The Throat Wound

[Linda Powell]

While the speculation continues about who fired the head shot and where from, I don't think I've ever heard much about the location of the shooter who inflicted the entry wound in Kennedy's throat. I know there was an idea of a shooter firing from a drain cover but I understand that's been discounted because the bullet would have had to pass through the windscreen and possibly one of the front occupants of the car.

I've never been to Dealey Plaza so can only guess from the photo's I've seen that the picket fence shooter would have been unable to make the throat shot because he was obscured by the road sign. If Kennedy were looking to his right as he disappeared behind the road sign (from Zapruder's view point) the shot would have presumably come from the right in order to strike him below the Adam's apple. If he were looking straight forward the shot must have come directly up the road. I've often wondered if the railroad bridge had someone concealed beneath it, though of course Skinny Holland and his colleagues made no mention of hearing a shot from there and the bridge, judging by the photo's I've seen, doesn't seem to be particularly accommodating to house a sniper.

So, I wonder if anyone can enlighten me about what theories have been put forward for this shot, or if anyone's stood behind the fence and seen how much the road sign obscures the view?

[Wim Dankbaar]

South knoll.

Douglas Weldon did a good chapter on that in "Murder in Dealey Plaza" of James Fetzer

Edited June 23, 2004 by dankbaar

[Lee Forman]

I specifically focused on the area of the South Knoll and looked at potential trajectories to correlate the throat shot WITH the hole in the windshield. Note that bullet fragments were removed from this hole, and as per Wim's posting, there is a great piece demonstrating a South Knoll shot, and the issue of the impact to the windshield in Fetzer's "Murder in Dealey Plaza."

a. Created a hole large enough to put a pencil through.

b. Came from the front.

When the windshield was removed, it was done so by force - 2 individuals pressing their feet up against it [in the Whitehouse garage I believe] and pushing, which resulted in a spider type crack that ran from the hole down to the base of the windshield. I believe that there is an FBI sketch of the windshield that captures this crack - running to the base of the windshield. The 'extant' windshield has no such crack. Nor has the glass been penetrated.

I was originally convinced that the throat shot certainly might have come from this area. The storm riser in this location has been paved over, and an electrical service of some form has been added in the exact location, at the top of the overpass - however, there were a large number of individuals on the overpass that morning, including DPD. Were there any witnesses that attested to having heard shots from this location? No, but there were witnesses that saw men with rifles on top of the underpass earlier that morning.

Also, if this storm riser [not to be confused with a drain at street level] has any similarity to the one on the North side, it has no window, or hole from which to shoot or aim through [that I am aware of in any event].

However, there is a parking lot behind the South knoll, mirroring the North, considerable foliage, and I am assuming there was also a picket fence, which has been since replaced with an iron bar type. Plenty of cover. Elm, at Houston, BEGINS with substantial elevation, then continually declines, in a 'series' of curves that lead to down to the underpass.

From the South knoll position, I make a shot that could have penetrated the windshield, and struck the President in the throat. The corresponding cheek wounds in the right [?] side of the President Kennedy's face - those that the mortician needed to plug with wax as they were oozing embalming fluid - could have been caused by fragments of glass.

I don't have a computer program to run trajectories based upon the hypothesized elevations, however, using a map of Dealey Plaza, if you fix the Lincoln in the position where the President was hit in the throat, and draw a line back, corresponding with the hole in the windshield, where do you end up? The South Knoll. See attached.

IMO - it's insignificant that the President's head was turned, and facing the opposite direction, as evidenced in the Zapruder film. This point is irrelevant, as he was struck in the throat, a bit to the right of his Adam’s apple. When you turn your head, your throat stays pretty much in place. In the back brace he was wearing, it's hardly credible that he would have been able to turn his head so far as to obscure this area of his neck to a South Knoll shot. Furthermore, your GK shooter was firing loaded ammo - noisy and accompanied by white smoke. Unless you have a second shooter risking betraying position, IMO, the shot did not come from behind the fence.

This shot would have been made with the use of a silencer. If Tosh Plumlee is to be believed, a shot was fired over his head, and he was on the south knoll, at a lower position. Certainly photographic evidence demonstrates the existence of a person or persons in this position. If it isn't Plumlee in that position - who is?

