JFK Assasination. Part II

Overview: Two Hospitals As the echo of shots died away in Dealey Plaza, Dallas Police Chief Jesse Curry, riding in the lead car of Kennedy's motorcade, radioed his police dispatcher: "Looks like the President has been hit. Have Parkland stand by." At Parkland Memorial Hospital, Kennedy was attended to by no less than 12 of Parkland's doctors - including four surgeons, the chief neurologist, an oral surgeon and a heart specialist, but to no avail. President Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. (C.S.T.) by Dr. Kemp Clark, Parkland's director of neurological surgery. Johnson decided to return to Washington as soon as possible. However, Mrs. Kennedy refused to leave without her husband's body and Johnson refused to leave without Mrs. Kennedy. It was finally decided to leave immediately and to return on Air Force One. The decision created one of the assassination's most enduring problems - with the President's autopsy performed at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland, two sets of doctors viewed the body at different times and their descriptions of wounds differed so widely that controversy remains to this day. Dallas Police - Handling of the Investigation As I mentioned before the Dallas police were wildly believed to be at fault for Oswald's death and the world wide doubt over his guilt. There are several reasons why they are blamed and these are reviewed below. Recording of Interviews The fact that the interviews weren't recorded is the main reason why there is so much outcry. Yet the only excuse the Dallas police could come up with is that they couldn't find a tape recorder. The questions asked by the officers during the interview proved to be worthless and what little records were kept are said to be inadequate. The little answers we have to the questions seem to be rehearsed as though Oswald had planned this all. Poor Security This was the most fatal mistake that the police made as it resulted i Oswald's death. At the hands of Jack Ruby, one bullet proved sufficent enough to kill Oswald. The fact that the reporters were allowed to mingle around Oswald caused the death, as public access to anyone shouldn't have been permitted. Some believe that it was only fair, a life for a life. Others believe that it was Ruby silencing OSwald before he could speak out. Even at Oswald's death - bed the Dallas police made a futile attempt to get a confession out of Oswald but to no avail. The only thing Oswald admitted to was punching a police officer in the face during his arrest. Summary The haunting words that Oswald left with us with was the statement that he was a patsy, which in English terms means that he was a scapcoat, a person whom was balmed for something they didn't do. Was it a cover - up, was Oswald part of a conspiracy, or was he a lone gunman with a grudge ? Zapruder's film Abraham Zapruder was standing on the concrete monument on the Grassy Knoll filming the presidential motorcade as it passed. He continued filming as the shots were fired. He testified that the shots "came from back of me," meaning the top portion of the Grassy Knoll where the stockade fence is located. Zapruder sold his film to Life magazine, although there are charges that the CIA had possession of the film for a time. The Zapruder film shows the president reach to his throat at the moment of the first bullet's impact. It also shows his head snap back as the fatal bullet strikes, and the pieces of skull, blood, and tissue fly toward the rear of the car. Abraham Zapruder's film is probably the most closely studied and analyzed piece of film in history. Zapruder Conspiracy Theory Analysis There are many widely varying conspiracy theories, the foremost being the 1978 findings of the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA). Conspiracy Theories include any theory which involves more than one gunman or more than three bullets. Even if Lee Harvey Oswald was the only gunman, the deduction that there was therefore no conspiracy may be invalid if Oswald was acting upon the orders of someone else. Conspiracy Theories include: (i) the generally held theory based upon the movement of Kennedy's head at the moment of the head shot as seen in the Zapruder film that a shot was fired from the grassy knoll at Zapruder frame 312 (Z312); (ii) a theory held by the HSCA and based upon acoustical analysis that a shot was fired from the grassy knoll at Z295-Z296 which missed; (iii) a theory held by Robert Groden and based upon study of the Zapruder film that a shot was fired from the grassy knoll at Z189-Z191 which struck Kennedy in the throat and did not exit; (iv) a theory based upon the improbability of the Single Bullet Theory and the inability of one gunman to fire two shots in the time frame between Kennedy's hit and Connally's hit, that a shot was fired from the southeastern most window of the sixth floor of the Depository or from the southwestern most window of the sixth floor of the Depository which struck only Connally at Z2224-Z240; (v) a theory held by researchers Wallace Milam and David Lifton that Connally was not shot until Z327, after Kennedy's fatal head wound, based upon the reactions of Connally as seen in the Zapruder film; (vi) a theory suggested by Harold Weisberg based upon a photograph taken by James Altgens which shows suspicious activity in the second floor window of the Dal-Tex Building, that a gunman fired from the second floor of the