The embalmer's recollections

[Wim Dankbaar]

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/arrb...t/pdf/md180.pdf

See page 4 "Use of probes".

What does that tell you about the throat wound, as well as the back wound? What does that tell you in regards to the single bullet theory?

Wim

[William Kelly]

http://www.aarclibrary.org/publib/jfk/arrb...t/pdf/md180.pdf

See page 4 "Use of probes".

What does that tell you about the throat wound, as well as the back wound? What does that tell you in regards to the single bullet theory?

Wim

Doug Horne is one of the few ARRB staff who really dug deep. He is currently finishing his own book on the assassination and the work of the ARRB, which should be out next year.

In the meantime, Dick Russell devotes the last chapter of his new book On the Trail of the Assassins to Doug Horne, which is set for a November 3rd release, but can be preordered now via Amazon, Barns & Nobel, et al.

http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/details.php?TitleID=250

BK

[Wim Dankbaar]

Use of probes: Robinson had vivid recollections of a very long, malleable probe used during the autopsy. His most vivid recollection of the probe is seeing it inserted near the base of the brain in the back of the head (after removal of the brain), and seeing the tip of the probe come out of the tracheotomy incision in the anterior neck. He was adamant about this recollection. He aslo recalls seing the wound high in te back probed unsuccesfully, meaning that the probe did not exit anywhere.

The point is, this document confirmes what Robinson told me. Since then I have eaten my own words below.

The wound trajectories were probed from inside the skull, through the gaping hole in JFK's head. The probe came out at the throat wound. This means that the throatwound was indeed an exit wound from a bullet fragment of the bullet that hit him in the head, NOT an entry wound from a bullet.

It also means (once again) that the single bullet theory didn't happen, for the wound trajectory in JFK's back did have NO exit, so no bullet penetrated the body like the single bullet theory portrays. And of course, without the single bullet theory, there is no singel assassin. Maybe the most flagrant aspect is that all the autopsy doctors must have known this when the Warren Commision defrauded the American public with their lie.

Post by Bruce P. Brychek (one of James Files’ best friends, who visits James regularly)

4. As of 03.26.2005, Jimmy was/is unaware of any second team of

shooters. Though this is possible, but not probable, it would have been

on a "Need to Know" basis, assuming arguendo, that there was a

Second Team of Shooters, and further assuming that they were

deployed by the "Same Source," capable of even sharing the knowledge.

Jimmy's thought on the neck would are, that he was shooting Mercury loads, because they purposely explode upon impact. He thinks that

pieces from his Mercury load came through Kennedy's neck, and also

hit the windshield from the inside.

Answer from Wim:

Jimmy should stay away from speculation. Although his need to know knowledge actually enhances his credibility, and also proves that he is not "well read" on the assassination, there is no way that the throat wound was inflicted by a fragment from his bullet. The throat wound was caused by another bullet from the front (it could only have been from the south knoll in my opinion). It was a neat little round hole, recognised by all the Parkland doctors as an entry wound from a small caliber bullet.

[Mark Knight]

Wim, this information about the probes seems to confirm the speculation of the Parkland doctors, that they couldn't rule out the possibility that the massive rear head wound may have been a result of the neck wound.

Interesting.

I would've thought that the Z-film would've debunked that explanation, as there was no [apparent] head wound when JFK begins to reach for his throat. But I suppose they were obligated during the autopsy to explore as many options as possible. Shame the original autopsy notes were destroyed, as they might've been somewhat illuminating in this respect.

I think your contention, "without the single bullet theory, there is no singel assassin," is too sweeping a generalization. In case you hadn't noticed,Tom Purvis has laid out a convinvcing case as to how the SBT could be total horse manure, yet the scenario of a single assassin could be plausible. The Secret Service apparently proved the possibility early in their investigation; it just wasn't the explanation being sold by the WC.

[Thomas H. Purvis]

Wim, this information about the probes seems to confirm the speculation of the Parkland doctors, that they couldn't rule out the possibility that the massive rear head wound may have been a result of the neck wound.

