Saturday, December 06, 2008

New Evidence in the Kennedy Assassination

My most loyal readers (all 0 of you), may recall my longish essay from earlier this year about the Kennedy assassination. In that essay, I concluded from my research that the evidence was overwhelming that Lee Harvey Oswald was acting alone when he killed JFK.

I recently saw a new documentary on the History Channel that specifically focused on the shooting that took place in Dealey Plaza on that day. The purpose was to test - apparently for the first time - whether it would have been possible for gunmen to actually shoot Kennedy from the various locations around Dealey Plaza where witnesses reported hearing gunshots.

The majority of ear witnesses that day claimed to have heard 3 or fewer shots. Subsequently, Oswald's nest in the Texas School Book Depository was discovered with three empty shell casings on the floor. However, a number of ear witnesses claimed to have heard more than three shots, and many of these people said they thought the shots came from the now infamous "grassy knoll," situated ahead and to the right of Kennedy's car. Others believed they heard shots from directly in front of the car, and to the left of the car.

The documentary in question sought to use a highly-trained marksman to actually test these various locations to see if it would have been possible for someone to take a shot at Kennedy from any of those spots. Since only two bullets are known to have hit Kennedy, and the first was unquestionably fired from behind (it entered through his back), the primary focus of this investigation was to see if the final shot - the killing head shot - might have been fired from somewhere other than Oswald's nest. This is the shot, after all, that most conspiracy theorists point to when arguing for multiple gunmen.

Any of us who have read about the Kennedy assassination, and seen movies such as Oliver Stone's "JFK," will know that one of the primary arguments about the killing head shot is that the way Kennedy's body moves when he is hit, and the way the blood and matter was splattered upon impact, point to a shot from ahead, not behind. In "JFK," Kevin Costner's character, when making his case, famously shows the Kennedy assassination footage, pausing and rewinding at the moment of the fatal shot, repeating as he does so that Kennedy's body goes "back and to the left; back and to the left." This, the movie and other conspiracy theorists argue, is evidence that the shot came from ahead of Kennedy, not behind.



There were four spots in question that the documentary makers wanted to test. The first was on the other side of Main Street, on the lower right corner of this picture. The second was from the freeway overpass. The third was from behind the picket fence on the grassy knoll, and the last was from Oswald's nest on the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository.

An identical replica of Kennedy's car was used for the staging, along with actors inside the car sitting in the precise positions and postures of the original occupants (as taken from video and photographic evidence). The car was then parked at the spot where the killing shot occurred, and the marksman then went along to each of the four locations to see if a reasonable shot could have been taken.

The marksman very quickly ruled out the first two spots - behind Main Street and along the freeway overpass. Neither of these locations provided an angle to actually hit Kennedy at the moment and location where he was hit.

The third and fourth spots - the grassy knoll and the 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depostitory - did provide reasonable angles to make a shot at Kennedy.

With the evidence of geometry narrowing the possibilities down to two locations, the team set out to actually make the shots and compare the results to what happened when Kennedy was hit.

If you can take the graphic nature of the Zapruder Film, take a look at this 47-second clip, showing the moments of the assassination. It has been modified to zero in on Kennedy, and is shown in slow motion.



You will notice that Kennedy is first hit just a split second before he reappears from behind the street sign. He is clutching at his throat. A few seconds later, the killing shot occurs. Indeed, when watching the video, it appears that the front part of Kennedy's head is hit, and he slumps back and to the left. Jackie Kennedy, in fact, crawls onto the trunk of the car in an effort to retrieve a piece of skull that was blown that direction - and how could a skull fragment go backward if the shot came from behind? It is easy to see - particularly in light of witnesses who claimed to hear a shot from the grassy knoll - why so many have always held to the idea that the killing shot came from the grassy knoll in front of Kennedy's car, not from Oswald's nest behind it.

