JFK's fatal head wound: The truth for those who want to know (very graphic)

jmasland.com & others | 11/22/03

[Wolfstar]

The Zapruder film proves itself to be authentic. There is no possibility that any frames could have been cut out of the film or altered. Why/how? Every time a frame was exposed, part of the background scene was exposed onto both the next frame and the previous frame in the sprocket hole areas. This is because the sproket holes are between frames, as shown below:

The head shot, frame-by-frame:

Frame 312

Frame 313

Frame 313 enlarged:

Frame 314

Frame 315

Frame 316

Frame 317

Frame 318

Frame 319

Frame 320

The head wound:

The large flap of skull, skin and other tissue blown out above and just in front of the president’s right ear. The flap stayed attached and hung over the president's right cheek. On the ride to Parkland, Mrs. Kennedy attempted to put it back in place. What the doctors saw at Parkland was the wound partially closed with the shattered pieces at the top rear of the wound missing. Hence, some doctors recalled a wound in that area:

[Tares]

I don't why it won't work for you. I tried it and it worked. Try it again, or cut and paste this: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/route.htm

[itsahoot]

<i>should really make sure you are responding to the correct person's quote before going off half-cocked.</i>

You are correct, I was just trying to have a little fun, sorry I offended you.

[gooleyman]

"I don't why it won't work for you. I tried it and it worked. Try it again, or cut and paste this: http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/route.htm"

-----
Thanks for the link. I got to it finally and read it. As I said when I posed that question, you hear so much especially about this case that you don't know what to believe. At least I can now throw that one away.

I certainly don't blindly believe the Warren Commission. My former congressman, Louis Stokes was on that committee and I know what a liar he is, so everything they say is suspect partially because of him. But also because of all the appearances of coverup, the magic bullet, etc. I suspect we will never know the full truth. For all we know, bits and pieces that we know may add up to the truth, but with so much B.S. flying around, how do we know what is and isn't true. Those who claim to know the whole truth are only kidding themselves.

[Swordmaker]

I am open minded on the subject...

Looking at the blow-up of the blow-out, I see several things that need investigating.

First is the fact that the "flap" of skull that extends forward of the ear, carries much more tissue with it than is shown on the autopsy photos. Also the flap itself is much lower down on the skull than the flap is shown in the autopsy and extends from the right ear toward the orbit of the right eye... this ismuch lower down completely contrary to the depiction in the autopsy.

Secondly, there is a grayish area at the rear of the head that may represent hair being blown out of the way by the entry of a bullet. However, the gray is inconsistent with any other areas of hair color, regardless of the angle the sunlight strikes it. I wonder if anyone has done any digital color comparison checking on that gray area... it does NOT match any colors I see with my eyes in the blow-up It. It doesn't match hair, skull, flesh, or anything else that should be there. Is it an artifact? Could it be a deformed lead bullet?

Thirdly, there appears to be a flap of skull starting to extend out of the back of the head (look at the area below Jackie's chin) that MIGHT correspond to some of the autopsy photos where we see a flap of skull edge on just in that position. This flap may represent an exit wound from a frontal shot.

There have been theories that the head exploded because TWO bullets struck simultaneously... one from the rear and one from the front.

Speaking of exposives, your use of the phrase "...due to the explosive force of the bullet exiting out the right-front of the skull..." is interesting. Observing the proposed rear entrance, front exit trajectory, and the fact the autopy doctors identify a curved arc that could be an "exit" wound on the skull, the position of Kennedy at the moment of the killing shot, would lead me to believe the bullet or fragments thereof, would have impacted INSIDE the limosine In fact, the wax dummy figure and many of the diagrams show a straight through trajectory that would have hit somewhere IN the car. Where are they? Where is the bullet hole in the car? Where are the fragments imbeded in the seats or in Connely, or the SS agents in the front seats? Curious.

[Swordmaker]

Ping to 204

[Tares]

In fact, the wax dummy figure and many of the diagrams show a straight through trajectory that would have hit somewhere IN the car. Where are they? Where is the bullet hole in the car? Where are the fragments imbeded in the seats or in Connely, or the SS agents in the front seats? Curious.

Two fragments were found inside the limo. The winshield was cracked from the inside, and a piece of chrome along the windshield (on the inside) was dented. Fragments in Limo

[Ophiucus]

An exit wound from the throat would bleed a great deal, I would think

Generally, yes, but it would depend on the trajectory, cavitation, and exit. Any arterial damage would result in a spurting spray, venous would be a more slow oozing. Somewhat rarely, a clean through and through of soft tissue leaves little outside damage and has less bleeding than expected.

