Nellie Connally Disputes Warren Commission

NewsMax.com ^ | 11/25/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

For all the coverage generated by the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination this past weekend, the media managed to miss the only genuine news to emerge from the commemoration.

Nellie Connally, wife of former Texas Gov. John Connally and the only person still alive who rode in the presidential death limousine, publicly disputed for the first time the Warren Commission's "magic bullet" theory, a scenario absolutely essential to its finding that Lee Harvey Oswald was Kennedy's lone assassin.

A year after the assassination the Commission concluded that Kennedy and Gov. Connally were both wounded by the first shot fired by Oswald from the Texas School Book Depository. A second shot missed completely. A third shot slammed into Kennedy's head and splattered his brains throughout the car.

But Mrs. Connally told CNN's Larry King that Kennedy and her husband couldn't have been struck by the same bullet, because she watched her husband react over a period of two seconds after the first shot struck the president.

"John [Connally] sitting right in front of him knew it was a shot," the former Texas first lady said. "He's a hunter and a shooter, you know. . . ."

Mrs. Connally continued:

"So he turned quick to his right and he couldn't see [Kennedy] because he was directly in front of him. And he said, 'No, no, no' and turned to his left. . . . Now this is a second or two. Then, as he whirled back, the second shot hit John . . ."

When pressed about the single bullet theory adopted by the Warren Commission, Mrs. Connally told King, "Do you think a bullet that went through the president's neck can hang there in air between the two seats while John turned to the right, turned to the left and came back?

"That's what I asked the Warren Commission," she explained. "I said, 'I don't believe a bullet could do that. That bullet -- the same bullet did not hit both of them.'"

[justshutupandtakeit]

There is nothing unusual or suspicious about the speculation over the grassy knoll starting in 1964. The Official Lie had not even been published yet. It is true that Hoover had already determined what would be released as early as November 24, 1963 but it was not official yet.

How did Oswald get a 34 inch gun part into the TBD in a 22" "bag?"

[Tares]

Technicians at Ford Motor saw the bullet hole in the windshield as did people at Parkland. The car was immediately stripped of all evidence CONTRARY TO ALL LOGIC AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE and rebuilt. The only reasonable conclusion for such a strange action is that it was done to destroy contrary evidence.

Close up of crack in limo windshield

[Tares]

NO ONE who knew Oswald considered him capable of violence.

He beat Marina Oswald. He tried to assassinate General Walker.

[Tares]

Just about the only piece of incontrovertible evidence in this whole proceeding is the fact that a known, long-time Mafia associate murdered the "assassin" in the middle of scores of policeman FOR NO DISCERNABLE REASON.

What is your standard of evidence that allows you to assert this? Why don't you think the whole killing of Kennedy is a fake? "Proof" that Kennedey is still alive"

[Tares]

The combined weight of the fragments and "pristine" bullet are GREATER THAN WHAT THE BULLET SHOULD WEIGH. Thus, they cannot be from the same bullet.

The Bullet Fragments In Governor Connally: Were There Too Many To Have Come From CE 399?

[justshutupandtakeit]

There is less evidence that he shot at Walker than at JFK. As for "beating" Marina that could have happened or it could have been an exaggeration certainly there was no medical evidence of that. What does she say about those "beatings" NOW. SHE does not believe he shot JFK.

Warren Commission lawyers did not believe her to be truthful with them. Not that I would believe anything not substantiated by other evidence which she said during a period when she was under the control of the FBI and in a state of terror wrt what would happen to her and her daughters.

[texasbluebell]

Ah, okay, that makes sense. Thanks.

[_Jim]

Smoke from the area of the knoll ...

... was seen a couple of years later.

We know; it was the advancement of every possible flavor of conspriacy theory ever since that has been the result ...

ALL this from modern-day 'smokeless' powder? C'mon, as one poster put it earlier: "What were they using - a musket?"