With all these facts in mind, the documentary team went out to a shooting range and built a completely geometrically-accurate replica of Dealey Plaza. Using an identical replica mock-up of Kennedy's car, and using surveying equipment to pinpoint the distances and angles, they tested what actually happened that day. The car was sitting still, but they used an industrial fan to simulate the 22-25 mph winds that would have been blowing toward the car that day. Additionally, they used a company in Australia that specializes in recreating human body parts to design a human skull equivalent to the size, shape, and density of Kennedy's skull. This head, complete with replica bone, soft tissue, and brain matter, was then attached to a dummy, and the dummy was placed into the precise posture within the car that Kennedy was in when he was hit.

When the marksman made the shot that replicated a grassy knoll shot, there were several things that were wrong. First, the bullet entered the skull at a precise spot on the head's front right, passed through the brain, and exited the rear left. The point of entry showed little damage - merely a bullet-sized hole. But the rear left of the head was blown out, and brain matter and tissue sprayed all along the rear and left of the car. The bullet, in fact, imbedded in the rear seat, right in Jackie Kennedy's spot.

These are problems because none of these results match the known facts from the case. Kennedy had no wound at all on the left rear of his head. Instead, he had a small bullet hole behind his right ear, and a massive blow-out wound at the front right - which is consistent with what we observe on the video. Although lay people (read: conspiracy theorists) often do not realize it, the nature of a gunshot wound to the head is such that the entry wound is small, and the exit wound is large. While the blow-out we see on the video appears to the untrained eye to be the bullet entering Kennedy's skull, it is in fact the bullet exiting Kennedy's skull. Any forensic investigator can tell us that this is how gunshots to the head occur. Since the marksman's shot from the grassy knoll put a small hole in the front right, and a large, gaping wound in the rear left, it seems fairly apparent that the killing shot could not have come from that direction.

Added to that are the other two points - the location of the bullet after it exited Kennedy's head, and the location of the brain matter. The marksman's test showed that, based on where Jackie Kennedy was sitting when the killing shot was fired, if that shot had come from the grassy knoll, it would have exited Kennedy's head and entered Jackie Kennedy, wounding and potentially killing her, too. We know, of course, that this did not happen. What we do know, instead, is that Governor John Connelly, who was sitting in front of Kennedy, was hit by a bullet (or bullets) that passed through Kennedy's body.

Additionally, the spray of the brain matter in the test all went toward the back and left. However, while the Zapruder Film shows at least some matter going toward the back, eye-witness accounts of the interior of the car indicate that gore and blood were spattered primarily in the floor in front of Kennedy, and along his right passenger side door. These accounts come from witnesses at the hospital where Kennedy was taken - people who managed to catch a glimpse inside the car before it was cleaned. They all testified to essentially the same thing, and two of them were interviewed for the documentary in question.

Having more or less proven that the fatal head wound could not have come from the grassy knoll, the team performed one more test - a shot from the simulated 6th floor of the Texas School Book Depository.

All the parameters were reset for this test, and the marksman took aim and fired. The bullet entered the rear right of the skull, and exited the front right of the skull. The entry wound was a small round hole, and the exit wound was a blow-out wound at the front right. The brain matter spread in all directions, including a piece of skull that flew onto the trunk of the car (as we see in the video), as well as splattering matter along the floor boards in front of Kennedy and along Kennedy's passenger door. Finally, the head is seen on the video footage to go back and to the left, despite the fact that the shot came from behind.

All of these results matched perfectly with what actually happened when Kennedy was shot. The two witnesses who personally saw the interior of the car were shown pictures of the experiment, and both agreed that the general location of the gore and brain matter was the same as what they saw inside Kennedy's car before it was cleaned out in front of the hospital that day.

Anyone who has spent time investigating this historical event will most likely already have come to the conclusion that Oswald fired all the shots. I made this conclusion in my previous essay, and I made many of the same arguments in that essay that I have outlined here (the entry wound/exit wound issue, for instance). This new documentary simply demonstrated, for the first time, that these arguments are, in fact, valid. These tests cannot prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that no shots were fired from any other direction that day, but they can prove that the only shots that actually hit Kennedy could only have come from Oswald's nest.