In Kennedy's case, the throat wound was assessed as an entrance wound in the ER and was in perfect placement for a tracheal tube. Not surprisingly, this is a trained procedure. If there is a clear opening to the trachea, it is used for insertion rather than making a new incision.

The surgeons reported an approx. half a centimeter round hole that was only opened slightly for tube insertion (perhaps 1 to 1.5 cm).

There was some bleeding on the shirt around the hole in the shirt (in the one photograph I have seen) but given the ER description and the size of this hole, and since the bullet would have torn apart some of the cartilage u-shaped rings of the trachea, I would have surmised a possible entry wound and would have quickly palpated cervical vertebrae level of the back of the neck down to the upper thoracic vertebra level (as much as could be reached) looking for an exit wound.

Check out the photo of the back entry wound:

There is a major problem with this picture. The autopsy figures for wound placement were measured form the right mastoid process. So where is this ruler measuring from? There are no obvious or standard anatomical landmarks there. The ruler isn't in line with spine or even parallel so the spinous processes aren't being used.

Odd point for the conspiracy side - some have claimed the ruler is covering another wound that was reported by the FBI.

[CholeraJoe]

The radiograph's (don't call them x-rays, since x-rays are invisible to the human eye) indicate an anterior-posterior projectile trajectory. Metal fragments are visible inside the brain and in the chest film purported to be of JFK. The so called, "pristine bullet" is unbelievable.

I saw a pic of it on the Hitler Channel the other night and there is no way it went through two chests, a forearm, (hitting a bone) and a thigh and came out intact.

The tissue attached to the flap is undoubtedly brain tissue that fell off and was hosed out later. The rear of the limo and a motorcycle patrolman were covered with blood and brain/skull fragments. It cannot be totally explained by the speed of the motorcade.

I know enough about ballistics to state that solids penetrate and hollow points explode. I'm not a pathologist but I've spent 10,000 hours in trauma situations, including battlefield conditions.

[gooleyman]

"...i find it hard to believe these guys were experts. 8 seconds is a long time...i honestly believe i could duplicate those shots."

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My understanding is that the time it took to fire all three shots was 5.6 seconds. Does that change your mind about being able to do it at that distance under those conditions? It would mine, but then I've never shot a rifle, only handguns.

[Ophiucus]

Looking at a blowup of one frame of a digital rendering of a sometime in focus, sometime out of focus home movie film...and what is expected to be seen?

What I can clearly make out:

• Jackie's hat, face, left shoulder and upper arm of bright pinkish/ light purple jacket.
  
• Kennedy's upper right arm and curve of shoulder of blue jacket
  
• Kennedy's right ear
  

What I can guess at:

• Right side of Kennedy's head posterior of ear - would include mastoid part of temporal bone, posterior half of parietal bone, and occipital protuberance
  
• A red and white area that appears to be avulsed tissue immediately anterior to Kennedy's right ear - possibly over the anterior squamous temporal bone, greater wing of the sphenoid bone, and zygomatic bone
  

What seems to be missing:

• the right side of his entire face - covered in shadow?
  
• the 'top of his head', the left and right anterior parietal bones and superior frontal bone to the eminence, or frontal tuber - either the color of Jackie's coat has washed out this area of his head (it looks like everything above the ear has been sliced off) or the shadowing is so bad that all that is really visible is his ear and the white and pink blob
  

That is not a facetious list. Many errors can occur if you try to see too much in a blurred image. Based on this image alone, it does look like an avulsion might have occurred and could have been a tangential shot from either direction.

Swordmaker, as to the autopsy photos that linked, you left an important one out. Does your link have the photo of the full face view, from the right and above Kennedy as he lay on the table? Reason I asked because there have been written accounts and posts on this thread about how the zygomatic process was supposedly crushed as part of the exit wounding. I can't see it but I just have a small hardcopy in a book. Also, the errors in the photo/x-ray invoices were made the night they were taken not three years later, otherwise, I could understand....maybe.

In leaving tonight, my wish list would be that Kennedy's body had stayed in Dallas for a criminal forensic pathologist team to do the autopsy, that the FBI agents assigned to remain with the body to preserve the chain of evidence hadn't been initially barred from the Bethesda autopsy and then asked to leave during for the radiographs and delayed in returning, that the autopsy, records, and testimony hadn't been so sloppy in crucial parts. If an A-1 criminal team had put together a more ordered investigation, there wouldn't have been room for doubt, misinterpretation, etc.

Other than that - it's getting late and have a happy Turkey Day all.

[Swordmaker]

I know enough about ballistics to state that solids penetrate and hollow points explode.

