Here is a letter that Dr. Cyril Wecht wrote researcher Thomas Stamm in February 1974 : Money quote: The biggest problem with postulating a second shot to the head from the direction of the so-called grassy knoll area is that we cannot explain what happened to that bullet, and why there was no apparent damage to the left side or left rear of JFK's skull. If a bullet came from the right side, it is extremely difficult for me to explain how there would have been no damage to the left cerebral hemisphere, or any portion of the left side of the calvarium. Previous Relevant Blog Posts Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot.

Dr. Cyril Wecht died last week at the age of 93. May his memory be a blessing. I first encountered Dr. Wecht in 1975 after I watched the Zapruder film on Geraldo Rivera's Good Night America . The next day I went to the Dawson College Library in Montreal to see what books they had on the JFK assassination. I took out Mark Lane's Rush to Judgment , which I devoured in a few days. One line caught my attention: (page 62) ... federal police agents confiscated the crucial photographs and X-rays. Lane's book was written in 1966 and it was now 1975. What had happened in the intervening nine years? I went to the Periodical Index and the New York Times Annual Index to fill in the gap. The library had bound volumes of Time magazine and Newsweek , and so I would write down some relevant dates and then run down to the stacks. It didn't take long before I found out that the autopsy photographs and X-rays were in the possession of the Kennedy family, and that two doctors, Dr. John Lattimer and Dr. Cyril Wecht, had been allowed to view the materials in 1972. I then found an index of physicians in the United States, and I wrote both of them letters. About three weeks later, packages arrived from both doctors with their various articles. Lattimer was in the no-conspiracy camp and his articles were extensively illustrated. His diagram of the single-bullet theory was the first time I had seen that CE399 had tumbled. But I was far more interested in Wecht's articles. After all, he was a renowned forensic pathologist with the requisite credentials. His article in Forensic Science from 1974 was definitive. Dr. Wecht wrote that the autopsy photographs and X-rays proved that the fatal head shot came from behind: The last section of his article was titled "Present state of knowledge of the details of the shooting," and it included this paragraph: So, if Dr. Wecht believed the medical evidence showed that the head shot came from behind, well, who was I to argue? Clearly, he thought that the autopsy photographs and X-rays trumped the Zapruder film. Wecht would reiterate this position in letters to various people. In December 1973, Sylvia Meagher asked him about his statement that "no support can be found for theories which postulate gunmen to the front or right-front of the Presidential car," given the movement of JFK's head: In February 1974, Wecht wrote Thomas Stamm : Dr. Wecht then repeated this view in 1975 to the Rockefeller Commission. Here is an excerpt from his testimony: He reiterated this later in the interview : And here in 1978, Wecht said the same to the HSCA : Wecht had earlier testified that there was a very remote possibility of a frangible bullet that perhaps had "not penetrated deeply." Wecht's dissent to the report of the Forensic Pathology Panel mentioned the possibility of another head shot : In other words, a frangible bullet, fired simultaneously with a shot from behind, might have entered at the exit point of the other bullet and thus left no evidence that it had been fired. Of course, Wecht knew that the left hemisphere of JFK's brain was intact, and so, in his testimony he added that a second shot might have been fired from "the right side or the lower right rear." Here is what Dr. Charles Petty said about the possible use of a frangible bullet : Wecht's colleagues on the HSCA Forensic Pathology Panel rejected such a shot : Over the years, Wecht's position that a head shot came from the front hardened. But why did Wecht change his mind? I had hoped that his 2022 book, The JFK Assassination Dissected would the answer. Here is a short excerpt: (page 228) Olsen [Counsel for the Rockefeller Commission] was interested in having me admit that I had stated in the Journal piece and elsewhere that the evidence pointed to the president having been struck only by two bullets that came from the rear. Specifically, I had written in the article: “If any other bullet struck the President’s head, whether before, after, or simultaneously with the known shot, there is no evidence for it in the available autopsy materials.” Olsen and other of my critics suggest this means that no missile was fired from the grassy knoll area. As I explained to him and to countless others over the years, that is hardly the case, and they should focus on the last five words of my quote. What could have helped make a positive determination was the brain, which was conveniently missing. Also mitigating against a solo from-the-rear shooter was the president’s body movement after the fatal head blow. That “back and to the left” movement, shown so clearly in the Zapruder film, could only have come from a front shot. As usual, the opposition was trying to win an argument by only citing facts to prop up its contention, rather than assessing all of the information. Hilariously, Olsen tried to cast doubt on my expertise by getting me to confess that I had never shot a rifle at a live target. He was right about that. As frustrated as I may have been by some of our government’s apologists, I never once considered using them for live target practice! Now Wecht was claiming that it was the motion of JFK's head, as captured by the Zapruder film, which made him change his mind. Really? He knew all about the motion of JFK's head when he wrote his article in Forensic Science . In fact, he doesn't say anything in his book about his initial conclusion that JFK was hit from behind. Was he trying to hide this from his readers? Does he not have a good answer as to why he has changed his opinion? I believe Dr. Wecht was influenced by conspiracy theorists who were upset with his conclusion that the head shot was fired from behind. He must have felt it was easier to ignore those conclusions and just accept that JFK's head motion was the primary indicator that JFK was shot from the front. Dr. Wecht knew that saying certain things would get you into trouble at one of the many conspiracy gatherings. In 1969, Wecht wrote Sylvia Meagher about Jim Garrison : He said much the same in 1992 to Harold Weisberg: Wecht even believed that Oswald killed Tippit. Here is an excerpt of a letter he wrote Sylvia Meagher in 1972 : Meagher was not happy with his letter at all . In later years, Wecht's presentations were just not serious. Here is Dr. Wecht presenting at the Sixth Floor Museum : The slide in the illustration was a standard part of his conspiracy presentation. The bullet on the left is CE 399, the two bullets next to it ( CE 572 ) were fired through cotton wadding, the next bullet ( CE 853 ) was fired through the rib of a goat, and the bullet on the right ( CE 856 ) was fired though a wrist of a human cadaver. Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (1:10:59, Wecht acts like he is talking to a jury) Dr. Wecht : And so, I say to you then, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, is there anybody here that has any question, any doubt, a moment's, a moment's concern, at all, about what we, the government have shown you? If a bullet that breaks a rib can look like this, and a bullet that breaks a radius can look like this, is there anybody here amongst you that has the slightest difficulty in understanding and comprehending how a bullet that breaks both a rib and the ulna can look like that? No problem, huh? This is the one thing, God, I take with me to my grave. You can have everything else, but I want this picture, this picture alone. That is the government's case, ok. But the use of these exhibits is completely misleading. Of course, there will be significant damage to a Mannlicher-Carcano bullet fired directly into a wrist, or directly through a rib. Surely Dr. Wecht must know that CE 399 started to yaw after it exited JFK's throat, and that it didn't hit Connally's rib head on with full velocity. Dr. Olivier, Chief of the Wounds Ballistics Branch of Edgewood Arsenal, testified before the Warren Commission on May 13, 1964 . (pages 82 - 83) The tests conducted at the Edgewood Arsenal showed that a direct hit by a pristine bullet on Connally's wrist would have produced both a badly deformed bullet, and much more damage to the wrist: Cadaver wrist after being shot by a pristine bullet. The bullet fired into the cadaver above. Dr. Olivier concluded that Connally's wrist was not hit by a pristine bullet. Surely, Dr. Wecht had read this testimony and must have been aware that he was not telling his audience the full story. Similarly, Dr. Wecht was always fond of demonstrating that the positions of JFK and Connally in the limousine were not conducive to the single-bullet theory: (55:47) Note that Dr. Wecht incorrectly places the location of JFK's back wound. For reference, here is his placement from his 1974 article in Forensic Science : The position of the two people is also wrong -- JFK and Connally weren't directly in front of each other, and the jump seat was significantly lower than the back seat: Surely Dr. Wecht must have also known this. How could he not? But his show was aways a hit. And Dr. Wecht found delight in being the showman. Followers of the Church of Latter-Day Conspiracy Theorists loved Dr. Wecht's rhetoric, and he never let them down. After Dr. Wecht sent me his papers, we continued to correspond. He sent me a copy of his testimony before the Rockefeller Commission, and I even called him on the phone once. Back then, Wecht had the gravitas needed to convince people that a new investigation was needed. I miss the early Dr. Wecht. I hope that Dr. Wecht rests in peace. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht Dr. Cyril Wecht and Governor Connally's Coat Bulge Wecht fights with Posner over Connally's coat bulge. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

Cyril Wecht's memoir discusses his visit to the National Archives in 1972 to examine the autopsy materials, but doesn't mention his conclusion that the head shot came from behind. Here is an excerpt from The Life and Deaths of Cyril Wecht : (page 131 - 132 of the Kindle edition) The executor of the Kennedy trust was a man named Burke Marshall, who had been Deputy Attorney General under Robert Kennedy. It was he who had the authority to determine who would be granted access, and who wouldn’t. So, I wrote to Marshall several times but received no replies. Fortuitously, Fred P. Graham, a stellar reporter for the New York Times, learned of my frustrations with this matter through the grapevine and called me to see if he could help. Using the auspicious power of the press (or at least that of the vaunted New York Times), Graham succeeded in getting to Marshall and, as a result, I finally received a response to my missives. Marshall still tried to play games and delay but, in the end, he agreed to speak with me, but only if I would travel to New Haven, Connecticut, to discuss the matter with him in person. (Marshall was a professor at Yale Law School at the time.) I’m sure he figured that I wouldn’t make the trip, and that would have been that. Marshall, of course, did not know of my long history with that New England town or my summer connections to nearby Woodmont, where I had relatives and friends on whom I would have been happy to pay a visit on the way to and from New Haven. So, I made the trip, spoke with Burke Marshall, and was granted permission to inspect the JFK autopsy materials, thus becoming the first non-government-related forensic pathologist to be given the privilege. That was in August of 1972, nine months after I had first applied for permission, and it gave me chills to see and touch those pieces of American history. When reviewing the materials, I compared the itemized list set forth in the April 1965 executive order with the October 1966 inventory. Lo and behold, that’s when I discovered that certain materials were no longer listed. They had been in the government’s possession, so nobody else could have touched them, but now the metal container which had held John Kennedy’s brain in formalin was no longer on the list of contents. In addition, various photographs and microscopic tissue slides were also no longer listed. As a reward for his assistance, I gave this information to Fred Graham, who wrote an exclusive article that was published, page-one on August 24, 1972, in the New York Times. The President’s brain was missing! Top-level professionals on U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s 1968 panel knew about this, but never said a word. There is not one word about his conclusion, based upon the autopsy materials, that JFK's fatal head shot came from behind. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak its Name James DiEugenio's obituary of Dr. Wecht leaves out his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931 - 2024) זיכ רונו לברכה My obituary for Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Cyril Wecht and Governor Connally's Coat Bulge Wecht fights with Posner over Connally's coat bulge. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