NOW you've to to explain away a WHOLE lot of REAL evidence, which, of course you can't therefore you won't (THIS is the great Achilles Heel of conspiracy theories: there is ALWAYS hard evidence that exists BUT doesn't fit their 'theory' THEREFORE it must be explained away. MOST of the simple-minded public will 'but' these elaborate attempts, but, in the final analysis the critical minds will see through this.)

[Tares]

What does she say about those "beatings" NOW. SHE does not believe he shot JFK.

Warren Commission lawyers did not believe her to be truthful with them. Not that I would believe anything not substantiated by other evidence which she said during a period when she was under the control of the FBI and in a state of terror wrt what would happen to her and her daughters.

Already discussed it with you here. Anyone interested with the subject can follow the discussion and make their own judgements.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Even without considering the substantial amount of fragments left in JC's body the weight was too much for one bullet.

The article was useful in one respect, however, since it illustrated how the bullet could have been removed with a vise and deformed in the very slight manner that it was.

[_Jim]

The Official Lie

ONE wonders how you 'picked' up this opinion, SINCE there were so few copies of the Warren Report published hence it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY you have EVER even LAID eyes on this volumous work and FORMED that opinion yourself. Nowadays, it's available for access on the web, but, STILL, few read this primary document.

THE prevalence of this opinion (The 'Lie'), of course, is PARAMOUNT in every conspiracy work produced to this date.

Little does the average 'consumer' of conspiracy crapola REALIZE that the VAST amount of the WC Report is comprised of interviews from citizens, et cetra, and NOT simply one large opinion piece written by 'the govt' (as the conspiracy kooks would have THE PUBLIC believe).

[justshutupandtakeit]

I am expected to believe that a vicious mafia goon decided on the spur of the moment to sacrifice his own life and liberty to "save Jackie a return trip to Texas for the trial?" Since he had been stalking him for two days and later admitted his motive was concocted by him and a lawyer I will pass on swallowing that load of crap.

One of the policemen concerned with Oswald's transfer is certain that Ruby was the voice on the phone call Saturday night warning that Oswald was going to be killed during the tranfer if they didn't change their method. They didn't and he was. This man knew Ruby and later recognized the voice was his. Is he lying? Deluded? Cashing in?

Ruby killed Oswald to silence him.

[Tares]

Even without considering the substantial amount of fragments left in JC's body the weight was too much for one bullet.

Prove it. Give weights.

The article was useful in one respect, however, since it illustrated how the bullet could have been removed with a vise and deformed in the very slight manner that it was.

Yes. And the fact that someone can use a hammer to crack a windshield proves that the limo windshield photo is a fake too.

[Tares]

Totally unresponsive to the question. You have stated that Ruby's murder of Oswald is the only fact in this case we can be sure of. What is your standard of evidence in this case?

[Tatze]

The wound in front was altered when they did the tracheostomy, hence it resembled an entrance wound.

You've got it backwards. An entry wound is small. An exit wound is larger. The wound in the neck was made larger by the tracheostomy, making it appear like an exit wound. The Parkland doctors agreed the neck wound was one of entry.

[brityank]

... the Zapruder film shows the bullet moving Connally's suit lapel.

I will believe that the 'Magic Bullet' did as described, once Posner sits in a chair and gets hit in his right back and wrist, and then turns around to see where the shot came from.

I have no doubt that Oswald was a shooter; I am not convinced of the scenario of the Warren Commission.

[geopyg]

The individual stills from the Zabruder film are amazing (be your own detective!). I agree that Connally was shot after Kennedy was shot - and will surmise that CONNALLY was shot from the grassy knoll.

Looking at the Zabruder clips, I say Kennedy is shot on clip #226. (Just after he appears from behind the sign). The camera goes fuzzy on #227 when Z reacts to the noise of the shot. Connally's hat goes up from his lap in #230 - either reacting to the shot, noise from Kennedy - or perhaps the bullet through Kennedy's neck hitting him, but not severe enough for him to really know what had happened to him - or for him to woory about (the thigh wound?).

