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The Medical Evidence

Because medical issues are often technical issues, the average reader of the average conspiracy book is
likely to take the word of the author that such and such is true. Few people, after all, have the medical
training to dispute what the book says.

Further, the doctors who performed the autopsy, and the Warren Commission which had to reach
conclusions based on the medical evidence, blundered in substantial ways. These blunders can be
presented as evidence of some sinister conspiracy, rather than then result of haste and an excessive
concern for the feelings of the Kennedy family.

The information here, while not giving a comprehensive overview of the evidence, will at least highlight
some of the common errors (and worse) that the conspiracy books make.

Shooting Yourself in the Foot

The Warren Commission published two rather inaccurate drawings of Kennedys wounds. Does this
indicate a conspiracy? See what Arlen Specter told the Commission in a confidential memo.

The Dallas Doctors

At a news conference on the afternoon of the

assassination, the doctors who attended to Kennedy in
the Parkland Emergency Room discussed the
Presidents wounds (photo at right). Although the
Parkland staff did a highly competent job of treating
Kennedy and Connally, their statements about the
nature of the wounds were confused, contradictory, and
often mistaken. Of course, conspiracy authors have had
a field day with them, claiming that the back of
Kennedys head was blasted out, and that the bullet
wound in Kennedys neck was one of entrance.

And example of how conspiracy books use evidence

selectively can be found in an account written on the
day of the assassination by Dr. Marion "Pepper" Jenkins. The account says the wound was "occipital" and
that "cerebellum" protruded from the wound. Both of these statements imply that the back of the head
was blown out. Yet the account says the wound was to the "right side of the head" and that it was
"temporal" (which means the side of the head). Guess which statements conspiracy books tell their
readers about, and which they withhold?

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Dr. Robert Grossman has testified to being in Trauma Room One at Parkland Hospital during the
futile attempt to save John Kennedy. A respected neurosurgeon, he certainly seems like the sort of
witness one could rely on. Unfortunately, his testimony is problematic in many ways, as David Lifton
argues in "Dr. Robert GrossmanPhantom of Trauma Room One."

The Head Wound

With the possible exception of the Single Bullet Theory, nothing about the assassination has been as
controversial as the nature of Kennedys head wound. Conspiracists have stressed witness testimony that
the back of Kennedys head was blown out, suggesting a shot from the Grassy Knoll. Lone assassin
theorists have stressed the photographic evidence and the autopsy x-rays, which show the back of the
head intact. The panel above shows four of the dozens of versions of Kennedys head wound. Which of
these is closest to the truth?

Randy Robertson claims to have found, in the x-rays of Kennedys skull, evidence of two bullet hits
to Kennedys head. This is his statement to Rep. Conyers subcommittee of the U.S. Congress in
November 1993. Also included is one of the reviews of his article that caused the journal Radiology to
reject it, as well as a brief critique from me.

Speaking of the head wound, the distribution of bullet fragments in Kennedys brain, as shown in the
autopsy x-rays, gives a lot of information about the bullet that hit Kennedy, and (more importantly) rules
out a variety of theories about the head shot. WOUND1.GIF is a drawing, from conspiracy author Charles
Wilber, of the distribution of fragments. Drawn from the work of Cyril Wecht, it is quite consistent with
Lattimers drawings in Kennedy and Lincoln.

Like Wecht, John Lattimer was one of the first people to see the autopsy photos and x-rays.
LATERAL.GIF is his drawing of the damage to Kennedys head. Compare it to the drawings in books by
authors like Groden and Livingstone.

The nature of Kennedys head wound has been a matter of continuing controversy. ANGEL1.GIF,
ANGEL2.GIF, and ANGEL3.GIF are the report Dr. Lawrence Angel, a forensic anthropologist of the
Smithsonian Institution, submitted to the HSCA. Particularly interesting is Angels drawing of the
damage shown in the photos and x-rays in ANGEL3.GIF.

HEAD.JPG is the famous photograph of the inside of Kennedys skull, with the brain removed.
Conspiracy books usually print it rotated 90 degrees. Here it is right side up. Compare this photo to
ANGEL3.GIF (above).

Does the Harper Fragment Prove a Shot from the Grassy Knoll?

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The Harper Fragment was a piece of bone discovered in Dealey Plaza the day after the assassination.
A Dallas doctor (A. B. Cairns) identified it as occipital bone from a human skull. Further, conspiracy
books claim the fragment was found behind the location of the limo at the moment Kennedys head
exploded. If these claims are correct, that means the back of Kennedys head was blown out, which would
imply both a shooter in front of Kennedy and fakery in the autopsy photos and x-rays. But what does the
evidence show on these points?

Was the Back of Kennedys head Really Blown Out?

See for yourself what the Zapruder film shows. Of course, conspiracy buffs are increasingly insisting
that the Zapruder film has been tampered with (this is after 30 years of insisting that it is ironclad
evidence of conspiracy). Then, you might ask, how do the Dealey Plaza witnesses describe the head
wound. Take a look at how Zapruder described the wound to Jay Watson of WFAA-TV shortly after the
assassination, and read how the wound was described by Marilyn Sitzman, who was standing next to
Zapruder.

