JFK Assassination Forum

Did Marilyn Sitzman have a case of the hiccups?

Given the fact that Oswald's first, missing-everything, shot was at hypothetical Z-124 (half-a-second before Zapruder resumed filming -- after a 17-second pause -- at Z-133), how are we to explain Zapruder's camera's jiggling all over the place other than the possibility that the gal who was holding onto vertigo-plagued Zapruder, Marilyn Sitzman, had a real bad case of the hiccups?

If so, were they so loud that they caused some witnesses to believe that the shots were coming from the bushes?

Who said that Haygood used the radio on his own motorcycle? By 12:35, both Harkness and King had their three-wheelers on top of the rail yard. One of them is seen riding around in the rail yard in the Hughes film. He could have just borrowed their radios

   BUMP regarding TODD speculating that Officer Haygood could have, ".... just borrowed their radios". Officer Haygood gave WC Testimony that he made his 12:35 radio transmission from his own Motorcycle Radio that was parked on the (N) Elm St curb. This is one of the many Facts that prove, "That Ain't Haygood", with Officer Harkness on the Darnell Film.

Hackerott gives us "an estimation of the time as 12:36." You try to turn that into "12:35." Your attempt at misleading everyone aside, there is nothing in Hackerott's analysis that  contradicts what I've been saying.

This is the level you're down to.

    Officer Haygood's WC Testimony makes clear that he made his 12:35 radio transmission from HIS MOTORCYCLE at the Elm St curb. Please do the research before going off on another tangent that mandates my setting the record straight. 

If I remember right, you are postulating a first shot at virtual frame 124. That would mean the reaction you think you see at Z-142 was almost one second later. That seems like a very slow startle response to me.

If you'll go back and read my earlier posts, you'll see that I'm not talking about their "startle responses."

I'm talking about their intentional head turns about a second after their "startle responses."

Which "startle responses," if the first shot did occur half-a-second before Zapruder resumed filming at Z-133 (and pretty darn far from his camera), probably wouldn't be discernable by us, anyway.


Regarding said intentional head turns:

1) JFK starts a quick look to the left at Z-142

2) Jackie starts accelerated head turning left at Z-142

3) Connally begins a quick head turn left at Z-149, followed by quickly looking back right.

4) Nellie begins a quick sweeping head turn to the right at Z-144

5) Kellerman begins leaning over and looking behind/down to the right at Z-148



ME: What are the typical characteristics of the "startle reaction" / "startle response" of a person who hears a loud noise behind them?

GROK: The typical "startle reaction" to a sudden loud noise from behind is an automatic, involuntary acoustic startle reflex (also called the startle response or startle pattern). This is a rapid defensive reaction mediated by the brainstem that happens in a fraction of a second — often before you’re consciously aware of the sound.

Sequence of the Typical Reaction

Immediate muscle response (within ~30–100 milliseconds):

Eye blink (the fastest and most reliable component).

Neck and shoulder contraction: The head and shoulders jerk downward or forward slightly (a "head dip" or shrug).  [Note: Not a turning of the head]

Upper body flexion: Arms bend inward toward the chest, fists may clench, and the torso hunches or crouches protectively.

Leg response: Knees may bend slightly; in stronger reactions, the whole body jumps or flinches upward.

Orienting/turning component (slightly slower, ~200–500 ms):

Because the noise is behind you, you’ll often rapidly turn your head and upper body toward the source to identify the threat. This is part of the "orienting response" that follows the initial startle.

Autonomic (body-wide) effects:

Heart rate spikes.

Adrenaline surge (fight-or-flight activation).

Increased alertness and faster breathing.

Sweating or a brief "cold" feeling.

Why This Pattern?

Evolutionarily, a loud noise from behind signals a potential predator or danger you can’t see. The reflex protects vital areas (neck, spine, eyes) and prepares you to either flee or turn and confront the threat. It’s very consistent across people, though the intensity varies based on:

How unexpected or loud the noise is.

Individual factors (anxiety level, fatigue, caffeine, PTSD, etc. — people with anxiety or trauma often show exaggerated responses).

Context (you’re less startled in a noisy environment you expect).

Everyday ExamplesJumping and whipping your head around when someone drops a tray behind you in a café.

The classic "someone sneaks up and yells 'Boo!'" reaction — shoulders up, arms in, then spin around.

Drivers slamming on the brakes or swerving slightly after a loud horn from behind.

The startle reflex is one of the most reliable and well-studied responses in psychology and neuroscience. It’s used in labs to measure fear, anxiety, and neurological function because it’s so automatic. In most healthy people, it lasts only a second or two before conscious control and appraisal take over ("Oh, it was just a door slamming").





Costella-frame-by-frame:

https://assassinationresearch.com/zfilm/

So you must have absolutely no confidence in the accuracy of any memory that you have.

I know I remember somethings but I also know of a number of instances where I misremembered what happened. Sometimes I have a resource that will tell me if what I remembered is correct or not. Sometimes I am and sometimes I am not.

On this issue, while the 1.....2...3 shot spacing is the majority opinion, it is hardly unanimous. Others remember it as 1....2....3 and others remember it as 1...2......3. I believe the first two were about 1 second closer together than the last 2, but I base that on only one witness,  Zapruder's camera. That has never lied to me.

Believe it or not, when I first began discussing the JFKA in online forums, I had formulated a theory very similar to yours. I can't remember the specifics but I led myself to believe JFK was hit by the first and third shots and JBC by the second. I can't say specifically but I think I placed the first shot somewhere in the Z180s and JBC somewhere in the Z230s. I came up with all kinds of excuses for why that didn't jibe with the Z-film. I finally gave up because I was uncomfortable with all the mental gymnastics I had to go through to convince myself that the two men were hit by separate shots. Finally I had to admit to myself that I was wrong and started figuring out what really happened once I put my faith in the visual evidence of the Z-film. That has never led me astray. I have fine tuned my conclusions over the years but it has been basically unchanged for decades. The first shot missed. JFK and JBC were hit by the second shot. The third shot was the kill shot.