Yes, but you never explain what this "error" means? Or might mean?
What's the "worst" interpretation that could mean conspiracy?
The error, if that's what is was, is by itself inexcusable for a forensic specialist as Frazier who was or should have been aware of the importance of a credible chain of custody.
Having said that, if it wasn't an error I could mean that Frazier was delivered another bullet than the one Johnsen gave to Rowley, which in turn would mean that evidence was being manipulated. That by itself points to a conspiracy.
But about as much evidence as one would expect if CE 399 was collected and put into a pocket. And a largely intact bullet like CE 399 might not have enough blood or tissue on it to be detectable, unlike a rough surfaced bullet fragment, even if not put into a pocket.
"as much evidence as one would expect" ? What in the world are you talking about? The lack of evidence that a bullet went through bodies is exactly that; no evidence at all! Regardless of what you expected! You can not argue that the fact that no evidence was found is somehow evidence of it happening just because you didn't expect to find any evidence.
Dr. Humes was a medical doctor, one of those who performed the autopsy. But not a ballistic expert.
This is probably true, but he would have seen plenty of bullets and bullet wounds in his time to have an opinion. And one can only wonder why Arlen Specter introduced CE399 into evidence (subject to later proof, which never came) during Humes' testimony and asked him for his opinion?
Mr. SPECTER - We have been asked by the FBI that the missile not be handled by anybody because it is undergoing further ballistic tests, and it now appears, may the record show, in a plastic case in a cotton background.
Now looking at that bullet, Exhibit 399, Doctor Humes, could that bullet have gone through or been any part of the fragment passing through President Kennedy's head in Exhibit No. 388?
Commander HUMES - I do not believe so, sir.
Mr. SPECTER - And could that missile have made the wound on Governor Connally's right wrist?
Commander HUMES - I think that that is most unlikely. May I expand on those two answers?
Mr. SPECTER - Yes, please do.
Commander HUMES - The X-rays made of the wound in the head of the late President showed fragmentations of the missile. Some fragments we recovered and turned over, as has been previously noted. Also we have X-rays of the fragment of skull which was in the region of our opinion exit wound showing metallic fragments.
Also going to Exhibit 392, the report from Parkland Hospital, the following sentence referring to the examination of the wound of the wrist is found:
"Small bits of metal were encountered at various levels throughout the wound, and these were, wherever they were identified and could be picked up, picked up and submitted to the pathology department for identification and examination."
The reason I believe it most unlikely that this missile could have inflicted either of these wounds is that this missile is basically intact; its jacket appears to me to be in tact, and I do not understand how it could possibly have left fragments in either of these locations.
Since when do you have to be a ballistics expert to determine if a bullet could have caused all the wounds. Seems more a question for a medical examiner to answer, which is of course why Specter asked Humes.
Not an expert who can judge the likely condition of a bullet after striking one or more people. Only a ballistic expert who does real world tests with ballistic gel targets can make that determination.
Like Joseph Dolce, right?
And all the ballistic experts that I know of, who are trusted to give testimony in criminal cases, believe that CE 399 quite plausibly caused the wounds to JFK and Connally, expect for JFK's head wound, of course.
Well, perhaps you don't know the right ballistic experts. Why don't you name a few who say that CE399 could have caused the wounds of JFK and Connally?
You can find all kinds of testimony from non ballistic experts on how impossible it is for CE 399 to end up in the condition it is. But not one "true" ballistic expert. Maybe someone who is called a "ballistic expert". But not a true one. Not one who makes extensive tests firing into ballistic gel targets. Or who has been called upon to give expert ballistic testimony in criminal trials.
I'm not sure who you are talking about. And what do you mean by a "true ballistic expert"? Could that be one who says what you want to hear? It sure looks that way!
Oh Dear!
It is difficult to imagine who such "proof" could ever be provided for any bullet. Maybe a bullet fragment, using recent DNA technology. Although even that could be faked.
Take it up with Specter. He said it
Mr. SPECTER - Doctor Humes, I show you a bullet which we have marked as Commission Exhibit No. 399, and may I say now that, subject to later proof, this is the missile which has been taken from the stretcher which the evidence now indicates was the stretcher occupied by Governor Connally. I move for its admission into evidence at this time.
The CHAIRMAN. It may be admitted.
In other words, the proof Specter was talking about was the authentication of the bullet by way of the chain of custody. Clearly, Specter wasn't convinced that there was a solid chain of custody for CE399 and other pieces of evidence, which is exactly why the WC asked the FBI to verify the chains of custody about a month after Humes' testimony.
I don't think the original MC rifle ever fired 100 bullets after the assassination. My impression was it was fired as little as possible, maybe a dozen times, to ensure it was preserved. And didn't break it's firing pin.
As far as I know, Joseph Dolce's one test, was to fire a MC rifle directly into the wrist of a human cadaver at near muzzle velocity. Naturally, this would smash, even fragment (I expect) a WCC/MC bullet.
I am not really interested in what you think or believe you know. Dolce is on video saying that he was given the original rifle and 100 bullets to conduct tests. Hear and see the man say it himself at 42.34.
Joseph Dolce may have been a leading US Army ballistic expert. But he did not have extensive experience in criminal cases, where getting the details right is critical.