My obituary for Dr, Cyril Wecht discussed his 1972 conclusion that the autopsy materials indicated that the fatal head shot came from behind. James DiEugenio recently wrote a two-part series on Dr. Wecht. And somehow he omitted that conclusion: Wecht did so [visiting Burke Marshall who controlled access to the autopsy materials] and he finally got permission to view the materials on August 24-25th in 1972. Wecht measured where the holes were in Kennedy’s clothing as being 5 ¾ inches down from this collar. Which, to him, made the single bullet theory even more ridiculous. He held CE 399 in his hand and was shocked at how intact it was after shattering two heavy bones in Governor John Connally.  He also saw pictures of similar bullets that were fired into cotton wadding, the rib of a goat corpse, and a human cadaver. Even the bullet fired into wadding showed more deformity than CE 399. Wecht asked to see Kennedy’s brain.  The archivist, Marion Johnson, said it was not there.  Wecht asked him where it was and when the last inventory was taken.  Johnson said he did not know where it was and the date of the last inventory was in 1966. The only thing more stunning to Wecht than the brain being missing was the fact that no one had reported its disappearance before him. This included Dr. John Lattimer and the Ramsey Clark Panel. Wecht told Graham about his visit and the brain being gone.  That Sunday, August 27,  Wecht picked up the  New York Times.  On the front page was the headline, “Mystery Cloaks Fate of Brain of Kennedy.” Graham quoted Wecht as saying, “Who would have taken the responsibility to destroy the brain?” This puzzle haunted Wecht the rest of his life. He later concluded that the reason the brain was gone was due to the fact that it would reveal two shots to Kennedy’s head. DiEugenio's article mentions Wecht's objections to the single-bullet theory, JFK's missing brain, but not a word about Wecht's very important conclusion from his examination of the autopsy X-rays and photographs. Most likely, the brain would not have indicated two shots. Wecht clearly understood that the intact left hemisphere meant that JFK was not shot from the grass knoll. Sectioning the brain would have just helped to indicate the path of the bullet through the skull. Wecht's belief that the autopsy materials show that JFK's fatal head shot came from behind is the conclusion that dare not speak its name. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931 - 2024) זיכ רונו לברכה My obituary for Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Cyril Wecht and Governor Connally's Coat Bulge Wecht fights with Posner over Connally's coat bulge. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

Wecht complains that Dr. Davis and Dr. Spitz changed their positions after hearing his argument. Perhaps they weren't doing this out of spite but because Dr. Wecht made them realize they were supporting bad arguments. Note Dr. Wecht's paragraph on the second page: I would gladly pay for professional psychiatric hypnosis of every member of our Panel (including myself) to determine true, deep-seated motivations vis-a-vis their attitudes and objectives as members of this Forensic Pathology Review Panel. I believe that the results would be quite revealing and damaging. Professional psychiatric hypnosis? And this would be damaging to whom? Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak Its Name, Part Two Wecht's memoir mentions his examination of the autopsy materials in 1972 but neglects to talk about his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak its Name James DiEugenio's obituary of Dr. Wecht leaves out his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931 - 2024) זיכ רונו לברכה My obituary for Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Cyril Wecht and Governor Connally's Coat Bulge Wecht fights with Posner over Connally's coat bulge. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

Dr. Cyril Wecht's experience on the HSCA Forensic Pathology Panel (FPP) was not a happy experience. He was frequently outvoted 8-1 on a variety of issues and his frustration exploded in the fall of 1978. It all started with his letter to Dr. Charles Petty: Did Cyril Wecht believe he was the only objective person when it came to the JFK assassination? Of course, he already had firm opinions on the case when he was named to the HSCA Forensic Pathology Panel. Wecht charged that Dr. Petty, who had previously worked for Dr. Fisher (a member of the Clark Panel), would thus not dare disagree with Fisher's conclusions. And so Wecht believes that Dr. Petty possesses absolutely no agency. Why wouldn't someone want to work for Dr. Fisher? Wecht described Dr. Fisher as one of the "greatest forensic pathologists in the world" in his critique of JFK's autopsy in Josiah Thompson's book, Six Seconds in Dallas . (page 279) And, if you examine Wecht's 1974 article on the medical evidence, you'll find that he agreed with the Clark Panel on just about everything. Wecht also believed that the entry wound in JFK's head was in the cowlick area. Now Wecht argued that any association with Fisher was radioactive. Lastly, it is somewhat pathetic that Wecht writes in his last paragraph that "I should be flattered that two nationally recognized experts in forensic pathology should consciously and subconsciously color their opinions and shape their conclusions, based in large measure upon their antipathy and envy of me." They shaped their conclusions based upon their "antipathy" to Wecht? They were envious of Wecht? Dr. Joseph Davis then sent this note to the forensic pathology panel: And here is his reply to Dr. Wecht: And then Wecht just had to reply: After writing about Dr. Petty and Dr. Davis, Wecht then decided to write Louis Stokes, Chairman of the HSCA, about Dr. Spitz and Dr. Weston: Dr. Wecht must have been aware that the HSCA set up two subpanels of the forensic pathology panel : So, of course, Weston, and Spitz would have prior opinions about the medical evidence. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Dr. Cyril Wecht Dr. Cyril Wecht writes to Dr. Michael Baden Wecht has a suggestion for Dr. Baden. The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak Its Name, Part Two Wecht's memoir mentions his examination of the autopsy materials in 1972 but neglects to talk about his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak its Name James DiEugenio's obituary of Dr. Wecht leaves out his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931 - 2024) זיכ רונו לברכה My obituary for Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Cyril Wecht and Governor Connally's Coat Bulge Wecht fights with Posner over Connally's coat bulge. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss Jim Garrison Dr. Wecht exchanges letters with Sylvia Meagher. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Jim Garrison Wecht writes Harold Weisberg about Garrison. Dr. Cyril Wecht: Was Gerry Patrick Hemming Oswald's Handler? A ridiculous claim from Wecht's book. Dr. Cyril Wecht on Lovelady Wecht revisits an old controversy. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. Dr. Cyril Wecht Gets One Right Wecht believes that David Ferrie died of natural causes. Dr. Cyril Wecht's Error on Jack Ruby Wecht makes an error on Ruby's nightclubs. Dr. Cyril Wecht is Proud to be a Conspiracy Theorist He wears it like a badge of honor. Was Rose Cherami Murdered? Dr. Wecht writes that Cherami was not killed by a gunshot.

