The Conspiracy Theory Of The Loan Gunman – Jfks Assassination Essay, Research Paper

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas Texas. The shots came at 12:30 p.m. This took place just as the presidential motorcade slowly passed through downtown Dallas. President Kennedy was shot twice and fatally wounded. Also wounded was Governor John B. Connally of Texas who was sitting directly in front of the President. The President was immediately rushed to Parkland Hospital where he died at 1:00 p.m. Desperate efforts to save his life were made. (Compton s Encyclopedia).

Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested less than one hour later. He was arrested in connection with the murder of J.D. Tippit a Dallas policeman. Oswald was immediately suspected on the shooting of the President and was charged early the next morning with the assassination. There are two very controversial issues dealing with the assassination. One is whether Oswald could have fired the three shots in the time allotted and if the nearly whole bullet, which was the Warren Commission Exhibit #399 could have passed through the President, out his neck and then causing all of Governor Connally s wounds. This bullet was found on the stretcher in the Parkland Hospital. (Compton s Encyclopedia).

IN 1964 and 1978, The Warren Commission and the House Select Committee did the best they could with photographic and computer technology. With the scientific advances we had since then give us such better enhancements of the film taken. There is one film that is far the most crucial. All or part of the assassination was taken on film by many witnesses who had eight-mm movie cameras or still cameras. The one shot by Dallas dressmaker Abraham Zapruder was a color film in an eight-mm movie camera. It followed the President s car from the time it turned from Houston Street onto Elm Street. It stayed on the car through the entire assassination. Zapruder was sitting on a concrete divider on top of the grassy knoll. There was nothing blocking his view of the motorcade from his angle. (President Commission 97-98).

Significant enhancements of the Zapruder film have been made in the beginning of the 1990 s, as well as sale re-creations using computer animation. These were available to the government panels. As a result it is now possible to settle the timing question of Oswald s shots. It is also possible to now pinpoint the moment that Kennedy and Connally were both struck. (President Commission 97-98).

At Dealey Plaza more than 500 photographs were taken that directly relate to the assassination. The Zapruder film is by far the most useful since it has the entire period of the shooting on it. The first issue is the timing. According to the Warren Commission the fastest he could fired all three shots was four and a half seconds. CBS reconstructed the shooting for a 175 documentation. The times ranged form four point one seconds to more than six seconds. The average was five points six seconds with two out of three hits on the target. The third shot is the easiest to pinpoint on the Zapruder film. Everyone is in agreement that the third and last shot hits the President s head. The Warren Commission, however, was unsure of when the shooting began and the first shot was fired. They are not even sure if it even hit Kennedy or Connally. But because the commission thought the first shot would most likely be the most accurate, it liked the theory that the first bullet hit Kennedy in the base of the neck. (La Fontaine 29-31).

It relied on many things to determine the timing of that shot. When the President s car turned in front of the Depository, the shooter had to make a fast decision. That was because soon after the turn the car would disappear under the leaves very large oak tree. A reconstruction of the film showed that President was blocked from the sniper s view for only a short while. There is also a road sign in the film when the president emerges from the blocked view of the road sign he is reacting to a bullet which means he was wounded somewhere behind the sign. The commission concluded that was the earliest he could have been shot. (La Fontaine 29-31).

Most critics of the shingle shooter theory say the commission gave Oswald as little time as possible to fire all three shots. They also state that the second shot missed and third shot was fatal head wound. The commission admitted this was a minimum allowable time but it was possible for Oswald to do it. (President Commission 61-70).

Assuming the first shot hit the President is wrong, according to the ear-witness testimony and using the Zapruder film it is suggested that the first shot actually missed. Using this assumption, the shot was fired before the presidential car disappeared under the tree cover. Many eyewitnesses were standing on the Depository steps leaning against the concrete railing, half a block from the Book Depository or were in other places around these two streets. They have stated that the car just made the turn onto Elm for Houston when the first shot was heard. The commission did not rely on these witnesses to resolve the issue as to whether or not the first shot missed. There was also testimony from several witnesses who thought the second shot missed, so they decided to refuse between the two. (President Commission 61-70).

Zapruder film enhancements, however, confirm the eyewitness testimony that an early shot missed the President and the Governor. The film also provides additional evidence of the moment of the first shot. Its called the jungle analysis because the camera moves or jiggles a little when the first shot is fired startling the holder. CBS also did some research in this theory for their 1967 documentary and although the camera holders had previous knowledge of a gun firing, they still jiggled the camera. An enhanced version of the Zapruder film along with ear and eyewitnesses and their testimony make a strong case that swald fired the first shot shortly after the car turned the corner onto Elm Street and before the tree blocked his view. This means it could have taken eight to eight point four seconds in total shooting time. (President Commission 189).

