A new proposal re the JFK shots and wounds

[Greg Doudna]

The blur analysis of Zapruder is gold for the timing of shots, because it is based on an automatic startle response of the nervous system occurring practically instantaneously after hearing a loud noise such as a gunshot. When combined with the observed reactions of people in the Presidential limousine in the Zapruder frames and collated with eyewitness testimony, this is powerful. Five blur analysis studies have been published (Alvarez, Wyckoff, Hartmann, Scott, Stroscio), arriving in close agreement with each other such that the main results on this are essentially now "settled science". These blur episodes in Zapruder indicate five, not three, gunshots. Onsets of blur episodes: Z152-158; Z180-193; Z227; Z313; and Z330.

A particularly interesting finding from the blur analysis concerns Z313, the head shot. JFK's head can be seen hit at Z313 with the spray of brain and bloody matter. But the blur episode begins at Z313. But that means that shot cannot have come from the TSBD, because if so the sound (the shock wave from the bullet breaking the sound barrier at the presidential limousine) would take longer to arrive to Zapruder and cause his startle response, than could be reflected in Z313. This has been calculated: if that shot had come from the TSBD as the Warren Commission said, the blurring could not have begun before Z314. However, the blurring is evident in Zapruder at Z313, inconsistent with TSBD but consistent with a shot fired from a shooter close behind Zapruder on the Grassy Knoll, which also was Zapruder's own impression of where that shot sounded like it came from. In other words, the blur analysis at Z313 is stand-alone evidence of more than one shooter and conspiracy (Cranor, "Neurology and Jiggle Analysis", http://the-puzzle-palace.com/files/jiggle.html).

But working out the rest of the shots and correlating what is seen visually in Zapruder with the witness testimonies and with the blur analysis indicating the timings of shots, involves many issues of interpretation and disagreement. I have struggled to find a way to make sense of the role of Oswald; also why the blur analyses indicate five shots when most witnesses heard only three. Here is my attempt at a theory to account for these questions. Imagine Oswald is not trying to kill anyone but is the shooter of his rifle from the TSBD. It is possible to interpret the Walker shooting as something in which Oswald intended to take a shot at Walker but miss, anticipated getting arrested and charged with attempted murder (not first-degree murder). In the JFK visit to Dallas Oswald is simply hired to do the same thing again: his task is to take two shots and miss, leave TSBD and be helped with a promised flight to Cuba where he will seek asylum, but JFK would not actually be hurt. So Oswald's understanding. This would account for all of the incriminating evidence pointing to him as the shooter, it would account for his not watching the parade among other people with a clearer alibi; it accounts for his flight after the shooting. It removes his expertise with firearms as an issue since it takes little skill to miss two shots. It also explains why shots were missed, why his rifle was not fully loaded, and other seeming lack of preparation. The three shell cartridges, one crimped and already there in the rifle prior to shooting, is ejected, then two missed shots. It explains why LHO does not fire before the turn of the presidential motorcade onto Elm Street. It explains why a professional conspiracy to kill JFK would be using non-professional Oswald, with LHO's willing participation. The rifle would have been in the TSBD a little before Nov 22, not brought to the TSBD that morning. The strange behavior of LHO reported to be seeking other employment in the days preceding the assassination in tall buildings and dropping comments about how a president could get shot ... maybe even the curtain rods story ... are not necessarily urban legend nor impersonators nor inexplicable: they could be LHO intending to incriminate himself, but the plan was that JFK would not be shot and LHO would received assistance to escape to Cuba. But LHO was double-crossed, did not know JFK would be killed, realized he had been set up, and the rest is history. The point of this scenario is an attempt to give a better explanation for missed shots in the JFK shooting. Anyway with that preamble here is one possible analysis of the five shots indicated from the blur analysis:

BLUR EPISODE ONSET/REACTIONS TO SHOTS

#1, Z152-158. Oswald TSBD, intentional MISSED SHOT. the "firecracker" sound witnesses hear. Connally, startled, turns to see.

#2, Z180-193. Just before disappearance behind the freeway sign. Another shooter (Dal-Tex building) with suppressor fires a bullet matched to Oswald's rifle. JFK is hit in the back and reacts. ("Beginning at Zapruder frame 194 the President assumed a posture that can best be described as a flinch which included bringing his arms in front of his body and shaking his head back and forth. According to Secret Service agent Roy Kellerman, he also spat out the words, 'My God, I'm hit.' Because the Warren Commission claimed in contradiction to all medical expectations that the President was clutching at his throat wound, I feel compelled to point out that  a person who has had his trachea perforated by a bullet is unlikely to be capable of coherent speech, and a person who has had severe blunt trauma of the spinal cord at the level of the neck is not likely to be capable of deliberate arm movement. Studies of gun shot wounds involving the vertebrae are uniform in reporting flaccid paralysis of the muscles innervated downstream from the trauma...What this means is that President Kennedy's visible reaction beginning at frame 194, about one sec after the shot detected at Z-175, could not have been a reaction to being shot through the neck." -- D. B. Thomas).

