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

THE BULLET WOUNDS

This section details the Commission’s evaluation of evidence to identify the source of shots fired at President Kennedy and Governor Connally, including review of expert medical testimony from doctors who treated the pair at Parkland Hospital and conducted the autopsy at Bethesda Naval Hospital, analysis of the men’s clothing, and special wound ballistics tests performed with the C2766 Mannlicher-Carcano rifle and matching 6.5-millimeter ammunition.

The President’s Head Wounds

This section covers the autopsy findings for President Kennedy’s head wounds, where the three examining pathologists concluded the smaller hole in the rear of his skull was the entrance wound and the large opening on the right side of his head was the exit wound, based on beveling/cratering effects consistent with a shot fired from behind and above. Wound ballistics tests conducted at Edgewood Arsenal using the assassination rifle and matching ammunition confirmed that a shot from 90 yards could produce wounds identical to the President’s, with test bullet fragments closely matching those recovered from the Presidential limousine.

The President’s Neck Wounds

This section details findings related to President Kennedy’s neck wounds, including the autopsy identification of a small, clean-edged entrance wound at the base of the back of his neck, with the bullet passing through neck muscles, bruising the upper pleural cavity and top of the right lung, and tearing the trachea before exiting through the front of the neck (the site of the later tracheotomy incision). Parkland Hospital doctors could not determine if the front neck wound was an entrance or exit wound based on appearance alone, but concluded it was an exit wound after reviewing autopsy findings, bullet trajectory, and the lack of any other recovered bullet. The section also addresses early public confusion stemming from Dr. Malcolm Perry’s 1963 press conference statements, which were based on incomplete information (he was unaware of the rear neck entry wound and small rear head entry wound at the time) and addressed hypothetical scenarios rather than his final professional assessment.