After the assassination, parts of two large bullets were found on the front floorboard of the President s motorcade car. A nearly in tact bullet was found in the Parkland Hospital stretcher. Tests done on these showed they only represent two bullets. The Warren Commission did not try to resolve the issue. The confusion over the exact timing of the second shot might never have been resolved if further enhancements of the Zapruder film had not become available in 1992. Working backwards from Kennedy s reactions in the various film s frames, it is possible to get to the precise time of the second shot. (Compton s Encyclopedia).

The House Select Committee appointed Dr. Vincent Guinn to test the stretcher bullet, the fragments form Connally s wounds, the fragments bullets removed from the President s brain. Dr. Guinn was one of the country s most respected expert in neutron activation. His tests on these bullets showed they were all manufactured for the Mannlicher Carcano rifle. This was the one used by Oswald. He also found that all fragments came from only two bullets. He also found that the bullet found on the stretcher went through Connally s body disputing the theory that it had been planned there. Guinn concluded that all the fragments from the Carcano rifle. (Association 122-125).

The time necessary to appreciate the Carcano rifle should be compared to the Zapruder film in order to support the single assassin theory. This will serve as a time clock fir the assassination. The FBI came to the conclusion that the Zapruder camera operated at eighteen point three frames a second. Zapruder has testified that the film in his camera was fully wound when he started shooting the motorcade. Tests done by t he FBI in 1964 stated that in the first 30 seconds of operating the camera ran about eighteen to eighteen point five frames per second. Researchers determining the reaction time Kennedy and Connally were shoot all use the eighteen point three figure. Now the investigators could determine when the first and last shots were fired. The third shot is the easiest to pinpoint on these films. Everyone involved is certain that the last shot hit the President in the head. (Association 122-125).

A Carcano bullet travels at about 2,000 feet per second. The bullet flight time, which was measured between the Depository s sixth floor and the president s limousine, would have been point thirteenth second. This was all considered when determining the overall calculation in Oswald s shooting. (La Fontaine 26-29).

There were five main conclusions in the Warren Commission s report. The first one concluded that the shots all cane form the Texas Schoolbook Depository. This was primarily based on medical evidence of where the bullets landed, on eyewitnesses, people who saw a rifle in the sixth floor window. And also found at that site were the murder weapon and three cartage cases. All this evidence suggests a single shooter theory. (Unraveling 35-36).

The second conclusion dealt with events and the order in which they happened. As discussed earlier, the Zapruder film showed that the president and Governor Connally were hit almost at the same time (less than two seconds apart). Rifle tests also showed and it was discussed early that it was physically impossible for the murder weapon to be accurately fired twice with in that period of time. Consequently both men were hit by the same bullet. Members of the Commission disagreed strongly on this point alone. A compromise was made since it was important that they all agree on the end result, which was that all shot fired came from the sixth floor window of the Texas Schoolbook Depository. (Plot Unfolds 35-36).

Next the Commission came to the conclusion that the assassin was Lee Harvey Oswald. Again a lone gunmen theory supported. Several conclusions were gathered in this one. First and most important, the murder weapon did belong to Lee Harvey Oswald. Also, Oswald carried the gun into the Book Depository. Next it was found to be true that Oswald was at the window on the sixth floor when the shots were fired. Oswald s weapon was found in the Depository after the assassination. Oswald also had enough knowledge and use of a rifle to have committed this act. Oswald had also lied to police, this proving he had something to hide. And lastly, he had attempted to kill General Walker. The most damaging evidence against Oswald was that it was his rifle used in the assassination. This fact plus the fact they had the opportunity to commit the assassination was all in favor of a lone assassin Oswald. This is by far a strong case against Oswald. Even if someone had stolen the rifle, he was seem leaving the building, shoot a policeman and resisted arrest. Not the acts of an innocent man. Some of these last conclusions were less substantial that others, but pulled together they make a case against Oswald. (Plot Unfolds 68).

The Commission s fourth conclusion had to do with Oswald s motive for the killing. Again in this conclusion there was nothing definite in determining motivation basically because Oswald was dead also. The Commission came up with five factors all-leading to the motivation. These included the fact that Oswald was resentful of all authority; he was unable to enter into meaningful relationships with other people; he wanted to find a place for himself in history; he was capable of violence; and finally he was committed to communism and maulism. All these contributed to his motivation to assassinate President Kennedy and not one would hold a strong case against the rest because all are not very substantial by themselves. (President Commission 109-112).

The last conclusion that the Commission dealt with had to do with the lone gunman theory. The commission found no evidence of a conspiracy. It had no evidence that others were involved with Oswald in the assassination. This is the conclusion that the author have taken also. (President Commission 109-112).

The Zapruder film shows that the assassination could have been committed under the condition that Kennedy and Connally ere hit by the same bullet. This author also concludes this point. Finding out the truth in the assassination of President Kennedy had long been the objective for many Americans. It was also c concluded in the exhaustive investigation of the assassination that every inch of the evidence that it could discover was revealed. No material question remains unresolved. So far a she death of President Kennedy is concerned the evidence against Lee Harvey Oswald is overpowering. Lee Harvey Oswald is guilty of single-handed shooting President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. (President Commission 18-19).

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