And yet, Dolce was the man picked by the WC to do the tests. Your argument that he did not have experience in criminal cases is invalid. Dolce saw plenty of gunshot wounds in WW2 and there is no difference whatsoever between a bullet striking a man in combat or a bullet striking a man during a crime. Dolce got the details exactly right, but they just were not what Arlen Specter wanted to hear, which is why Dolce's testimony and report were left out of the WC report.
Question: Can you give me a single example, where in a criminal court of law, Joseph Dolce was called upon to give expert ballistic testimony?
You see, this is the sort of expert I'm looking for. One with extensive experience shooting a ballistic gel targets. Where one can actually see the path of a bullet and judge what it actually hit. Did the bullet strike bone? One cannot tell with animal cadavers. But one can tell with with ballistic gel, which is transparent. And whose expertise is trusted enough to be used in court.
This is an irrelevant question. I don't know enough about Dolce to say if he was ever called as an expert in a criminal proceeding. He was in the miitary and may well not have been allowed to be involved in crimimal cases. The bottom line is that the WC called upon him to do the work, which is exactly what he did. You second guessing his procedures is of no importance.
Did CE 399 pass through and break Connally's wrist bone? Yes. Was it fired directly into a wrist bone, as "ballistic expert" ?!? Joseph Dolce recreated? No. What did CE 399 do?
The bullet traveled about 63 years yards.
Passed through the back of JFK's clothes.
Passed through the skin of the back of the neck of JFK.
Note: Both skin (and I assume clothes) are tough and would slow a bullet more than normal tissue. A tenth of an inch of skin slows a bullet the same as about two inches of muscle)
Passed through six inches of JFK's neck without directly striking any bone.
Passed through the skin of the front of the neck of JFK.
Passed through the clothes of JFK in front of his neck.
Started passing through Connally's, apparently somewhat sideways, judging from the shape of the entrance wound. While travelling sideways the bullet would decelerate at a much greater rate than before. Now the bullet would be decelerating at three to five times it's former rate, due to it's much larger cross section.
Passed through the back of Connally's clothes.
Passed through the skin on the back of Connally.
Passed through an unknown (by me) amount of flesh, maybe one inch or so.
And then, finally, for the first time, directly striking bone, a rib bone of Connally.
Only bone (at anything less than muzzle velocity) can smash, damage, fragment, a WCC/MC bullet. And only if the bullet is still travelling fast enough, 1700 fps (travelling point first) or 1400 fps (travelling sideways), Sturdivan's estimates.
By the time the bullet reached the rib, it was travelling at (Larry Sturdivan's estimate) at about 1400 fps, just fast enough to slightly damage the bullet. And only because it was travelling sideways. Had the bullet still been travelling point first, it would not have been damaged at all.
Note, I am, of course not a ballistic expert. I have just read a book by one, Larry Sturdivan's book "The JFK Myths". But Sturdivan's estimates sound plausible. The bullet passed through about 18 to 20 inches of flesh and bone, total. It first struck JFK at about 2000 fps. It had passed through about 7 inches of flesh when it first directly struck bone, Connally's rib and was still going 1400 fps. In the next 11 inches of bone and flesh, it slowed to 0 fps. All estimates of speed are Sturdivan's estimates. This sounds quite plausible. After travelling about a third of it's way through human bodies, the bullet only had about two thirds of it's speed left.
Note, I am, of course not a ballistic expert. I have just read a book by one, Larry Sturdivan's book "The JFK Myths". There was no need for you to point that out. It is pretty obvious that you just parrotted the opinion of somebody else who you seem to think is credible, simply because what he says sound plausible to you.
The problem is that your opinion is a biased one and Sturdivan clearly had an objective to discredit anything that didn't fit with the lone nut narrative.
I, on the other hand, listen to the man who actually conducted the tests and I have no reason to assume that he is not telling to truth or is incompetent or did not conduct his tests correctly.
Did CE 399 pass through and break Connally's wrist bone? Yes. Was it fired directly into a wrist bone, as "ballistic expert" ?!? Joseph Dolce recreated? No.This comment of yours tells the whole story;
Earlier in your post you wrote; "Joseph Dolce may have been a leading US Army ballistic expert." (which he was) but by the time you get to questioning his procedures he has suddenly become a "ballistic expert"
And how do you even know how Dolce conducted the tests, when you don't even know he used the original rifle and used 100 bullets? Dolce's report is at the National Archives. Perhaps you should read it before making comments about something you clearly don't know anything about.
Your right. This is perfectly possible. The conspirators could totally control all the evidence. If one believed that Large-Secret-Conspiracies are not highly improbable.
The problem is that I don't believe that Large-Secret-Conspiracies are at all likely. That one can easily get everyone on board. And hide the evidence of a James Tague being wounded. And possibly others, in a worst cast scenario, like if Mrs. Kennedy, or Mrs. Connally or any Secret Service Agents are wounded. And get all the Secret Service agents to help plant false evidence. And all the autopsy doctors to eagerly join in. And all the rest of them.
If one believes in Large-Secret-Conspiracies, the conspiracy you described to control all the evidence is quite plausible. But to a skeptic, it's a very tough sell.
I don't believe in a large secret conspiracy, whatever that is supposed to mean, nor did I describe one.