Dal-Tex building at an undetermined moment in the Zapruder film; (vii) a theory held by researcher Robert Groden and based upon photographs of a bullet mark next to a manhole on the south side of Elm Street which traces back to the Dallas County Records Building that at an unidentified moment in the Zapruder film a gunman on the roof of the Records building fired at the Presidential limousine and missed; and (viii) a theory held by researcher Robert Cutler that there were in all nine shots: four were hits, one miss, and four intentional misses. The first shot was fired from the southeastern window of the sixth floor of the Depository at Z152, intentionally missed and struck the pavement of Main Street wounding bystander James Tague. The second shot was fired from the third floor of the Dal-Tex Building at Z160, unintentionally missed and struck Elm Street. The third shot was a poisoned flechette fired from the umbrella man positioned near the Stemmons Freeway sign at Z187, wounded the President in the throat. The fourth shot was fired from the third floor of the Dal-Tex building at Z220, wounded the President in the back. The fifth shot fired from the southwestern window of the sixth floor of the Depository at Z222, wounded Governor Connally. The sixth shot fired from the southeastern window of the sixth floor of the Depository at Z231.5, missed and dented the windshield frame of the Presidential limousine between the visors. The seventh shot fired from the grassy knoll at Z294 intentionally missed and hit the turf between Elm and Main Streets. The eighth shot fired from the southwestern window of the sixth floor of the Depository. At Z312.5, hit the President in the head and fragments from the head wound caused Connally's thigh wound. The ninth shot fired from the grassy knoll at Z326, intentionally missed and hit the turf between Elm and Main Streets. Zapruder Case Closed Analysis The Warren Commission's finding that the first shot was fired between Z210-Z225 and the last at Z313 presented a timing problem. The assassin if there was only had a minimum of 4.8 seconds and a maximum of 5.6 seconds to fire all three shots. Gerald Posner in "Case Closed" attempts to solve the timing issue by suggesting that the first shot was fired not at Z210-Z225 but before Z166, resulting in 8.0 to 8.4 seconds of firing time. Posner suggests that the evidence for an early shot is found in the reactions of the following around Z160: (1) 10-year-old Rosemary Willis, who, dressed in a red skirt and is running along side the Presidential limousine; stops running; (2).Kennedy, who stops waving; (3) Mrs. Kennedy, who's head abruptly twisted from her left to the right, the general direction of the School Book Depository. Posner suggests that the shot around Z160 missed because the bullet was deflected by the large oak tree obstructing the line of fire. Posner claims that the second shot hit Kennedy at Z223-Z224 and that this same shot then hit Governor Connally, thereby affirming the most controversial finding of the Warren Commission - The Single Bullet Theory. The evidence to support this claim is based on the observation that at Z226-Z227 Kennedy has assumed the Thorburn position, whereby, after spinal injury, a victim's arms jerk up into a fixed position almost parallel with the chin, with hands gathered near the neck and elbows pushed out to the sides. Posner claims that Kennedy assumed the Torburn position 1.8 to 3.66 Zapruder frames after he was hit and that therefore Kennedy was hit at Z223-224. Posner's claims that the moment the bullet strikes Connally has been determined by "one of the most important timing confirmations in the case..." that at Z224 the right lapel of the governor's suit flies away from his chest. This lapel flap indicates the precise moment the Connally was shot, at Z224. Posner places the third shot at Z313, claiming that computer analysis confirms that the third shot was fired from the Depository. The General Consensus of the Witnesses The large majority of witnesses in Dealey Plaza heard three shots. Of 178 witnesses, 22 were uncertain about the number of shots fired. 17 thought they heard 2. Only 7 thought they heard 1 shot, or more than 3. The remainder - 132 witnesses stated they heard exactly 3 reports. Joiah Thompson, in his book, "Six Seconds Over Dallas" agreed, saying his research confirmed that over 84% of the witnesses heard 3 shots. Thompson went on to say that he had 40 witnesses hearing the last two shots bunched closely together, with 7 claiming the first two were closer together, and 13 saying they were about even. The Warren Commission simply concluded that "most" of the 132 three-shot witnesses heard a single report, followed by a few seconds of silence, and then two closely spaced or "bunched" shots. "On the other hand, a substantial majority of the witnesses stated that the shots were not evenly spaced. Most witnesses recalled that the second and third shots were bunched together..." 1 Typical of this large majority was Lee Bowers. He testified,"I heard three shots, one, then a slight pause, then two very close together." 2 Mrs. Earle Cabell, wife of the mayor of Dallas, testified that she saw a rifle in the 6th floor Depository window and was turning to tell her husband when "just as I got the words out - the second two shots rang out." Secret Service agent Warren W. Taylor: "As a matter of course, I opened the door and prepared to get out of the car. In the instant that my left foot touched the ground, I heard two more bangs and realized that they must be gun shots." 