And What Happened to CE-399? A Teaser....

[Benjamin Cole]

As surely everyone in this excellent forum knows, CE-399 is the Western Cartridge slug identified by the WC as the bullet that passed through JFK's neck, then Gov. JBC's chest, through JBC's right wrist, and then burrowed into JBC's thigh.

CE-399 then fell out of JBC's thigh at some point, most likely when he was disrobed in Trauma Room 2, in Parkland Hospital, in preparation for surgery.

JBC described CE-399 this way:

 “In History Shadow” (1994)-- “the most curious discovery of all took place when they rolled me off the stretcher, and onto the examining table. A metal object fell to the floor, with a click no louder than a wedding band. The nurse picked it up and slipped it into her pocket. It was the bullet from my body, the one that passed through my back, chest and wrist and worked itself loose from my thigh.”

OK, so CE-399 had worked is way out of JBC's thigh, inside Trauma Room 2, and a nurse pocketed the slug.

Now, hospitals by law must report bullet wounds, and save all related evidence, for obvious and good reasons.

See this:

Yes, in the United States and many other jurisdictions, hospitals are legally required to report gunshot wounds to law enforcement. Furthermore, if a bullet or other foreign object is removed from a patient during treatment, it is considered physical evidence and must be preserved, documented, and handed over to police.
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
 +2
Here are the key details regarding these obligations:
1. Mandatory Reporting Requirements
Legal Obligation: In 48 of 50 US states, healthcare providers are mandated to report ballistic injuries, regardless of whether the injury is acute or was sustained in the past.
What is Reported: Hospitals must report the patient’s name (if known), the nature of the wound, and the circumstances of treatment.
When to Report: Reporting is often required immediately, or as soon as possible without interfering with patient care.
Exceptions: In some cases, if a patient is unconscious, the reporting is mandatory.
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
 +3
2. Saving and Handling Bullet Evidence
If a bullet, projectile, or fragment is removed from a patient, hospitals have strict protocols to ensure the chain of custody is maintained:
Evidence Preservation: Removed bullets, clothing with gunshot residue, or other fragments are considered evidence and must be kept secure.
Proper Handling: Staff are instructed not to clean the bullet, to use rubber-tipped forceps to avoid adding new marks, and to package it for forensic analysis.
Documentation: Evidence must be labeled to identify it as coming from that specific patient, along with the date and time of removal.
Handover: The items are turned over to the police or kept according to a policy that allows them to be transferred to law enforcement.
Sage Journals
Sage Journals
 +3
3. Legal Protection for Hospitals
Immunity: Hospitals and employees who report in good faith are generally immune from civil or criminal liability.
| WA.gov
| WA.gov
 +1
4. Exceptions to Removal
Medical Necessity: Surgeons do not remove a bullet solely for evidence; they only remove it if it is medically necessary (e.g., causing infection, pain, or damaging tissue). If the bullet is left in the body, it is usually documented, and the patient may be informed that law enforcement may request it later.
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
PubMed Central (PMC) (.gov)
 +2
In summary, the medical team's primary goal is to save the patient's life, but they are legally obligated to act as agents in preserving evidence for law enforcement when treating gunshot victims. 

---30---

And so, the Trauma 2 nurse put the CE-399 bullet, that fell from JBC's thigh, into an evidence envelope, and handed it over to the Dallas Police Department, right?