2 Kennedy: The Single Bullet Theory

The basis of the Warren Commission's claim of a lone assassin rests upon something known as the "Single Bullet Theory." This theory, proposed by now PA Senator Arlen Specter, basically states that a bullet CE 399 entered the President's back, transited his neck, exited the neck, struck Governor John Connally in the back near his right armpit, tore through his chest shattering rib bone, exited his chest, struck his wrist, smashed a tough radius bone, exited his wrist, and imbedded itself in his left thigh. Yet after all of that, the bullet emerged with only 3-4 grains lost from its substance and its grooves intact. The bullet's only deformation is at its base and that can only be viewed from certain angles. Just reading this, the single bullet seems very unlikely. Well, it is. First of all, no trajectory can get Kennedy and Connally properly aligned for the single bullet. Two famous trajectories were done by Dale Myers and Failure Analysis. Both of these run into trouble from the offset in trying to prove the single bullet. First of all, they are based on fanciful speculation and can't conclusively prove anything. Second of all, in both, the Kennedy model is leaning so far forward that his back is off the seat. No photographic evidence supports this contention. Thirdly, in Dale Myers's trajectory, the Connally is figure is rotated a good twenty degrees. Again, no photographic evidence supports this either. Look here at Zapruder frame 224. Connally's shoulders are nearly parallel to the roll bar on the limousine.



Again referring to the Zapruder film, you can see that as early as frames 201-205 Jackie Kennedy has stopped waving and is intently looking at her husband. It is more obvious at frame 223. Seeing this, you know that Kennedy had to have been hit BEFORE 223-24 when the alleged single bullet supposedly struck.

Nearly all researchers agree that Kennedy is reacting to a bullet at frame 225. This is impossible if the bullet struck at 223-24. An expert on human wounds, Robert Piziali, stated at a 1992 American Bar Association mock Oswald trial that if Kennedy is reacting at 225, he could have been hit no later that frame 221. He explained there would have been a delay of 4 frames between the bullet's impact and Kennedy's reaction to it with his right hand.

Another major problem is that their is no fabric missing from the slits in JFK's shirt and their is no hole or nick in the knot of JFK's tie.

First of all, let's address the issue of the shirt. David Mantik, after studying the shirt at the National Archives, discovered that their is no fabric missing from JFK's shirt. When bullets tear through clothing, they usually remove some fabric but apparently not in this case. Actually, on closer inspection, those slits look more like knife cuts. The slits were probably caused by the Parkland nurses as the tried to cut off Kennedy's shirt. This is highly likely since the first doctor to see Kennedy, Dr. Charles Carrico stated that he did NOT see the slits in the shirt when he first saw Kennedy. Dr. Carrico also stated that he immediately saw the throat wound which was above the collar.

Secondly, their is no hole in the knot or on the edge of the tie. When Harold Weisberg obtained photos of the President's tie, he made this discovery. JFK's tie would have been positioned right over the slits in the shirt and an exiting bullet should have made some hole through the knot or at least nicked the tie's edge. But we can only see a small nick on the left side of the knot, visibly inward from the knot's edge.

You can also look at Nurse Audrey Bell's statement regarding the bullet fragments in John Connally's wrist. Although Dr. Charles Gregory said the fragments removed from Conally's wrist were tiny and weighed less than a postage stamp, Bell has a very different account. She states that the fragments were identifiable pieces of metal from 2 to 3 millimeters long. Even Dr. Humes, the chief pathologist at the Bethesda autopsy didn't believe that CE 399 was the bullet that struck Connally's wrist. When asked if CE 399 could have been the missile that struck Connally's wrist, this is what he had to say.


Mr. SPECTER. Doctor Humes, I show you a bullet which we have marked as Commission Exhibit No. 399, and may I say now that, subject to later proof, this is the missile which has been taken from the stretcher which the evidence now indicates was the stretcher occupied by Governor Connally. I move for its admission into evidence at this time.

The CHAIRMAN. It may be admitted. (The article, previously marked Commission Exhibit No. 399 for identification, was received in evidence.)

Mr. SPECTER. We have been asked by the FBI that the missile not be handled by anybody because it is undergoing further ballistic tests, and it now appears, may the record show, in a plastic case in a cotton background.

Now looking at that bullet, Exhibit 399, Doctor Humes, could that bullet have gone through or been any part of the fragment passing through President Kennedy's head in Exhibit No. 388?

Commander HUMES. I do not believe so, sir.

Mr. SPECTER. And could that missile have made the wound on Governor Connally's right wrist?

Commander HUMES. I think that that is most unlikely. May I expand on those two answers?

Mr. SPECTER. Yes, please do.

