JFK Throat Wound: Exit or Entry?

[Bob Prudhomme]

The most puzzling wound of all the wounds inflicted during the assassination is, to me, anyways, the small wound in JFK's throat. According to Parkland surgeons who saw it in Trauma Room One, prior to Dr. Malcolm Perry bisecting it while making an incision for a tracheostomy, it was a neat round hole, 3-8 mm in diameter, that looked like an entrance wound inflicted by a bullet. It lacked the characteristic tearing made by a higher velocity bullet exiting flesh, although several of the Parkland surgeons did agree, while testifying, that it could have been made by a bullet exiting at a greatly reduced velocity.

I am going to propose a very radical theory, although it is by no means a new theory. However, I believe I can add a new dimension to the work already done in this area. I have already floated this theory over at the Ed Forum, and it was not well received; especially by Mr. Cliff Varnell.

If we reject the idea of the throat wound as an exit site for the Magic Bullet that supposedly entered JFK's back at the level of his collar, it would seem the only possible explanation for this wound is that it is a wound of entrance for a projectile fired from in front of the limo.

If one believes this "projectile" was a bullet, fired from a rifle or handgun, there are certain problems with this explanation that must be dealt with, and tend to make this explanation highly unlikely, yet, still possible.

If the projectile was a bullet fired from a rifle on the Grassy Knoll (or vicinity), at this short range, there should have been nothing to prevent a bullet travelling at normal rifle velocities from going right through JFK's neck, and out the back. At the very least, the bullet should have become lodged in one of the vertebrae or, if a frangible bullet, broken up completely and left a scattering of particles embedded in surrounding tissue and vertebrae. While the official WC x-rays of the neck do not show anything like this, the possibility of fake x-rays must also be entertained, as Jerrol Custer, the x-ray technician on duty at Bethesda the night of 22/11/63, testified to the ARRB that the neck x-rays of JFK currently in the archives look nothing like the x-rays he developed, and that the ones he saw had many bullet fragments in the cervical vertebrae.

Anything with a lower muzzle velocity than a rifle, such as a handgun or airgun for shooting paralyzing darts does not, IMO, have the accuracy to guarantee a kill shot at the distance from the Stemmons sign to the pergola or picket fence on the Grassy Knoll, and I do not believe anyone would have even contemplated attempting making such a shot with one of these subsonic weapons, especially at a moving target.

So, here comes the heresy. What if JFK did not suffer the throat wound until the moment he suffered the massive head wound(s) at z313, and the throat wound was the exit site of a fragment from a bullet that broke up inside of his skull?

I believe that JFK was actually struck in the head by two bullets, one entering the right temple and the other entering exactly where Humes claimed it did; on the back of JFK's skull and just to the right of the external occipital protuberance.


Arrow pointing to external occipital protuberance

As you all know from my previous posts, I believe the bullet that entered the back of JFK's skull was a type of hollow point frangible bullet, consisting of compressed or glued together lead powder but also containing a small lead pellet in the nose of the bullet. As this pellet would be the component making up the hollow point, it too would break up into several pieces or fragments. The compressed lead powder would disintegrate into a lethal cloud of powder, and would mostly be responsible for the great amount of damage inflicted. While the bullet would have made a small entrance wound, as observed by Humes, brain matter entering the hollow point would have created an enormous hydraulic pressure, and caused the disintegration of this bullet within 2 inches if its entry point.

The following images show the occipital bone highlighted. At the base of the skull (and the occipital bone), an opening called the "foraman magnum" is visible, and it is this opening that allows the spinal cord to enter the skull.






If my estimations are correct, the frangible hollow point bullet's nose would have broken up almost directly over this opening, and it is conceivable a fragment from this nose pellet could have found its way through this opening. It is also possible the many fragments Jerrol Custer claims to have seen in an x-ray of JFK's neck vertebrae also passed through this opening.

How does this opening line up with JFK's throat wound? Here is another diagram that may help to explain.



The cervical vertebrae are seen highlighted in red, and the foraman magnum opening at the base of the skull would be directly above the highest vertebra seen here. I think it entirely possible a fragment could have passed through and exited below his larynx. As the fragment might have been as small as 1-2 mm, it would make perfect sense for it to make a 3-8 mm exit wound, as exit wounds are typically larger than the diameter of the projectile that makes them.

[Drew Phipps]

In previous threads you have posited that the supposed bullet track from back wound to throat wound would necessarily have been blocked by vertebrae. Why is it that a bullet fragment entering the skull and passing thru the foramen magnum (which incidentally is where all those vertebrae are) can reach the larynx without apparent damage to any vertebrae?

