Challenge to lone gunman theory

Mercury news ^ | 8/20/06 | Betsy Mason

[Abathar]

LIVERMORE - More than four decades after his death, John F. Kennedy's assassination remains the hottest cold case in U.S. history, and the clues continue to trickle in. Now Lawrence Livermore Laboratory scientists say a key piece of evidence supporting the lone gunman theory should be thrown out.

A new look at clues gleaned from studies of crime-scene bullet fragments shows they may have been misinterpreted.

"It basically shatters what some people call the best physical evidence around," said chemist Pat Grant, director of the lab's Forensic Science Center.

Grant and Livermore Lab metallurgist Erik Randich found that the chemical "fingerprints" used to identify which bullets the fragments came from are actually more like run-of-the-mill tire tracks than one-of-a-kind fingerprints.

"I've spoken with people on both sides of the conspiracy divide and there's no question but that (Randich and Grant's) work is going to be very difficult, if not outright impossible, to refute," said Gary Aguilar, a San Francisco ophthalmologist and single-bullet skeptic who has studied the Kennedy assassination for more than a decade. "It looks impregnable."

The government's claim that Lee Harvey Oswald alone killed Kennedy spawned a vitriolic debate between conspiracy theorists and lone gunman supporters that rages to this day.

In 1964, the Warren Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination, concluded that Oswald fired just three shots from the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas: The first missed entirely. The second passed through the president's neck, into Texas Governor John Connally's body under his right arm, out through his chest and then splintered his wrist and wounded his left thigh. The third fatally hit Kennedy in the head.

[Snardius]

I still want to know how they explain the fact that when JFK was hit in the head, he moved back, and to the left as if the bullet came from his front/right side...

[SoldierDad]

I recall reading that the car JFK rode in was demolished before anyone could thoroughly look at it.

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Here's a Nov 23, 1963 photo. There is really no question about the model limousine used, or what type of seats it was installed with, but if you want to start a new conspiracy theory about the limo being secretly reengineered and a bunch of limo photos faked, hey, maybe you can sell some books or even a movie.

[SoldierDad]

Nope. Just looking for clarification.

[RSmithOpt]

Anyone with a inkling of understanding of momentum would realize that a persons body doesn't not 'react' to such force as when Kennedy's head snapped to the rear of the car for the 2nd fatal shot as the front of his skull exploded and the fragments also traveled to the rear of the car. That shot came from in front of the car. (Magruder film)

Watch enough hunting films and I do not think there's ever been one showing the animal being shot moving towards the direction of the muzzle of the hunter's weapon.

[Abathar]

I've killed enough animals to know that the way his head snapped back was from a frontal shot, not from the rear. I have heard people try to explain that his brains exiting the hole in the front of his head was like a champaign bottle shaken and the cork popped. The splash goes one way but the bottle (head) goes the other way. Thing is the head had to absorb all that kinetic energy as the slug flattened and slowed down upon impact, the second bullet had to come from the front.

[Toddsterpatriot]

You mean Zapruder Film.

[sit-rep]

[RSmithOpt]

Thank you for the correction....I've always been yucky at peoples'names, except for national momuments, forests, presidents, and race tracks.

[mcshot]

I've seen a report by mechanics that were ordered to replace the windshield of that car because it had a bullet hole that couldn't be explained. also, I found the Discovery channel special on the assassination a joke because they started with the premise that Oswald was the lone shooter and sought to prove it. To this day I would like verification that a JFK assassination range has been set up at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot and no one reportedly has been able to duplicate the timing and accuracy necessary.
BTW, I recently turned down two carcano rifles for $100. because having owned one for a short time I know the quality and accuracy aren't there. In fact, the Discovery channel special started out with four rifles of which the gunsmith was able to make two reliable yet at least one of those wouldn't fire.
Need more coffee...

[SoldierDad]

Thanks for the info. There is much that was left unexplained. Hence, the conspiracies.

[Taffuk]

A great deal of evidence points to the fact that Oswald was employed by the FBI to report to JE Hoover on the anti Castro fanatics largely composed of CIA officers (including George Bush)and he was used as a "patsy" in order to cover the tracks of the fascist group (who initiated the crazy Bay of Pigs operation).This group was led by GW Bush and Hunt who were humiliated by JFK by not supporting the attempt to railroad him into backing the scheme. The obvious conclusion is that Oswald having found a training camp and alerting the authorities (FBI)who disarmed the dangerous fanatics, was then set up as the assassin to cover the tracks of mainly members of the (Skull & Crossbones) fraternity (which incuded Bush Dulles and Hunt and other high ranking CIA operatives ).

[Abathar]

So you think that JFK is the Bush families fault? You joined up today to tell us this? Have a nice stay........