Reasonable Doubts?

[Benjamin Cole]

JN--

I think you are correct on this matter.

[Benjamin Cole]

JN:

I was thinking of ---

AI:  Dr. John Nichols of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, shared this skepticism. Dr. Nichols conducted his own ballistic and biological simulations by shooting through human bones and wrists to test the physics of the single-bullet theory. He pointed out that the shattering of the distal radius bone and the severing of the radial nerve should have caused the governor to immediately lose his grip on his white Stetson hat.

(Never rely on memory, and I mixed up Gregory and Nichols. Dr. Gregory was certain the slug entered Gov. JBC's wrist from the dorsal (wristwatch) side.  That presents an anatomical curiosity, as you can see for yourself, by wearing a wristwatch and trying to press the face of the watch against your chest).

[John Corbett]

How does shooting through the wrist bones of a deceased human being prove JBC would have dropped his hat when he was struck in the wrist?

[Benjamin Cole]

JC:

I suspect there was a dearth of live volunteers for such an experiment.

[Dan O'meara]

GC--

Thanks for your question, and it is a fascinating one.

Connally: I was knocked over, just doubled over by the force of the bullet. It went in my back and came out my chest about 2 inches below and the left of my right nipple. The force of the bullet drove my body over almost double and when I looked, immediately I could see I was just drenched with blood. (1 HSCA 42)

In my layman's review of the Z-film, Gov. JBC is pushed forward ~Z-295. That's my best guess of when JBC is shot.

There is an additional curiosity that the slug that slammed JBC's wrist entered through the dorsal side, or about where you would normally wear a wristwatch face. That is what Dr. Gregory said.

The problem is, that is nearly anatomically impossible, if the bullet first passed through JBC chest. Try touching the face of a wristwatch to your chest.

I don't know when JBC received his wrist wound, or from where it came.

My contention is JBC was struck from behind ~Z-295.

My contention is JBC was struck from behind ~Z-295.

At Z295 JBC is lying back in Nellie's lap.
Perhaps I'm missing something but would it be possible for you to explain, in a sensible way, how he could be shot in the back from the Sniper's Nest in the southeast corner of the 6th floor of the TSBD building while lying in Nellie's lap.
Or is it your contention that Nellie shot him? I don't really follow what you post so I'm not sure.

As for JBC's wrist injury...note that after he begins thrashing about in the limo (starting around z225), when his wrist emerges from behind the limo door it is bent at a really unnatural looking 90 degrees.
Also note that in z222 we can see the white of his shirt cuff just above the door but this disappears in z223 (because his wrist has been hit by a bullet). He then commences to thrashing around.

[Benjamin Cole]

DO-

I don't think JBC is laying down in Nellie's lap at Z-295.

For example, this is Z-298:



https://assassinationresearch.com/zfilm/z298.jpg

And Z-309



https://assassinationresearch.com/zfilm/z309.jpg

Even at Z-320 JBC is not yet down into Nellie's lap.

That's my layman's take on what I see in the Z-film.

[Michael T. Griffith]

Recently I have been chided for having what I term "reasonable doubts" about the LNT-SBT, especially in connection to Gov. JBC and his Stetson hat.

AI: "Is the Warren Commission position on the possibility of Governor Connally holding onto his hat after being shot through the wrist plausible?"

---

The Warren Commission's position on Governor Connally holding his hat after his wrist was shot is widely debated. However, forensic experts, physicians, and critics argue it is highly improbable for him to retain a firm grip, though holding onto the hat by reflex or trapping it as his arm fell is plausibly possible.

The Core Arguments The Injury: Governor Connally sustained a severely comminuted (shattered) fracture to his right radius bone, completely severing the bone and destroying the wrist's structural integrity. Medics noted that the median nerve was also damaged, leading to an instant loss of motor control and strength in his right hand.

