A History of the Single-Bullet Theory Follies

[Andrew Mason]

The fact that he's a wound ballistics expert contradicts your assertion.

If that was the case, the HSCA would not have had him testify or would have challenged the testimony that he gave.

So what?

This is why courts do not allow witnesses to provide opinion evidence unless 1. the evidence cannot be understood without special knowledge and 2.  the witness has the qualifications to satisfy the court that they are an "expert" in the particular field. 

I have no doubt that Sturdivan was qualified to give expert opinion evidence on wound ballistics.  But he lacked qualifications to opine on the neurological effects.  He could have provided his estimate of the lateral pressure made by the bullet in passing through the neck (which he did not do).  But he wasn't qualified to say what the neurological effect of that would have been. If he had actually done tests to measure the amount of compression on the spinal cord and nerves coming out of the spine at the C6 - C7 level he could have given that information to a neurologist who might form an opinion as to what the neurological effect would have been.

That he is named as one of the authors indicates that he has some neurological expertise.

If a qualified neurologist wants to add a physicist to the article to provide an analysis of the physics, that doesn't disqualify the paper from being considered a worthwhile paper for a neurology publication.  But it does not make the physicist a neurologist.

He was not following Lattimer. He was stating a known fact. When the seventh and eighth cervical nerves are damaged, everything below is disabled. With Thorburn's patient, the damage to spinal nerves at the level of C6 was gradual. With JFK, the damage to the nerves at the level of C7 was instantaneous. That's why Sturdivan referred to the position assumed by JFK as a Thorburn-like Posture. In reality, he could have just referred to it as the Thorburn Position.

The question is whether, and to what extent, the pressure on the neck muscles 1-2 inches from the spine from the one twelfth of a millisecond that the bullet applies that pressure in passing through the neck will interfere with the function of those nerves.  We know that if the nerves are damaged, there is a neurological effect.  There is no evidence that any of these nerves were damaged. The autopsy found no damage.

[Tim Nickerson]

This is why courts do not allow witnesses to provide opinion evidence unless 1. the evidence cannot be understood without special knowledge and 2.  the witness has the qualifications to satisfy the court that they are an "expert" in the particular field. 

I have no doubt that Sturdivan was qualified to give expert opinion evidence on wound ballistics.  But he lacked qualifications to opine on the neurological effects.  He could have provided his estimate of the lateral pressure made by the bullet in passing through the neck (which he did not do).  But he wasn't qualified to say what the neurological effect of that would have been. If he had actually done tests to measure the amount of compression on the spinal cord and nerves coming out of the spine at the C6 - C7 level he could have given that information to a neurologist who might form an opinion as to what the neurological effect would have been.
If a qualified neurologist wants to add a physicist to the article to provide an analysis of the physics, that doesn't disqualify the paper from being considered a worthwhile paper for a neurology publication.  But it does not make the physicist a neurologist.
The question is whether, and to what extent, the pressure on the neck muscles 1-2 inches from the spine from the one twelfth of a millisecond that the bullet applies that pressure in passing through the neck will interfere with the function of those nerves.  We know that if the nerves are damaged, there is a neurological effect.  There is no evidence that any of these nerves were damaged. The autopsy found no damage.

The autopsy did not determine that the seventh and eighth cervical nerves were not damaged. Sturdivan described what damage to those nerves would result in. We see that in the position that Kennedy assumed beginning at about Z225. It may be that the nerves were not permanently damaged. Neurosurgeon Dr. Kenneth Strully believed that they were not. But the description of his seen below is rather similar to that given by Sturdivan.

The following are excerpts from a letter sent by Strully to Dr.
Robert Artwohl, dated April 9, 1994:

"Before all else, it is necessary to remember that this assassination reveals a sequence of neural responses initiated in the neck by the shock wave and cavitation induced by the bullet in its traverse of the neck.  This traumatized all structures in a 6 inch radius in all directions from the path of passage through the neck.  This spread of forces occurred in a fraction of a second, traumatizing all neural structures in the immediate vicinity within a fraction of a second as determined by the speed of the missile according to ballistic studies.  As a result, contraction of the muscles innervated by nerves closest to the bullet's path took place first; -- right deltoid, left deltoid, right biceps followed by the left biceps and sequential contraction of all muscles in the forearms, hands, chest, abdominal walls and paraspinal muscle groups, with muscles in the lower extremities, farthest from the shock wave, responding last.  All neural structures in the neck were stimulated at the same moment but the distance an impulse had to travel to cause muscle contractions in the hamstrings and gluteal muscles was greater, thus the motor responses in these muscles occurred much later."
.....
"There is no evidence here of Kennedy having assumed Thorburn's Position which is seen in quadriplegics due to transverse lesions of the spinal cord at the C6 level. The position is assumed involuntarily.  With quadriplegia, the patient lying in the supine position can only contract the biceps while the triceps, anconeus and muscles innervated by the C6 root and all others innervated by spinal nerves distal to the C6 level are paralyzed.  The patient under these circumstances cannot extend the forearm at the elbow once contraction of the biceps occurs to flex the forearm at the elbow. Kennedy did not reach for his throat.  All movements seen in  the films, occurring relative to the bullet's passage, were involuntary; lifting of the shoulders was a result of contraction of the deltoids followed by contraction of the biceps muscles which flexed the upper extremities at the elbows, then forearm and intrinsic muscles of the hands causing clenching of the hands."

[Andrew Mason]

The autopsy did not determine that the seventh and eighth cervical nerves were not damaged. Sturdivan described what damage to those nerves would result in. We see that in the position that Kennedy assumed beginning at about Z225. It may be that the nerves were not permanently damaged. Neurosurgeon Dr. Kenneth Strully believed that they were not. But the description of his seen below is rather similar to that given by Sturdivan.

The following are excerpts from a letter sent by Strully to Dr.
Robert Artwohl, dated April 9, 1994:

"Before all else, it is necessary to remember that this assassination reveals a sequence of neural responses initiated in the neck by the shock wave and cavitation induced by the bullet in its traverse of the neck.  This traumatized all structures in a 6 inch radius in all directions from the path of passage through the neck.  This spread of forces occurred in a fraction of a second, traumatizing all neural structures in the immediate vicinity within a fraction of a second as determined by the speed of the missile according to ballistic studies.  As a result, contraction of the muscles innervated by nerves closest to the bullet's path took place first; -- right deltoid, left deltoid, right biceps followed by the left biceps and sequential contraction of all muscles in the forearms, hands, chest, abdominal walls and paraspinal muscle groups, with muscles in the lower extremities, farthest from the shock wave, responding last.  All neural structures in the neck were stimulated at the same moment but the distance an impulse had to travel to cause muscle contractions in the hamstrings and gluteal muscles was greater, thus the motor responses in these muscles occurred much later."
.....
"There is no evidence here of Kennedy having assumed Thorburn's Position which is seen in quadriplegics due to transverse lesions of the spinal cord at the C6 level. The position is assumed involuntarily.  With quadriplegia, the patient lying in the supine position can only contract the biceps while the triceps, anconeus and muscles innervated by the C6 root and all others innervated by spinal nerves distal to the C6 level are paralyzed.  The patient under these circumstances cannot extend the forearm at the elbow once contraction of the biceps occurs to flex the forearm at the elbow. Kennedy did not reach for his throat.  All movements seen in  the films, occurring relative to the bullet's passage, were involuntary; lifting of the shoulders was a result of contraction of the deltoids followed by contraction of the biceps muscles which flexed the upper extremities at the elbows, then forearm and intrinsic muscles of the hands causing clenching of the hands."

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.