Even if you discount Tosh Plumlee - there's pick-up man. What was he loading in his truck? Where did he come from? Why was he deliberately altered, as professed and credibly sustained by the work performed by Jack White?

IMO, there was no 'flachette' fired from the umbrella man, causing instant paralysis. A bullet wound to the throat of this type would have been sufficient to immobilize anyone, especially if that individual was already in extremely close quarters, and wearing an intricate and restrictive back brace.

The question I have is whether or not the throat wound was consistent with the shot that penetrated the windshield. I would like to propose testing this theory with a laser pointer to check the trajectory.

Test one - from inside an automobile, from the back seat, aligning the laser at the base of the throat, with the hole in the windshield, a bit left of center to the rear view mirror. From a 1963 Presidential Lincoln limousine would of course, be best, but if the approximate distance between the President and the windshield can be calculated, and the size of the windshield / height of the car can be guesstimated using another vehicle, this should still yield some interesting results.

Test two - aligning a laser from the South knoll at 4 or 5 separate locations - top of underpass, grassy slope area, behind the existing fence, storm drain at street level on Commerce, and at the underpass subway location. Can't assume this shot was fired from elevation without taking into account the grade of Elm where the Lincoln was at the time the President was hit.

Of course - all of this is moot if there was a slug lodged in the backseat cushion of the Lincoln, between President Kennedy and Jackie - but we may never know about that.

[Drew Williams]

Nice post.

Any idea of who could be the south knoll shooter?

[buck]

There was a 2 week debate JFK RESEARCH FORUM 3 yrs. ago on whether or not a shot could have been made from the south knoll from the desc. created by Doug Weldon. Gary Mack insisted it would be impossible because of the elevation, angle etc. He did prove that at the time the parking lot wasn't paved and therefore there wouldn't have been a storm drain. And yet that can't be conclusive because the structure of the plaza would probably dictate that the drainage needed to be in with the original street construction.

At the end of 2 weeks of haggleing with Mack he finally had to back down and admit that there is no difference in elevation from the top of the s. knoll and the position of JFK at the throat wound. In addition it was shown that the Altken's photo showing JFK with his hands to his throat lines up exactly with the shooters position that Doug Weldon discovered. Therefore the shot throw the windshield becomes more plausible.

If this was the 1st shot you would think a sharpshooter that close could have hit him in the left temple instead of the neck. The first shot by definition would be the kill shot and not a shot to the neck just to immobilize him.

[Jack White]

There was a 2 week debate JFK RESEARCH FORUM 3 yrs. ago on whether or not a shot could have been made from the south knoll from the desc. created by Doug Weldon.  Gary Mack insisted it would be impossible because of the elevation, angle etc.  He did prove that at the time the parking lot wasn't paved and therefore there wouldn't have been a storm drain.  And yet that can't be conclusive because the structure of the plaza would probably dictate that the drainage needed to be in with the original street construction. 

At the end of 2 weeks of haggleing with Mack he finally had to back down and admit that there is no difference in elevation from the top of the s. knoll and the position of JFK at the throat wound.  In addition it was shown that the Altken's photo showing JFK with his hands to his throat lines up exactly with the shooters position that Doug Weldon discovered. Therefore the shot throw the windshield becomes more plausible. 

If this was the 1st shot you would think a sharpshooter that close could have hit him in the left temple instead of the neck.  The first shot by definition would be the kill shot and not a shot to the neck just to immobilize him.

It is probably inaccurate to call the structures atop the knolls storm DRAINS.

Drains are in the gutters at street level. These pits are seem to have nothing

to drain, BECAUSE THERE IS LITTLE THERE TO DRAIN.

It is a flat area with FLAT rail tracks and a FLAT parking lot. The grated pits

are accesses to the drain system...for what purpose I do not know. Possibly

they might serve as drains in a deluge, but any slope to them is not apparent.

The attached shows the "opening" in the 1960s. Note that somone

standing in the 5-foot deep pit could see UNDER the fence.

Note the "steampipe" across the middle of the picture.

Jack

Edited July 2, 2004 by Jack White

[Jack White]

The attached shows the "opening" in the 1960s. Note that somone

standing in the 5-foot deep pit could see UNDER the fence.

Note the "steampipe" across the middle of the picture.

Jack

After digging this photo out of my files, I noticed

that there seems to have been a GATE just east

of the suspected firing point...which would make

it more convenient to fire a rifle from there.

Jack