage of the George W. Bush military service controversy. Burkett originally claimed that he obtained the Killian documents from a Texas National Guardsman named George Conn but later admitted to CBS News that Conn was not the source and that the source was a Lucy Ramirez. There has been no corroborating proof offered that the source actually exists or, if she does, that her name is Lucy Ramirez.

The lack of proof of Ramirez's existence has cast doubt on Burkett's version of "Killian" events in various reports. "Burkett now maintains that he was alerted to the documents by a woman named Lucy Ramirez, who contacted him after seeing him on television and has subsequently disappeared."

As quoted in the Washington Post:

"Where did the documents come from? We are told Bill Burkett informed CBS that a woman named 'Lucy Ramirez' arranged a drop of the documents to him. We are also told that Burkett declined to cooperate with the panel. And that's that. But what of Lucy Ramirez? Who is she? What was her role? Does she even exist? We don't know. Ramirez is referenced seven times (on pages 35, 210, and 211). Here is the report's final mention of her: ' sent personnel into the field to attempt to find Ramirez and thus possibly to confirm the new account. This effort proved unsuccessful.' Exit Lucy Ramirez, stage left.

(The above Washington Post article drew details from the Daily Standard.)

According to CNN.com:

"Burkett's attorney, David Van Os, said Tuesday that a woman who called herself Lucy Ramirez contacted Burkett to tell him about the documents, which were subsequently hand-delivered to him in March by an unidentified man during a trip to Houston.

In order to protect Ramirez from being traced as the source of the memos through DNA on the documents, Burkett then burned the original documents after making copies of them, Van Os said. He later gave the copies to CBS News, identifying someone other rather than Ramirez as the source.

CNN has not been able confirm Burkett's scenario of how he came to be in possession of the documents. Van Os also said that he did not see the original documents.''