Where's Bennett in the Altgens photo?

[Gerry Down]

SS agent Glen Bennetts testimony was interpreted by the WC report to mean that he heard a first shot that missed, he then looked at JFK just in time to see a second shot strike JFKs back and then seconds later a third shot followed that struck JFK in the head. 

On his website Pat Speer talks about Bennett. From that analysis I have come to suspect that actually Bennett heard nothing prior to Z224. Up until Z224 Bennett was looking off to his right watching the crowd. On hearing the shot at Z224, Bennett first wondered what the noise was and then turned to his left to look at JFK and now sees a nick in the back of JFKs coat (possibly made visible by JFK lifting up his arms). Then Bennett hears a second shot which is the shot that struck JFK in the head. Bennett therefore hears only two shots - Z224 and Z313. As proof of this theory, the Willis photo of Z202 appears to show Bennett looking off to his right (apparently having heard no shot at all) and the Altgens photo of Z255 which Speer says shows Bennett still looking off to his right (apparently Bennett is wondering at this time what the noise is he heard just 1.7 seconds earlier, 31 frames, at Z224 and will shortly turn to his left to look at JFK for the first time). 

Here is what Speer says:

There’s also the problem that the Willis photo at Z-202 shows Bennett still staring to his right. If there’d been a shot at Z-160 and had Bennett immediately turned to his left, as pushed by those claiming Bennett's statement the Rosetta Stone, he should already be looking at Kennedy in the Willis photo. This suggests instead that Bennett heard a shot at 190, not 160. Another problem, as pointed out by researcher Robert Harris, is that the Altgens photo shows Bennett still looking to his right at Z-255. This might make one suspect he heard an early shot, turned to face the President after Z-255, and heard two more shots ring out, associating the first shot with the "nick" in the president's back he first noticed at this time, and the second with the bullet striking Kennedy in the head. This possibility is further supported by the fact that Bennett--in opposition to most every other witness to the president's first being struck--failed to note his subsequent lurch to the left or lean forward. It is also supported by the fact that when speaking to the HSCA's investigator, Bennett backtracked from claiming he saw the bullet hit Kennedy and said instead that he'd noticed a nick in the back of the President's coat. There's another possibility, however. In Bennett's original notes he does not say that he saw the second shot hit the president, or that he heard a shot when he looked at the President and noticed his back wound. He says he saw "a shot that hit the boss". He then writes that "A second shoot followed immediately and hit the right rear high of the boss's head". This suggests the possibility that when Bennett looked at the President he saw "that a shot had hit the boss" and that he then saw a second shot hit Kennedy in the head. This would mean that he'd heard but two shots, which would put his words in line with fellow Secret Service agents Clint Hill and Paul Landis.

SOURCE: https://www.patspeer.com/chapter5bprimarypieces

To examine this further I tried to find Bennett in the Altgens photo, taken at Z255, to confirm if he is indeed looking to his right as late as Z255. However I am having difficulty picking him out. Do my arrows pick Bennett out correctly?

Here is the Willis photo for further context as taken from Speers website which appears to show Bennett watching the crowd to his right, at least what he can see of the crowd behind Landis' back who is on the running board beside him:

Edited February 13, 2023 by Gerry Down

[Gerry Down]

UPDATE:

If I am correct and that is Bennett looking to his right in the Altgens photo - what kind of an expression does he have on his face?

It looks like a look of anguish to me.

And that suggests he has just seen JFK shot in the back and has now turned to his right in anguish, 1.7 seconds later, in an effort to locate the assassin in the crowd. 

If this analysis is correct, then it means that Bennett was prone to looking around him for an assassin on hearing the sound of a shot. This means in the Willis photo taken at Z202 on the Zapruder film, that Bennett may in fact be looking off to his right in an effort to locate the assassin on hearing the first shot several seconds earlier. In his testimony Bennett says that at the exact time he looked at JFK he saw him get shot in the back. This suggests he was looking elsewhere in the moments prior to Z224. And the Willis photo may in fact be supporting that contention as it looks like he is looking off to his right at the crowd possibly looking for an assassin in response to hearing the first shot. Pat Speer contends that the Willis photo is proof that Bennett has not heard a shot by Z202 but by Bennetts own testimony he effectively admitted to the fact he was looking elsewhere just before Z224 as it was at the exact moment he looked at JFK at Z224that he saw him got shot in the back.  

Below is a list of Bennetts known statements regarding the JFK assassination as taken from Pat Speers website. And on reading them again, if my interpretation of the Altgens photo showing a look of anguish on Bennetts face is correct, then the WC reports analysis is correct that Bennett is indeed a witness supporting an early first missed shot.

Glen Bennett sat on the right side of the rear seat of the back-up car. (notes written on 11-22-63, 24H541-542) "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 firecracker. I immediately, upon hearing the supposed firecracker, 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--high left--but was unable to see any one person that could have rendered this terrible tragedy." (11-23-63 report, 18H760) “The motorcade entered an intersection and then proceeded down a grade. At this point the well-wishers numbered but a few, the motorcade continued on down this grade en route to the trade mart. At this point I heard what sounded like a firecracker. I immediately looked from the right/crowd/physical area and looked towards the President who was seated in the right rear seat of his limousine open convertible, At the moment I looked at the back of the President I heard another firecracker noise and saw the shot hit the President about four inches down from the right shoulder. A second shot followed immediately and hit the right rear high of the President’s head. I immediately hollered “he’s hit” and reached for the AR-15 located on the floor of the rear seat. Special Agent Hickey had already picked-up the AR-15. We peered towards the rear and particularly the right side of the area. I had drawn my revolver when I saw SA Hickey had the AR-15. I was unable to see anything or one that could have fired the shoots.” (Signed statement in the 5-5-64 Secret Service report on the behavior of the presidential detail on the night before the shooting, 18H682) "I arrived at the Press Club about 12:30 A.M. and joined agents at a table...I had two beers, thanked the hostess for the club's hospitality and departed about 1:30 A.M....I arrived at The Cellar about 1:40 A.M. and had two grape fruit drinks. I departed The Cellar at approximately 3:00 A.M. and went directly to the hotel." (Note: Bennett reported for duty at 7:20 A.M.) (1-30-78 interview with HSCA investigator, file # 180-10082-10452) “He remembers hearing what he hoped was a firecracker. 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. He believes he called out to no one in particular, after the third shot, 'he's been hit'.… he believes he saw the nick in the President’s coat after the second shot.”

SOURCE: https://www.patspeer.com/chapter5bprimarypieces 

[Marjan Rynkiewicz]

Bennett heard a firecracker noise (Oswald's shot-1 at pseudo Z113), then another firecracker noise (or shot)(Oswald's shot-2 at Z218-Z219), then he heard & saw a shot (the headshot)(which would have been the last shot of Hickey's accidental autoburst of at least 4 shots of Hickey's AR15 (from say Z300 to Z313).

Armed with this info u can then analyse any & all statements -- & u will see that much of what was said by all of the SSAs was wrong.

So, we can't make much sense of what Bennett (& Hill)(& the others) said – they had critical aspects (particularly when) wrong.

[Marjan Rynkiewicz]

Bennett's memory is probly as bad as SSA Hill's.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYwCmDDSLA&t=27s

 

Hill said that the headshot was as he was climbing onto the limo – he said that it was just before he grabbed the grip (which he called "handle") – he grabbed the grip at Z340, hence that shot would have been at say Z336 (the Zapruder film runs at 18.3 fps).

At 26:45 Hill says that he heard an explosion over his right shoulder (this might have been Oswald's shot-2 at Z219).

Hill in this youtube said that he did not hear a shot that was fired as he was running – but he learnt of this shot later -- this shot would have been let us say halfway between Z219 & Z336 – ie at say Z277.

So, if one tries to make much sense out of Hill's words in this youtube then we would have to say that Hill considered that there had been shots at Z219, Z277 & Z336.

But, we know that the shots were at pseudo Z113 (Oswald), Z218-Z219 (Oswald), then a burst of 4 or 5 or 6 shots at say Z300 to Z313 (Hickey).

Hence Hill's memory is as bad as all of the rest ovem.

 

In the Zapruder footage we can see that Hill (had already jumped) &…..

Hill was wildly running next to the left front wheel of Queen Mary at the time of the headshot at Z312.

Puts his left hand on the grip at Z340.

Right hand on the limo at Z350.

Right hand on the grip at Z 353.

Left foot on the footrest at Z Z368.

Right foot on the footrest at Z384.

Right hand touches Jacki at Z 390 (Zapruder film runs at 18.3 fps).

[Gerry Down]

38 minutes ago, Marjan Rynkiewicz said:

Bennett heard a firecracker noise (Oswald's shot-1 at pseudo Z113), then another firecracker noise (or shot)(Oswald's shot-2 at Z218-Z219), then he heard & saw a shot (the headshot)(which would have been the last shot of Hickey's accidental autoburst of at least 4 shots of Hickey's AR15 (from say Z300 to Z313).

Armed with this info u can then analyse any & all statements -- & u will see that much of what was said by all of the SSAs was wrong.

So, we can't make much sense of what Bennett (& Hill)(& the others) said – they had critical aspects (particularly when) wrong.

Do you think Bennett is visible at all in the Altgens photo?

I presume that is the back of Hickeys head one can see directly over the driver Sam Kinney. If so, then Bennett should be over somewhere to the right of Hickey in the back seat. 

[Marjan Rynkiewicz]

18 minutes ago, Gerry Down said:

Do you think Bennett is visible at all in the Altgens photo?

I presume that is the back of Hickeys head one can see directly over the driver Sam Kinney. If so, then Bennett should be over somewhere to the right of Hickey in the back seat. 

Yes – your arrow is to Bennett's cheekbone.

 

For what its worth – here is what Zapruder frames show re Bennett…….

……………..……….. Z133 – We can't see Bennett.  Z134 – Blurry.

Z135 to Z139 – Bennett is looking a bit right as usual.

Z140 to Z143 – Might be looking straight ahead.

Z144 to Z153 – A bit right again.

…………………….. Z154 to Z159 – Blurry or bad.

Z160 to Z163 – Bennett possibly looking straight ahead or even a bit left (he is half hidden by SSA standing).

…………….………. Z164 & later – Bennett completely hidden by SSA standing – or is out of frame.