Cliff Varnell

A limited modified hang out. LIFE: <quote on> The evidence, particularly that given by Governor Connally and his interpretation of the Zapruder film, does not prove that Oswald had a co-conspirator. Nor does it disprove it. It does show that reasonable — and disturbing — doubt remains. One conclusion is inescapable: the national interest deserves clear resolution of the doubts. </q> This is the birth of the modern JFKA Critical Community Parlor Game: Answer the Question of Conspiracy! In my book the fact of conspiracy is subtext, not the context of a thousand rabbit holes.

This is a true story: Ten years ago I pointed out to a millennial friend of mine that her generation didn't appear all that interested in the Kennedy assassination. "That's because they make it so boring," she said, and the subject dropped. A couple weeks later she asked me what I'd been up to and I said --"Giving people hell about the central question of the JFK assassination." This was in the late summer of 2013. "What is the central question of the JFK assassination?" "You don't want to know--" "No, tell me." "JFK was shot in the back, there was no exit wound and no bullet found in the autopsy; he was shot in the throat, no exit, no bullet found in the autopsy. The central question is --what happened to the bullets that caused the back and throat wounds?" She thought for a second, then said -- "But was it a real autopsy?" "A lot of problems with the autopsy, but that was the situation...Some people think the bullets were removed prior to the autopsy." "Or it was some government s—t that dissolved!" she said with an air of triumph. About a year later I told this story to another millennial friend of mine and when I got to the line "--some government dooky that dissolved--" she blurted: "That's what I was gonna say!" *** The Doctors' Scenario: JFK Hit with Government S—t that Dissolved Two FBI men attended the JFK autopsy to take notes. From autopsy-attendee FBI SA Francis O'Neill's sworn affidavit for the House Select Committee on Assassinations, 1978: <quote on> Some discussion did occur concerning the disintegration of the bullet. A general feeling existed that a soft-nosed bullet struck JFK. There was discussion concerning the back wound that the bullet could have been a "plastic" type or an "Ice" [sic] bullet, one which dissolves after contact. <quote off> From autopsy-attendee FBI SA James Sibert's sworn affidavit for the HSCA: <quote on> The doctors also discussed a possible deflection of the bullet in the body caused by striking bone. Consideration was also given to a type of bullet which fragments completely....Following discussion among the doctors relating to the back injury, I left the autopsy room to call the FBI Laboratory and spoke with Agent Chuch [sic] Killion. I asked if he could furnish any information regarding a type of bullet that would almost completely fragmentize (sic). <quote off> With the body in front of them the autopsists speculated JFK was struck with a high tech round that wouldn't show up on x-ray or in the body: government s—t that dissolves. This makes persons of interest out of MKNAOMI.

It was. There was no significant variation due to age.

And that’s exactly what Gaeton Fonzi and Vincent Salandria gave us — The Bullet Holes in the Clothes are Too Low. It’s a collective failure.

Not according to the 2017 poll. No significant variation according to age. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-one-thing-in-politics-most-americans-believe-in-jfk-conspiracies/

The key to promotion is simplicity and repetition. “Our Side” has failed to match the simplicity of Oswald Acted Alone. The bullet holes in the clothes are too low to associate with the throat wound. When was that root fact discussed at a JFK conference? 1998? In 1966 after Gaeton Fonzi gave Arlen Specter a nervous breakdown over the location of the bullet holes in JFK’s clothes, the template for proper promotion of the fact of conspiracy was set — the bullet holes in the clothes are too low for the SBT. Then the November 25th ‘66 issue of LIFE Magazine had a cover story featuring John Connally analyzing the Zapruder film. A Matter of Resonable Doubt This is a monstrous Big Lie. It is beyond reasonable doubt that the holes in the clothes are too low. It was genius as propaganda. Folks have been micro-analyzing the evidence for all the years since. Play the JFKA Parlor Game — prove the fact of conspiracy for fun and prizes!! I’ve taken an amazing amount of static over the last 26 years from ambitious “CTs” who flat out dispute the location of the back wound. Why? Because the T3 back wound counterfeits the Parlor Game.

Belief in JFKA conspiracy peaked circa 2000 at 80%. After 17 years it dropped to 61%. I attribute the drop to Internet Parlor Game Players who’ve spent the last couple decades disputing the T3 back wound — the best evidence of conspiracy— in order to inflate the significance of their own research.

I have little patience for those who habitually misrepresent the evidence. For example, the above pretends the evidence of a shallow T3 back wound and throat entrance simply doesn’t exist. Ben, your willful dismissals do not compel respect.

You’re making the unsupported assumption the round was conventional. Your dismissal of the Autopsists’ “general feeling” JFK was hit with a high tech weapon is wrongheaded. Again, the unsupported assumption of a conventional round. Humes testimony strongly suggests the damage was done by a high tech round which dissolved. That’s what they seriously considered with the body in front of them.

