Arlen Specter's SBT Notebook

[Tom Graves]

The wrist fragments are not from CE-399.

Dear Lance,

Why do you say that?

Should I read Orr's theory?

-- Tom

[Lance Payette]

Dear Lance,

Why do you say that?

Should I read Orr's theory?

-- Tom

Yes, I think Orr's theory is well worth reading even if one concludes he's dead wrong. He certainly put extensive work into it, and he is the one who commissioned the Knott Lab study even though he now distances himself from it. As I recall, one key point is that JBC's doctors seemed to think the wrist wounds had been caused by a sharp or jagged missile, which doesn't sound like CE 399.

[Tom Graves]

As I recall, one key point is that doctors seemed to think the wrist wounds had been caused by a sharp or jagged missile, which doesn't sound like CE 399.

Dear Lance,

Dr. Charles Gregory (the guy operated on JBC's wrist) said that wound looked as though the bullet (or "missile") had entered the back of his hand and exited from the palm side, that JBC's rib sustained a lot more damage than his radial bone did, and he suggested that the bullet (or "missile") had to be irregular in shape because it had carried some fibers from JBC's clothing into the wound.

I can't seem to find it at the moment, but IIRC, one of the doctors who attended to JBC said that the "irregular" shape of the missile that carried the fibers into the wrist wound was probably the sharp or angular base of CE-399, itself, as opposed to its non-fiber-carrying round nose. 

Dr. Robert Shaw, who was familiar with the wound to JBC's wrist, postulated that the bullet "didn't pass through it, but struck it." 

Which is what we see its doing rear-end-first in the animation I posted here a few weeks ago.

-- Tom

[Lance Payette]

Dear Lance,

Dr. Charles Gregory (the guy operated on JBC's wrist) said that wound looked as though the bullet (or "missile") had entered the back of his hand and exited from the palm side, that JBC's rib sustained a lot more damage than his radial bone did, and he suggested that the bullet (or "missile") had to be irregular in shape because it had carried some fibers from JBC's clothing into the wound.

I can't seem to find it at the moment, but IIRC, one of the doctors who attended to JBC said that the fiber-carrying "irregular" shape of the missile that carried the fibers into the wrist wound was probably the sharp or angular base of CE-399 as opposed to its non-fiber-carrying round nose. 

Dr. Robert Shaw, who was familiar with the wound to JBC's wrist, postulated that the bullet "didn't pass through it, but struck it." 

Which is what we see in the animation I posted here a few weeks ago.

-- Tom

Orr deals with JBC's wrist injuries at pp. 29-32: http://www.mountainrivercabins.com/JohnOrrReport.pdf. He addresses Dr. Gregory as well as the FBI saying that the hole in JBC's coat sleeve appeared to have been made by a "mutilated" bullet.

[Tom Graves]

Orr deals with JBC's wrist injuries at pp. 29-32: http://www.mountainrivercabins.com/JohnOrrReport.pdf. He addresses Dr. Gregory as well as the FBI saying that the hole in JBC's coat sleeve appeared to have been made by a "mutilated" bullet.

Dear Lance,

Wouldn't the "sharp" "angular" "squared-off" base of CE-399 be "mutilated" in comparison to its smooth, round nose, especially if said base was already extruding lead core when it penetrated said coat sleeve?

-- Tom

[Lance Payette]

Dear Lance,

Wouldn't the "sharp" "angular" "squared-off" base of CE-399 be "mutilated" in comparison to its smooth, round nose, especially if said base was already extruding lead core when it penetrated said coat sleeve?

-- Tom

I have no idea. Perhaps you can take it up with Orr. What is the obsession with making CE 399 the sole culprit if the wrist injuries being attributable to a fragment actually makes more sense from the LN/SBT perspective?

[Tom Graves]

I have no idea. Perhaps you can take it up with Orr. What is the obsession with making CE 399 the sole culprit if the wrist injuries being attributable to a fragment actually makes more sense from the LN/SBT perspective?

Dear Lance,

The idea that a bullet fragment from the fatal head shot wounded JBC's wrist makes beau coup less sense than the idea that CE-399 passed through JFK's neck from back-to-front, started "yawing" / "tumbling' when it exited his throat, penetrated JBC's back (leaving an elliptical entry wound), shattered his fifth rib, exited his chest, continued tumbling, and . . . gasp . . . fractured his radial bone by hitting it rear-end first while "twirling" / "tumbling" (depositing in the wound some fibers from JBC's coat sleeve -- which it had penetrated at least semi-backwards -- in the process).

Unless, of course, if you actually believe that the bullet fragment that fractured JBC's radial bone was just one of at least four rather massive bullet fragments from said fatal head shot, which, taken altogether, 1) very likely dented the limo's chrome, 2) very likely cracked the limo's windshield, 3) probably struck the curb down by James Tague, and . . . yes, yes, yes!!! . . . 4) definitely, definitely, definitely fractured his radial bone!

LOL!

-- Tom