3 This is part of the Warren Commission testimony from Linda Willis, daughter of Phil Willis: Mr. Liebeler: Did you hear any shots or what you later learned to be shots, as the motorcade came past you there? Miss Willis: Yes; I heard one. Then there was a little bit of time, and then there were two real fast bullets together. When the first one hit, well, the President turned from waving to the people, and he grabbed his throat, and he kind of slumped forward, and then I couldn't tell where the second shot went. 4 These are not isolated examples. Most of the witnesses in Dealey Plaza that day who had an opinion about the number of shots, confirmed exactly what the above witnesses said. As we will see later in this article, the people closest to the victims, including those in the Presidential limousine, and Special Agents in the Secret Service followup car will do so as well. The Warren Commission chose to ignore this massive body of evidence for a very obvious reason; FBI experts confirmed that the Mannlicher Carcano rifle Oswald was alleged to have used required a minimum of 2.3 seconds to reload - more to aim and fire. Too many witnesses, including the President's own bodyguards were placing the 2nd and 3rd shots almost on top of one another. The admission that two shots were fired so closely together would have required a conclusion that a conspiracy did indeed occur. But, Warren Commission critics had their own reason for ignoring these people. The witnesses said the shooting began with a single, isolated report followed by several seconds of silence. Of course, that would mean that Arlen Spector's despised and much ridiculed, "Single Bullet Theory" was correct! One bullet did indeed pass through Kennedy and Connally. As we examine countless books, articles and films on the subject of conspiracy in this case, we see virtually nothing contesting the Warren Commission's glaring dismissal of all these people. And so, for more than 30 years, the government and it's harshest critics silently conspired to ignore the best evidence we had - this small army of witnesses who had the audacity to hear a shooting sequence which didn't match either side's preconceptions and prejudices. Single Bullet Theory The Single Bullet theory was a theory drafted by theWarren Commission, it was a theory used to explain the conclusions that they had come to during their investigation. The single bullet theory can be accepted, although there are many other theories that can equally just as well explain Kennedy's assassination. With the aid of modern technology photographs, films, and sound recordings from the time have been examined. The findings of the examination show that the controversial incident regarding Governor Connally and President Kennedy could have been possible. If Connally had turned ever so slightly to his right which he is said to have recalled to doing so in hospital. Photographic evidence also supports this. Due to the fact that Kennedy and Connally were of a similar size the single bullet theory thast says Connally and Kennedy were hit by the same bullet could be true. There are of course facts that warp the single bullet theory such as the fact that the bullet that was found on a hospital stretcher was in pristine condition. Yet doctors have proven that the bullet had in fact gone through two major bones and torn out a great deal of muscle. Tests carried out on the bullet prove also that a bullet when fired through a sheep's spinal chord which is the same thickness as a human's, it becomes out of shape and shows signs of severe impact. So the single bullet theory could be disproved in this way. However chemical tests carried out on the bullet found on the strecher in Parkfield Hospital, proves that it did in fact come from the same cartridge shells found hidden in the Texas School Book Depository Building. The greatest argument against the theory is the fact that X - rays have been altered and diagrams of the body body showing were the bullet(s) entered the body haven't been drawn properly. ( 70% of all Americans in a national pole believe that Kennedy was killed because of his plans to introduce a health care plan and to pass a law for equal civil rights for all. The real truth about Kennedy's assassination will probably never be revealed, as most of the reports and statements are still classified. If the CIA were involved, making it a government conspiracy this could mean that Oswald has been framed. If the Mafia had ........................ As you can tell there are lots of possible conspiracy theories which could be true. However the single bullet theory is the one of the most probable account / insight into the assassination. Was there a second Gunman ? This is the main question which is one everyone's lips, and there are several points which are worth considering when deciding whether or not there was a second gunman. Autopsy After Kennedy's death, the first ever official autopsy was carried out on the body. The decision to perform an autopsy on the body was taken mainly because of the public outcry surrounding Kennedy's death. It was hoped at the time that the autopsy would have revealed the angles which the bullets had entered Kennedy's body, hopefully pointing to were the gun man or gun men were situated. The official autopsy took place at the Bathesda Naval