THE THIRD BULLET WOUND, SECOND Head Shot

Photo F8 shows a .45 cal. bullet entry above the right ear. It was the THIRD SHOT TO HIT JFK and second shot to the head as determined by the skin tear leading to it from the last headshot at the right temple. This shot had to occur about Z 312 and almost simultaneous with the last shot. The fact that the skin tear ends at the .45 wound indicates that the .45 wound occurred had to occur before the right temple wound which caused the skin tear between Z 312-313. This .45 cal entry shot appears to be the objective of photo F8 because it is center frame, well lighted and near the ruler. It is about ½ inch above and left of the left upper corner of the ruler. It is the size of the Dr.’s fingers or 11 mm in dia. or ½ inch, which is about the size of a .45 cal. bullet entry wound. The ruler is 3 cm wide. The skin edges are beveled inward in a circular shape. A compression ring from a bullet entry is seen in the skin. The bullet scraping against the skin caused this compression ring. The skin was pulled into the skull bone inward beveling and compressed forming the rings. Light is not seen passing through the hole due to hair and lighting position but a dark circular hole is seen in the skin. The F8 skin tear across the right temple is consistent with photo F1 and Groden’s right profile photo G1. Deputy Sheriff Rodger Craig identifies a .45 cal bullet being recovered at the manhole cover on South Elm St. not in his “officially reported Warren Commission testimony” but in several films and books {Mark Lane, Two Men in Dallas, Jim Garrison Tapes}. He claims to have reported it to the Commission but they failed to record it. The recovered bullet was photographed by the news media. Thus this wound is presumed to be from a .45 because the photo cannot be used for precise determination of caliber. This compression ring could only have been caused by a large bore bullet entering the head. This structure is not the ear canal. The compression ring is thicker near the ruler or back and thinner towards the front of the head. This suggests the possibility that this shot came from an angle slightly behind but almost due right of JFK [perhaps a 70º angle of entry instead of 90º but it could have come from the front because JFK’s head is turned to the left at Z 312].
  
         See High Treason 2 page 335, Zapruder frames 313-314. Zapruder is almost at a true 90º perpendicular to the car and JFK. JFK’s head is looking left and downward. Notice the white streak from the top of JFK’s head. The object is moving fast about 100+ feet per second thus causing the streaking effect in 1/18th of a second. So fast that it shows up as a streak instead of an object. It is tumbling as indicated by the larger darker dots in the streak. The dark dots are roughly the size of JFK’s earlobes or ½ inch, which is roughly the size of a .45 cal. bullet. (Shutter speed 1/60 sec. frame speed 18.1 sec., streak is 2 ft. or 7 ear lengths long with 4 revolutions.) It is not going straight up but forward of the car about 75 degrees. The streak is white/gray due to the color of lead and brain and the speed of the drops. The sun is at 55 degrees casting shadows to the north at 15 degrees and east thus it reflects light towards Zapruder. [According to Dr. Fetzer, Assassination Science, p 294, the speed is 135 ft/sec with a maximum ascent of 252 feet with a total flight time of 8 seconds. This is not fast for an exiting bullet.] As discussed above the only object found in front of the fatal headshots was the reported .45 cal. slug on top of the ground near the manhole, seen in Z 384-400 on the south side of Elm, a distance of about 80 feet, by Foster, Walthers, Craig and photographed by the news media. A picture of the bullet was published in the Fort Worth Star Telegram Evening Edition Nov. 23, 1963. The slug was taken by an unknown FBI agent, [possibly Robert M. Barret]. [The HSCA test fired a .45 cal. bullet from a position near Zapruder during its re-enactments but in error concluded that it did not strike JFK if it was fired.]
  
Conclusion: A .45 cal bullet was fired from a position almost in line with Zapruder to JFK. Dealey Plaza photos indicate that a CIA assassination camera with a built in .45 cal. gun could have been used to conceal the shooter in plan view because he would appear to be taking pictures. Otherwise the shooter was behind Zapruder near the building. The .45 struck JFK above the right ear. The answer would help in determining the location of this shooter. Another bullet then stuck JFK’s head and the .45 is seen leaving the head in Z 314. The .45 bullet was photographed and recovered at the manhole.

Back to Table of Contents
Back to Frontal Shot(s)