#3, Z227. Oswald TSBD, second intentional MISSED SHOT. Connally rapid movements react to the sound of the shot, not to being hit. The "lapel flap" is not from a bullet, and Connally is not hit at this point (http://jfk.hood.edu/Collection/Weisberg Subject Index Files/L Disk/Lattimer John Dr/Item 03.pdf; http://joliraja.com/lapelflip/lapelflaptd.htm).

#4, Z313. shot from Grassy Knoll, head shot with frangible bullet at close range, the kill shot of JFK.

#5, Z330. Another shot from the shooter of #2 with a bullet matching LHO's rifle. Connally is hit here. Either (a) JFK violently thrown left and backwards at Z313f moves him out of the way such that a bullet aimed at JFK misses JFK and hits Connally (in this case there is no JFK occipital entry wound or second JFK head shot, and the JFK throat wound returns to the early idea of being caused by some bone or shrapnel from the Z313 head shot, happening at Z313), or (b) a modified single bullet theory in which both JFK and Connally are hit with the same bullet entering at the rear occipital of JFK. 

In this way Oswald becomes a witting shooter, a patsy, and not a murderer of JFK, all at the same time; five shots are heard as three by most people; and a hit is carried out on JFK and blamed on Oswald. 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Greg Doudna

[Cliff Varnell]

3 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

These blur episodes in Zapruder indicate five, not three, gunshots.

Simultaneous volleys sound like a single report, so there is no telling how many actual shots were fired.

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#2, Z180-193. Just before disappearance behind the freeway sign. Another shooter (Dal-Tex building) with suppressor fires a bullet matched to Oswald's rifle. JFK is hit in the back and reacts.

He reacts to a shot in the back by raising his fists to his throat? Nonsense.

Isn’t it amazing that Glen Bennett could accurately describe a back shot “about four inches down from the right shoulder” (the bullet holes in the clothes are four inches below the bottoms of the collars) when, according to his statements and Willis 5 (Z202), he was facing to the right?

Did he have an extra eye in his left ear?

Here’s Nellie Connally’s WC testimony:

<quote on, emphasis added>

Mrs. CONNALLY. In fact the receptions had been so good every place that I had showed much restraint by not mentioning something about it before.

I could resist no longer. When we got past this area I did turn to the President and said, "Mr. President, you can't say Dallas doesn't love you." Then I don't know how soon, it seems to me it was very soon, that I heard a noise, and not being an expert rifleman, I was not aware that it was a rifle. It was just a frightening noise, and it came from the right.  I turned over my right shoulder and looked back, and saw the President as he had both hands at his neck. <\q>

Linda Willis:

<quote on, emphasis added>
Mr. LIEBELER. Did You hear any shots, or what you later learned to be shots, as the motorcade came past you there?

Miss WILLIS. Yes; I heard one. Then there was a little bit of time, and then there were two real fast bullets together. When the first one hit, well, the President turned from waving to the people, and he grabbed his throat, and he kind of slumped forward, and then I couldn’t tell where the second shot went. <\q>

Nellie Connally and Linda Willis got it wrong?

This first-shot/back-shot nonsense is Pet Theorizing run amok, nothing more than implied witness bashing.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Cliff Varnell

[Paul Bacon]

5 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

A particularly interesting finding from the blur analysis concerns Z313, the head shot. JFK's head can be seen hit at Z313 with the spray of brain and bloody matter. But the blur episode begins at Z313. But that means that shot cannot have come from the TSBD, because if so the sound (the shock wave from the bullet breaking the sound barrier at the presidential limousine) would take longer to arrive to Zapruder and cause his startle response, than could be reflected in Z313.

The blur at z313 could also be a result of a shot immediately before it,  say at z310.  If you look closely, JFK's head is pushed forward just before z313.

There is so much more information to be considered before you present your theory, although I do appreciate your sincerity.

[Greg Doudna]

52 minutes ago, Paul Bacon said:

The blur at z313 could also be a result of a shot immediately before it,  say at z310.  If you look closely, JFK's head is pushed forward just before z313.

There is so much more information to be considered before you present your theory, although I do appreciate your sincerity.