[Tracy Riddle]

Quote: "So, here comes the heresy. What if JFK did not suffer the throat wound until the moment he suffered the massive
head wound(s) at z313, and the throat wound was the exit site of a fragment from a bullet that broke up inside of his skull?"

Bob, you realize that this was one of the original official stories published in the press?

12/18/1963 Washington Post reporter Nate Haseltine breaks the story on the results of the autopsy. "The second bullet to strike Mr Kennedy, the source said, entered the back of the skull and tore open his forehead...The pathologists at Bethesda, the source said, concluded that the throat wound was caused by the emergence of a metal fragment or piece of bone resulting from the fatal shot in the head."

[Bob Prudhomme]

In previous threads you have posited that the supposed bullet track from back wound to throat wound would necessarily have been blocked by vertebrae. Why is it that a bullet fragment entering the skull and passing thru the foramen magnum (which incidentally is where all those vertebrae are) can reach the larynx without apparent damage to any vertebrae?

Hi Drew

This is a very good question, and not knowing the answer to it kept me from considering the possibility of a fragment travelling from the rear of the skull to the throat. I once erroneously believed the C1 vertebra actually occupied a place partially inside the skull. The actual truth is quite surprising.

Rather than re-write the entire thing, I will post a copy of a post I made at the Ed Forum.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted Yesterday, 02:30 AM
Hi Jon

Take a look at these three diagrams showing the top two cervical vertabrae, C1 and C2, positioned below the foramen magnum opening.




As seen, C1 and C2 are also referred to as the "atlas" and "axis". It is clearly demonstrated here that the base of the skull and C1 vertebra are not a tight fit but, instead, are connected across the gap between them by membranes, and there should be sufficient space between them to allow a bullet fragment to pass. How tough these membranes are, I do not know, but I imagine they would offer far less resistance than the bone of a vertebra. Of course, this is not to say the fragment didn't strike C1 a glancing blow as it made its way to JFK's trachea.

[Bob Prudhomme]

Quote: "So, here comes the heresy. What if JFK did not suffer the throat wound until the moment he suffered the massive
head wound(s) at z313, and the throat wound was the exit site of a fragment from a bullet that broke up inside of his skull?"

Bob, you realize that this was one of the original official stories published in the press?

12/18/1963 Washington Post reporter Nate Haseltine breaks the story on the results of the autopsy. "The second bullet to strike Mr Kennedy, the source said, entered the back of the skull and tore open his forehead...The pathologists at Bethesda, the source said, concluded that the throat wound was caused by the emergence of a metal fragment or piece of bone resulting from the fatal shot in the head."

I had heard this theory was considered, but didn't realize it had achieved any official status. If not for the large gaping wound in the right rear of JFK's head, caused by the 2nd bullet to enter his skull, one could almost believe in a lone assassin to the rear.

[Tracy Riddle]

Quote: "So, here comes the heresy. What if JFK did not suffer the throat wound until the moment he suffered the massive
head wound(s) at z313, and the throat wound was the exit site of a fragment from a bullet that broke up inside of his skull?"

Bob, you realize that this was one of the original official stories published in the press?

12/18/1963 Washington Post reporter Nate Haseltine breaks the story on the results of the autopsy. "The second bullet to strike Mr Kennedy, the source said, entered the back of the skull and tore open his forehead...The pathologists at Bethesda, the source said, concluded that the throat wound was caused by the emergence of a metal fragment or piece of bone resulting from the fatal shot in the head."

I had heard this theory was considered, but didn't realize it had achieved any official status. If not for the large gaping wound in the right rear of JFK's head, caused by the 2nd bullet to enter his skull, one could almost believe in a lone assassin to the rear.

I think Haseltine's source was someone in the White House. In Thomas Buchanan's book, WHO KILLED KENNEDY, he [size=12]interviewed Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach in March 1964. He stood by the official description of JFK's wounds at that time (that the back wound was a separate shot from the throat wound, and the throat wound was caused by a fragment dislodged from the head shot): "he said that it was based on an exhaustive study of the President's autopsy, and that there could be no doubt about it...He felt certain any person who had studied this autopsy would have reached the same conclusions. I asked him if I could see a copy of it, but he said that he could not release it...when the President's Commission issued its report, the explanation of the wounds had changed completely..."
[/SIZE]

[Drew Phipps]

I understand that it would be possible for a bullet fragment to exit the skull through the foramen magnum. I also understand that it would be possible for a bullet fragment to pass between 2 vertebra, or between the skull and C1. What I don't believe is that the same bullet fragment could do both, and then end up exiting the skin at the larynx.

For a bullet or fragment to pass between vertebrae, or between skull and C1/C2 , it would have to have a nearly entirely horizontal motion. For a bullet to exit the foramen magnum and then exit the throat at about C5 or C6 it would have to have a significant downward trajectory.