There has been a lot of angst over the fact that the Secret Service destroyed some files just as the ARRB was getting underway. I discussed this in this blog post : In episode 4 [of JFK: Destiny Betrayed ], Tunheim and Samoluk discuss the Secret Service destruction of two boxes of domestic survey reports, Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (19:25) Judge Tunheim : They destroyed a group of records which involved threats to President Kennedy in the fall of 1963. They have what they're called threat sheets and there were many threats made to President Kennedy's life during the year 1963. They fought us on the release of those records. They even enlisted Vice President Gore's wife to help them because she had a very legitimate concern for mental health records. And the idea was that this might disclose the names of people who had mental health problems. The Secret Service wrote a letter to the ARRB  noting that "the folder concerning the canceled trip to Chicago would only have contained a preliminary survey report, if any document at all, since final reports are not conducted when a trip is canceled." Preliminary survey reports are just the basic plans for a trip. While the folder may have been destroyed, the ARRB knew that perhaps these files had been previously shared in an earlier investigation. And, in fact, I found the November 1, 1963 survey report for Chicago amongst the HSCA files: The Secret Service then filed a supplemental report: Here is the first memo from October 31, 1963 about JFK's trip to Chicago: There were no plots during JFK"s planned trip to Chicago. And there were no real threats either. Arthur Thomas Vallee was arrested by Chicago Police as a precaution, but the Secret Service did not view him as a real threat. I will be soon be posting the secret service report on Vallee and his supposed threat. It is quite surprising reading. Previous Blog Posts on Vince Palamara's book on the supposed plot in Chicago A Reply to Vince Palamara Palamara tries to respond to my five-part series on his book. Vince Palamara's Epic Failure, Part Five An examination of Palamara's second eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot. Vince Palamara's Epic Failure, Part Four An examination of Palamara's first eight pieces of corroborating evidence for the plot. Vince Palamara's Epic Failure, Part Three A look at the origin of the supposed plot. Vince Palamara's Epic Failure, Part Two A look at Homer Echeverria. Vince Palamara's Epic Failure, Part One A look at Lloyd John Wilson. Previous Blog Posts on the supposed plot in Chicago There was NO Assassination Plot in Chicago Chad Nagle tries to argue that there was a plot. Edwin Black Speaks to the HSCA   The HSCA did speak to Edwin Black. It was a memorable interview. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Supposed Chicago Plot   There is no evidence of a plot in Chicago against JFK. Paul Bleau and the Supposed Chicago Plot Against JFK   Bolden's story about the supposed Chicago plot has changed over the years. Paul Bleau's Plots   An examination of supposed other plots against JFK. Abraham Bolden's May 1964 Press Conference   Bolden didn't say one word about a supposed plot against JFK in Chicago.

Hat Tip: Daniel Michael Torluemke Here is an interview with a surgeon who tried to save John Lennon's life . He was wrong about the direction of the shots that killed Lennon - a good exercise in why autopsies are sometime necessary. Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (4:18) Banfield : I've only got a couple seconds left, but I'm very curious about this. My producer, who was speaking with you earlier, told me something I couldn't believe. Only recently, you read the autopsy report and saw that he was shot from the back, but the hollow point bullets that his killer used are so destructive, you thought he was shot from the front. Dr. David Halleran : I thought he was shot from the front. And I believed that until about a few years ago, when actually it is a British news service that interviewed me, that actually had gotten a copy of the ME's report, Dr. Elliott Gross's report, and according to the autopsy, he was shot from the back. Now that you could argue that there was one that was sort of on the side. It could have been either or, and at the time, we were, you know, we didn't have the luxury of doing an autopsy. We're trying to save him at the time. But that was my impression for many years. Here is a link to an important academic study. THE ODDS that a trauma specialist will correctly interpret certain fatal gunshot wounds are no better than the flip of a coin, according to a recent study at a level 1 trauma center. The study, which looked at single, perforating (exiting) gunshot wounds and multiple gunshot wounds, found that trauma specialists made errors in 52% of the cases, either in differentiating the entrance and exit wound, or in determining the number of bullets that struck the victim. I was able to find a bit more of the text from this article: CLINICIANS' FORENSIC INTERPRETATIONS OF FATAL GUNSHOT WOUNDS OFTEN MISS THE MARK. The odds that a trauma specialist will correctly interpret certain fatal gunshot wound are no better than the flip of a coin, according to a recent study at a level 1 trauma center. The study, which looked at single, perforating (exiting) gunshot wounds and multiple gunshot wounds, found that trauma specialists made errors in 52% of the cases, either in differentiating the entrance and exit wound, or in determining the number of bullets that struck the victim. Investigators at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, compared the postmortem findings of a board-certified forensic pathologist with the medical records of emergency medicine physicians, trauma surgeons, and neurosurgeons. The study is the first to quantify the forensic acumen of these specialists, says Vincent DiMaio, MD, a forensic pathologist and editor of THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF FORENSIC MEDICINE AND PATHOLOGY. The study's coauthors . . . investigated the fatal gunshot wounds treated by trauma specialists at the hospital between January 1987 and June 1992. They excluded single penetrating (nonexiting) gunshot wounds from the study. Of the 46 cases identified, 24 had been misinterpreted by the trauma specialists. These included 16 errors in differentiating the exit and entrance wound, and 15 errors in determining the number of bullets. In seven cases, the clinician had made both types of errors. As expected, multiple gunshot wounds were more often misinterpreted--74% of the time. Of the single, perforating gunshot wounds, 37% had been misclassified. The researchers presented their results at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Boston, Mass. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on the Medical Evidence Dr. Cyril Wecht Complains Wecht complains about the HSCA's forensic pathology panel. Dr. Cyril Wecht writes to Dr. Michael Baden Wecht has a suggestion for Dr. Baden. The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak Its Name, Part Two Wecht's memoir mentions his examination of the autopsy materials in 1972 but neglects to talk about his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. The Wecht Conclusion that Dare Not Speak its Name James DiEugenio's obituary of Dr. Wecht leaves out his conclusion that the fatal head shot came from behind. Dr. Cyril Wecht (1931 - 2024) זיכ רונו לברכה My obituary for Dr. Cyril Wecht. Dr. Cyril Wecht Rules Out a Head Shot From the Front A letter from Dr. Wecht to Thomas Stamm on the head shot. Sylvia Meagher and Dr. Cyril Wecht Discuss the Head Shot   A letter from Dr. Wecht to Sylvia Meagher on the head shot. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound Dr. Wecht believes that JFK's throat wound was one of exit. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Brain, Again...   Dr. Robert Kirschner's consultation with the ARRB explains a mystery in the documentary. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Weight of JFK's Brain   JFK Revisited makes a big deal about the weight of JFK's brain and ignores a non-conspiratorial explanation. JFK Revisited Distorts John Stringer's Testimony   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary makes it sound like the autopsy photographer said that he did not take the photos of JFK's brain that are in the current inventory, "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Dr. Charles Crenshaw   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed , features Dr. Charles Crenshaw to bolster its claim that President Kennedy was shot from the front. Viewers are not informed of Dr. Crenshaw's credibility problems. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part Three   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary, JFK: Destiny Betrayed , misleads viewers on the opinions of Parkland Hospital doctors and Bethesda witnesses regarding JFK's head wound. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on the Harper Fragment   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed , misleads viewers into thinking the Harper fragment was occipital bone that came from the back of Kennedy's head. Dr. Joseph Dolce: Another Problematic Witness from "JFK: Destiny Betrayed"   Have a look at Dr. Joseph Dolce's bad judgment "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part One   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series JFK: Destiny Betrayed uses a variety of supposed witnesses to allege that the wound in the back of Kennedy's head was one of exit. Audrey Bell is one such witness and she doesn't have much credibility. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part Two   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed , tries to make the case that because Parkland Hospital doctors saw cerebellum extruding from Kennedy's head wound, that it indicated an exit wound. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on Kennedy's Back Wound    While Gerald Ford edited some language in the Warren Report, he did not change the location of the back wound. Autopsy photographs show exactly the location of the back wound. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Autopsy   Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series,  JFK: Destiny Betrayed , alleges that autopsy pathologists were told to fit the wounds to a presupposed conclusion. On the Trail of Delusion, Episode 2 with Robert A. Wagner A podcast with Robert Wagner who has written an important book on the medical evidence.

I don't know if there is a Hollywood blacklist . Here is what Stone said: I’ve been passionately driven, and you unfortunately pay a price for it. Probably right now, I’m on a blacklist, a greylist, or whatever that is, because I did interviews with Putin. You know, they’re so nuts in Hollywood, they’re so virtuous, you have to express your virtue, you have to wear your ribbon that says how conscious you are about political correctness, or you can call it wokeness, I can’t stand that stuff, that’s why I went to Vietnam, to get away from all those things. But the real reason that Oliver Stone is finding it hard to get funding for a new project is that his last several movies have been duds and he has also been exposed as an idiot. There is nothing wrong in interviewing Putin. But there was no need to slobber all over him. And Stone says stuff like this : I don't have children. But if I did, I would hope that I would love them just as much as Oliver Stone loves Vladimir Putin. Stone's last major motion picture was Snowden and the box office was only $37.3 million while it cost $40 million to make. His other films have been ridiculous documentaries on a variety of dictators and his poorly-received JFK documentary series JFK Revisited . His documentary, Nuclear Now , which actually had some merit, returned less than $50,000 at the box office. Previous Relevant Blog Posts Oliver Stone and Nazarbayev Stone was paid a lot of money to make his film about the dictator. Oliver Stone and Dictators There were plans to use Oliver Stone to make documentaries on several dictators. Two Views on Oliver Stone's Love Affair with Nazarbayev...   Some people are noticing that Stone's affair with Nazarbayev is unseemly. Oliver Stone Fêtes Another Dictator Stone has made an 8-hour documentary about Nazarbayev. Oliver Stone Says Israel Wants to "Fucking Blow-Up Iran" Stone gets it all wrong again. Oliver Stone's Latest Bullshit! Stone fawns over Putin in an interview with Chris Wallace. Is Oliver Stone off his Meds?   Stone sounds insane in an interview with Russell Brand. JFK Jr. Meets Oliver Stone   JFK Jr. walks out of a dinner with Oliver Stone. My Hearty Congratulations to the Jerusalem Film Festival   Here is an opinion piece I wrote for the Jerusalem Post  about Stone's appearance at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Shame on the Jerusalem Film Festival   Even a left-wing newspaper in Israel takes exception to Stone's appearance. Oliver Stone says Putin is a "very refined individual" Stone flatters Putin in a Spanish interview. Oliver Stone Says the Russians are "Kicking Ass" in Ukraine Oliver Stone is on the side of Russia. Oliver Stone says that "Putin is a great leader for his country   Stone tells the Guardian that Putin is a great leader for Russia. Oliver Stone is now in Alex Jones Territory!   Stone claims the United States might use a nuclear bomb in Ukraine. Oliver Stone: Putin is a rational, calm, thoughtful man: the United States is a Doberman... At the Barcelona Film Festival Stone praises Putin and criticizes the United States. Has Oliver Stone Gone Mad?   