I am not a pathologist but I ran a gun shop for a number of years. Guns are just sophisticated rock throwers.

In actual fact, hollow points don't necessarily "explode" they merely increase their cross sectional density on striking and penetrating the target by expanding larger than the original bore diameter. This has several effects:

First the bullet becomes larger and a larger hole can do more damage.

Second, the projectile will slow down faster because more target material is impacted so more of the momentum of the projectile will be transferred to more material.

Third, the projectile will have less of a tendency to penetrate and pass through the intended target to hit unintended innocents standing behind the target. A bullet that passes through the target is inefficient because it still has unexpended energy that was not been applied to the intended target.

Hollow points are designed to increase "stopping power" or, alternately, to transfer more of the energy contained in the moving bullet as momentum to the intended target.

If you want explosive effects, an interesting explosive effect can be created by putting Fulminate of Mercury in the hollow of the bullet...

Frangible bullets are designed to break apart and do as much damage as possible. They are designed more to kill than to "stop."

Solid bullets are designed to wound a target. Killing is an undesirable side effect. A wounded soldier removes THREE enemies (one injured, two to carry him) from the battle.

[Swordmaker]

Swordmaker, as to the autopsy photos that linked, you left an important one out. Does your link have the photo of the full face view, from the right and above Kennedy as he lay on the table? Reason I asked because there have been written accounts and posts on this thread about how the zygomatic process was supposedly crushed as part of the exit wounding. I can't see it but I just have a small hardcopy in a book. Also, the errors in the photo/x-ray invoices were made the night they were taken not three years later, otherwise, I could understand....maybe.

Hi-Rez picture of the autopsy "death stare"

If the Zapruder film shows the damage going toward the orbit of the eye, I would expect to see some tearing of the skin on the forehead or side of the head. I don't.

[redangus]

Wait a minute, the bullet that killed the President disintergrated in his head, but the bullet from the same gun that hit the Pres in the back then changed directions and came up and out of his body, changed directions again and entered the Govs body, bounced off a rib and a wrist bone and went through his leg was found intact on his stretcher at the hospital. Oswald should have bought all his bullets from the man who sold him the first one. He got gipped on that second one. Talk about a lack of quality control at the ammo factory.

[redangus]

The Zfilm does not show that unless of course it has been altered. And why would he be slumped over if he had not already been shot, which of course requires still another bullet?

[Timesink]

Generally, yes, but it would depend on the trajectory, cavitation, and exit. Any arterial damage would result in a spurting spray, venous would be a more slow oozing. Somewhat rarely, a clean through and through of soft tissue leaves little outside damage and has less bleeding than expected.

Continued heavy bleeding would also largely depend on the subject remaining alive, no? Once Kennedy got hit by that head shot (regardless of which direction one wishes to believe it came from) that was his moment of death, regardless of when they got around to "making time of death official".

[Lancey Howard]

((ping))

This is the thread I mentioned.
Let me know what you think.

[Lancey Howard]

(Oops, wrong party. Try this again...))

((ping))

This is the thread I mentioned.
Let me know what you think.

[Swordmaker]

Good point. My viewpoint is that JFK died the moment half his brain went flying over Dealey Plaze, not when some doctor pronounced him "dead."

[Wolfstar]

Just a quick post to say thanks to both of you for your intelligent, reasoned and reasonable posts. Ophiucus, thanks especially to you for providing the clinical analysis I was trying to encourage CholeraJoe to offer. Such information is educational, adds to our greater understanding, and provides a basis to advance the dialogue.

I want to take up several of the points you and Swordmaker made, but it will have to wait until later this afternoon. It's circa 10:30am Pacific time and, although I'm off through the weekend, I have an office lunch to get to by 11:30.

I'll just conclude this post with two points: Acknowledging the truth about any point of detail regarding the assassination does not preclude a conspiracy. If you watch the Zapruder film in real time and in slow motion, as I have many times, there is no doubt whatsoever that the upper right front of Kennedy's head explodes outward toward the right front, and upward. And yes, I'm emphasizing "explodes" and "explosive" over and over again in this thread because that is exactly what happened. I posted the full sequence of Zapruder frames so people could see for themselves as much as is possible without seeing the motion.

[Ophiucus]

I would expect to see some tearing of the skin on the forehead or side of the head. I don't.

I would too unless this photograph was taken after any avulsion of the scalp and damaged underlying tissue/bone had been 'put back in place' beforehand. Before-after pics with half missing.

Which goes back to my main problem, failings in documentation. Better evidence would have eliminated so many questions...and put part of the publishing industry out of business.