Likewise, James Altgens was standing in front of and to the right of the limo at the time of the head
shot. Here is the portion of his Warren Commission testimony describing the explosion of Kennedys
head. Read this carefully, because Altgens is mistaken on a point or two.

Interpreting the Head X-rays

The image at right is one of the X-rays of John Kennedy taken at the Bethesda
autopsy. Its the "AP" (anterior-posterior) image of the head. Click on the image to
see a larger version. This X-ray is extremely controversial, as is the corresponding
lateral view of the skull. Its supposed to show fakery of the autopsy photographs,
and thus a conspiracy to kill Kennedy. It is puzzling if you dont know how to read
X-rays. But when people who do know how to read X-rays examine the films, they yield a clear picture
of the wound, as explained in this essay by Joe Durnavich.

Key Concept: Beveling. When a bullet

penetrates the skull bone, it will leave a
small hole on the side from which it enters,
and a larger dished-out crater on the side
that it exits. The existence of beveling of
the bone of Kennedys skull allowed the
autopsists and later panels of forensic
pathologists to establish that the bullet
that hit Kennedy in the head entered from
behind, with at least one large fragment
exiting toward the front. See JFK Exhibit
F-61, from the House Select Committee on Assassinations.

Medical Evidence on the Single Bullet Theory

John Lattimer has done several experiments to determine whether the Single Bullet Theory is
scientifically supportable. In the first he deals with the question: were there so many fragments in John
Connally that they could not all have come from CE 399? In the second, he deals with the question: could
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an exit wound in the front of Kennedys neck look like an entrance wound?

Years before Lattimers Kennedy and Lincoln was published, Josiah Thompson carefully scrutinized
the evidence on the issue of whether the bullet fragments found in John Connally had (in total) too much
mass to have come from CE 399. Here is the section of Six Seconds in Dallas dealing with this issue.

Conspiracy books describe the Dallas doctors as being absolutely sure that the wound in Kennedys
throat was an entrance wound. What they usually omit is the fact that the doctors who actually saw the
wound speculated that it was an exit wound from a fragment from the head shot. They also imply that ER
personnel can easily tell whether a wound is an entrance wound or an exit wound. This essay consists of
two parts. The first documents the speculations of the Dallas doctors about the wound, and the second is a
passage from the JAMA describing a careful study of the ability of ER personnel to make judgments
about the forensic aspects of wounds.

Is Kennedy "Clutching At His Throat" in the Zapruder Film?

Not according to Dr. John Lattimer, whose view is that Kennedys arms are assuming a "Thorburn
position" after the Single Bullet passed near his spine. Dr. Robert Artwohl agrees that the position of
Kennedys arms represents an involuntary neurological reaction, but doesnt agree that it is a "Thorburn
position." Click here for Artwohls view of the issue, originally posted as messages on the Compuserve
JFK Forum.

Dr. Kenneth Strully, a neurosurgeon from New Hampshire, also has addressed the issue of Kennedys
arm movements, and also sees them as the result of a neuromuscular reaction.

Telling the Truth at Long Last?

The man at right is Dr. Charles Crenshaw, who was in the Emergency Room when
Kennedy was treated at Parkland Hospital. He claimed in his 1992 book Conspiracy of
Silence to be finally telling the truth about the assassination a truth he feared to tell
earlier. His testimony, quite conveniently, "corroborates" what conspiracy books have
been saying for years. Is he a crackpot, a profiteer, or a brave truth-teller? Click here for the "scoop."

Are the Autopsy Photos Faked?

In 1981, The Boston Globe had a panel of photographic experts closely examine the photos and x-rays
from Kennedys autopsy to determine their authenticity. Bob Groden yes, the fellow who showed up at
the O.J. Simpson trial was there making his case that they were faked. See how much success he had
in convincing bona fide experts of fakery.

Of course, the House Select Committee had already thoroughly examined the "forgery" issue. It
commissioned the nations top experts to examine the autopsy materials for fakery, and here is their
report. If you actually believe that Harrison Livingstone is an expert on the photos and x-rays, you need to
read this. Accompanying this file is a graphic showing the face measurements forensic anthropologists
used to establish that the person in the autopsy photos was John F. Kennedy.

Of course, if the autopsy photos and x-rays are faked, just how many people would have to be
implicated in doing and lying about the fakery? This essay by Joel Grant discusses the history of
this issue.
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The autopsy doctors, have always accepted the photos and x-rays as genuine. In early 1967 all three
autopsists (Humes, Boswell, and Finck) examined these materials at the National Archives. Their report
authenticates the photos and x-rays as genuine.

What Do the Experts Say About the Evidence?

For several years, no independent experts had access to the photos and x-rays from Kennedys
autopsy. In the late 60s, Attorney General Ramsey Clark appointed a panel of forensic pathologists to
examine these materials. Here is their report.

What Happened to Kennedys Brain?