This is a good point Paul and you are right. This means the argument I was following of Donald Thomas and Milicent Cranor of my second paragraph re Z313--has to be withdrawn in claiming Z313 blur onset proves the shooter of the bullet impacting at Z313 was very close by Zapruder, because of the reason you give. A Grassy Knoll position of the shooter of the shot impacting JFK's head at Z313 would still be true on other grounds, but not established from the argument from blur onset.

I had not thought the movement of JFK's head forward just before Z313 represented a hit from a rear shot because, as I looked at Zapruder, I interpreted that as part of all of the occupants in the limousine moving forward slightly due to a momentary braking of the presidential limousine, not bringing it to a full stop (in the films, despite remembered as a full stop by some witnesses), but enough to move everyone forward, not just JFK. JFK's head goes forward a bit more than the other heads but that all are thrown forward as the limo was braked was the key point to me, and JFK's slightly greater head movement, differing in extent but not in kind from the others, I attributed to JFK's back brace restricting movement of the rest of his torso. That was my thinking, in discounting the forward JFK head movement just prior to Z313 as indicating a shot from the rear. 

But if that JFK forward head movement was from a shot from the rear hitting at say ca. Z310, sounds of shots only ca. 3 Zapruder frames apart, about 1/6 of a second--as would also be compatible with Zapruder--that surely would be indistinguishable from being heard as a single shot by nearly everyone. Also I assume 1/6 of a second would be too close together for blur analysis to be capable of distinguishing as distinct shots, since the startle response span of time is greater than that. If so, this would mean a six-shots theory instead of five, and this sixth shot at ca. Z310 would be where the rear occipital entrance occurred (if the arguments for inferring a rear entrance wound in the back of JFK's head are correct), leaving Z330 to be solely the Connally hit.

It does not seem to me that a distinct shot hitting JFK in the rear of the head at Z310 is necessary from the evidence though it is possible. 

[Greg Doudna]

Cliff Varnell, on the testimony of Glenn Bennett, I interpret his testimony a bit differently. This is my transcription of the photo of his handwritten statement of 5:30 pm Nov 22, 1963:

"...The President's car, the motorcade, had been traveling for approximately 30 minutes enroute to the Trade-Mart, when we made a left hand turn and then a quick right. The President's auto moved down a slight grade and the crowd was very sparse. At this point I heard a noise that immediately reminded me of a fire cracker. I immediately, upon hearing the supposed fire cracker, looked at the Boss's car. At this exact time I saw a shot that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder; a second shoot followed immediately and hit the right rear high of the Boss's head. I immediately hollered to Special Agent Hickey, seated in the same seat, to get the AR-15. I drew my revolver and looked to the rear and to the left <1119 to?> left, but was unable to see any one person that could have rendered this terrible tragedy. The President's auto immediately kicked into high gear and the follow-up car departed the scean. The President was taken to a nearby hospital and was rushed therein..."

Clint Hill, in the same followup car, heard only two shots, with the first being a firecracker sound, the second being the Z313 head shot--parallel to Bennett. From Clint Hill's WC testimony:

Mr. HILL. Well, as we came out of the curve, and began to straighten up, I was viewing the area which looked to be a park. There were people scattered throughout the entire park. And I heard a noise from my right rear, which to me seemed to be a firecracker. I immediately looked to my right and, in so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential limousine and I saw President Kennedy grab at himself and lurch forward and to the left. 
Mr. SPECTER. Why don't you just proceed, in narrative form, to tell us? 
Representative BOGGS. This was the first shot? 
Mr. HILL. This is the first sound that I heard; yes, sir. I jumped from the car, realizing that something was wrong, ran to the Presidential limousine. Just about as I reached it, there was another sound, which was different than the first sound. I think I described it in my statement as though someone was shooting a revolver into a hard object--it seemed to have some type of an echo. I put my right foot, I believe it was, on the left rear step of the automobile, and I had a hold of the handgrip with my hand, when the car lurched forward. I lost my footing and I had to run about three or four more steps before I could get back up in the car.

So this parallelism:

Clint Hill's #1 = firecracker. Bennett's #0 = firecracker

Clint Hill looks at JFK, sees JFK "grab at himself and lurch forward and to the left". Bennett looks at JFK, sees "a shot [Bennet's #1] that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder".

Clint Hill's #2 = Z313 head shot. Bennett's #2 = Z313 head shot.

In this parallelism which agrees at the outset and at the end, the look at JFK in the middle may be two versions of the same thing, by the parallelism. The only difference is that Bennett claims he hears a shot at the time he looks at JFK, whereas Clint Hill does not claim to hear such a shot. 