Stone tweets that the United States might use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. Oliver Stone Said Vladimir Putin is "very bright" and "wise"   Stone tells Matt Taibbi that if Russia invades Ukraine, it can take what wants in a day. Oliver Stone's 'Bromance' with Vladimir Putin   The Telegraph  criticizes Stone's friendship with Putin. Oliver Stone Blames the United States for Putin's Invasion of Ukraine   In a radio interview, Stone says the US is at fault for Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Celebrities Who Have Been Friendly with Putin   Stone is one of many celebrities who side with Putin. Oliver Stone Says Vladimir Putin Fell into an American Trap   Stone posts on Facebook that Putin invaded Ukraine because of an American trap. The Day Vladimir Putin Fooled Oliver Stone with a Doctored Video   Putin showed Stone a fake video and Stone fell for it. Oliver Stone Watches Dr. Strangelove with Vladimir Putin   A bizarre excerpt from Stone's interviews with Putin. Oliver Stone is Vladimir Putin's Mouthpiece   Stone just repeats Putin's talking points on Ukraine. Oliver Stone Says that Putin was Provoked...   Of course, the United States is at fault, according to Stone. Will Oliver Stone Blame Kazakhstan Unrest on the United States?   There is unrest in Kazakhstan -- will Stone blame it on the United States? Is Oliver Stone Becoming a Lackey for China? Stone is against American arms sales to Taiwan. Oliver Stone said the CIA may have injected cancer into Hugo Chavez's rectum...   A journalist tells the truth about Stone's rants. Oliver Stone Sides with Cuba's 'Repressive Dictatorship Stone does not want a free Cuba. Two Views on Oliver Stone's Love Affair with Nazarbayev...   Some people are noticing that Stone's affair with Nazarbayev is unseemly.

Gus Russo has written an excellent article on how the KGB tried to convince the American public that the CIA killed JFK . But outside of serious JFK assassination researchers, few Americans—maybe even RFK, Jr. himself—know that the Soviet Union also had a major role in pushing the CIA-killed-Kennedy theory. With RFK, Jr.’s potential encroachment on the CIA’s vaults via Fox Kennedy, however, everyone should know the full story in case he and his daughter-in-law start spouting a new conspiratorial “truth” about the assassination based on hitherto hidden records they’ve unearthed. Sadly, nothing you are about to read here is new, the irony-laden details having been available in books and government reports for decades. Thanks to U.S. government sources inside the Cold War-era Soviet Union's Communist Party and the KGB, as well as KGB defectors and their documents, scholars have known for years that the CIA conspiracy theories were nonsense—nonsense created and nurtured for decades by America’s “main enemy,” the U.S.S.R. There is a nice shout out in Gus's article to my new book, A Heritage of Nonsense : For more on the Farewell, America charade, see Fred Litwin’s terrific new book, A Heritage of Nonsense. For Garrison’s problems with teen boys, see Patricia Lambert’s False Witness and Prof. Alecia P. Long’s Cruising for Conspirators .  I tell the complete story of Farewell America in my new book. I also wrote about the KGB's attempt to influence American public opinion here: Previous Relevant Blog Posts On the Trail of Delusion, Episode 6, with Gus Russo Gus was a great guest. The CIA Wants You to Read My Book ! Am I on Langley's payroll? The CIA's Dinner in Dallas Langley paid for a great meal in Dallas. Fred Litwin, CIA Apologist? I'm not a full-time apologist. An Announcement Lots of people think I work for the CIA.

Tulsi Gabbard with the book JFK and the Unspeakable It is quite depressing that RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard will bring JFK conspiracy nonsense into the Trump administration. Here is an excerpt from an article by Danny Kemp in Barrons : Conspiracy theories about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy have floated around the fringes of US politics for decades. Now his nephew Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could bring them into the heart of the White House. Kennedy -- the vaccine skeptic tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as his health secretary -- has been pushing for his daughter-in-law to be the deputy director of the CIA, US media reports say. The US news outlet Axios said that part of Kennedy's motivation for getting Amaryllis Fox Kennedy the job was to prove his belief that the intelligence agency had a role in the shooting of his uncle in Dallas in November 1963. Amaryllis Fox Kennedy, who also ran RFK Jr.'s campaign for President, sat down for an interview with Tucker Carlson last October where she discussed the JFK assassination, amongst other topics. Sitting down with Carlson is enough to question anybody's judgment. I am not going to subject myself to listening to the whole interview, but her Oliver Stone-like view of Ukraine is repugnant. There is a lot of nutty stuff in the interview. She can't even get the 1953 overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh right - she claims he had been elected, when, in fact, he had been appointed. And she refers to the JFK assassination as a coup. Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (35;30) Tucker Carlson : What do you think that's about? ... Amaryllis Fox Kennedy : The assassinations of the 60s? Tucker Carlson : Yes. Amaryllis Fox Kennedy : Oh, I could talk to you about that all day. Tucker Carlson : I bet. You've intersected with it on various levels. Amaryllis Fox Kennedy : I have, yeah, and, and I feel something of a responsibility to get to the bottom of that, at least in my lifetime, for my children, you know, I mean, my daughter, Bobcat, is Bobby the fourth, so her great grandfather was RFK and I want to be able to look at her and for her to know whether or not her own government was involved in these assassinations, and if so, what's been done about it, to make sure that that never ever happens again, that there's never a coup like that in this country again. And I think when you look at the collaboration that was going on in those days between the intelligence community and organized crime and the mob, you know, there, there were very blurry boundaries ... Of course, she is right to be concerned about the intelligence agencies and organized crime, but RFK knew about the CIA working with the mob to kill Castro and he said nothing to the Warren Commission. The other crazy person that might be in the Trump administration is Tulsi Gabbard who supported the Assad regime in Syria and continually denied that he used chemical weapons. Here is a recent video about Gabbard: In 2020, she was photographed carrying a copy of James Douglass's book, JFK and the Unspeakable , a truly ridiculous book on the JFK assassination (see above for the photograph). A conspiracy author asked her about the book : She tells him that she hadn't finished the book but that "from what I have read, it uncovers a lot of things that speaks to what happened in a way I haven't seen anywhere else." Gabbard is