The Jump Seats

[Pat Speer]

Does anyone know specifically how the jump seats worked? Did they just slide forward and fold up against the back of the drivers' compartment? Or would someone have to unscrew something before moving them?

When one looks at the FBI photos of the limousine taken during the late-night inspection, the jump seats are visible in some and invisible in others. Does anyone know which photos were taken first?

Perhaps this is a question for Pamela.

[Pat Speer]

Does anyone know specifically how the jump seats worked? Did they just slide forward and fold up against the back of the drivers' compartment? Or would someone have to unscrew something before moving them?

When one looks at the FBI photos of the limousine taken during the late-night inspection, the jump seats are visible in some and invisible in others. Does anyone know which photos were taken first?

Perhaps this is a question for Pamela.

The reason I brought this up is because I recently read Jack Bell's eyewitness account of the chaos at Parkland. He says that when he came back after phoning in his story, the jump seats had been removed. I'm trying to figure out whether this is evidence for the clean-up we all suspect took place.

[John Dolva]

There seem to be quite a few good detailed photos of the left side (left looking back to front, ie the side Jackie was sitting on) of the interior of the limousine, none of the right side interior. Some like this that help working out how the jumpseats may have worked.

[Pat Speer]

There seem to be quite a few good detailed photos of the left side (left looking back to front, ie the side Jackie was sitting on) of the interior of the limousine, none of the right side interior. Some like this that help working out how the jumpseats may have worked.

Thanks, John. What I'm specifically trying to ascertain is whether or not they were attached to the floor in any way. It seems as if they just fold up and are not attached. But I'd like to know for sure.

[John Hunt]

Does anyone know specifically how the jump seats worked? Did they just slide forward and fold up against the back of the drivers' compartment? Or would someone have to unscrew something before moving them?

When one looks at the FBI photos of the limousine taken during the late-night inspection, the jump seats are visible in some and invisible in others. Does anyone know which photos were taken first?

Perhaps this is a question for Pamela.

The seatback folded forward onto the seat, then the whole thing pivoted forward on a swivel mount (see photo)

John Hunt

[Pamela Brown]

Pat Speer wrote:

Does anyone know specifically how the jump seats worked? Did they just slide forward and fold up against the back of the drivers' compartment? Or would someone have to unscrew something before moving them?

When one looks at the FBI photos of the limousine taken during the late-night inspection, the jump seats are visible in some and invisible in others. Does anyone know which photos were taken first?

Perhaps this is a question for Pamela.

The jumpseats were attached to the floorboard. They folded up toward the center partition. The jumpseats were not removed at Parkland. If they were not visible, it was because they had been folded forward. That was probably done to make it easier to remove JFK from the car.

I do not know in which order the b&w FBI photos were taken. There was a process in place for examining the limo which included doing diagrams and a walkaround visual inspection, then taking photos, then examining the limo looking for forensic evidence, and at last taking the rear seat out and pulling up the carpet around the edges of the rear floor area.