Interesting.

I would've thought that the Z-film would've debunked that explanation, as there was no [apparent] head wound when JFK begins to reach for his throat. But I suppose they were obligated during the autopsy to explore as many options as possible. Shame the original autopsy notes were destroyed, as they might've been somewhat illuminating in this respect.

I think your contention, "without the single bullet theory, there is no singel assassin," is too sweeping a generalization. In case you hadn't noticed,Tom Purvis has laid out a convinvcing case as to how the SBT could be total horse manure, yet the scenario of a single assassin could be plausible. The Secret Service apparently proved the possibility early in their investigation; it just wasn't the explanation being sold by the WC.

In case you hadn't noticed,Tom Purvis has laid out a convinvcing case as to how the SBT could be total horse manure, yet the scenario of a single assassin could be plausible.

Of course! One must also give potential consideration that I am merely one of those "doppleganger's" who was sent here to create confusion; mis-direction; and to completely disrupt all of those who are SO CLOSE to the truth!

My entire "Bonus Check" is dependent upon same!

[Ron Ecker]

Wasn't there at least one other witness to a probe through the body, or at least a probe being used (besides Humes's finger in the back wound)?

Edited August 13, 2008 by Ron Ecker

[Pat Speer]

Wasn't there at least one other witness to a probe through the body, or at least a probe being used (besides Humes's finger in the back wound)?

Right you are, Ron. I studied the medical evidence and Zapruder film for several years before coming to the conclusion that a reduced-speed bullet entering low on Kennedy's head exited his throat around frame 224. Only after I came to this conclusion did I come to the realization that not one but two autopsy witnesses claimed the doctors had come to this same conclusion.

From patspeer.com, chapter 18:

Two and a Half Witnesses

Having established, I believe, a strong case for a new perspective on the President’s wounds, the statements of three autopsy witnesses become relevant. While their memories and/or impressions could very well be wrong, if they are correct, then the conspiracy to suppress the medical evidence began much earlier than one might otherwise believe. The first witness whose statements are relevant to our analysis is Dr. George Burkley, the President’s physician. Burkley was the only doctor to view Kennedy’s remains in both Dallas and Bethesda. While he died some time ago, he nevertheless left behind a trail which tells an altogether different story than the one provided by the government.

1. The day after the assassination, Dr. Burkley prepared Kennedy’s death certificate. He listed the cause of death as simply “Gunshot wound, skull” (no specific entrance and exit). In the summary of facts he explained that Kennedy was “struck in the head” and that the wound was “shattering in type causing a fragmentation of the skull.” He said the “second wound occurred in the posterior back at about the level of the third thoracic vertebra.” This location was slightly lower than the location eventually decided on by the autopsy surgeons and was far too low to be compatible with the single-bullet theory. Just as intriguing, however, Burkley’s mentioning the small entrance wound on the back discovered at the autopsy but failing to mention the small entrance wound on the back of the skull discovered at the autopsy suggests the possibility that he had doubts this small entrance wound on the skull connected to the large defect.

2. On November 27, 1963, the FBI delivered the Harper fragment to Dr. Burkley. Despite the fact that this fragment showed both internal and external beveling, which indicated that it came from a tangential wound, Dr. Burkley failed to tell Dr. Humes about the fragment. While the report of the initial autopsy had been completed, Dr. Humes had not yet inspected the brain and completed his work. Dr. Burkley never explained why he failed to tell Humes about this fragment. Did Burkley understand its importance?

3. On October 17, 1967, Dr. Burkley was interviewed by William McHugh on behalf of the Kennedy Library. When asked about the autopsy of President Kennedy, he told McHugh “My conclusion in regard to the cause of death was the bullet wound which involved the skull. The discussion as to whether a previous bullet also enters into it, but as far as the cause of death the immediate cause was unquestionably the bullet which shattered the brain and the calvarium.” While, on the surface, this seems to agree with the autopsy report, the “previous bullet” mentioned by Burkley could very well mean “the previous bullet to strike Kennedy in the skull but not shatter his calvarium.” Supporting this speculation, when McHugh asked Burkley if he agreed with the Warren Report’s conclusions “on the number of bullets that entered the President’s body,” Dr. Burkley replied “I would not care to be quoted on that.”