hospital in Washington D.C, however the reasons behind why the irregularities have been discovered, is that there was also another examination held at the Parkland hospital in Dallas. When the two examinations were compared, alarming differences showed up. The main difference was that the exit and entry wounds, were claimed to be different. In Dallas it was claimed by the doctors who carried out the examination that the bullet entered Kennedy's body at the same height as a bow tie. However in Washington the official autopsy reports show that it was an exit wound. Another disturbing piece of evidence surrounding the autopsy is the fact that the bullet wound to the head was said to have entered at different angles, one report states that the bullet entered at a low trajectory, the other autopsy report says that the bullet entered at a high trajectory. The bullets found are also said to have been planted by the CIA, or the FBI so that they could pin the assassination on Oswald. The bullets are supposed to have been left on a hospital stretcher so that they would be found by a member of the public or hospital staff and then handed to a CIA or FBI agentand then there wouldn't be any claims that it was a conspiracy. Diagrams and measurements made during the autopsy carried out in Washington are different when compared to the measurements taken in Dallas. Also the fact that the autopsy reports are still classified arouses suspicion. Kennedy's brain went missing under mysterious circumstances a number of years ago. This means that modern scientific tests cannot be carried out and so the autopsy results have to be accepted regarding the bullat trajectory have to be accepted, but the descrepancies mean that they cannot be relied upon. Secret service presence during both the examinations must also be noted, as it would have been in the interests of the government if the autopsy reports said there was only a single gunman. The differences are substantial and have great effect on the theory of the second gunman. As the examination of the body in Dallas seems to point towards two gunman, however the official autopsy in Washington D.C points towards a single gunman. Questions have also been raised over the casket that Kennedy's body was carried in after his death. It is believed by a small group of perople that there was a switch, doctors say that the body of Kennedy left the hospital in a body bag, and video evidence is there to prove it. However as the body leaves Air Force One the body is contained in a casket. The guard who accompanied the casket admits that he did leave the casket for about five minutes during the flight to Washington D.C Photographs Photographic evidence also points towards a second gunman as a picture taken at the time, after enhancement shows a figure hiding in the grassy knoll, not far from were the assassination took place. Witnesses have also testified that they saw a man hiding in the bushes, cigarette stubs have also been found as well as footprints. Others say that they saw gun smoke, however this is unlikely due to the fact that modern rifles don't produce smoke visible to the human eye. In fact the only soke that would have been visible by the human eye is when you are positioned less than a foot or so away from it. Secret Servce Agents Secret service agents were reported to be at the scene when the shots went off. However the positions of all the secret service agents show that there was no - one in the immediate area. A Dallas policeman ran towards the area when the shots went off, however he was stopped by a group of gentlemen posing as secret service agents. In a statement later he admits that he should have asked the gentlemen for identification as they didn't look like secret service agents. Could these men have been comrades to a man standing in the grassy knoll. Acoustic Evidence Dealey Plaza was unfortunately an echo valley, so the sound of gun shots would seem to come from different places. A dictabelt recording made at Dallas Police headquaters, after analysis shows that the sots could have came from a variety of different places, but the recording seems to point towards the theory of three shots being fired. Difficult Shot To shoot from the grassy knoll, would of had to be a tracking shot, the gunman would have to have been moving his rifle left to right matching the motion of the car. Gun experts have said that it would have been a difficult shots from the Texas School Book Depository building, however the shot would have been a much easier one than from the grassy knoll. Witnesses Diving for Cover This obviously shows that there must have been some sort of a sound resembling a gun shot from the grassy knoll as there was people diving for cover on the floor, obviously scared of being hit. Also a Dallas police officer thought that there was a shot from the grassy knoll and indeed ran over, but only to be turned away by 'fake' secret service agents. Warren Comission The major fact that alarms Americans is that the Warren Commission who investigated the asassination is that they were very single minded and seemed to have no other theories about the assassination. The commission were also criticised because they couldn't really prove it was Oswald or get a confession out of him. The Warren commission believe that the assassination was carried out by a lone gunman, namely Lee Harvey Oswald. However another investigation into the assassination by the House Select