JFK Assassination Forum

Two important facts should be kept in mind: One, the four radiologists consulted by the HSCA medical panel (FPP) were unable to identify an exit point for the head shot on the autopsy skull x-rays. Two, the FPP claimed the x-rays show no missing frontal bone, but the evidence is clear that they were wrong. The issue of the damage to the frontal bone has a direct bearing on the authenticity of the autopsy brain photos.

Lone-gunman theorists have virtually ignored the telling fact that the HSCA's four radiology consultants were unable to identify an exit point on the skull x-rays. The consultants were Dr. Gerald M. McDonnel, Dr. Norman Chase, Dr. William Seaman, and David O. Davis.

If anyone doubts this, they can read the findings that the radiologists presented to the FPP. Here are links to them:

McDonnel (https://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/reportvols/vol7/html/HSCA_Vol7_0114a.htm)
Chase (https://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/reportvols/vol7/html/HSCA_Vol7_0146a.htm)
Seaman (https://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/reportvols/vol7/html/HSCA_Vol7_0166b.htm)
Davis (https://history-matters.com/archive/jfk/hsca/reportvols/vol7/html/HSCA_Vol7_0116b.htm)

Renowned researcher John Hunt commented on this important point:

Four radiologists were consulted by the FPP over a six-month period beginning in February 1978. None reported an identifiable exit point. The closest an HSCA radiology consultant came to claiming to identify an outshoot point was Dr. David Davis, who reported:

"It seems apparent that explosive impact occurred in this calvarium. It also seems reasonable to assume that the exit point is near the coronal suture on the right side, about 5 or 6, or perhaps slightly more, cm above the pterion. (7 HSCA 224)"

Why it “seem[ed] reasonable” to Davis “to assume that the exit point” was anywhere is left entirely to the imagination of the reader, for Davis never explained the rationale upon which he based his assumption. Davis’ unsupported and equivocal speculation not withstanding, the x-rays did not reveal any outshoot points. ("A Demonstrable Impossibility: The HSCA Forensic Pathology Panel’s Misrepresentation of the Kennedy Assassination Medical Evidence," https://www.history-matters.com/essays/jfkmed/ADemonstrableImpossibility/ADemonstrableImpossibility.htm#_edn2)

The FPP ignored this fact and claimed to have located the outshoot point in the frontal bone.

Also, incredibly, the FPP's final report claimed that no frontal bone was missing. They most likely made this claim (1) because JFK's forehead and the area just behind his front hairline appear intact in the autopsy head photos, and (2) because the autopsy brain photos do not show the damage or missing tissue that would have been caused when the bullet blew out a large piece of frontal bone. However,

-- Dr. McDonnel said the x-rays show missing frontal bone, observing that "a portion of the right frontal bone" is missing (7 HSCA 218, 228).

-- Dr. Lawrence Angel, a forensic anthropologist who advised the FPP on the placement of the skull fragments, said frontal bone was missing. In fact, Dr. Angel said that the Delta skull fragment, i.e., the large triangular-shaped skull fragment, is "clearly frontal bone" (7 HSCA 229, 239).

-- Dr. J. Thornton Boswell, one of the autopsy doctors, diagrammed a sizable portion of missing frontal bone in his autopsy face sheet (17 H 46, CE 397, https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/wc/wcvols/wh17/html/WH_Vol17_0036b.htm).

-- Dr. Pierre Fink, the only one of the autopsy doctors who was a certified forensic pathologist, stated in his report to General Bloomberg that frontal bone was missing (see MD 28, p. 5, https://www.history-matters.com/archive/jfk/arrb/master_med_set/md28/html/Image04.htm).

-- Dr. John Lattimer, the first independent doctor to be allowed to see the autopsy x-rays and photos at the National Archives, said the x-rays show a large portion of the right frontal bone to be missing ("Observations Based on a Review of the Autopsy Photographs, X-rays, and Related Materials of the Late President John F. Kennedy, Medical Times, 1972, 100:6, p. 53.)

-- Dr. David Mantik and Dr. Michael Chesser have confirmed that the skull x-rays show a sizable amount of missing frontal bone.

When the bullet blasted out the Delta fragment from the frontal bone, it would have had to tear through the righthand side of the frontal lobe and naturally would have blasted out part of the right frontal lobe in the process. But, the brain photos show no missing issue in that area of the frontal lobe (nor in the lefthand side of the frontal lobe).

Official time of death is not always stated precisely as evidenced by JFK's official time of death as 1:00pm CST. The priests who entered the ER to administer the last rights before that time said he was already covered with a sheet when the last rights were administered to the body.

The only reason that I know of why a precise time of death might be important is the provisions of some wills. As executor of my father's will, I know there was a provision that excluded the named heirs in the event they preceded him in death. It also stated that if the order of their deaths could not be determined, it was to be presumed they preceded him in death. I think it would be highly unusual that such a provision would come into play. Perhaps if the people question were both killed in a car or plane crash and both were declared dead at the scene. Hard to say from just a few examples but it looks to me like it might be a common practice to round off the time of death to the nearest 15 minute time frame.

Typically in wills we say "If my beloved but ne'er-do-well son Filbert does not survive me by 120 hours, then his share shall pass to my lovely but morally bankrupt daughter Gwendolyn" or something to that effect, which makes the exact time of death less critical. Some wills specify much longer periods - even up to a year. Almost all states have the Uniform Simultaneous Death Act whereby "if the devolution of property or donative provision in a governing instrument depends on one individual surviving another, and it cannot be established by clear and convincing evidence that the individual survived by 120 hours, such individual will be considered predeceased." It would be rare that the 120 hours would come down to the exact minute, but I suppose it could happen. That will be $342, please.

Does anyone know who the interviewer that keeps interrupting Tom Alyea with all kinds of questions? That’s so annoying when they won’t let the interviewee say much of anything before they interrupt again and again…

I found on Facebook this snip of the supposed HSCA interview or testimony of Methodist Hospital nurse Thompson (Lotti or Lottie). I'm mystified as to why I can't seem to locate the document itself.

FWIW: DVP's site has this explanation of the time discrepancy from Dale Myers:

https://jfk-archives.blogspot.com/2010/06/tippit-timelines.html

Due to the inaccuracy of the clocks at Methodist Hospital, there clearly was a time discrepancy. I had seen an interview (or perhaps testimony) with a Methodist Hospital nurse who explained the problem and the FBI's efforts to clarify with Dr. Moellenhoff - but now, naturally, I can't find it. Is this the "pestering" you're referring to? I suppose I can see the FBI trying to nail down a reasonably accurate timeline for exactly the reasons being discussed here. Someone probably saw the 1:15 on the Authorized Permit for Autopsy Form and said "That can't be right" (in terms of a death determination at the hospital). Since Tippit was taken to the ER, there presumably did have to be an official determination that "He's gone," but it sounds like that was sometime between 1:15 and 1:30.

Well then, I have a problem with 4 official documents 2 from the FBI and 2 from DPD - All related to time of death.
Each one is blotched and corrected at the ten minute place mark of time.
https://jfk.boards.net/post/57/thread

Yet, there is this time line ignored:
Helen Markham saw the time when she left Washateria as 1:04p
At 417 E Tenth St. (told to Barry Ernst) -  Mrs. Margie Higgin's, mantle clock at the time of the shooting and a news check on her television as 1:06p
TF Bowley's watch at the time he arrived at the scene as 1:10p

I'm old enough to remember windup watches. It is ridiculous to think nobody knows what time it is.
Except that Tippit was shot at 1:15pm +/-