That fact, together with all the other overwhelming evidence (which I went into in detail in my previous essay), proves for me - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that Oswald was acting entirely alone, that he made the only shots that were fired in Dealey Plaza that day, and that he was solely responsible for the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

As many times as I have seen that film, that was just totally disturbing watching that again. I guess I have never heard anyone say that Jackie was scrambling on the hood in order to retrieve part of his skull!! How did she even have the presence of mind to recognize what it was much less go trying to grab it?

Anonymous said...

yes l saw that documentary online the other day. I thought it was interesting that the brain matter even ended up on the winshield, which the fans had blown, and this was consistent with the actual splatter. Amazing setup for the video. Good recap.

Scott said...

Yeah, even with the fans simulating the wind, the brain matter still splattered forward, all the way to the windshield - which is consistent with what actually happened in Dealey Plaza.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Anonymous said...

The re-enactment is described as shooting into a "skull". Was it a human skull or some sort of manufactured replica? Also, eyewitness accounts of the "spatter" in the car are presumed acccurate- but since there are no photos of the spatter (it was cleaned off by aides immediately)- we will never know really will we? Also, we all must keep in mind the fact that there are no photos or film of Oswald or anyone else firing a gun in Dealy Plaza- we only see results of the shots.

Scott said...

Thanks for posting, Anon.

The skull used in the test was designed by a high-tech firm in Australia that specializes in making true-to-life dummies for various applications. They use very high-tech polymers and other substances to recreate human tissue and bones. They take into consideration size, shape, weight, strength, thickness, center of gravity, balance, density - everything you can think of. It's as close to a real human head as modern technology will allow.

The accuracy of the dummy's head to Kennedy's head was evidenced in the test shot that re-enacted Oswald's killing shot. The skull pieces flew in exactly the direction they are seen flying on the film, including a piece that landed on the trunk of the mock-up car - just like a real piece landed on the trunk of Kennedy's car (which Jackie apparently went after).

So that is strong evidence that not only was the fake skull very true-to-life, but that also the spray pattern of blood and tissue probably went the same way as well.

No, there aren't any photos. Only eyewitness accounts and 40-year memories from folks who saw the blood and brains spattered inside the car. Two who are still alive were shown the test results and agreed it looked like what they remember.

Having studied the philosophy and psychology of memory, I am justifiably skeptical of memories in general, especially in regards to major events. So I don't put all my eggs into one basket just based on these two confirmations. But taken together with everything else, it seemed like a convincing argument to me.

Scott said...

Also, while it's definitely true there are no photos of anyone shooting (a shame!), witnesses in the building testified to hearing gunshots above them, including two people who were standing on the 5th floor directly below Oswald's nest.

I certainly take their testimony above those who were standing outside the building, many yards away, and therefore subject to echoes and other noise interference. Even so, of course, most people heard shots only from the building. And only a handful out of hundreds claimed to hear shots from two directions.

Anonymous said...

Oswald was in three (3) police lineups in Dallas before he was killed. No witness at these lineups identified Oswald as shooting in Dealy Plaza, nor even said he was on the sixth floor.
It is true that someone was on the sixth floor, but we don't know who. The police rushed to the sixth floor immediately after the shooting and found: nobody.

Surely Oswald was involved somehow, but let's not assume facts that aren't available and accept them as gospel.

Anonymous said...

You claim a shot from the front right would exit in the left rear of Kennedy's head and hit Jackie. The Zapruder film shows Jackie leaning forward and is in front of Kennedy. No part of Jackie's body is behind Kennedy's head, so she would not have been hit. Also, did the recreation of a shot from the sixth floor result in blood splatter in the position of the two motorcycle officers behind and to Kennedy's left?

Scott said...

Anon: Good point about Mrs. Kennedy's position in the car during the shooting.