Two versions in parallel tellings of two agents in the followup car. Bennett saw the wound (after it happened), and Clint Hill saw JFK's reaction to that wound, also after it happened. The only difference is Bennett's ambiguous "saw a shot that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder" (one cannot "see" a shot but the sense could read as *"saw that a shot had hit...") becomes edited, in the typed version of his handwritten notes typed the next day, to "saw a shot hit the Boss..."

I think Bennett's memory is incorrect on the point about hearing a shot at the moment he looked and saw the hole in the back of JFK's jacket. The evidence is an Altgens photo at Z255 shows Bennett still looking hard to the right, in agreement with a Willis photo at Z202 also showing Bennett looking hard to the right. In the Altgens photo one end of the rear view mirror is about at the position of Bennett's left ear in line of sight, and the hair of the agent sitting in front of Bennett blocks Bennet's nose in line of sight, but other than that there is a clear profile view of the left side of Bennett's face, with Bennett looking fully to the right. This means Bennett did not turn to look to see JFK until after Z255. But no shot occurred after Z255 until the head shot at Z313 (or two shots indistinguishable in sound at Z310/Z313 is permitted by the blurs if that is argued). It is certain there was no shot between Z255 and Z310 or 313, because there is no blur episode in those frames, and there cannot be the sound of a shot without a blur episode in Zapruder's handheld panning of the camera. 

In addition, Bennett's later iteration of testimony to HSCA (if the interviewer reports him accurately) drops the claim that he observed the creation of the hole in JFK's back as distinguished from seeing the mark in the back of JFK's suit jacket: "He then heard another noise and saw what appeared to be a nick in the back of President Kennedy's coat below the shoulder. He thought the President had been hit in the back ... he believes the first and second shots were close together and then a longer pause before the third shot ... he does not recall any agents reacting before the third shot." 

Bennett was one of the agents up into the early hours of the morning in Fort Worth at The Cellar the night before. Bennett wrote in his statement on that that he left The Cellar at 3 a.m. Like most of the agents who had been there, he reported that he had drunk only grapefruit juice, nothing alcoholic, at The Cellar. Bennett got to sleep some time after 3 a.m., then got up and reported for duty at 7:20 a.m. He could hardly have gotten more than three hours sleep at best with shower and breakfast. How would reporting to work protecting the president on only three hours sleep the night before affect not only reaction time but acuity and accuracy of memory? It would be something that an opposing attorney in a trial situation would surely bring out.

Because a shot at the time Bennett looked and saw a tear created by a bullet in the back of JFK's suit is excluded by evidence (no blur episode), and because Bennett's reflexes were likely not in the best physical condition due to lack of sleep, I interpret Bennett's early claim to have heard a shot, and to have seen the actual moment of creation of the back wound, to be mistaken on Bennet's part. I think he looked at JFK when he said he did in his earliest handwritten account, saw the tear in JFK's jacket of the bullet hole in JFK's back, correctly interpreted it as caused by a shot, but did not see the creation of that wound to JFK's back. All of this is consistent with the back wound of JFK occurring at the shot at Z180-193.

Edited July 29, 2020 by Greg Doudna

[Cliff Varnell]

2 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

Cliff Varnell, on the testimony of Glenn Bennett, I interpret his testimony a bit differently.

Of course you do!  You reached a conclusion prior to doing the research and now every new piece of information that is presented you spin to fit your pre-conception.  

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This is my transcription of the photo of his handwritten statement of 5:30 pm Nov 22, 1963:

The next day he wrote an official report with more detail.

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"...The President's car, the motorcade, had been traveling for approximately 30 minutes enroute to the Trade-Mart, when we made a left hand turn and then a quick right. The President's auto moved down a slight grade and the crowd was very sparse. At this point I heard a noise that immediately reminded me of a fire cracker. I immediately, upon hearing the supposed fire cracker, looked at the Boss's car. At this exact time I saw a shot that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder; a second shoot followed immediately and hit the right rear high of the Boss's head. I immediately hollered to Special Agent Hickey, seated in the same seat, to get the AR-15. I drew my revolver and looked to the rear and to the left <1119 to?> left, but was unable to see any one person that could have rendered this terrible tragedy. The President's auto immediately kicked into high gear and the follow-up car departed the scean. The President was taken to a nearby hospital and was rushed therein..."

In his official report he said he was looking to the right when he heard the first shot, corroborated by Willis 5 (Z202).

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Clint Hill, in the same followup car, heard only two shots, with the first being a firecracker sound, the second being the Z313 head shot--parallel to Bennett. From Clint Hill's WC testimony:

Mr. HILL. Well, as we came out of the curve, and began to straighten up, I was viewing the area which looked to be a park. There were people scattered throughout the entire park. And I heard a noise from my right rear, which to me seemed to be a firecracker. I immediately looked to my right and, in so doing, my eyes had to cross the Presidential limousine and I saw President Kennedy grab at himself and lurch forward and to the left. 