Commander HUMES. The X-rays made of the wound in the head of the late President showed fragmentations of the missile. Some fragments we recovered and turned over, as has been previously noted. Also we have X-rays of the fragment of skull which was in the region of our opinion exit wound showing metallic fragments. Also going to Exhibit 392, the report from Parkland Hospital, the following sentence referring to the examination of the wound of the wrist is found: "Small bits of metal were encountered at various levels throughout the wound, and these were, wherever they were identified and could be picked up, picked up and submitted to the pathology department for identification and examination." The reason I believe it most unlikely that this missile could have inflicted either of these wounds is that this missile is basically intact; its jacket appears to me to be intact, and I do not understand how it could possibly have left fragments in either of these locations.

If that is not damning enough, Dr. David Mantik, a radiation oncologist and physicist concluded after studying the autopsy materials at the National Archives, no path from the back wound to the throat wound could have avoided smashing into the spine.

Although The House Select Committee on Assassinations (a Congressional committee set up in 1977 to investigate the President's death) concluded that the Single Bullet Theory was valid, they inadvertantly provided evidence against it in the way of a trajectory. In this trajectory, the back wound was at the same level of the throat wound. They also determined the path of the bullet from the back to the throat was slightly UPWARD. How is that even possible!?

I would like to thank Michael T. Griffith for his excellent website on the Kennedy Assassination from which I got most of my information.



[edit on 28-7-2004 by maynardsthirdeye]

[edit on 25-8-2004 by maynardsthirdeye]

[edit on 5-9-2004 by maynardsthirdeye]

I'm going to write more whether people show interest or not.

I have been very intrested in this for awhile now. I think everyone knows it was a 'hit' and coverup. The SBT is one of the most ridiculous explantions I have every heard, one that contridicted witness accounts of that afternoon. Everone has either died, or was killed (I believe?) that was directly attached to the case. I think the thing to find out(which we never will) is WHO, WHY.
There have been many theories as to who might have been involved and why.

I don't know if this was ever done in the Research forum. You might want to contact Advisor.?
Keep posting, cause I for one would like to see what YOU can dig up. Is there any other evidance that has not been discussed, or any other theories about the case in general.
I would try to stay away from things that have been beaten to death, here and elsewhere. IMO

Look forward to reading more.

Trick

Thank you. Also, I would like to add that the bullet holes in JFK's coat and in his shirt are both too low for the Single Bullet Theory. Warren Commission defenders have come up with the bizarre theory that the coat and jacket were bunched significantly when the bullet stuck. That is a very weak defense. If you look at the pictures they often cite, such as this one, you can see that the bunching is not significant. And even if it were, the chances that Kennedy's tailor made shirt--on whose tails he was sitting--would match up in near perfect correspondence with his coat are very, very remote.

[Edited on 7-3-2004 by maynardsthirdeye]

[Edited on 7-3-2004 by maynardsthirdeye]

maynardsthirdeye~~I would like to thank you for posting this link. For many of us, the JFK assassination brought about our thirst for the truth.

Last November, I came across a frame-by-frame of the Z, film. To my untrained eyes, it looked like there were quite a few missing frames.

The JFK thing is kinda of a mini hobby for me. Post away.

wow, I would also like to thank you for the links
and also to say that's a lot of information you gathered. I have never been a believer in the single bullet theory it never seemed to satisfy me but I've never seen this much evidence in one piece. great job!

Great Thread Maynard. You just earned my vote for this months The Way Above Top Secret Award. Keep the info coming.

Good stuff maynardsthirdeye You earned my vote as well. The links in each paragraph help a lot with visually learning the event

I don't even think Arlen Specter believes in the single bulllet theory. Look at this quote.

"When you talk about US Air, you're between a rock and a hard place. I wish there was some magic bullet which we could come up with," said U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. "But I think we have to leave it to the key people on all sides to figure it out."

The term "magic bullet" has always been a term used to ridicule the theory.

www.phillyburbs.com...

Vey Interesting M.

I saw a few documentaries on the assassination of JFK over the anniversary of his death, but of course, they didn't answer any of the obvious questions. They pretty much just rambled on about the same ol' thing we've been hearing the whole time from Warren Commision.

Very well laid out arguement M, Keep it up!!

The remarkable thing to me concerning the Z film is the final shot. Somewhere in the Warren Report (and it's appendices) I read about tests that were conducted "proving" that the bullet came from the rear. This was years ago and convinced me the Warren Committee got it right. The study took goat skulls, filled them with gel (mimicking brain matter) and placed them on posts. Shots were fired from the rear, and, lo and behold, the skulls actually landed in the direction of fire. The explanation was a "jet effect" caused by the gel spraying forward. Physically, this makes sense. But if one examines the Z film one observes that there was no "jet effect" at all. Instead, the "gel", the brain and blood exploding out of the skull, flew UPWARDS, not towards the front seat. The only "scientific" explanation (I'm an engineer) is that you're dealing with "compression". The skull is crushed, by impact, and the only direction that the matter can escape is upwards. What does that mean? It means the shot had to come from the FRONT. (Do I hear Grassy Knoll?) Hence the great concern--and absence for so long--over the Z film.