As for the simulated spray of blood, if I recall correctly, the blood splattered heaving toward Kennedy's front and right - which is consistent with blood spatter patterns reported in the car. Some, however, did splatter in all directions, including a piece of skull fragment that went backward onto the trunk of the car. So yes, I would say that the simulation indicated blood could have sprayed into the windshields of the following police motorcycles.

Remember, the car was moving forward, meaning the wind was blowing against the direction of Oswald. So even though his shot came from the rear, wind would have blown some of the blood backward.

Anonymous said...

True, Scott, the car was moving forward, but very slowly. Many thought the car had even stopped. Officer Hargiss, one of the cops, said he was splattered to such a degree that for a moment he thought he may have been hit. That indicates it was more that a few drops.

But I want to know if the recreation did in fact show any splatter to the left rear, or just an indication blood "could have" sprayed the cops, to use your words. Did the recreation, in fact, spray to the left and rear? If it was a credible recreation, there should have been two motorcycles with "riders" during the head shot to see if they were sprayed with blood.

Scott said...

You've made a good point Anon, and as far as I can remember, there were no simulated motorcycles behind the presidential limo in the simulation.

It's been about a year now since I saw the documentary in question.

But I recall that the simulated Oswald shot resulted in a head motion similar to the one Kennedy made (back and to the left) and sprayed tissue and blood straight up and in all directions. The majority went against the seat in front of Kennedy and along his door. That was consistent with eyewitness accounts of the interior of the car. The simulated grassy knoll shot did not result in a spray pattern consistent with the eyewitness reports.

The spray also hit the limo windshield (another consistency not found in the grassy knoll shot), and also sprayed Jackie Kennedy.

Finally, a piece of skull hit the trunk, just as we see in the Zapruder film.

But there was nothing mentioned, as far as I recall, about blood on vehicles behind the president's car. That may have been one aspect of the event that the simulators overlooked or failed to consider for whatever reason.

Anonymous said...

I understand and accept that the splatter from recreation indicates Kennedy was hit from behind. However, if the recreation cannot duplicate all the splatter, it could indicate a second shot. But I have more questions about the recreation. Did the shooter assemble the rifle and fire without test shots to make sure the scope was set correctly? Did the shooter fire at a moving target on a slope? Did the shooter hit the target at least two out of three times in the time alloted? Or, did the shooter fire at a stationary target?

Scott said...

It seems that you are primarily questioning whether or not Oswald could have physically made these shots. Could he have shot three times in the 5 or 6 seconds allotted, and could two of those shots reasonably have hit Kennedy? That, of course, has long been a "big question."

I don't know if this test proved an answer beyond reasonable doubt, but it certainly suggested that yes, it was possible, considering Oswald's known sharpshooting skills.

That really, however, was not the basis of this particular experiment. This particular experiment was seeking to compare shots from the School Book Depository with shots from three other places in Dealey Plaza where people say they heard gunshots coming from. The first two of those other places were shown to have been entirely improbable - even the highly trained marksman they used could not make the shots. The view was obstructed.

Only the School Book Depository and the Grassy Knoll afforded angles of view allowing the marksman to get off a head shot.

So this test was essentially focusing on the last shot - the head shot. It was comparing the known spray pattern of tissue and the known movement of Kennedy's head and body upon impact, attempting to determine if those things were more consistent with a forward shot from the grassy knoll, or a rearward shot from the Depository. They concluded the rearward shot was more consistent.

The recreation was very accurate to the situation in Dealey Plaza. Distances, angles, and slopes were all taken into account. The recreated car was moving at the same speed as Kennedy's, and they even installed industrial fans in front of the car to recreate the reported 23 mph wind that day in Dallas.

Since this test wasn't really seeking to see if Oswald could have physically pulled off the shots or not, there was no discussion about the scope issue. I assume you are arguing that Oswald wouldn't have had time to set his scope. I assume that the shooter used in this test sighted his scope first.