This was the throat shot.  JFK was reflexively grabbing at the place he was hit — his throat.  Pushed to the left consistent with a shot from the right.

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Mr. SPECTER. Why don't you just proceed, in narrative form, to tell us? 
Representative BOGGS. This was the first shot? 
Mr. HILL. This is the first sound that I heard; yes, sir. I jumped from the car, realizing that something was wrong, ran to the Presidential limousine. Just about as I reached it, there was another sound, which was different than the first sound. I think I described it in my statement as though someone was shooting a revolver into a hard object--it seemed to have some type of an echo. I put my right foot, I believe it was, on the left rear step of the automobile, and I had a hold of the handgrip with my hand, when the car lurched forward. I lost my footing and I had to run about three or four more steps before I could get back up in the car.

56 ear witnesses described a “bang...bang-bang” shot sequence.  You are cherry picking 1 testimony of a two shot sequence.  Me, I always go with consensus.

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So this parallelism:

Clint Hill's #1 = firecracker. Bennett's #0 = firecracker

They both heard the first shot.  Both described it sounding like a firecracker.  What’s your point?

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Clint Hill looks at JFK, sees JFK "grab at himself and lurch forward and to the left". Bennett looks at JFK, sees "a shot [Bennet's #1] that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder".

That wasn’t the same shot!  You’re conflating them.  Altgens 6 (Z255) shows Bennett with blurred features, he hadn’t turned all the way to face front.  Hill saw JFK react to the throat shot, Bennett didn’t.  Hill was on the side of the SS car facing front the entire time.

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Clint Hill's #2 = Z313 head shot. Bennett's #2 = Z313 head shot.

Wrong as you can be.  Bennett’s second shot hit JFK in the back.

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In this parallelism which agrees at the outset and at the end, the look at JFK in the middle may be two versions of the same thing, by the parallelism. The only difference is that Bennett claims he hears a shot at the time he looks at JFK, whereas Clint Hill does not claim to hear such a shot. 

Wrong again.  Bennett said he saw JFK get hit in the back and then hit in the head.  Bennett was an ear witness to the first shot and an eye witness to the second and third.

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Two versions in parallel tellings of two agents in the followup car. Bennett saw the wound (after it happened), and Clint Hill saw JFK's reaction to that wound, also after it happened.

Wrong again.  Bennett saw the back shot as it happened, Hill saw JFK’s reaction to the throat shot.

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The only difference is Bennett's ambiguous "saw a shot that hit the Boss about 4 inches down from the right shoulder" (one cannot "see" a shot but the sense could read as *"saw that a shot had hit...") becomes edited, in the typed version of his handwritten notes typed the next day, to "saw a shot hit the Boss..."

What part of “saw a shot hit” don’t you get?  Why are you trying to spin Bennett’s unambiguous statements?

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I think Bennett's memory is incorrect on the point about hearing a shot at the moment he looked and saw the hole in the back of JFK's jacket. 

Of course you think his memory is incorrect — it kills your Pet Theory.  So you make up nonsense about Bennett seeing a hole in the jacket when he clearly stated he saw the hit.

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The evidence is an Altgens photo at Z255 shows Bennett still looking hard to the right, in agreement with a Willis photo at Z202 also showing Bennett looking hard to the right.

Wrong again.  Altgens shows Bennett with blurred features as he was turning his head to face front.

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In the Altgens photo one end of the rear view mirror is about at the position of Bennett's left ear in line of sight, and the hair of the agent sitting in front of Bennett blocks Bennet's nose in line of sight, but other than that there is a clear profile view of the left side of Bennett's face, with Bennett looking fully to the right.

Blurry features = head in motion.

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This means Bennett did not turn to look to see JFK until after Z255.

No, Greg, he was in the process of turning to the front at Z255.

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But no shot occurred after Z255 until the head shot at Z313 (or two shots indistinguishable in sound at Z310/Z313 is permitted by the blurs if that is argued). It is certain there was no shot between Z255 and Z310 or 313, because there is no blur episode in those frames, and there cannot be the sound of a shot without a blur episode in Zapruder's handheld panning of the camera. 

56 “bang...bang-bang” witnesses say you’re wrong.

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In addition, Bennett's later iteration of testimony to HSCA (if the interviewer reports him accurately) drops the claim that he observed the creation of the hole in JFK's back as distinguished from seeing the mark in the back of JFK's suit jacket: "He then heard another noise and saw what appeared to be a nick in the back of President Kennedy's coat below the shoulder. He thought the President had been hit in the back ... he believes the first and second shots were close together and then a longer pause before the third shot ... he does not recall any agents reacting before the third shot." 
 

