One does not have to guess. The first press car was the car immediately behind the Cabell car. The Cabell car was immediately behind the VP Security car. The VP Security car was immediately behind the VP car. We can see that the VP car at z160 is pointing north of a line from Zapruder to the corner so it is about half way into the turn.
The VP car at Z160 is facing west, about 70° off Houston Street; a full turn off a typical street would be 90°. Z160 would coincide with all this:
- Jacks (driver): "My car had just straightened up from making the left turn..."
- Youngblood (SS agent): "As we were beginning to go down this incline ..."
- LBJ" "After we had proceeded a short way down Elm Street..."
- Lady Bird: "We were rounding a curve, going down a hill..."
Yes, Jacks says the car "just straightened up from making the left turn" but that could mean he was easing pressure off the steering wheel and allowing the car to straighten up.
The Cabell car has yet to enter the intersection. So the first press car is still about 2 car lengths from entering the intersection. That is about 30 feet. Moving at about 1 foot per frame, maybe a bit slower going through the intersection, that would put the first press car just entering the intersection at z190 which correlates to the first shot.
As that is basically the end of the block, it doesn't fit with what Baskin said about being "halfway down the block before the left turn when the first shot rang out". I also believe Bell was talking about the mid-block area when he said "the cavern between the tall buildings we were just leaving behind us"
That fits Betzner, Willis and about 20 others including the occupants of the cars ahead of the press car.
Twisting what the Press Pool people said. to make it conform to your pet theory. Willis said Mrs. Kennedy turned from his side of the street to the opposite when the first shot sounded; she does this beginning in the Z170s.
Betzner said he was winding his camera when he heard a shot; he's still lowering the camera when he goes out of sight in the Zapruder film at Z207 (he's also seen in the Dorman film looking around, not down). Since Betzner recalled two specific shots, the head shot and the one while he was winding his film, it could be the "first" of those two shots occurred during the Z220s when he would have gotten to winding his camera.
This is mindful of Jean Newman's recollection. Two shots, the "first" being the slump shot (which I believe struck in the Z220s). And she says: "The motorcade had just passed me when I heard that I thought was a firecracker at first, and the President had just passed me." Neither the "motorcade" (limousine?) nor the President are pass Newman in the Z190s or Z200s.
Why would you say that!? That is what I have been saying the shot pattern was!
You left out the best part. Kilduff continued:
HARTIGAN: So you're of the school of thought that you heard three shots.
KILDUFF: Oh, I know I heard three shots. Nobody's going to tell me I didn't hear three shots. I mean I know that there was a long pause because there was that little interchange of conversation between Merriman Smith and me between the first and the second shot. Then the third shot got off very quickly.
What is somewhat remarkable is that Kilduff did not give that statement to the WC or the FBI or the Dallas Sheriff. He gave it in 1976 in an interview as part of an oral history project. Those last two shots being closer together remained in his memory for 13 years. He was in the same car as Jackson and Jackson did give a statement on 22Nov63 to the FBI and Jackson also mentioned the last two shots being in rapid succession. He still maintains that the last two were closer together and he is now 86 years old. I am pretty sure that Kilduff would not agree that 5 seconds between the last two shots = third shot getting off very quickly.
My error about Kilduff and you demonstrates how people perceive things and get it wrong. I've gotten Greer mixed up with Kellerman; sometimes I use right when I mean left.
Here are some examples of how others perceived the shot span. The Commission seemed aware of the majority view.
Mr. DULLES. I just have one question. Mrs. Connally, on one point
your testimony differs from a good many others as to the timing of
the shots. I think you said that there seemed to be more time
between the second and third than between the first and the second;
is that your recollection?
Mrs. CONNALLY. Yes.
Mr. DILLARD - I heard three - the three approximately equally spaced.
Bill Newman Affidavit: ... he heard the first shot fired. It was his belief
that two shots were fired in rapid succession which he thought at the
time was a firecracker ... another shot was fired which he estimated
was ten seconds after the first shot was fired."
("No More Silence"): "The first two were much closer together in my opinion."