slated to be head of National Intelligence. If she finds the Douglass book to be convincing, what does that say about her ability to analyze intelligence? Rick Perlstein wrote a very good article on the conspiracism of RFK. And now he will be able to put his theories into practice and to further infect the Trump administration: Normal people noted with satisfaction that all the Kennedys got together to denounce their relative for his conspiracism. For those inclined to believe in things like QAnon, that’s RFK’s best feature—not a bug. Those other Kennedys were frauds. RFK Jr., the only one with the courage to keep the faith, was Camelot’s true heir. That is his Kennedy magic: that he alone can defeat the Unspeakable. All that unspeakable, peer-reviewed science. All those unspeakable vaccines, which he calls a “holocaust.” The unspeakable scourge of 5G, a plot to “control our behavior”; the “plandemic”—RFK Jr. now proudly admits that he helped fund the film claiming that there was no COVID epidemic, until mad scientists conjured it up in order to control the sheeple. I mean, they’re just evil that way: Look at how they killed his uncle and dad. Let's hope that RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard are not confirmed for their positions. But if they are, God help us. Update JFK's grandson calls RFK Jr. a "Russian spy." This is not the first time he has gone after RFK Jr. : President John F Kennedy’s grandson Jack Schlossberg blasted Robert F Kennedy Jr’s candidacy as “an embarrassment” before endorsing President Joe Biden. Mr Schlossberg said in a video on Instagram on Friday that his grandfather’s “legacy is important.” He accused his cousin, RFK Jr, of “trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame.” Update 2 Her interview with Al Jazeera in 2016 show why she is unfit for to be deputy head of the CIA:   Here is the transcript from this interview: If I learned one lesson from my time with the CIA, it is this: everybody believes they're the good guy. I was an officer with the CIA Clandestine Service and worked undercover on counterterrorism and intelligence all around the world for almost 10 years. The conversation that's going on in the United States right now about ISIS and about the United States overseas is more oversimplified than ever. Ask most Americans whether ISIS poses an existential threat to this country, and they'll say, yes. That's where the conversation stops. If you're walking down the street in Iraq or Syria and ask anybody why America dropped bombs. You get "they're waging war on Islam." And you walk in America, and you ask, "why were we attacked on 911?" and you get, "they hate us because we're free." Those are stories manufactured by a really small number of people on both sides who amass a great deal of power and wealth by convincing the rest of us to keep killing each other. I think the question we need to be asking as Americans examining our foreign policy is whether or not we're pouring kerosene on a candle. The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them. If you hear them out, if you're brave enough to really listen to their story, you can see that more often than not, you might have made some of the same choices, if you'd lived their life instead of yours. An Al-Qaeda fighter made a point once during a debriefing. He said, all these movies that America makes, like Independence Day  and Hunger Games  and Star Wars , they're all about a small, scrappy band of rebels who will do anything in their power with the limited resources available to them to expel an outside, technologically advanced invader. And what you don't realize he said, is that to us, to the rest of the world, you are the Empire, and we are Luke and Han. You are the aliens, and we are Will Smith. But the truth is, when you talk to the people who are really fighting on the ground on both sides, and ask them why they're there, they answer with hopes for their children, specific policies that they think are cruel or unfair. And while it may be easier to dismiss your enemy as evil, hearing them out on policy concerns is actually an amazing thing, because as long as your enemy is a subhuman psychopath that's going to attack you no matter what you do, this never ends. But if your enemy is a policy, however complicated, that we can work with. Look, if you have a property dispute with a neighbor, then yes, you can sit down and listen to their side. But when you are dealing with genocidal groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban, Islamic Jihad, and others, then there is no need to hear their side. There can be no compromise with these groups. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on RFK Jr. The Magic Thinking of Kennedy-ism A very good article by Rick Perlstein. Sanitising a Paranoid Crank Efforts are being made to try and make RFK Jr. look sane Aaron Rodgers Should be RFK Jr.'s Running Mate! He spouts the same nonsense. RFK Jr.'s Super Bowl Ad was a Disgrace The ad puts RFK Jr. into a JFK television ad. What in the world happened to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.? Cartoonist Jack Ohman has a good op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle . RFK Jr.'s Campaign of Conspiracy Theories Politifact has named RFK Jr's campaign of conspiracy theories their 2023 Lie of the Year. RFK Jr. Says Woody Harrelson's Dad was Involved in the JFK Assassination Just when I thought he couldn't get any wackier. Is RFK Jr. a 9/11 Truther?   Of course, RFK Jr. is unclear as to what happened on 9/11. RFK Jr. Puts Words in Allen Dulles's Mouth   RFK Jr. is interviewed by Tucker Carlson and tells a story about Allen Dulles that is just not true. RFK Jr. Lauds Jim Garrison   Of all the people to quote, RFK Jr chooses a charlatan. RFK Jr. Disrespects the Memory of his Father   RFK Jr. can't even quote his father properly. The RFK Jr. Bullshitosphere   An examination of RFK Jr's latest comments on Covid-19. RFK Jr. Names the Mastermind of the JFK Assassination   Finally, RFK Jr. gives us the name of one of the masterminds. RFK Jr. for President?   Two articles on RFK Jr. RFK Jr. Shows He's Not a Serious Candidate   His beliefs on Ukraine show that RFK Jr. is just not serious. Does RFK Jr. Have a Leaky Brain?   RFK has some wacky views on Wi-Fi. Did RFK Jr. Tell Tony Muhammad that the CDC is Killing Black and Latino Boys?   RFK Jr. has a disturbing relationship with the Nation of Islam. RFK Jr. is Taking Precautions to Avoid being Assassinated   Besides being paranoid, RFK Jr. is naive about the world in which we live. Russian Propaganda Outlets are Pushing RFK Jr.   Putin knows which candidate to back. RFK Jr. Misquotes JFK   He can't even quote his uncle properly. RFK Jr. on the JFK Assassination and Jim Garrison He gets the Garrison story all wrong. RFK Jr.'s JFK Assassination Guru Promotes Crackpot Theories   RFK Jr.'s favorite JFK assassination book is full of crackpot theories.