As for getting off the three shots in the time allotted - yes, the sharpshooter demonstrated that this was possible. I don't recall if this demonstration also took into account shot accuracy, or if it simply looked at whether it was possible to physically fire the gun three times in the time allotted. This demonstration was done with a target, as I recall. The dummy head used in the limo recreation could only be shot once, and they only had two heads - one for a grassy knoll shot and one for a Depository shot.

Anonymous said...

I do not believe anyone knows what was Oswald's skill as a shooter on Nov. 22, 1963. While a Marine, his records speak for themselves, but to call him a sharpshooter . . .?

It is not a small matter, to me, that Oswald is believed to have made the three shots without setting the scope. How could he? He would have to shoot at something, and more than once. Until someone can duplicate Oswald's supposed actions (three shots with a scope that was not set in the time alloted and hitting two out of three shots on a moving target) AND showing the head shot from the rear can send spatter back and to the left, I remain very skeptical.

This is one of the main reasons I remain open to a second shooter, wherever he may have been. The other reason is that I believe Gov. Connoly would have been in way too much pain to turn almost completely around AFTER his ribs and wristbones were broken and one of his lungs was punctured. That is what you have to believe if you believe in the SBT.

Anonymous said...

If you have not paid a visit to the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, you should do it before drawing any firm conclusions. The "6th Floor Exhibit" is a museum and is very well done. The building itself is simply an office building on the lower floors but the scene outside has changed little from what we all grew up watching. Deely Plaza, I'm referring to. The trees have grown but they've intentionally left it as it was.

Scott said...

The question of Oswald's ability to actually make the three shots in the time allotted and hit two of three on a moving target is definitely a question worth investigating. My investigations have indicated he probably could have done it, but I certainly can't make that claim with any kind of absolute certainty (of course, historical research doesn't deal generally in absolutes, only in probabilities).

My understanding in regards to Connolly is that he was injured by one bullet. I believe the old "magic bullet" theory has been justifiably been put to rest by modern evaluations of the scenario.

Connolly heard the first shot, which missed everything and hit a curb near the car. He began to turn to his right. He was virtually sideways when the second bullet was fired. It went through Kennedy, hit Connolly, and wounded him in several spots, ricocheting off various bones - as bullets are certainly known to do.

So I don't think Connolly turned *after* he was hit. I think he was hit as he was turning.

I've only driven through Dallas, but I've heard a lot of good things about the 6th floor exhibit. Will definitely visit if I ever have a chance to spend time in the city. I have family in Texas, but not anywhere near Dallas, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

FYI: The Anonymous suggesting the visit to Dallas is a different person. I have never been there, but hope to someday.

I agree with you, Scott, in that I believe Connolly was not facing forward when he was hit. But I do not see how both men could have been hit by the same bullet. Kennedy is clutching at his throat, so is already hit when Connolly begins to turn to his right. The Zapruder film shows Connolly turn to his right, then begin turning to his left and then reacts to a bullet. The film shows Connolly was facing forward when Kennedy was hit.

Scott said...

Oh, sorry about the confusion. Too many anonymous's around here!! :)

As for Connolly, I've just looked again at the Zapruder film.

Kennedy and Connolly are actually behind a street sign when the first shot was fired. You can't see them.

The second shot is fired literally in the same instant that Connolly and Kennedy come out from behind the sign. They both react at the same time, in basically the same instant. It's clear they have been hit by the same bullet, unless you suppose two bullets were fired simultaneously from two different directions.

Kennedy puts his hands to his throat after this second shot, and Connolly has most definitely already been hit at that time.

Scott said...

Okay, I think I see what you are saying now. Watch the version of the Zapruder film that I posted on this essay. At the moment Connolly first appears out from behind the street sign, he is looking to his right, and his body is *slightly* turned to the right.

In that same split second, he and Kennedy are both hit by the second bullet.

So he was not turned completely to his right when the second bullet hit, but partially to his right. He was not squared around fully to the front. After the bullet hits, he lurches all the way around to his right, then falls back into his wife's lap.