Your faith in these HSCA characterizations is amazing.  His contemporaneous reports trump anything reported by interviewers 15 years later.

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Bennett was one of the agents up into the early hours of the morning in Fort Worth at The Cellar the night before. Bennett wrote in his statement on that that he left The Cellar at 3 a.m. Like most of the agents who had been there, he reported that he had drunk only grapefruit juice, nothing alcoholic, at The Cellar. Bennett got to sleep some time after 3 a.m., then got up and reported for duty at 7:20 a.m. He could hardly have gotten more than three hours sleep at best with shower and breakfast. How would reporting to work protecting the president on only three hours sleep the night before affect not only reaction time but acuity and accuracy of memory? It would be something that an opposing attorney in a trial situation would surely bring out.

Because a shot at the time Bennett looked and saw a tear created by a bullet in the back of JFK's suit is excluded by evidence (no blur episode),

That’s not what he wrote in his contemporaneous report or the follow up report the next day.  You insist on cherry picking what some one else said he said — why do you assume the HSCA interviewers got it right?

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and because Bennett's reflexes were likely not in the best physical condition due to lack of sleep, I interpret Bennett's early claim to have heard a shot, and to have seen the actual moment of creation of the back wound, to be mistaken on Bennet's part.

Of course you do, Greg.  You are following in the tradition of a small army of self-aggrandizing hustlers out to make a name for themselves winning the grand JFK Parlor Game — “Answer The Question Of Conspiracy!”

But there is no question.  It’s a false mystery pimped by VichyCTs.

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I think he looked at JFK when he said he did in his earliest handwritten account, saw the tear in JFK's jacket of the bullet hole in JFK's back, correctly interpreted it as caused by a shot, but did not see the creation of that wound to JFK's back.

That’s not what he stated in either of his reports.

Your penchant for making stuff up is impressive.

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All of this is consistent with the back wound of JFK occurring at the shot at Z180-193.

Have someone throw a golf ball at your back with force and see if you reach for your throat.

[Greg Doudna]

Cliff, the final "bang-bang" that so many witnesses heard corresponds to the two greatest blurs in Zapruder at Z313 and Z331, according to the studies. Those are 1.0 second apart and shots one second apart will be heard and remembered as distinct shots by most people, in agreement with the witnesses who heard a final "bang-bang". Those final two blurs/shots at Z313 and Z330 are the JFK head shot at Z313 and a good argument for the Connally hit at Z330. Where in Zapruder are you putting the shot Bennett says he heard at the time he saw JFK's back, just before Z313?

It is possible to have a blur in Zapruder not caused by a shot, but not possible to have a shot without a blur in Zapruder. Single witnesses can be fallible but this science must be prior.

I may have erred in thinking five shots instead of three or four. Either or both of Z152-158 and Z227 I believe could arguably be eliminated as shots without violation of visual evidence in Zapruder, and would be in better agreement with the large number of witness reports hearing three ending with two close together, "bang-bang".

I agree Bennett refers to three shots but Bennett himself spoke of his first as a "fire cracker" sound without calling it a shot (even though we know it was a shot and we call it a shot); Bennet's second shot heard he calls "a shot", and Bennett's third shot heard he calls "a second shot" in his early statements. I was quoting Bennett's terminology, minor point, doesn't matter. I think Bennett must have looked at JFK very close before the head shot of Z313, saw the tear in JFK's jacket already there, immediately heard two shots--"bang-bang" as he saw JFK's head blown apart, and associated in his mind the first of that "bang-bang" with having caused the hit to JFK's back, and the second of that "bang-bang" with the JFK head hit, even though that was slightly mistaken on the order of a fraction of a second or a second in time.  

BLURS IN ZAPRUDER FILM

Relative magnitude of blur episode	Designation of blur episode	Shown by	Frames showing blur onset (beginning to maximum)
Largest	A1	Alvarez	312-318
		Hartmann	313-318
		Scott	313-314
	A2	Alvarez	330-334
		Hartmann	331-332
		Scott	331-333
2d largest	B	Alvarez	189-195
		Hartmann	191-197
		Scott	193-194
3rd largest 1	C	Alvarez	220-228
		Hartmann	227
		Scott	226-228
4th largest 1	D	Hartman	158-1598
		Scott	158-160
5th largest	E	Alvarez	291-2938
		Hartmann	290-291
		Scott	290-292
1 About equal.

[Cliff Varnell]

3 hours ago, Greg Doudna said:

It is possible to have a blur in Zapruder not caused by a shot, but not possible to have a shot without a blur in Zapruder. Single witnesses can be fallible but this science must be prior.