The most famous piece of missing evidence in the world is John Kennedys brain. What happened to
it? Did The Conspiracy grab it because it contained incontrovertible evidence that Kennedy was shot
from the front? The HSCA made a strong effort to find out what happened. Their report makes it pretty
clear what did.

Why Was Kennedys Coffin Disposed Of?

Like the missing brain, it sounds outrageous. The casket that carried Kennedys body from Dallas to
Washington was in fact disposed of by the federal government dropped into the Atlantic Ocean. Was
this part of some sinister coverup? Released documents tell the story. Here is a sample from The Smoking
Gun website, and here is a larger collection.

Another supposed piece of missing evidence is a bullet that Admiral Osborne said he saw fall out of
the wrapping of Kennedys body when it arrived at Bethesda. OSBORNE.TXT is the HSCAs
investigation of this claim.

"Military Control" of the Autopsy?

Conspiracy books describe, based on a very selective use of Dr. Fincks testimony in the Clay Shaw
trial, an autopsy in which shadowy sinister military figures prevented a proper autopsy. The House
Selected Committee did a thorough investigation of the conduct of the autopsy, based on interviews with
virtually all the participants. See just why such a poor job was done. An added bonus: that receipt for a
"missile" is explained.

A full account of autopsist Pierre Finks experiences at the autopsy can be found in the "Blumberg
Memo" written on 1 February 1965. Click here to see the memo.

Key Concept: Probing a wound. Conspiracy books place great emphasis on the fact that the
autopsists were unable to probe the wound in Kennedys back more than a inch or so into the body.
They believe that this proves that the bullet didnt penetrate more then an inch or so. Forensic
pathologists dont accept this idea. The following is a quote from the Forensic Pathology Panel of the
House Select Committee on Assassinations:

(430) The panel believes that the difficulty which Drs. Humes, Finck, and Boswell
experienced in trying to place a soft probe through the bullet pathway in President
Kennedys neck probably resulted from their failure or inability to manipulate this

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portion of the body into the same position it was in when the missile penetrated. Rigor
mortis may have hindered this manipulation. Such placement would have enabled
reconstruction of the relationships of the neck and shoulder when the missile struck. It is
customary, however, to dissect missile tracks to determine damage and pathway. Probing
a track blindly may produce false tracks and misinformation.

Were the Body Snatchers at Work?

David Lifton is far from the worst JFK assassination researcher. Indeed, hes a pretty good JFK
researcher. But he supports some very bad theories. For example, he believes that Kennedys body was
taken and surgically altered between Parkland Hospital and the autopsy in Bethesda. Supposedly, this was
done to conceal the fact that all the shots that hit Kennedy came from the front. Is this as crazy as it
sounds? Yes, it is.

Joel Grant has carefully examined the 14 minute period during which Lifton says Kennedys body
must have been stolen from Air Force One. In fact, the coffin was never unattended long enough
for body snatchers to do their work.
Physician Bob Artwohl has carefully examined Liftons use of medical evidence and eyewitness
testimony. Here is his critique of Liftons theories, originally messages on Compuserve addressed
to Lifton. Uploaded here by permission of Artwohl.
Long time University of Wisconsin professor and assassination researcher David Wrone looks at
the evidence on Liftons theory, and finds that it simply wasnt possible for conspirators to make
off with the body.

Really Pristine?

Finally, its the "magic bullet" picture you never see in the conspiracy books: CE 399 viewed end-on.
See for yourself whether this bullet is really "pristine."

A Genuine Conspiracy "Expert?"

The expert the conspiracy books are always quoting is Cyril Wecht,
forensic pathologist and long-time advocate of a conspiracy. Wecht is a
competent forensic pathologist where the Kennedy assassination is not
involved. Unfortunately the part of his book Cause of Death dealing
with the assassination is awash in mistakes and inaccuracies. When
Wecht appeared online on the Prodigy service in 1994, Dr. Robert
Artwohl challenged him on several errors and misrepresentations in the
book. Wecht failed to respond to any of Artwohls messages.

Wecht has claimed that Kennedy's "back and to the left" motion Dr. Wecht participated in a
indicates a shot from the Grassy Knoll. But when called as a expert TV special where film was
witness in the Menendez retrial, he insisted that simple Newtonian shown of a supposed "alien
physics isn't much use in determining how people will react to a shot. autopsy" (above). Was it
really an alien? Click here
When the Rockefeller Commission (The Commission on CIA for a web site where people
Activities) examined the assassination, in the 1970s, Wecht was an expert in movie special
important figure claiming that there was a conspiracy. Given his good effects critique the
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medical credentials, the Commission made a point of talking with him, "autopsy."
and indeed questioned him closely. When the Commission's report was
released, Wecht fussed and fumed that he had been misrepresented, and that he had given the
Commission much convincing evidence of a conspiracy, but was ignored. In this essay, Megan Knuth
examines what Wecht said, based on the transcript of his interview with the Commission, and compares it
with how his testimony is presented in the Commission's Report. Was he really misrepresented?

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