Anonymous said...

When I said I believe Connolly was not facing forward when hit, I did not mean to suggest he was hit while facing slightly to the right, getting hit just after emerging from the sign.

Upon emerging from behind the sign, Kennedy raises his hands to his throat. Connolly also reacts to something. You, and many others, claim he is reacting to the same bullet that hit Kennedy. Then, after Connolly is supposedly hit, through the chest and the wrist with broken bones and I believe a collapsed lung, the film shows Connolly turns almost completely around to his right. I find this extremely difficult to believe. The pain would have been excruciating. I do not believe in the "delayed reaction" theory.

As Connolly begins reversing his motion and starts turning back to his left (toward the front of the car) his head reels back and he falls into his wife's lap. I think that is the point at which Connolly is hit, which is about frame 300.

I think the first reaction we see made by the governor is a reaction to the report of the shot that hit Kennedy. Some people still claim the lapel flap indicates the moment Connolly is hit, but the hold in his jacket is nowhere near the lapel.

Scott said...

I see what you are saying Anon. For me, however, I can't imagine that Connolly's "response" at the moment Kennedy is first hit in the neck could be anything other than a response to Connolly being hit himself (by the same bullet).

I suppose one could argue that Connolly was "jumping" because he'd heard the rifle shot and it startled him. But it is noteworthy that no one else in the car reacts with the kind of "startled" mannerisms that Connolly reacts with. He seems to be reacting to a bullet hitting him.

Anonymous said...

So you think Connolly was able to turn around almost 180 degrees after he was shot and suffered broken ribs, a fractured wrist and a punctured lung even though, by reacting to the impact, he already felt the pain.

Scott said...

Yes, I think that's what happened, Anon. When I watch the video (and YouTube is great, because you can use the cursor to more or less watch it frame by frame) it is very clear - to me at least - that Connolly reacts in pain and shock at the same moment that Kennedy raises his hands to his neck. He even appears to cry out in pain as he's rotating to his right.

He then starts drifting back to his left (toward the front of the car), and that's when Kennedy is hit again, and at that same moment Connolly collapses into his wife's lap. Perhaps shrapnel from that second bullet that hit Kennedy also nicked Connolly.

But in any case, when you watch the video frame by frame, then watch it again in regular speed, it seems clear that what happens is that Connolly and Kennedy are hit by the same bullet. Connolly would have been able to turn the way he turned because he was reacting in split-second time to traumatic injuries. I mean, we're splitting up a few seconds of time here. It takes longer than that for pain to register in your brain. From the moment the first bullet struck to the moment Connolly collapses into his wife's lap, it's only a few seconds. Anything Connolly did prior to that could easily be explained by the adrenaline rush of being shot and the fact that it takes a few seconds for pain to be registered.

Anonymous said...

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. In your last post, you seem to be saying you interpret the film as follows: Connolly is turned to his right as he is hit, then begins turning to his left before he collapses into his wife's lap.

To me, Connolly turns to his right after his first reaction, not before. And I do not think he could do that because of the pain.

Scott said...

Despite the disagreement, I appreciate your thoughtful discourse on this topic, Anon. You've forced me to think a bit more deeply about things.

Anonymous said...

how can anyone come to any conclusion , when there are frames in all films taken that day, damaged or missing.
Question is this:why are they still holding back on releasing information.The "kennedy" assassination is old news.

Anonymous said...