It's nice to hear an engineeer's point of view...that has no financial stake in his opinion.
I saw that program about the magic bullet theory....and they ALMOST had me convinced.
They really went out of their way to "prove" the government's lies. By the end of the show, I was wondering how I got suckered in.

I remember from years back reading that the shot from the front was actually a exploding bullet. That would account for all the damage.

A solid non exploding bullet would leave a small entrance and large exit. An exploding bullet would do both, pluse, throw the head in the direction the bullet was traveling.

Who had the perfect angle for the perfect crime and managed to capture it all on film?Coincidence or what?

The driver has the best angle for the shot to produce the scientific explanations for the movement of his body.

i just did an essay on this topic, and said that it was Greer the limo driver, so if anyone cares to read it...here is my paper
Year 10 Elective History 2004-09-02

The Warren commission concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, was the assassin of JFK, discuss the extent to which you accept or reject the Commissions findings.

(Student Number 793)



On the 22nd of November 1963, the President of the United States of America, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas Texas at parade to ironically, boost his popularity to gain Texas� vote. Even though he was surrounded by adoring public and had a full team of Secret Service bodyguards, he was fatally wounded by a gunshot to the head. President Kennedy�s death has remained one of the greatest mysteries, and perhaps the greatest conspiracy of our time, as although the official commission into the assassination, the Warren Commission, has claimed that, acting alone, Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy, there is a serious lack of evidence which has called many people to cross- and re-examine the evidence, finding much different conclusions.



We know from frame 312 of the Zapruder film that just after President Kennedy had been hit in the throat he turned at the last second to his left almost facing Jackie, which exposed his right temple to the front of the car. Statements made by seven different Parkland Hospital doctors including Dr. Robert N. McClelland, Dr. Paul Peters and Dr. Charles A. Crenshaw indicate that the original appearance of the wound to Kennedy�s head was a large gaping entry wound to his right temple and a much larger exit wound in the right rear of his head. A right side head wound is indicated in the statements of Doctors Malcom Perry, Charles Baxter, Robert N. McClelland, William Kemp Clark and M.T. Jenkins.

In this overhead view of the limousine and its occupants, the trajectory of a bullet that would cause this kind of wound has been traced backwards to the point of origin, which is the right shoulder of William Greer, the limousine driver. It should also be noted that Dr. McClelland also made testimony to the Warren Commission that the head wound could have been caused by "a handgun fired at close range."


Many people such as Noel Twyman, David Lifton and Jack White, believe that the Zapruder film was tampered with to hide the footage of Greer turning around. There are several examples of proof of this theory. A large number of witnesses, numbering to over 40, including an escort guard who was situated at the rear of the car, the two people standing closest to the limousine, Jean Hill and Mary Moorman, and the four police motorcyclist nearest Kennedy's car who said the limousine slowed down drastically or stopped for a second or two. Detailed analysis of the film has revealed that the limousine displays a variety of irregular movements, including travelling only ten feet within 21 frames (this is only about one half of the expected distance). The Muchmore film shows the brake lights slow down for about half a second during the time period corresponding to about frames 311-319 of the Zapruder film. Dr. Roderick Ryan believes he has discovered that the limousine is actually standing still in frame 303 but is moving in frame 302, even though the limousine appears to be moving at a normal speed in the film during this time. This event is not seen in the Zapruder film; in fact, the limousine never comes close to performing this action in the current film. According to the Zapruder film, the car slows from 12 to 8 mph. The limousine could not have decelerated from 11 miles per hour to a complete stop in 1/18 second.



Slowing down is not very noticeable, but such a rapid slowing down would cause the objects to be thrown forward, however there are no visible effects after the deceleration. Kennedy was not moved by this deceleration, which is interesting as by this point he would have lost voluntary muscle control an should have been thrown forward, yet he appears immobile for several frames. This is proof the Zapruder film has been altered, possibly to cover the evidence of Greer turning around and shooting the President. It seems highly unlikely that this subtle, half-second slowing is what the witnesses were describing when they said the limousine came to a full stop or slowed down drastically.

