Inexplicable Wounds made by Special Bullets

[Bob Prudhomme]

Here is one thing I have been able to deduce from the medical evidence.

Connally either had to be turned to his right when he was hit in the back by a bullet or the shooter was at the west end of the TSBD.

How do I know? It's quite simple, really. Here is a description of the wound from the WC testimony of Dr. Robert R. Shaw, the surgeon who operated on Connally's back wound at Parkland Hospital:

"Mr. SPECTER - Will you describe in as much detail as you can the wound on the posterior side of the Governor's chest?
Dr. SHAW - This was a small wound approximately a centimeter and a half in its greatest diameter. It was roughly elliptical. It was just medial to the axilliary fold or the crease of the armpit, but we could tell that this wound, the depth of the wound, had not penetrated the shoulder blade."


And a diagram of the wound:



Further testimony from Dr. Shaw regarding the damage inflicted by this bullet:

"Mr. SPECTER - What damage had been inflicted upon a rib, if any, Dr. Shaw?
Dr. SHAW - About 10 centimeters of the fifth rib starting at the, about the mid-axillary line and going to the anterior axillary line, as we describe it, or that would be the midline at the armpit going to the anterior lateral portion of the chest had been stripped away by the missile."

Diagram showing location of the mid axillary line:



From further testimony by Dr. Shaw, we know the bullet exited below Connally's right nipple, indicating, from the diagrams and evidence, the bullet was travelling at a very sharp angle from the side of his thorax to under the nipple.

"Mr. SPECTER - When did you first have an opportunity then to examine Governor Connally's wound on the posterior aspect of his chest?
Dr. SHAW - After the Governor had been anesthetized. As soon as he was asleep so we could manipulate him--before that time it was necessary for an endotracheal tube to be in place so his respirations could be controlled before we felt we could roll him over and accurately examine the wound entrance. We knew this was the wound exit.
Mr. SPECTER - This [indicating an area below the right nipple on the body]?
Dr. SHAW - Yes."

And now the problem with this shot. Look at the diagram below, showing the location of the 5th rib and the scapula (shoulder blade):



Due to the tapering of the upper ribcage, seen below:



The 5th rib is hidden from the posterior view by the scapula. Granted, the scapula does travel laterally with the raising and lowering of the arm but, in order for the 5th rib to protrude further to the outside than the scapula, the arm must be tucked tightly to the side.

Does everyone see the problem here? Once again, the wound diagram:



If Connally had been facing forward and the bullet entered just to the right of the scapula, as seen above, there is a very good chance it would have missed his 5th rib altogether. It certainly would not have followed the course of the 5th rib inwards and exited under his right nipple, as this would have required the bullet to make a change of course to the left, after clearing the scapula. He could only have been hit by a shot from the rear if he had been turned to his right, or if the shot had originated from a position much further west than the SE corner of the TSBD.

This seriously contradicts any theory that Connally was hit in the back between the time he is first see at frame z220 and frame z239, where he is first seen turning to his right.

Coincidentally, Connally is in a position to be lined up for a bullet from the rear to inflict this right to left traversing wound just after JFK suffers the fatal head shot at z313. At that moment, he is returning to face forward after looking back over his right shoulder, just as he has always claimed he was doing before he was hit in the back.

[Drew Phipps]

Looking at the zap film (just for the sake of this discussion), I'd say Connally begins to turn back towards center at frame 291. It appears to me that he begins to show discomfort at Z frame 297. Looks to me like (a) his upper body is twisted to the right for a measureable period of time before and after, and (b) he's sort of leaning backwards (like old men do) to ease the strain of the turn on the spine. The backward lean "might" clear the scapula out of the way.

The ribs generally slope downwards as you move forwards, so a bullet passing from back to front thru one rib without hitting any of the other ribs would need to be travelling downward as well.

[Bob Prudhomme]

Looking at the zap film (just for the sake of this discussion), I'd say Connally begins to turn back towards center at frame 291. It appears to me that he begins to show discomfort at Z frame 297. Looks to me like (a) his upper body is twisted to the right for a measureable period of time before and after, and (b) he's sort of leaning backwards (like old men do) to ease the strain of the turn on the spine. The backward lean "might" clear the scapula out of the way.

The ribs generally slope downwards as you move forwards, so a bullet passing from back to front thru one rib without hitting any of the other ribs would need to be travelling downward as well.

How would leaning backwards clear the scapula out of the way of the 5th rib?

If he was leaned backwards, the rib would be closer to level, and not require such a steep trajectory for the bullet.