From #230 to #271 Connally is turning to look at Kennedy. At #261 he is talking (part of the Oh no, no, no that his wife said "that he said as he was turning to look at the President") Also at #261, Jackie is looking at Connally - she may still not realize what is going on, and is looking at the person talking, as we are apt to do. (Or, that's just how her body is, and she still doesn't know that it was a shot yet.)

ANYWAY - before and after frame #271 Connally's hat (and hand and wrist) are in FRONT of his CHEST as he is turning to face the President. After about #271 Connally is out of the picture. The picture is fuzzy again around frame #291 - when Zabruder reacts to the shot from the grassy knoll that hits Connally in the wrist and then straight into his chest. The bullet tumbles upon hitting his wrist bone - hence the elongated hole as the bullet EXITS Connally's back. (Or - he could have been shot from the driver's side of the car - but then how do you get the bullet to tumble into his back, and is their any shooting position back there?)

Connally doesn't come back into view until later (forget what frame) and is on the way down to being pulled into Mrs. Connally's lap.

So- two bullets into Kennedy (neck and Head), one into the curb, and a fourth from the grassy knoll into Connally. And looking at the clips, although not an expert at body movements after being hit by a bullet, I would say that the blood and tissue sprays forward into the car. And yes, the head does move back after the initial blow. After his brains are blown forward, either the mass of the brains exiting his head bushes the head back, or the head, now without muscle control to hold it upright, stays STATIONARY as the body moves forward with the moving car. (By the way, prior to seeing this clip by clip of the film it always looked to me like the shot was from the front!)

However - in looking at the little video imbedded in this thread, it looks like at the head shot, Kennedy moves back violently at the same time that Connally moves forward violently. Jackie is pretty much the same position, and I think Mrs. Connally is too (although she's somewhat obscured). So perhaps Connally was hit with the head-shot bullet as well. But would a bullet that just passed through Kennedy's head have enough force to drive Connally forward (while driving Kennedy backwards?) Could an exploding bullet to Kennedy's head have this effect? (One TV show had a guy talking about the French assassin using an exploding bullet).

I don't recall all of Connally's wounds: back-chest, wrist and thigh? The point is - with numerous wounds - perhaps there were numerous hits (2 or 3) to Connally.


There's my 2 cents! (And I've never heard of the idea that Connally was the one shot from the grassy knoll - what am I missing?)

[Shooter 2.5]

You're missing the trajectory which seems to be common for the theorists. A shot from the fence is impossible for the JFK/Connelly and the final JFK head shot.

People who believe Oswald did the three shots have had to account for every inch for the trajectories. Not so for the people who believe in the knoll shots.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Making a little sense is the first criteria. Fairly universal agreement as to what happened is another. Since I have heard no one disputing Ruby's action it meets that criteria. And I saw it.

My criteria are really quite easily met.

[#3Fan]

I simply -quite simply- don't believe you ...

You should. From here.

Once the first shot rang out, Tague claimed he thought someone had lit a very loud firecracker. "It certainly didn't sound like a rifle shot. It was a loud cannon-type sound" (Testimony - Warren Commission, 553). In an interview with the author, Tague explained that it was a "flat sound", whereas the other two were sharp "cracks" which sounded like a true rifle shot. In his testimony for the Warren Commission, Tague claims that he next "turned his head away from the motorcade and, of course, two more shots" (553). In his testimony, it is somewhat unclear what Tague did between the first shot and the third shot, after which, he claims to have then ducked behind the abutment to the triple underpass for a moment. He claims he next glanced around the abutment just in time to see the presidential limousine accelerate out of Dealey Plaza, toward the Stemmons Freeway. He told the author he "did what anyone would do. I scanned the area to see what was going on" (Interview with James Tague, 5/6/97).

First one muffled, next two rifle shots.