With the body in front of them the night of the autopsy the 3 doctors looked at the shallow back wound which didn’t have an exit or a bullet and speculated JFK was hit with a high-tech round.

Same with the throat wound — no exit, no bullet.

So happens such high tech weaponry had been developed for the CIA, toxins and paralytics which dissolved in the body and wouldn’t show up in x-rays.

This speculation is consistent with JFK appearing paralyzed after the @Z190 throat shot.  It’s consistent with the air pocket overlaying the right C7/T1 transverse processes.

A high tech weapon can be sound suppressed.  

A conventional round can be sound suppressed.  No startle, no blur.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2020 by Cliff Varnell

[Cliff Varnell]

[Pete Mellor]

15 hours ago, Cliff Varnell said:

This was the throat shot.  JFK was reflexively grabbing at the place he was hit — his throat.  Pushed to the left consistent with a shot from the right.

Cliff, what is your take on the windshield hole?  Didn't exist?  Internal or external damage?  Do you consider a shot from the South Knoll to JFK's throat wound?

[Cliff Varnell]

25 minutes ago, Pete Mellor said:

Cliff, what is your take on the windshield hole?  Didn't exist?  Internal or external damage?  Do you consider a shot from the South Knoll to JFK's throat wound?

I can’t see anyone intentionally shooting thru the windshield, but there seems to be consensus statements to a thru and thru hole.

South knoll is a legitimate candidate for the throat shot.

[Pete Mellor]

18 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

I can’t see anyone intentionally shooting thru the windshield, but there seems to be consensus statements to a thru and thru hole.

South knoll is a legitimate candidate for the throat shot.

Agree. + I think the line up from South knoll is more accurate than any position on the North side.

[Micah Mileto]

https://old.reddit.com/r/JFKsubmissions/comments/drun3m/discussing_jfks_torso_wounds_part_3_preautopsy/

 

There are some serious problems with Bennett's story. The pictures taken in Dealey Plaza show that he was about 50 feet away from the Presidential Limousine when the shooting started. As researcher David Lifton asked, "Could a person see a bullet strike dark clothing at about fifty feet?". If Bennett was not telling the truth, this could possibly reveal an attempt to manufacture witness evidence (Lifton, Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, 1980, Part III. A Search For New Evidence, Chapter 11. The Tracheotomy Incision: Dallas vs. Bethesda). Even lone-gunman author David Von Pein said in a 2018 online discussion "That type of vision is reserved for a guy named Superman. Anyway, do you think Bennett had a tape measure with him when he estimated where the bullet entered the President's back?".

Two photographs taken in Dealey Plaza at the time of the shooting show Bennett's head turned sharply to the right, not turned towards the direction of Kennedy (PatSpeer.com, A New Perspective on the Kennedy Assassination by Pat Speer, Chapter 5b: Primary Pieces, Isolating Bennett). First, there is Willis photo #5, synchronous with frame 202 of the Zapruder Film (Richard E. Sprague, 10/15/1967; Don Olson and Ralph F. Turner, October 1971; HSCA Vol. 6, p. 121). Second, there is Altgens photo #6, synchronous with z255 (WC, p. 255; WC Vol. 5, p. 138; HSCA Vol. 6, p. 318).

https://i.imgur.com/6lRULzv.jpg - Willis photo #5, with President Kennedy and Agent Bennett circled. Also notice how Kennedy's back is enveloped in dark shadows, making it even more doubtful that Bennett saw what he claimed.

https://i.imgur.com/v4KWioX.jpg - Altgens photo #6. Kennedy's hands are raised towards his neck, while Bennett's head is turned as it is in the Willis photo.

The Zapruder Film shows Kennedy starting to raise his arms by the z220's. This body language is officially explained by one bullet entering the back and exiting the throat. If Bennett's head remained turned between the time of the Willis and Altgens photographs, then it is doubtful that he could've seen the bullet hole punch through the back of Kennedy's coat. The Zapruder Film reportedly runs at 18.3 frames per second (WC, p. 97; WC Vol. 5, p. 135; WC Vol. 5, p. 138), so there was about a 3-second span between the Willis and Altgens photos.

On the other hand, if Bennett's statements were true and honest, they still bring the official story into question. Anybody proposing a lone gunman must explain what happened to the first shot fired: either it missed, or it successfully entered Kennedy's back (Warren Report, Chapter 3: The Shots from the Texas School Book Depository, Number of Shots). Bennett's statements could only be reconciled with the official version by proposing the first shot missed. This limits the possibilities for a lone gunman scenario to be argued. There is another possibility to consider: what if Bennett saw the back shot AFTER Kennedy raised his hands towards his neck? If the back wound was created after the throat wound, this would nullify the official story.