Connally might begin turning back to the front but he is turned to far to the right until after z313. If he had been shot in the mid-axillary line prior to that, the bullet would have gone straight through his rib into his chest.

[Drew Phipps]

Turning and leaning backwards doesn't displace the scapula with respect to the rib, but simply "rotates" (on 2 axes) the scapula, back of the rib, and the spine, (as a unit) a bit farther away from the path of the bullet.

[Bob Prudhomme]

Okay, time to back up a little. I just began re-reading Dr. Robert Shaw's testimony in his second appearance before the Warren Commission.

Remember how I said the bullet entered Connally's back at the side of his chest, followed the outer edge of the 5th rib (stripping out 10 cm. or 4 inches of it) and exited UNDER his right nipple, and how impossible such a traverse would be unless JBC was turned to his right or the shot originated from a point further west in the TSBD than the SE corner (making it impossible to go through JFK first), due to the shoulder blade blocking the path to the 5th rib?

Well, it is even worse for the SBT than I thought. Here is Dr. Robert Shaw in his second appearance before the WC:

"Mr. Specter.Dr. Shaw, will you describe next the wound of exit?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; the wound of exit was below and slightly medial to the nipple on the anterior right chest. It was a round, ragged wound, approximately 5 cm. in diameter. This wound had obviously torn the pleura, since it was a sucking wound, allowing air to pass to and fro between the pleura cavity and the outside of the body."

For those unfamiliar with medical terminology, lateral means away from the centre midline of the body and medial means toward the centre midline of the body. If Dr. Shaw said the 5 cm. (2 inch) exit wound was medial to the right nipple, it means the exit wound was between the right nipple and the centre of the chest.

I hope everyone understands the significance of this. Connally would have to be turned to his extreme right to be hit by a bullet passing through JFK's neck or even one originating from behind the limo. JBC stated he turned to look back at JFK after the first shot, and was in the process of turning to the front and ultimately to his left when he was struck in the back by a bullet. This turn to the right can be seen in the Z film, and he is returning to facing front just after the head shot at z313, when he is hit.

[Drew Phipps]

I by no means endorse the Zap film as an accurate recording of the assasination.

Purely for the purpose of this thread, I make the following observations:

The most extreme turn Connally made to the right ends at z 291 as he starts to turn back to center. Has he been hit at that point? Connally identified the Zap frame in which he was hit as Z 234 in his "Life" interview.

The hand appears to be in the correct position.

This is well prior (4 sec?) to him craning his head around to the right (Z 291) to look at JFK just prior to the headshot.


Was he making a upper body turn to the right 4 sec after being shot in the chest?

I'm willing to conceed that Connally might have been shot later than Z 234, perhaps as late as Z 291 (if such upper body movements are unlikely after being shot in the chest) but his facial reactions after that seem to indicate he's already in pain after Z 292. Of course, Connally getting shot that late in the game means 2 shooters of necessity. To borrow a commonly used phrase, "BANG..BANG.."

The "sucking wound" implies that the bullet did not "pass along the rib" (remaining outside the plural cavity) but instead that it went through the rib into the pleural cavity, yes? Perhaps bits of shattered rib tore the pleura.

[Drew Phipps]

I watched the pilot of "Gotham" last night. Soon-to-be-Commissioner Gordon hears that the ammo used to kill Mr. and Mrs. Wayne are "wadcutters" of a caliber not found in the police files, presumably unavailable to your Lone Mugger...

Art imitating real life? Or is someone in Hollywood reading Bob's work?

[Chris Davidson]

The extant Zfilm pans up to Connallys neck at Z280 and stays there until Z310.

What don't we see on film and when?

Dan Rather will help you out.

http://s140.photobucket.com/user/123stea...r.mp4.html

chris

P.S. Where would the shooter be if Rather saw blood on Connallys white open shirt in the position we see Connally on film. Behind him of course.

Behind, is not the TSBD.

[Drew Phipps]

Of all the times I have watched that Z film (which I now believe is a "historical drama") I have NEVER seen Connally reach his hand back towards the president...the hand that was allegedly holding a hat and then shot thru the wrist. Dan Rather must have watched a different "historical drama" than the rest of us.

If what Rather says he saw, did really happen (and subsequently edited from Zapruder), then maybe the bullet pased from the rear thru the wrist distal first, exiting the palmar side, then into the back, explaining the tumble upon entry to the back. I guess his arm would have to be mostly bent to line up that trajectory. Much more of a straight path than most others I've heard.

[Chris Davidson]

Extant 313, about 2 seconds after the shot that hit the governor.

Life Memorial Edition 1963

http://s140.photobucket.com/user/123stea...3.png.html

chris