A logical approach to the origin of Kennedy's throat wound
Draft, 21 February 2000
There has been altogether too much discussion on the origin of JFK's throat wound (that is, whether it came from a frontal hit). It was a wound of exit, as the logic below shows. Given the simplicity and directness of the evidence, we almost don't need to use this course's pattern of reasoning [problem or question —> all possible hypotheses —> evidence —>strong evidence —> all hypotheses consistent with strong evidence —> simplest hypothesis consistent with strong evidence], but we will for sake of consistency with other logical topics under "Issues and Evidence."
The question:
From what direction did the bullet come that caused Kennedy's throat wound?
Possible answers
1. From the front or right front (wound of entrance).
2. From the rear (wound of exit).
Strong, validated evidence
1. JFK's body had two wounds on it, one in the front
(throat) and one in the back (neck).
2. His body contained no bullets.
3. Therefore one of the wounds was for entrance and the other
was for exit.
4. The wound in his back (neck) was an entrance wound (fibers
around holes in shirt and jacket were bent forward).
5. Therefore, the throat wound had to be an exit wound.
6. The throat wound was small and regular, much like an
entrance wound.
7. Ballistic tests on an artificial "neck" showed
that because of the neck's small size and lack of hard structures, the exit
wound looked much like the entrance wound, being only a little bigger and more
irregular.
8. The throat wound was connected to the entrance wound in
the rear neck by a line of internal damage to the right strap muscles, the upper
right lung, and the right pleura.
9. Near the throat wound, the fibers of the slits in the two
sides of the shirt were both bent forward.
10. The doctors at Parkland Hospital first thought the throat
wound was one of entrance because they were not aware of the entrance wound in the
back and the lack of a bullet in the body.
11. After discussing the back wound with Dr. Humes in
Bethesda, Dr. Malcolm Perry of Parkland agreed that the throat wound was one of
exit.
Hypotheses consistent with this evidence
1. The throat wound was one of exit, and the bullet came from the rear. (No other hypothesis possible.)
Simplest (and only) hypothesis consistent with this evidence
1. The throat wound was one of exit, and the bullet came from the rear.
As always, this answer must be considered provisional and subject to challenge by additional evidence.
Possible challenges
1.