4. A memo created by the original chief counsel of the HSCA, Richard Sprague, and found years later in his files, indicates that on March 18, 1977, he spoke to William Illig, Burkley’s attorney. Illig told Sprague that Burkley had information indicating that Oswald did not act alone.

5. When HSCA staff member Andy Purdy finally spoke to Burkley on August 17, 1977, however, the most Burkley said about the possibility of a conspiracy was that “the doctors didn’t section the brain and that if it had been done, it might be possible to prove whether or not there were two bullets.”

6. On November 28, 1978, towards the end of the HSCA, Burkley signed a sworn statement stating that he was interviewed by Mark Flanagan and Andy Purdy of the HSCA in January 1978. In this statement, he acknowledges “I supervised the autopsy and directed the fixation and retention of the brain for future study of the course of the bullet or bullets.” (I hope to find Flanagan and Purdy’s account of this interview in the future.)

7. In his book Reasonable Doubt, writer Henry Hurt claimed to have spoken to Burkley in 1982, and to have been told by Burkley that he believed Kennedy was killed by a conspiracy.

8. A January, 1997 memo by Doug Horne of the ARRB reflects that he contacted Burkley’s daughter and asked her to grant access to the files on her father kept by his former attorney, William Illig. It was hoped that these files would contain the information Mr. Illig had called Richard Sprague about almost twenty years earlier. She initially agreed, but by July, 1998, had changed her mind.

Nevertheless, by piecing together Burkley’s statements, we can approximate what he was thinking. Nowhere in his statements did he ever say the fatal bullet entered the back of Kennedy’s head. Consequently, when he mentioned a “previous bullet” to McHugh it’s possible he was referring to an earlier, less severe head wound. Since his placement of the back wound ruled out the single-bullet theory, and since he suspected two bullets struck Kennedy in the head, it’s quite possible he suspected Kennedy was killed in the manner here proposed.

A second witness of interest was Tom Robinson, who worked at Gawler’s Funeral Home. He helped clean up and reconstruct the President’s skull after the autopsy. While his recollections of many of the details of that night were foggy—some changed dramatically between his 1977 interview with the HSCA and his 1996 interview with the ARRB—he nevertheless made several relevant statements. He told the HSCA that “The inside of the skull was badly smashed,” that he remembered something about the bullet exiting from the throat, that the bullet “might have been coming from the head and down,” and that he remembers the doctors probing “at the base of the head,’ with an “18 inch piece of metal.” He told the ARRB, 19 years later that, “there were fractures all over the cranium, including the base of the skull,” and that he had “vivid recollections of a very long, malleable probe being used during the autopsy. His most vivid recollection of the probe is seeing it inserted near the base of the brain in the back of the head (after removal of the brain), and seeing the tip of the probe come out the tracheotomy incision in the anterior neck. He was adamant about this recollection. He also recalls seeing the wound high in the back probed unsuccessfully, meaning that the probe did not exit anywhere.” While some have sought to discredit Robinson’s statements by pointing out their inconsistencies, they can not be wholly discounted. His memories on some details have proved accurate. For instance, he told the ARRB that “he saw 2 or 3 small perforations or holes in the right cheek during embalming, when formaldehyde seeped through these small wounds and discoloration began to occur.” These wounds, not mentioned in the autopsy report, and rarely mentioned elsewhere, are indeed visible in the “stare of death” autopsy photo. While such wounds are in correlation with a bullet exploding near Kennedy’s temple while his head was leaning 25 degrees to its left, its difficult to see how they could be caused by a fragmenting bullet sailing upwards from his cranium, as proposed in Larry Sturdivan’s scenario.