In the scenario of a frangible bullet, if the lead pellet doesn't leave the rest of the bullet until it has penetrated an inch or 2 of tissue, that only adds to the vertical component of the pellet's path. You might have a more straight-line path if you posit a point slightly forward of the magnum as an exit point from the skull for a bullet fragment, and then you can go looking on the X-rays for a bit of damage there. I've only seen 2 x-ray pictures, a side shot and a frontal/rear shot, which might not be the right angle to observe damage to the underside of the skull, or damage to C1.

I also think that a bullet or fragment travelling at a low angle of incidence (up and down) relative to the skin would not leave merely a neat little hole in the throat, but would look more like a vertical tear. The bullet fragment would then have to miss the shirt and tie as well, (I personally believe that the neat observed damage to the shirt and tie was most likely caused by medical staff at Parkland)

Edit: A bone fragment could originate at the base of the skull, perhaps by virtue of a shock wave, and not have to travel in a more or less straight line from occipital protrusion to larynx (as a bullet would). Also, we know from your earlier work on the back wound that there was some bone damage to the vertebrae (or was it clavicle) associated with that, much closer to the throat wound.

[Tracy Riddle]

It's important to study the various "official versions" given to the press before the Warren Report was published. We also had the stories about JFK turning around to face the TSBD and being struck in the throat at that point. It's obvious that officials were trying to concoct a scenario that would explain all of JFK and Connally's wounds being inflicted by a lone gunman in the rear, and every added complication (Z-film timing, James Tague, the bolt-action rifle) made them come up with more and more unbelievable solutions - like the Single Bullet Theory.

[Bob Prudhomme]

I understand that it would be possible for a bullet fragment to exit the skull through the foramen magnum. I also understand that it would be possible for a bullet fragment to pass between 2 vertebra, or between the skull and C1. What I don't believe is that the same bullet fragment could do both, and then end up exiting the skin at the larynx.

For a bullet or fragment to pass between vertebrae, or between skull and C1/C2 , it would have to have a nearly entirely horizontal motion. For a bullet to exit the foramen magnum and then exit the throat at about C5 or C6 it would have to have a significant downward trajectory.

In the scenario of a frangible bullet, if the lead pellet doesn't leave the rest of the bullet until it has penetrated an inch or 2 of tissue, that only adds to the vertical component of the pellet's path. You might have a more straight-line path if you posit a point slightly forward of the magnum as an exit point from the skull for a bullet fragment, and then you can go looking on the X-rays for a bit of damage there. I've only seen 2 x-ray pictures, a side shot and a frontal/rear shot, which might not be the right angle to observe damage to the underside of the skull, or damage to C1.

I also think that a bullet or fragment travelling at a low angle of incidence (up and down) relative to the skin would not leave merely a neat little hole in the throat, but would look more like a vertical tear. The bullet fragment would then have to miss the shirt and tie as well, (I personally believe that the neat observed damage to the shirt and tie was most likely caused by medical staff at Parkland)

Edit: A bone fragment could originate at the base of the skull, perhaps by virtue of a shock wave, and not have to travel in a more or less straight line from occipital protrusion to larynx (as a bullet would). Also, we know from your earlier work on the back wound that there was some bone damage to the vertebrae (or was it clavicle) associated with that, much closer to the throat wound.

Hi Drew

Yes, I will admit there is still a bit of a maze for this bullet fragment to travel through, and the round hole in JFK's throat is hard to explain if the bullet was travelling at a downward angle. However, truth is stranger than fiction and, as long as an opening exists, the possibility remains a fragment may have passed through it.

The fragment would not necessarily be the entire 4.5 mm diameter lead/maillechort pellet seen in the nose of the Carcano M37 frangible bullet. As one of the modifications necessary, to make this bullet disintegrate passing through soft tissue, would be to drill a small hollow point in this pellet, there is no way this pellet would be in one intact piece following disintegration of the bullet. It would break apart, and the largest fragment left of it might only be 1 mm in diameter, or smaller. This would make the 3-8 mm diameter (estimated size) throat wound truly typical of an exit wound, in that it would be larger than the projectile creating it.

As the nose pellets in the diagrams seem to be slightly longer than they are wide, it may also be possible our fragment was oblong in shape. If this oblong fragment was presenting itself horizontally as it exited JFK's throat, would it be able to make a round exit hole?

The hardest part of this whole endeavour is trying to find a path for this fragment in three dimensions, and only having two dimensional diagrams, such as the ones above, to work with. I'm seriously considering purchasing a wired together 3-D model of the skull and neck vertebrae.