John F Kennedy's skull was empty when he was buried. His brain was stolen. At least that is what an upcoming book claims.

"End of Days: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy", written by James Swanson, suggests that JFK's brain was put in a stainless-steel vessel covered with a screw-top lid and taken for autopsy after his death. It happened at Bethesda Naval Hospital. It also suggests that JFK did not have his brain in his head when he was buried November 25, 1963 at Arlington National Cemetery.

Mr Swanson suggests that the brain was kept in a secure locker along with other medical evidence as it headed for the National Archives. The brain was then stored in a protected room which Evelyn Lincoln had access to. Ms Lincoln was his former secretary who was given the responsibility to organise JFK's presidential papers. The twist in the tale took place when the brain, along with other medical evidence, was found missing in October 1966, according to a report by The New York Post.

Eventually, an investigation was scheduled during those days. The investigation, on the contrary, failed to discover how the brain had got stolen from the secure room. The mystery of the stolen brain of JFK remains to be solved even today. On the other hand, Mr Swanson suggests that initial investigation had held Robert Kennedy, former attorney general, responsible for stealing the locker which had JFK's brain along with other autopsy evidence. Angie Novello, his assistant, was his partner in crime; Mr Swanson claims.

Conspiracy theorists did suggest similar ideas of stealing JFK's brain in order to cover up the root cause of the assassination. They said that it was done to hide evidence which might have disclosed sensitive information on the killing of the president.

Mr Swanson, on the other hand, does not agree with those conspiracy theorists. According to him, JFK's brother stole his brain probably to hide evidence regarding his illness. It had nothing to do with concealing evidence related to his murder, he suggests. It may rather mean that Robert Kennedy, who got assassinated 5 years after his brother did, wanted to hide the kind of medication President Kennedy was habituated to.

Mr Swanson had also penned "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" which later became the New York Times bestseller.