Finally, there’s Richard Lipsey, who was a military aide to the general responsible for Kennedy’s funeral, General Wehle. Lipsey was ordered to keep an eye on the President’s body during the autopsy. Consequently he sat close by and tried to listen to what the doctors were saying. He prepared a face sheet for the HSCA staff depicting the President’s wounds as he remembered them being discussed. And they’re exactly as surmised in this presentation! In dismissing Lipsey’s account, the HSCA medical report said “Lipsey apparently formulated his conclusions based on observations and not on the conclusions of the doctors. In this regard, he believed the massive defect in the head represented an entrance and an exit when it was only an exit. He also concluded the entrance in the rear of the head corresponded to an exit in the neck. This conclusion could not have originated with the doctors because during the autopsy they believed the neck defect only represented a tracheostomy incision…Thus, although Lipsey’s recollection of the number of defects to the body and the corresponding locations are correct, his conclusions are wrong and are not supported by any other evidence.” How strange that the writers of this report represent these as Lipsey’s conclusions, when his testimony is clear that this is simply what he believes he overheard. If they believed him to be wrong then they should have just said he misunderstood the doctors. Instead the HSCA forensics panel, which concluded the Bethesda doctors were off by 4 inches on the head wound and at least 2 inches on the back wound, concluded that Lipsey was wrong because his testimony was in disagreement with the statements of these very same doctors, as these doctors are obviously beyond reproach from all sources except, of course, the HSCA forensics panel. The panel never even inquired with the Bethesda doctors if a shot connecting the wounds in the hairline and neck had ever been considered, and the possibility of such a trajectory is never even discussed in their report! They simply said Lipsey’s statements were not supported by any other evidence and left it at that.

[Thomas Graves]

[...]

____________________________________

I know that this is probably a stupid question, but what the hell...

Which firing location would have been 45 degrees above the lower-head (entrance) and throat (exit) wound, and would have been possible from the left-to-right angle as well?

Thanks,

--Thomas

____________________________________

Edited August 14, 2008 by Thomas Graves

[Mike Williams]

[...]

____________________________________

I know that this is probably a stupid question, but what the hell...

Which firing location would have been 45 degrees above the lower-head (entrance) and throat (exit) wound, and would have been possible from the left-to-right angle as well?

Thanks,

--Thomas

____________________________________

Thomas,

The answer is none. If the bullet transited at 45 degrees then the distance to the target has to be equal to the height of the shooter. If the target were 200 feet from the shooter then the shooter would have to be 200 feet in the air to replicate a 45 degree downward trajectory.

Mike

[Mike Williams]

Use of probes: Robinson had vivid recollections of a very long, malleable probe used during the autopsy. His most vivid recollection of the probe is seeing it inserted near the base of the brain in the back of the head (after removal of the brain), and seeing the tip of the probe come out of the tracheotomy incision in the anterior neck. He was adamant about this recollection. He aslo recalls seing the wound high in te back probed unsuccesfully, meaning that the probe did not exit anywhere.

The point is, this document confirmes what Robinson told me. Since then I have eaten my own words below.

The wound trajectories were probed from inside the skull, through the gaping hole in JFK's head. The probe came out at the throat wound. This means that the throatwound was indeed an exit wound from a bullet fragment of the bullet that hit him in the head, NOT an entry wound from a bullet.

It also means (once again) that the single bullet theory didn't happen, for the wound trajectory in JFK's back did have NO exit, so no bullet penetrated the body like the single bullet theory portrays. And of course, without the single bullet theory, there is no singel assassin. Maybe the most flagrant aspect is that all the autopsy doctors must have known this when the Warren Commision defrauded the American public with their lie.

Post by Bruce P. Brychek (one of James Files’ best friends, who visits James regularly)

4. As of 03.26.2005, Jimmy was/is unaware of any second team of

shooters. Though this is possible, but not probable, it would have been

on a "Need to Know" basis, assuming arguendo, that there was a

Second Team of Shooters, and further assuming that they were

deployed by the "Same Source," capable of even sharing the knowledge.

Jimmy's thought on the neck would are, that he was shooting Mercury loads, because they purposely explode upon impact. He thinks that

pieces from his Mercury load came through Kennedy's neck, and also

hit the windshield from the inside.