The author would like you to believe that the Discovery show: "JFK Inside The Target Car" supports the Warren Commission conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. He indicates that the fatal wound to JFK's head exits the "right front" of the Presidents head, and claims that this is what we see in the Zapruder film. And yet both the author and the program NEGLECT to mention what the many eyewitnesses in both Dealy Plaza and Trauma Room One indicate that the fatal wound to JFK's head was in the RIGHT REAR (occipital-parietal) about 2" by 3" in size, with both cerebral and cerebellum brain tissue blasted outward. Clearly, an exit wound. So why the omission of this factual evidence? Because it proves more than one shooter. And any serious researcher already knows this. The program has many faults, because it relies on the Zapruder film for accuracy. The film itself may have been altered too support the lone nut theory. If you look at the right rear of JFK's head from Z frame 314 on, it looks like it has been blacked out where the actual exit wound was seen. Very suspicious. Even the autopsy photos show that the right front and face are intact. Thus refuting the so called Zapruder film exit wound. Next time you watch the Z-film, look carefully at JFK's hands. His hands are clenched fists. They DO NOT CLUTCH HIS THROAT! In fact, his right hand actually opens up as he places it on his upper chest which to me indicates a reflex action to a bullet lodging in his lung/thorax area from a frontal throat entrance wound. Anyone who really seeks the truth to this conspiracy should read the books of David Lifton; Noel Twyman; Jim Marrs; Anthony Summers; and especially, Doug Horne. Someday, All will know, not just a Few. Remember JFK.

Scott said...

Thanks for adding your perspective to the discussion, Anonymous.

Good call on how Kennedy's right hand flattens out on his chest. Hadn't noticed that before.

I am not sure, however, that I am convinced that the Zapruder film has been altered. The appearance of a large exit wound on the front right seems pretty clear in the film.

Maybe it's the autopsy photos that are wrong?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Scott: Anon is glad that you responded and that you learned something new re: JFK's right hand movements. Having studied this case since 1968, I'm always amazed when someone makes a new discovery. The Zapruder film's movements over that fateful weekend casts a very suspicious shadow re: it's authenticity. Much like the Secret Service provided a "dead" JFK better protection, they controlled either the original Zapruder film or it's many copies. So questions remain. I believe the film was re-touched to eliminate the actual right rear exit wound. Was this action perfect? No. If you reference the drawing of JFK's fatal headwound as prepared by Parkland Dr. Robert McClelland, and then look at Zapruder film frames 315 and 317, I believe you can still see the right side skull edge opening just behind JFK's right ear.( look for a notch[ > ] and the skull edge above and below it ).
One thing that's always bothered me re: the alledged rear headshot entry, is that we don't see the actual impact upon JFK's head. You can see the blood on Gov. Conally's suit coat at the entry point. And yet the back of JFK's head is blood free or blacked out. Evidence of poor re-touching? We've all seen the photo of the bullet shot thru an apple. Just as much debris at the entry point as the exit. Granted, Zapruders camera ran at 18 fps., you should still see some evidence/remnant of that impact.
One last comment on JFK's hands. Like I noted in the previous post that he does not clutch his throat. His right fist is in front of his mouth. And his left fist appears to be pulling on his tie. Could this be a reaction to a front entry wound to the throat? I believe this, more so than that "Thorburn" theory.
Thank you for providing an open forum.
" Don't let it be forgot.....

Anonymous said...

One conundrum I have never heard before is that the "official" reason often given to explain how fragments of brain and bone landed over 20 feet to the left of the limo from a shot that came from behind is the strong wind. Records show that the wind at that time was only 13-15 mph from the NW. The policeman on the motorcycle said he was hit with the splatter so hard that he thought he might have been been shot.

If the wind was strong enough to to do that, it would have been strong enough to deflect the trajectory of the bullets over that distance. I know that expert snipers use spotters or calculate windage factors for precision shooting. No way Oswald would have known what the weather conditions were if he was inside all morning. Even if he was capable of accounting for the wind intuitavely, he would have been a far better marksman that anyone has ever suggested.

It was a metaphysical impossibility for the Warren Commission to find a conspiracy. J. Edgar Hoover had denied the existence of the mafia ever since he took down Al Capone. Any mention of Oswald's or Ruby's mafia or CIA connections would have exposed Hoover as incompetent or ineffective at best. The government did not get serious about taking on the mafia until after he died. He also lived across the street from LBJ in DC ever since he arrived. Hoover was also fearful of being exposed as being gay. The mob and LBJ had the evidence.