Noel Twyman carried out detailed research into the actions of Greer in the Zapruder film. He discovered that Greer's rapid head turns appeared impossibly fast. Experiments were carried out with athletic subjects repeating Greer's actions. These showed that no one was able to reproduce this angular speed. Twyman concluded that frames of the film had been removed therefore speeding up the actions of Greer. By looping the headshot sequence of frames we can see that Greer turns around to face the rear twice. The second time he turns, he appears to bring his left arm across his right shoulder and fire the fatal shot we see in frame 313. Many people say that the gun is just a highlight on the front seat passenger Roy Kellerman�s head. The gun has been etched into a highlight to make it look like it is Kellerman�s head, but seeing as Roy Kellerman had neither a flat head nor a bowl haircut this theory has a very strong argument.

In all there were six eyewitnesses, some of which are actually in the Warren Commission�s report. These are Mary Moorman, the school teacher standing next to Jean Hill saw Greer shooting but thought he was shooting back at the assassin, however, in a more recent interview she stated that the FBI convinced her to say that Greer was shooting back at the assassin. Jean Hill saw what happened too yet every time she tried to bring up the subject of Greer firing a gun when she was being interviewed, Senator Arlen Spector, would change the subject. Austin P. Miller makes a statement found on page 82 of the Warren Report, that could have turned the whole Warren Commission report in a different direction if they had been looking for the truth. Miller, who worked for the Louisiana Freight Bureau and was standing on the railway overpass overlooking Elm Street was asked by Senator Arlen Spector where the shots came from, his response was "from right there in the car." Senator Spector just went on to the next question, never asking Miller any specifics. Clinton J. Hill, Jacqueline Kennedy's bodyguard, reports in Vol. II, pp 138-139 of the Warren Commission Report Volumes: "I jumped from the car realizing that something was wrong, and ran to the presidential limousine. Just as I reached it there was another sound. I think I described it in my report as thought someone was shooting a revolver into a hard object...it seemed to have some type of echo." Jacqueline Kennedy is seen to be trying to climb put of the car as Hill climbs onto the car, this may be seen as her trying to escape who she thought was the assassin. Hugh Betzner, who had a photograph published in Life Magazine and was standing right next to the Secret Service agents and heard a sound "like firecrackers going off in the car." Even Senator Ralph Yarborough, riding in the third car back "smelled gunpowder in the car" in a statement made to the press but not to the Warren Commission. Besides Sen. Yarborough, there were five other witnesses who smelled gun smoke in the car.



Greer and Kellerman were questioned as suspects by the FBI even before Oswald was arrested. There exists in the National Archives (but not the Warren Commission files) a statement made by Kellerman to the FBI that Kennedy said "my God, I'm hit," and he says that the President reaches around and grabs his back. In the Zapruder film, Kennedy grabs his throat and slumps onto his wife�s shoulder. This statement was a part of the official story line to frame Oswald and make it look like Kennedy shot from the rear. It was Kellerman who placed the pristine bullet on the stretcher that matches the Manlicher Carcano rifle planted in the snipers nest on the sixth floor of the Depository. Interestingly, the hole in Kennedy's back, just below the shoulder was not reported in Dallas. When Kellerman was asked why there was no bullet in the back wound he said "It probably worked its' way out when we were giving him cardiac massage." However this would have been impossible as swelling around the tissue couldn�t have allowed it to exit. All this evidence points to William Greer as the assassin of Kennedy.





Bibliography:

Noel Twyman, Bloody Treason, Rancho Santa Fe, CA: Laurel Publishing, 1997, pp. 158-159, 164-165).



JFK Conspiracy - final analysis produced by George Paige



Benson m(2002) Encyclopedia of the JFK Assasination New York: Calssmark Books



Jones D, and Simkin D, The Kennedy File: The Assisination of President Kennedy Tressel Publications 1983



Dr. Charles A. Crenshaw Conspiracy of Silence, ,



High Treason, Robert J. Groden and Harrison E. Livingstone,



Murder from Within, Fred Newcomb and Perry Adams.



The Men Who Killed Kennedy Video

There is a version circulating on the internet that has visual evidence of this.

I used to believe in the shot from the grassy knoll that was the fatal shot that killed Kennedy. But after watching the documentary JFK: The Lost Bullet I have changed my mind. These guys have enhanced the Zapruder film and when Kennedy's head explodes you can clearly see pieces of skull and blood shooting forward indicating a shot from behind. They also explain how a shooter in the book depository would have 11 or 12 seconds to get off the three shots. Zapruder started filming as the police motorcycles came around the corner. When he realised it wasn't Kennedy he stopped and then restarted when Kennedy's limo turned the corner. During this pause in filming the shooter in the book depository got off his first shot. They also claim this shot missed Kennedy because it hit the traffic signal then ricochets across the plaza, hits a curb and causes a stone fragment to hit Mr Tague on the cheek.