Answer from Wim:

Jimmy should stay away from speculation. Although his need to know knowledge actually enhances his credibility, and also proves that he is not "well read" on the assassination, there is no way that the throat wound was inflicted by a fragment from his bullet. The throat wound was caused by another bullet from the front (it could only have been from the south knoll in my opinion). It was a neat little round hole, recognised by all the Parkland doctors as an entry wound from a small caliber bullet.

A small caliber bullet entering the throat would certainly have left metalic residue on the tie and collar, would certainly have done far more damage to the neck than is related, would certainly have had an exit point, and would certainly have led JFK to grab his throat, something he never does in the Z film.

Those are the wound ballistics issues, we wont even approach the external ballistic issues present in the forms of trajectory and target acquisition.

Wim you better stick to an area of research you understand. Ballistics is obviously not your cup of tea. Unfortunately for you you did not think about this before writing that check!

Mike

[Thomas H. Purvis]

Use of probes: Robinson had vivid recollections of a very long, malleable probe used during the autopsy. His most vivid recollection of the probe is seeing it inserted near the base of the brain in the back of the head (after removal of the brain), and seeing the tip of the probe come out of the tracheotomy incision in the anterior neck. He was adamant about this recollection. He aslo recalls seing the wound high in te back probed unsuccesfully, meaning that the probe did not exit anywhere.

The point is, this document confirmes what Robinson told me. Since then I have eaten my own words below.

The wound trajectories were probed from inside the skull, through the gaping hole in JFK's head. The probe came out at the throat wound. This means that the throatwound was indeed an exit wound from a bullet fragment of the bullet that hit him in the head, NOT an entry wound from a bullet.

It also means (once again) that the single bullet theory didn't happen, for the wound trajectory in JFK's back did have NO exit, so no bullet penetrated the body like the single bullet theory portrays. And of course, without the single bullet theory, there is no singel assassin. Maybe the most flagrant aspect is that all the autopsy doctors must have known this when the Warren Commision defrauded the American public with their lie.

Post by Bruce P. Brychek (one of James Files’ best friends, who visits James regularly)

4. As of 03.26.2005, Jimmy was/is unaware of any second team of

shooters. Though this is possible, but not probable, it would have been

on a "Need to Know" basis, assuming arguendo, that there was a

Second Team of Shooters, and further assuming that they were

deployed by the "Same Source," capable of even sharing the knowledge.

Jimmy's thought on the neck would are, that he was shooting Mercury loads, because they purposely explode upon impact. He thinks that

pieces from his Mercury load came through Kennedy's neck, and also

hit the windshield from the inside.

Answer from Wim:

Jimmy should stay away from speculation. Although his need to know knowledge actually enhances his credibility, and also proves that he is not "well read" on the assassination, there is no way that the throat wound was inflicted by a fragment from his bullet. The throat wound was caused by another bullet from the front (it could only have been from the south knoll in my opinion). It was a neat little round hole, recognised by all the Parkland doctors as an entry wound from a small caliber bullet.

A small caliber bullet entering the throat would certainly have left metalic residue on the tie and collar, would certainly have done far more damage to the neck than is related, would certainly have had an exit point, and would certainly have led JFK to grab his throat, something he never does in the Z film.

Those are the wound ballistics issues, we wont even approach the external ballistic issues present in the forms of trajectory and target acquisition.

Wim you better stick to an area of research you understand. Ballistics is obviously not your cup of tea. Unfortunately for you you did not think about this before writing that check!

Mike

and would certainly have led JFK to grab his throat, something he never does in the Z film.

Whether one has a good ole S. Mississippi "Yellow Jacket" (member of the wasp family) in their clothing stinging them on the back, or a "hot" bullet lodged in the back, the pain threshold is about the same.

And, one makes every attempt to get their clothing off in a hurry.

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/russ/testimony/shaneyf2.htm

Mr. SHANEYFELT. That is primarily apparent from the motion picture because of the two or three or four frames that show as he emerges from the sign; that is, in the motion picture, you see the President reaching for his coat lapels and going into a hunched position, leaning forward and lowering his head.