John Sherman Cooper (second from the left) Paul Bleau's first chokehold is that "the official record impeaches the Warren Commission." He believes that: (page 38 in the Kindle edition of his book Chokeholds ) U.S. investigations into the assassination, statements made by investigation insiders and foreign government conclusions about the assassination prove that there is a strong consensus by the independent investigative authorities that there was a conspiracy in the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Bleau's chapter then lists out a variety of statements that seemingly prove conspiracy. Of course, Bleau doesn't tell readers the full truth about these viewpoints. John Sherman Cooper Bleau Assertion : (page 54) Senator John Cooper is also on the record for having written about the Single Bullet theory: “It seems to me that Governor Connally’s statement negates such a conclusion.” He later confirmed his stance in an interview for the BBC documentary. What Bleau Doesn't Tell You Senator Cooper testified before the HSCA, and here is a short excerpt : I just have talked too long, but I congratulate you on the efforts you are making. I am very proud to come back, to speak on the disinterested effort we have made and I believe that, with all due respect, that the decisions we made, when we turned our final report over to President Johnson, will stand in history. In addition here is a link to his oral history project . Here is an excerpt from his interview: (19:56) John Sherman Cooper : I'd like to add one more sentence on the Warren Commission. Interviewer : Sure.. John Sherman Cooper : The Commission went to Dallas several times and talked to everybody we could talk to down there, all the officials, people in jail where Oswald was shot, which was really negligent, and Dick Russell and I examined Mrs. Oswald. Of course, she had lawyers. But we examined her and he did most of the examination, and then - I've never talked to anyone who served on that Commission who've all said, that if someone can find something that we didn't, we want it to be found, Because the truth is what we want. But I think all of us believe, and I still believe, even after the last investigation of the House that our decision will stand. There are some places in it which are hard to explain but every evidence pointed to Oswald as the sole assassin, and no conspiracy. Cooper says "there are some places in it which are hard to explain." He was clearly referring to the singe-bullet theory. Despite this, he was convinced there was no conspiracy, and he signed the Warren Report. But this points to one of the weaknesses of the Report -- the failure to adequately explain the single-bullet theory. Had the Commission included proper trajectory diagrams showing the positioning of Kennedy and Connally, Cooper, Russell and Boggs might have been convinced. Had they noticed Connally's lapel flip, they might have been even more comfortable. Here is a letter that Cooper sent in 1978 : You can see that a large part of Cooper's reticence to accept the single-bullet theory is because of the testimony of Governor John Connally. Had he been aware that John Connally would  later  say that it was quite possible that the second bullet hit both him and Kennedy, he might have accepted the single-bullet theory. Previous Relevant Blog Posts on Paul Bleau Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 8 Bleau claims that J. Lee Rankin questioned the findings of the Warren Report. This is just not true. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 7 Bleau tries to make it appear that Dallas policeman James Leavelle had doubts that Oswald could be found guilty at a trial. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 6 Bleau gets it all wrong on the FBI Summary Report. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 5 Bleau discusses the conclusions of the HSCA, but leaves out it most important finding. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 4 Bleau leaves out some important details about a Warren Commission staffer. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 3 Was Oswald a loner? Bleau says no, and then says yes. Paul Bleau Chokes, Part 2 Bleau leaves out some important details about Malcolm Kilduff. Paul Bleau Chokes An introduction to Paul Bleau's new book,  Chokeholds . Paul Bleau on David Ferrie, the Pimp Was David Ferrie Clay Shaw's pimp? Paul Bleau and the IRS Man Did Lee Harvey Oswald have an escort? Paul Bleau and the Forger   Edward Girnus was in prison for forgery, and he told a fanciful story about Clay Shaw and Lee Harvey Oswald. Paul Bleau and the Three Tramps   Leander D'Avy told the HSCA he saw Oswald and Ferrie with the three tramps. Paul Bleau's Reign of Error   Bleau's analysis of Garrison's files is full of errors. Paul Bleau's Plots   Bleau believes there were seven plots against JFK before Dallas. Paul Bleau and the Supposed Chicago Plot Against JFK   Bolden's allegation that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago has changed over the years. "JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Supposed Tampa 'Patsy'   There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Tampa. "JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Supposed Chicago Plot   There is no evidence that there was a plot against JFK in Chicago.