Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Conclusions From Simulating the Neck, Chest, and Wrist Wounds

Both Drs. Olivier and Dziemian expressed the opinion that one bullet caused all of Governor Connally’s wounds, with the wrist wound explained by the bullet passing through the chest, losing substantial velocity, tumbling through the wrist, and slightly penetrating the Governor’s left thigh. The wound ballistics tests supported the conclusion of Governor Connally’s doctors that all his wounds were caused by a single bullet. It was also deemed most probable that the same bullet passed through the President’s neck and then inflicted all of the Governor’s wounds. The wrist wound indicated that the bullet yawed in the air between the two men and lost substantially more than 400 feet per second passing through the Governor’s chest, since a chest-exit velocity of 1,500 fps would have produced a more extensive wrist wound. A yawing bullet loses more velocity through the body than a pristine one, and the greater flattening of the animal bullet (CE 853) compared to CE 399 suggests the bullet entering the Governor’s chest had already lost velocity passing through the President’s neck. The large wound on the Governor’s back was explained by a yawing bullet, though a tangential strike could also account for it. Dr. Light testified that the anatomical findings alone were insufficient for a firm opinion, but based on the relative positions in the automobile, he concluded it was probable the same bullet traversed the President’s neck and inflicted all the Governor’s wounds.

Tests Simulating President Kennedy’s Head Wounds

Ten shots were fired at reconstructed skulls (inert skulls filled with 20 percent gelatin and coated with additional gelatin to simulate soft tissue, draped with simulated hair) from a distance of 270 feet using the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle and Western bullets. Onsite tests later determined the President was struck from a distance of 265.3 feet. One skull was struck 2.9 centimeters to the right and almost horizontal to the occipital protuberance—virtually the precise point of entry described by the autopsy surgeons. The bullet blew out the right side of the reconstructed skull in a manner very similar to President Kennedy’s head wounds. Two fragments from this test bullet closely resembled two fragments found in the front seat of the Presidential limousine (Commission Exhibits Nos. 567 and 569), with a group of small lead particles also similar to those recovered from under the left jump seat and from the President’s head. Dr. Olivier concluded that the Western bullet fired from the Mannlicher-Carcano at 270 feet would produce the same type of wound found on the President’s head. Although he had previously doubted such a stable bullet could cause a massive head wound, the tests showed that the skull bones were sufficient to deform the end of the bullet, causing it to expend great energy and blow out the side of the skull. The tests confirmed that the President’s head wound was not caused by a dumdum bullet, that the fragments found on and under the front seat most probably came from the bullet that struck the President’s head, and that damage to Governor Connally’s wrist could not have resulted from a fragment of the head shot bullet.

HAIRS AND FIBERS

Paul M. Stombaugh of the FBI, a specialist in hairs and fibers since 1960, testified on four objects: (1) the green and brown blanket found in the Paines’ garage (Commission Exhibit No. 140); (2) the homemade paper bag found on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository following the assassination (Commission Exhibit No. 142); (3) the shirt worn by Oswald on November 22, 1963 (Commission Exhibit No. 150); and (4) the C2766 rifle (Commission Exhibit No. 139). Stombaugh has made thousands of hair and fiber examinations and has testified in Federal and State courts in approximately 28 States.

CHAPITRE II. With the assistance of Agent in Charge Sorrels of the

This chapter, presented with the assistance of FBI Agent in Charge Sorrels, details the FBI Laboratory’s forensic examinations of physical evidence related to the assassination investigation. It covers microscopic hair and fiber analysis conducted by Stombaugh on a blanket, paper bag, shirt, and the C2766 rifle, followed by Shaneyfelt’s photographic examination of images showing Lee Harvey Oswald with a rifle, the corresponding negative, and the Imperial reflex camera allegedly used to take them.