[Pat Speer]

A small caliber bullet entering the throat would certainly have left metalic residue on the tie and collar, would certainly have done far more damage to the neck than is related, would certainly have had an exit point, and would certainly have led JFK to grab his throat, something he never does in the Z film.

Those are the wound ballistics issues, we wont even approach the external ballistic issues present in the forms of trajectory and target acquisition.

Wim you better stick to an area of research you understand. Ballistics is obviously not your cup of tea. Unfortunately for you you did not think about this before writing that check!

Mike

Mike, the legendary cop Serpico had a low caliber bullet lodge within his neck, with little permanent damage. When discussing the damage done to a neck by a bullet, the speed of the bullet is reportedly far more of a factor than the caliber. My study of the wound ballistics literature indicates that for the single-bullet theory to have happened, the bullet would almost certainly have to have been traveling at a much slower speed than proposed.

As far as Kennedy's failure or inability to grab his throat, I go into this in chapter 17, and discuss the possibility this was related to his having suffered cerebellar damage.

From patspeer.com, chapter 17:

Since a bullet shooting down the neck at Z-224 would have brushed past the cerebellum, if not actually striking it, I decided to look back through the literature to see if there was any indication something like this occurred. I found that when discussing the brain photos with the ARRB in 1996, Dr. Humes acknowledged, “the right cerebellum has been partially disrupted, yes.” I also found that Dr. Peters, one of the President’s doctors in Dallas, was shown the autopsy photos in 1988 and shared Humes’ appraisal. He wrote writer Harry Livingstone that “the cerebellum was indeed depressed on the right side compared to the left.” I then recalled the HSCA’s declaration that “the posterior-inferior portion of the cerebellum” was “virtually intact…It certainly does not demonstrate the degree of laceration, fragmentation, or contusion (as appears subsequently on the superior aspect of the brain) that would be expected in this location if the bullet wound of entrance were as described in the autopsy report.” This time, however, I noticed the qualifiers. They said “virtually intact,” which indicates some damage. They also said there was certainly not the degree of damage necessary to be consistent with the autopsy report, which makes sense. After all, the bullet trajectory implied in the autopsy report would have the bullet heading straight into the cerebellum. These statements by the HSCA lead me to believe the damage apparent on the cerebellum is consistent with a bullet’s having headed down into the neck.

Dr. Humes certainly thought so. Upon re-reading the supplementary autopsy report from 12-6-63, I noticed that there were seven slices of tissue removed from the brain for microscopic examination, including one from the “right cerebellar cortex.” I then noticed that the other six were all from areas that were reported to be damaged. When I re-read the report I realized that a line I had read many times meant something completely different than I’d previously believed. The report states “When viewed from the basilar aspect the disruption of the right cortex is again obvious.” As “the basilar aspect” means “underneath” and “cortex” means “outer layer,” this is clearly a reference to the cerebellum and not a reference to the badly lacerated cerebral cortex, which could not be viewed from underneath. The results of the microscopic examination of the brain confirm this damage: “Multiple sections from representative areas as noted above are examined. All sections are essentially similar and show extensive disruption of brain tissue with associated hemorrhage.” Later, during his March 16, 1964 testimony before the Warren Commission, Humes confirmed yet again that the cerebellum was damaged, noting that "the flocculus cerebri was extensively lacerated." The flocculus cerebri is the underside of the cerebellum. (Thanks to John Hunt and John Canal for bringing this to my attention.)