Finck said he took part in 200 autopsies, “many” involving gunshots. Pet theorists always bash witnesses who don’t confirm their biases. Especially if you’re a pet theorist married to one scenario or another debunked by hard facts. We know the bullet didn’t transit — the bullet holes in the clothes are too low to associate with the throat wound. If the bullet was so drastically undercharged how did it hit the target? Was the shooter aiming at the sun? Glass shows up on X-rays. JFK had a couple of inches of ripped trachea, burst blood vessels, a hairline fracture of the right T1 transverse process, and an air pocket overlaying the right T1/C7 transverse processes. No glass on x-ray, no bullet. Thanks for the crypto Lone Nut garbage.

Humes description is not consistent with a bullet that “did not enter,” as you put it. The wound was shallow, there was a defect in the fascia, but that doesn’t mean the skin wasn’t broken.

Didn’t Humes eventually claim the bullet transited?

Citation please.

Okay. As a habitual naysayer you would say that. What gives you the idea such a thing is possible— other than the demands of a pet theory? Because bullets don’t behave that way. Show us an instance where a high powered rifle slug protruded from an entrance wound.

It ended when FBI SA Sibert called the FBI Lab to follow thru on the autopsists’ ltheory JFK was hit with a high-tech round. That was when the Magic Bullet raised it’s ugly rounded head. The wound was professionally probed — your naysaying aside. What other million to one shots do you find plausible? Uh hunh.

https://www.cryptogon.com/?p=67681 <quote on> Former Secret Service agent, Paul Landis, found the Magic Bullet on the top of the back seat of the limo? Undercharged round??? Mmm hmm. Nealy 60 years after the JFK assassination, we now have Magic Bullet 2.0. Can anyone explain to me how the possibly “undercharged” Magic Bullet 2.0 managed to hit the target at all if the person firing the rifle dialed in DOPE [Data Observed from Previous Engagements?] for a standard velocity round? Not only did the “undercharged” Magic Bullet 2.0 have enough velocity to hit the target using DOPE for a standard round, but it then, “Dislodged from a shallow wound in the president’s back, falling back onto the limousine seat.” If you’re not familiar with shooting high powered rifles, run this scenario past someone who is has and note the response. It will go something like, “No way.” Personal experience: I’ve probably shot something like 15,000 centerfire rifle cartridges in my life, mostly 5.56, 7.62×51 and 7.62×39. Also, some larger stuff, .300 Winmag, .338, etc. How many of those do you think were “Undercharged”? None. Zero. Zilch. I had a few bad primers (under a handful) fail to fire in all of that time. I mostly fired old, cheap military surplus ammo and most of that was not made in the U.S. I don’t think I ever had a U.S. manufactured centerfire rifle round (Winchester, Federal, Remington, etc.) fail to fire. How many “undercharged” centerfire rifle cartridges have you encountered in your decades of shooting? Imagine the odds, on the big day almost 60 years ago… A defective cartridge? Tell me another one. Someone, somewhere might try to sell you on squib loads to explain this. I’m just here to tell you, in over forty years of shooting, it hasn’t happened to me, or any of my friends. (Somewhere on this site you can read about my wife’s cousin trying to kill a pig with a wet .22. That doesn’t count, because first, that’s rimfire, which is less reliable than centerfire and, second, it was wet.) </q>

Because wounds close around bullets. Look it up. For an undercharged round to strike the back the shooter had to have aimed over JFK’s head. Both of these points have been discussed extensively on the EF. From a firearm. We have the reports on the autopsy and their certainty the back shot did not transit.

How many autopsies had Landis performed? Tell us the factual basis for the claim.

Out of 200 autopsies Finck said “many” involved gunshot wounds. “Many” out of 200 autopsies involved gunshots. Interesting that you have to smear any witness inconvenient to your pet theories. Bullets don’t pop out of wounds

He said he performed 200 autopsies. He wasn’t constrained from probing the wound. Jenkins and O’Conner described a wound path that didn’t penetrate the pleura. Your “arguments” are formulaic — you automatically dismiss the evidence of a shallow back wound. Sure we do. The wound was probed repeatedly. There was no exit. Ben, I know your formula — which you will never get off of no matter how many facts contradict you — posits a magical mystery tour with a bullet striking at the level of T3 at a downward angle, then making a drastic change of direction striking the right T1 transverse process, then another magical tour ripping a couple inches of trachea and exiting below the Adam’s apple. Finck was an experienced autopsist, your smearing of the man aside.

The SBT was destroyed in 1966. The Warren Commission, The Truth, and Arlen Specter https://www.ratical.org/ratville/JFK/GaetonFonzi/WCTandAS.pdf

Finck wasn’t an amateur. Sigh. Another hobbyist attack on the root facts of the case.

Thank you, Karl! I thought it was just me! In what universe is a 60 year old memory better proof of conspiracy than the location of the bullet holes in JFK’s clothes?

Agreed. Conventional firearms don’t leave shallow wounds in soft tissue. A discussion of the kind of firearm that does leave shallow wounds in soft tissue: