JFK Autopsy Photos: Location

[Allan Eaglesham]

http://www.manuscriptservice.com/AutopsyRoom

The location of three of the photographs is discussed in terms of photographs taken at the autopsy on William Pitzer's body three years later, in the BNH morgue.

Allan

PS I have restructured the Web-page on LCDR Pitzer's death, to make the salient aspects of the evidence more accessible:

http://www.manuscriptservice.com/Pitzer

[John Dolva]

http://www.manuscriptservice.com/AutopsyRoom

The location of three of the photographs is discussed in terms of photographs taken at the autopsy on William Pitzer's body three years later, in the BNH morgue.

Allan

PS I have restructured the Web-page on LCDR Pitzer's death, to make the salient aspects of the evidence more accessible:

http://www.manuscriptservice.com/Pitzer

Alan, I gotta reread that a few times and check some things but: interesting. I think the tile pattern appears on some of the other photo's as well. So not sure how that fits in. Nice to see that my hypothesis that a collar for the head brace existed and has been photographed without the brace in place and could have appeared in BE7. This is very importan,t I think, as it helps to orient this photograph.

The colour profile shot shows tiles as well but other things too, you've probably covered this (at first look I couldn't spot anything in your presentation.)

Another aspect I've noted with regards to the drainage holes is a pattern of them on Kennedy's back for the photos where he is lying on his side. I think this composite dispels the notion that he was sitting up for any of them?

[Pat Speer]

Excellent article, Allan. If I may add, from what I can remember all the testimony indicated that the x-rays were taken at the beginning of the autopsy. The very beginning, before any photos were taken. There was no metal brace propping up Kennedy's head in the x-rays. It may only have been added afterwards.

The testimony also indicates that it was rare for the portable x-ray machine to be brought down into the autopsy room. Normally the corpse would be taken up to the x-ray lab. Ebersole and Humes decided that the circus should stay in the morgue. They had the portable brought down, and the rest is history.

[Allan Eaglesham]

Excellent article, Allan. If I may add, from what I can remember all the testimony indicated that the x-rays were taken at the beginning of the autopsy. The very beginning, before any photos were taken. There was no metal brace propping up Kennedy's head in the x-rays. It may only have been added afterwards.

The testimony also indicates that it was rare for the portable x-ray machine to be brought down into the autopsy room. Normally the corpse would be taken up to the x-ray lab. Ebersole and Humes decided that the circus should stay in the morgue. They had the portable brought down, and the rest is history.

Pat:

According to Jerrol Custer, the head-support was removed before he took the X-rays. That is logical, of course. The head-support could have been placed back for these photographs then removed again for the autopsy, as you suggest. More likely, in my opinion, these photographs were taken before the X-rays were made.

I don't know about bodies being taken to the X-ray facility. Certainly that's possible. On one hand, few forensic autopsies were conducted in the BNH morgue, and, on the other, X-rays were made of people still alive, for fixing broken limbs, etc., and bodies of people who died of disease, etc., were the usual subject for autopsy. So, I believe you are right that it was rare for the portable machine to be brought to the autopsy room; Paul O'Connor and Jim Jenkins may not have seen it before.

Allan