[Cliff Varnell]

32 minutes ago, Micah Mileto said:

https://old.reddit.com/r/JFKsubmissions/comments/drun3m/discussing_jfks_torso_wounds_part_3_preautopsy/

 

There are some serious problems with Bennett's story. The pictures taken in Dealey Plaza show that he was about 50 feet away from the Presidential Limousine when the shooting started. As researcher David Lifton asked, "Could a person see a bullet strike dark clothing at about fifty feet?".
 

Here it comes. The dedicated witness bashing.  Never fails.

How is it Bennett accurately described the location of the strike a few hours after the event if he did not see it?

Quote

If Bennett was not telling the truth, this could possibly reveal an attempt to manufacture witness evidence (Lifton, Best Evidence: Disguise and Deception in the Assassination of John F. Kennedy, 1980, Part III. A Search For New Evidence, Chapter 11. The Tracheotomy Incision: Dallas vs. Bethesda).

But Bennett did tell the truth.  The bullet holes in the clothes are 4 inches below the bottoms of the collars to the right of the midline — exactly where Bennett described it.

Quote

Even lone-gunman author David Von Pein said in a 2018 online discussion "That type of vision is reserved for a guy named Superman. Anyway, do you think Bennett had a tape measure with him when he estimated where the bullet entered the President's back?".

Since Bennett’s account destroys the SBT it shouldn’t surprise anyone that an LNer would try to dispute it.  That’s what Lone Nutters do.  

As do Lone Nutters in CT drag.

Quote

Two photographs taken in Dealey Plaza at the time of the shooting show Bennett's head turned sharply to the right, not turned towards the direction of Kennedy (PatSpeer.com, A New Perspective on the Kennedy Assassination by Pat Speer, Chapter 5b: Primary Pieces, Isolating Bennett). First, there is Willis photo #5, synchronous with frame 202 of the Zapruder Film (Richard E. Sprague, 10/15/1967; Don Olson and Ralph F. Turner, October 1971; HSCA Vol. 6, p. 121).

This is consistent with Bennett’s official Secret Service report — he was facing to the right at the moment he heard the first shot.

Quote

Second, there is Altgens photo #6, synchronous with z255 (WC, p. 255; WC Vol. 5, p. 138; HSCA Vol. 6, p. 318).

https://i.imgur.com/6lRULzv.jpg - Willis photo #5, with President Kennedy and Agent Bennett circled. Also notice how Kennedy's back is enveloped in dark shadows, making it even more doubtful that Bennett saw what he claimed.

Notice how Pet Theorists have a penchant for inventing things?

Quote

https://i.imgur.com/v4KWioX.jpg - Altgens photo #6. Kennedy's hands are raised towards his neck, while Bennett's head is turned as it is in the Willis photo.

Factually incorrect.  Bennett’s facial features are blurred, consistent with head movement as he faced forward.

Quote

The Zapruder Film shows Kennedy starting to raise his arms by the z220's. This body language is officially explained by one bullet entering the back and exiting the throat. If Bennett's head remained turned between the time of the Willis and Altgens photographs, then it is doubtful that he could've seen the bullet hole punch through the back of Kennedy's coat.

His head was in motion at Z255.

These”doubts” are the invention of people with a Pet Theory to hustle.  I respect David Lifton, but this particular Pet Theory about Bennett is absurd.

Quote

The Zapruder Film reportedly runs at 18.3 frames per second (WC, p. 97; WC Vol. 5, p. 135; WC Vol. 5, p. 138), so there was about a 3-second span between the Willis and Altgens photos.

On the other hand, if Bennett's statements were true and honest, they still bring the official story into question.

No, it destroys the official story.

Quote

Anybody proposing a lone gunman must explain what happened to the first shot fired: either it missed, or it successfully entered Kennedy's back (Warren Report, Chapter 3: The Shots from the Texas School Book Depository, Number of Shots). Bennett's statements could only be reconciled with the official version by proposing the first shot missed. This limits the possibilities for a lone gunman scenario to be argued. There is another possibility to consider: what if Bennett saw the back shot AFTER Kennedy raised his hands towards his neck?

Of course he did!  The back shot occurred right before the head shot/s.

Quote

If the back wound was created after the throat wound, this would nullify the official story.

Welcome to the party, Micah.  Better late than never.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Cliff Varnell

[Micah Mileto]

I was wondering - by now, would would be the condition of JFK's embalmed tissues? Would they be jerky, or just bones and dust? I know they don't make them last like they did in Ancient Egypt. There WILL be an exhumation - one year, one decade, one century.

Edited July 31, 2020 by Micah Mileto