Comittee was carried out a number of years later because there was still public disbelief that Oswald was a lone gunman. The committee called witnessses to hear their version of the events, and in the end ruled that there could have been another assassin, possibly situated in the grassy knoll. Some points to raise into this matter are that the secret service agents were never found, even after a substantial investigation, could it have been a cover up ? Another point to raise is over the witnesses, several witnesses died under mysterious circumstances before they could give their version of events. The largest point to raise is Oswald's claim that he was a patsy ( he was framed ). Could crucial eye - witnesses have been assassinated to stop them from speaking out, could one of them held a vital clue to solve the mystery. Conspiracy Theories There are lots of conspiracy theories around Kennedy Asssasination, with few believing the Warrren Commission's findings of it being a straight forward assassination executed and planned solely by LeeHarvey Oswald. There are a possible ten different groups who could be considered, ranging from the Mafia to the vice - president, some with evidence to back them up, others just simple hunches. Below I have outlined the major groups who could be related to President Kennedy's Assassination. Incidentally 73% of all American questioned in a national pole believe that it was a conspiracy. I believe that there are a possible seven groups that could have been involved in a conspiracy, these are : * Clay Shaw * Fidel Castro / Communists * American Oil Barons * Mafia * FBI * CIA * Military Industrial Complex Clay Shaw A well known and surpassingly reputable business man. His links with the CIA were well known. Clay Shaw was said to have established the links during the second world war when the CIA had only recently formed. Jim Garrison was the District Attorney who organised the investigation into Clay Shaw, people thought that he was mad, but after months of investigation Jim Garrison was able to bring his case to court in front of a jury. Jim Garrison was the subject of the media's attention and at the trail hundreds of journalists from all over the world turned up to watch the proceedings of the trial and to publish the outcome. Jim Garrison was also the subject of the FBI's attention, he reported files going missing on several occasions and bugs being discovered in his office and in his car. He also claimed to have been followed on occasions. Garrison claims that he was hampred in his investiagtion and was also offered bribes and told to back off. The case was presented before the jury and Garrrison was said to be abbusive and hot tempered towards the jury which didn't help him in any way and the way he conveyed the facts to the jury was sloppy and unprofessional. His main piece of evidence was the fact that he had witnesses who had seen Clay Shaw and Oswald together on several occasions, all of which Mr Clay Shaw denied furiously. After half an hour the jury returned with the verdict of 'not guilty' and the case was dismissed. Jim Garriosn was distraught with the verdict and instantly set about bringing the case back to court for a re-trial, however he achieved no re-trial. Garrison was considered an attorney with a chip on his shoulder because he was proved wrong, and so his reputation went down hill. He felt that the media and his Government were all against him revealing the truth. Fidel Castro At the time of Kennedy's assassination, Fidel Castro was being interviewed by a T.V reporter. Fidel Castro was the communist leader who took over Cuba, and had previosly shown a lot of hostilty towards the United States, however the break up of the former U.S.S.R had severly weakened his power. When questioned about the assassination Fidel Castro said that it wasn't in his interests to assassinate President Kennedy as it would prevoke an American invasion and wipe him out. Kennedy had been very much against sending troops into Cuba, much to the horror of the Military Industrial Complex. Experts agree that it wouldn't have been hard for Fidel Castro or an associate to find out about Lee Harvey Oswald's background and persuade him to do it. Oswald himself was a communist and seen on many occasions distributing leaflets supporting Cuba. Whether or not Fidel Castro would want to do such a thing is another matter, as he said he was happy with the current situation and he knew that Kennedy wouldn't start a war with im. But others would dearly love to force him out of Cuba. American Oil Barons were one of the many groups who wanted Fidel Castro out as he was destroying their factories and oil rigs. American Oil Barons As I said before Fidel Castro was severely damaging their industry in Cuba. Drilling stations were being burnt down and their oil used to power military machinery. The segregation placed on the island banning any imports and exports was making matters worse. The trade embargo meant that Kennedy had placed them on was costing the oil companies millions, but no attention was paid to this and no solution in sight could the oil barons have taken matters into theirown hands. Linden Johnson had on several occasions mentioned that he believed that it was the oil barons who had arranged for Kennedy's assassination, but each time he had said so he endorsed the National Protection Act which meant that his comments couldn't be publised. Press here to continue.