The Physics: Holding a rigid cowboy hat (Stetson) firmly in the air requires grip strength and the use of the wrist joint. Once shattered, the hand would typically go limp, causing the hat to fall to the floor of the limousine instantly.

8)The Warren Commission's Stance: The Commission argued that because the bullet was losing velocity as it passed through President Kennedy, Connally’s chest, and his wrist, it retained enough kinetic energy to break the bone, but it did not tear the hand apart. They theorized Connally reflexively maintained the hat in his grasp or that the hat was simply trapped in his hand or lap as he was struck.

Connally's Rebuttal: Governor John Connally himself fundamentally rejected the Warren Commission’s Single Bullet Theory. He testified that he was hit by a separate bullet from President Kennedy and frequently maintained that he immediately dropped his hat after being shot in the wrist, which contradicts the WC's timeline of him holding it later in the Zapruder film.

The most prominent expert who explicitly used the term "highly improbable" regarding the single-bullet theory and its medical trajectory is Dr. Cyril Wecht. He was a highly renowned forensic pathologist, attorney, and former president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Dr. Cyril Wecht's Medical Critique: Dr. Wecht extensively studied the medical evidence and testified before the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA). He vehemently argued against the Warren Commission's timeline using Zapruder film frame 230.

His expert critique regarding the hat specifically centers on the following points:

The Neurological Impossibility: Dr. Wecht noted that the bullet shattered the distal end of Connally's right radius bone (wrist) and partially severed his radial nerve.

Voluntary vs. Involuntary Control: He argued that with a collapsed lung from the chest wound and a shredded wrist nerve, it is medically "incongruous" for Connally to maintain voluntary grip strength to hold up a heavy Stetson cowboy hat for 1.5 seconds after the alleged impact.

The "Highly Improbable" Quote: When summarized during investigative panels and televised CBS/CNN historical reviews, Dr. Wecht noted that while he hesitates to say anything is 100 percent impossible in forensics, the Warren Commission's exact timeline for these combined injuries and movements is "highly improbable".

Other Aligning Medical Voices

While Dr. Wecht is the specific source of that phrasing, other medical professionals expressed similar deep skepticism:

The Parkland Hospital Surgeons: Doctors like Dr. Charles Gregory (who operated on Connally’s wrist) noted that the neurovascular and bone destruction from a high-velocity military round would cause immediate, catastrophic loss of function in the hand.

Independent Forensic Analysts: Over decades, secondary medical critics—such as those featured in Jim Garrison's investigative files and various independent forensic studies—concluded that the hand would immediately go limp, meaning the hat could only remain in the hand if it was involuntarily trapped or wedged against his lap rather than actively held.

---30---

I have reasonable doubts on the ability of Gov. JBC to hold onto his Stetson hat, after being shot through the wrist. If we want to toss out Cyril Wecht as a dedicated CT'er, then we have Dr. Charles Gregory, who actually operated on JBC's wrist.

Gov. JBC is indisputably seen at Z-272 holding onto his Stetson hat. Even the WC assents to that.

Yet, the WC contends Gov. JBC was already shot through the wrist at that point...well, that is highly improbable.

This is one reason I doubt the LNT-SBT narratives.

Very good stuff, Ben.

Connally's wrist may well have been hit by the shot to which the Zapruder film shows reactions starting at around Z293. Roy Kellerman, who is sitting next to Greer, is seen to "duck" his head beginning at Z293. His head tips noticeably forward, in an apparent ducking motion. Jean Hill begins to snap her head to the right at around Z295. She is standing to the left of the limousine, across the street from Zapruder. By Z298 we can see she has turned her head and is looking to the rear of the limousine. William Greer, the limousine driver, snaps his head to the rear beginning at Z301. This shot was probably fired at right around Z285. 

It is rather odd that anyone would chide you for doubting the SBT, given that we now know that three of the seven members of the WC didn't buy it, and that the WC's best wound ballistics expert, Dr. Joseph Dolce, said the SBT was preposterous.