A History of the Single-Bullet Theory Follies

[Michael T. Griffith]

FYI, Tom Robinson, the mortician who reassembled JFK's skull and prepared the body for burial, said the back wound was about 6 inches below the throat wound. This agrees with the rear clothing holes, the death certificate, the autopsy face sheet, and several eyewitnesses at the autopsy.

[Tim Nickerson]

Ok.  Strully appears to have the proper qualifications.  I can't seem to find his actual letter, but I will assume it is an accurate summary.

I am not sure how long it takes for an involuntary reaction to occur but I expect it takes less than the time required for a voluntary reaction. A voluntary reaction requires around 150 ms. Three frames is 165 ms.  This article indicates that the involuntary reaction takes less than 100 ms.

Strully refers to the clenching of the hand as an involuntary reaction so it appears that he is referring to the reaction that begins at z226. Before then, JFK's right hand does not appear to be clenched although the left could be. The right hand clenches in z226.  Since the bullet passed to the right of the spine, I am not sure how that would cause the left hand to clench before the right.  So, I will assume neither hand is clenched until z226:


So, Strully's opinion would suggest that JFK was hit within two frames of z226 or no earlier than z224.  Which means that JFK had already moved away from the right side of the car, that his hands were already in front of him at z224 and Jackie was already turned looking at him before he was shot.

From what I've obtained from several sources, the average reflex reaction time to a physical stimulus is 150 ms. The reflex reaction of Kennedy is initiated at Z225.

[Tim Nickerson]

FYI, Tom Robinson, the mortician who reassembled JFK's skull and prepared the body for burial, said the back wound was about 6 inches below the throat wound. This agrees with the rear clothing holes, the death certificate, the autopsy face sheet, and several eyewitnesses at the autopsy.

From the HSCA testimony of Tom Robinson;

Purdy: Specifically, when you say the body, you saw the back,I want to know specifically if either you know there was not a wound from the head down to the waist anywhere on the back, neck or whatever, or that the autopsy work may have either obliterated it or made it not evident
to you that there was such a wound?

Robinson: It miqht have done that, there was - . . but the back itself, there was no wound there, no.

https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/arrb/master_med_set/pdf/md63.pdf

[Michael T. Griffith]

When Harold Weisberg examined high-quality photos of JFK's shirt at the National Archives, he noticed there is less blood inside the collar band than on the outside, which doesn't fit the SBT scenario. If a bullet had exited the throat, one would expect there would be just as much blood, if not more, on the inside of the collar band as on the outside of it. Not only did Weisberg find this is not the case, but he also discovered that where the sides of the shirt overlap, there is no blood at all:

This is less blood inside the collar band than on the outside of the fabric, not consistent
with the bloodstains coming from the body side. Where the sides of the shirt overlapped
in wearing, no blood. (Post Mortem, p. 347)

Weisberg also found evidence that confirmed the belief that the slits were made by the emergency room nurses as they cut away the president's clothing--he could see the zigzag mark of a cutting blade on the slits:

The dead giveaway of the fabrication that this is where the magical bullet must have exited,
according to the official story, is the nonmagical, mute evidence of the slit on the left side.
The irregular, zigzag mark of a cutting blade is visible with an engraver's lens no more powerful
than the 10-power miniature I carry. (Post Mortem, p. 347)

One of the nurses confirmed this to researcher Henry Hurt, and Dr. Carrico told Weisberg that the throat wound was above the collar and that he did not notice any nick in the tie or slits near the collar before the nurses began cutting away JFK's clothing.

Dr. David Mantik likewise noticed the zigzag mark of a cutting blade in the front shirt slits. He also noted that there is no fabric missing from the slits, clear proof that no bullet or fragment created them.

[Tom Graves]

[...]

Griffith,

Which do you believe:

1) The wound in JFK's throat was caused by a bullet fragment from the fatal head shot, or

2) The wound in JFK's throat was caused by a paralyzing ice bullet that was fired from the far end of the Triple Underpass bridge.

-- Tom

[Michael T. Griffith]

Another devastating piece of evidence against the SBT is the H-shaped exit hole in the front of Connally's shirt. WC apologists almost never talk about this hole. No one has yet explained how the SBT's virtually intact bullet could have produced the H-shaped tear in Connally’s shirt.

The Warren Commission described the tear as follows:

A very irregular tear in the form of an "H" was observed on the front side
of the Governor's shirt, approximately 1 1/2 inches high, with a crossbar
tear approximately 1 inch wide, located 5 inches from the right side seam
and 9 inches from the top of the right sleeve. (Warren Commission Report,
p. 94)

Obviously, this tear was created by a badly deformed bullet, or a large badly deformed bullet fragment, or multiple bullet fragments. It is hard to imagine how CE 399, the hero of the SBT, could have produced such an H-shaped tear.

[Tim Nickerson]

Another devastating piece of evidence against the SBT is the H-shaped exit hole in the front of Connally's shirt. WC apologists almost never talk about this hole. No one has yet explained how the SBT's virtually intact bullet could have produced the H-shaped tear in Connally’s shirt.

The Warren Commission described the tear as follows:

A very irregular tear in the form of an "H" was observed on the front side
of the Governor's shirt, approximately 1 1/2 inches high, with a crossbar
tear approximately 1 inch wide, located 5 inches from the right side seam
and 9 inches from the top of the right sleeve. (Warren Commission Report,
p. 94)

Obviously, this tear was created by a badly deformed bullet, or a large badly deformed bullet fragment, or multiple bullet fragments. It is hard to imagine how CE 399, the hero of the SBT, could have produced such an H-shaped tear.

Mr. SPECTER - Referring now to the front side of the Governor's shirt, what, if anything, did you observe with respect to a tear or a hole thereon, as to the body of the shirt?
Mr. FRAZIER - I found in the right chest area of the shirt, considering the shirt when it is being worn, a very irregular tear more or less in the form of an "H," of the letter "H." This tear was approximately 1 1/2 inches in height, with the crossbar tear being approximately 1 inch in width, which caused a very irregularly shaped and enlarged hole in the front of the shirt. The hole is located 5 inches from the right-side seam, and 9 inches below the top of the right sleeve. The 9-inch figure is from the top of the right shoulder where the sleeve adjoins the yoke of the shirt.
Mr. SPECTER - Had that garment been cleaned and pressed, Mr. Frazier, prior to the time you examined it?
Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, sir.
Mr. SPECTER - Were there sufficient characteristics then remaining on the hole on the front side to enable you to formulate an opinion as to the cause of the hole?
Mr. FRAZIER - No, sir.
Mr. SPECTER - Could it have been caused by a 6.5 millimeter bullet exiting from the chest of the Governor?
Mr. FRAZIER - Yes, it could.
Mr. SPECTER - Now what, if anything----
Mr. DULLES - Could I ask there, would the size and character of this hole indicate the condition of the bullet, I mean as to whether it was tumbling or whether it was a mutilated bullet or anything of that kind?
Mr. FRAZIER - No, sir; it would not.
Mr. DULLES - Even a bullet in full flight, full velocity could have made this kind of a hole in the shirt?
Mr. FRAZIER - It could have, particularly if the shirt had been wrinkled at the time it passed through, and particularly because the material in this shirt tore rather severely at the time the object passed through, indicating a very weak structure of the cotton fiber, so that it would tear out of all proportion to a stronger fabric.
And for that reason, the shape of the hole could be affected by the condition of the material as well as any folds in the material or, as you say, by a mutilated bullet or a passage of a bullet through the cloth at an angle to the surface or the passing of a bullet partially sideways through the cloth.