The fact that JFK was hit before Z223 was established years ago. Most lone-gunman theorists now insist the alleged magic-bullet hit occurred at Z223-224. But Kennedy's reaction at Z225 proves he must have been hit no later than Z221, and that's if you ignore his Z199-207 and Z224 reactions. Dr. Robert Piziali, an expert on injuries, admitted under cross examination at the 1992 ABA mock Oswald trial that if Kennedy was reacting to a wound in Z225, this would mean the bullet could have struck him no later than Z221. He explained there would have been a delay of 4 frames between the bullet's impact and Kennedy's reaction to it with his right hand. Obviously, this poses a fatal problem for the Z223-224 SBT. Dr. Piziali attempted to solve this problem by denying that Z225 shows Kennedy reacting to a wound with his right hand! In fact, Dr. Piziali denied Kennedy is reacting to a wound at all, in any way, in Z225! This is a good example of how SBT defenders will perform amazing flip-flops when confronted with troublesome facts.
Until the Z223-224 version of the SBT came along, there was wide agreement on both sides that JFK is reacting to a wound in Z225:
* Itek concluded Kennedy "is clearly reacting to a wound by frame 225."
* The photographic evidence panel of the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded Kennedy is reacting to a wound in Z225; they also concluded that JFK was hit by Z190 and that his Z224-225 reaction was a continuation of the reaction that starts at Z200.
* Richard Trask, a respected researcher and longtime student of the Zapruder film, observes that Kennedy "emerges from the behind the sign at Z225 clearly having been shot."
* Dr. John Lattimer, an staunch WC apologist and a darling among lone-gunman theorists, concluded Kennedy shows a "reflex reaction" to a wound in Z225 and opined the wound occurred at about Z220. In fact, in his book
Kennedy and Lincoln, Lattimer acknowledges that Kennedy's elbows are beginning to "fly upward in frame 224" (p. 241). This is a crucial admission, and Lattimer deserves credit for acknowledging the obvious fact that JFK is reacting to a wound in Z224, which means he was hit no later than Z220. This, in turn, proves that his dramatic Z226-232 reaction must have been caused by a different bullet than the one that hit him between Z190 and Z221.
* Ardent lone-gunman theorist Gerald Posner opines that at Z225 Kennedy "appears to be reacting to a bullet."
* In fact, we know from the 4/22/64 WC memorandum for the record that when a group of wound ballistics experts, the autopsy doctors, and Commission staffers reviewed the Zapruder film frame by frame, with the aid of enlargements, the consensus was that Kennedy "had been definitely hit by frames 224-225."
It should be noted that this group included Dr. F. W. Light, the deputy chief of the Biophysics Division at Edgewood Arsenal, and Dr. Alfred G. Olivier, the chief of the Wound Ballistics Branch of the Biophysics Division at Edgewood Arsenal. The group further noted that the Z224-225 reaction may have begun as early as Z199, and also at around Z204-205:
The reaction shown in frames 224-225 may have started at an earlier point--possibly as early as frame 199 (where there appears to be some jerkiness in his [JFK's] movement) or, with a higher degree of possibility, at frames 204-205 (where his right elbow appears to be raised to an artificially high position). (WC memo, 4/22/64, p. 1)
The fact that these experts recognized unusual movements by JFK starting at Z199 is significant. The HSCA PEP noticed the same unusual movements and concluded JFK was hit by Z190.
What do we see in Z225? JFK is clearly in distress. His face is contorted and his hands are in front of his chest, right hand above left. Both his forearms are bent inward and his hands are moving upward toward his throat or mouth. It is obvious from Kennedy's face and hands--especially his right hand--that he is reacting to a wound in Z225. This means the bullet could not have struck later than Z221. JFK could not have begun to visibly react in Z225 in a response to a bullet that hit him at Z223 or Z224. Humans simply cannot react that quickly with their limbs. Thus, if Connally was hit at Z223, he must have been hit by a different bullet than the one that hit JFK no later than Z221.