At the risk of pulling a Lattimer, who incorrectly tried to link Kennedy’s movements after this shot to something described as a Thorburn’s response, I decided to see if the President’s behavior after frame 224 was consistent with someone suffering damage to his cerebellum. According to the available literature, the symptoms of cerebellar damage include a weakness to the side of the body suffering the damage (ipsilateral hypotonia), a tendency to not stop a movement at its proper point (dysmetria), an inability to grasp objects (ataxia), an abnormal head attitude, and disturbances in speech, eye movement, and equilibrium. Between Zapruder frame 224, when the President seems to suffer a wound on his throat, and 313, when he is obviously hit in the head, the President reached in the direction of his throat without grabbing anything, lifted his arms past his throat, slumped to his left (perhaps as over-compensation for the sudden weakness on his right), and stared down without letting out so much as a scream. Ironically, a November 24, 1963 article in the New York Times by Dr. Howard Rusk described this very phenomenon. Mistakenly believing the theory proposed by the Dallas doctors on the afternoon of the 22nd, that one shot hit Kennedy in the throat and exploded out the top of his head, Dr. Rusk explained brain injuries as follows: “If the injury is in the posterior portion of the brain, where the bullet that killed the President made its exit, the cerebellum is damaged. Then the individual is left with ataxia, evidenced by severe intention type of tremors that occur when one tries to perform a basic act or grasp an object. Damage to the cerebellum is also usually accompanied by a loss of equilibrium."

Should one be unsatisfied with that explanation, there is another possible explanation for Kennedy’s behavior. Since Brock’s Injuries of the Brain and Spinal Cord made note that “Posterior basilar fractures tend to gravitate towards the large foramina”, I decided to see if there were any behavioral symptoms for a fracture in this area. And I found something which dropped my jaw. Jugular Foramen Syndrome is described by Blakiston’s Pocket Medical Dictionary as “Paralysis of the ipsilateral glossopharyngeal, vagus, and spinal accessory nerves, caused by a lesion involving the jugular foramen, usually a basilar skull fracture.” According to the online article Craniofacial and Skull Base Trauma by Dr. Harry Shahinian and the Skull Base Institute the paralysis of the vagus nerve would manifest itself through a paralysis of the vocal cords, and a paralysis of the spinal accessory nerves would manifest itself through a paralysis of the neck muscle that flexes the head (the strernocleidomastoid) as well as a weakness of the trapezius muscle, which rotates it. The result is a “weakness in contralateral head rotation and shoulder elevation.” Contralateral, of course, means affecting the opposite side of the body. As we know all too well, Kennedy turned toward his left and his left shoulder dipped in his final, silent, moments.

[Pat Speer]

[...]

____________________________________

I know that this is probably a stupid question, but what the hell...

Which firing location would have been 45 degrees above the lower-head (entrance) and throat (exit) wound, and would have been possible from the left-to-right angle as well?

Thanks,

--Thomas

____________________________________

Thomas, you are correct in noting that the 45 degree angle noted by Humes failed to project back at any of the proposed shooting locations. The doctors to look into the case have been near unanimous in their opinion that you can't take the head wounds and line them up and say there's your shooter. Bullets often deflect upon entering a skull. The sharp decline would make more sense, however, if the shot had been fired from the top of a building, perhaps the Dal-Tex Building. As far as the left-right trajectory...it does indeed seem unlikely for such a bullet to derive from the school book depository, as it would have to have made a bit of a right turn. This turn is less severe, of course, if this bullet was fired from the Dal-Tex Building, directly behind Kennedy.

[Duke Lane]

In case you hadn't noticed,Tom Purvis has laid out a convinvcing case as to how the SBT could be total horse manure, yet the scenario of a single assassin could be plausible.

Of course! One must also give potential consideration that I am merely one of those "doppleganger's" who was sent here to create confusion; mis-direction; and to completely disrupt all of those who are SO CLOSE to the truth!

My entire "Bonus Check" is dependent upon same!

Yours, too, huh?

[Mike Williams]

In case you hadn't noticed,Tom Purvis has laid out a convinvcing case as to how the SBT could be total horse manure, yet the scenario of a single assassin could be plausible.

Of course! One must also give potential consideration that I am merely one of those "doppleganger's" who was sent here to create confusion; mis-direction; and to completely disrupt all of those who are SO CLOSE to the truth!

My entire "Bonus Check" is dependent upon same!

Yours, too, huh?

You guys get bonus checks? I should have driven a harder bargin in my contract!