JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative CORNWELL asks if Dr. CYRIL H. WECHT still holds view, which he expressed in an article that since the fragment of bullet found in Governor JOHN CONNALLY'S wrist is indistinguishable from bullet 399 that this strongly supports the single bullet theory - Wecht responds that he wrote article before knowing of the bullet's trajectories through the bodies it supposedly struck.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Cornwell asks if there were evidence that the fragments in Connally s wrist were proved to match bullet 399 that if it would make a substantial impact on Wecht's contestation of the single bullet theory - Wecht responds that it might have an impact if all the bullet fragments were tested to see if they belonged to bullet 399 but cannot respond to Cornwell's hypothetical question.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Chairman STOKES begins the operation of the five minute rule, and himself questions Wecht, he asks, since Wecht was only one of nine forensic pathologists on the committee appointed panel to disagree with the panel's findings what basis other than scientific might these eight other panel members be making their decision - Wecht responds that Stokes would have to ask them but suggests the panel's finding could have been career motivated, saying that two of the panelists have served on other government appointed panels - Wecht can only speculate.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Stokes: "What should the average American believe," Wecht or the panel - Wecht sites poles in which a majority of Americans have found fault with the Warren Commission's findings and says he only hopes that they will believe him.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative SAMUEL L. DEVINE asks Wecht if reasonable men can come to different decisions without questioning the motives of the others - Wecht answers yes when the facts allow for different interpretations, however in this case Wecht does not feel the hard scientific facts of trajectories, men's positioning in the car, etc allow for divergent interpretations
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Devine ends that he's sure the other members of the panel would disagree with him, that the facts aren't open to interpretation.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative CHRISTOPHER DODD asks Wecht if his expertise includes photo analysis and goes on to ask him about his analysis of the Zapruder film and its importance to his perception of what happened.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Dodd asks Wecht if he's ever witnessed a shooting or footage of shootings - Wecht says he's seen some footage of killings.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Dodd asks Wecht to what extent there is a body of knowledge about body movements upon being shot - Wecht responds there is some, that it depends on different factors such as position of the wound and position of the body itself, Wecht concedes that this is not a hard science.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Dodd asks about sequence of frames in the Zapruder film in regard to JFK's reaction to being shot, he then asks how if this judgment is not a hard science Wecht can disclaim the single bullet theory.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Wecht responds it s all about the bullet's trajectories; the men's reactions don't make any difference.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative HAROLD E. FORD asks if Wecht privy to any other evidence that panel wouldn't have seen - Wecht responds no other than a blow up of the Zapruder film at Life magazine headquarters.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Wecht says it is not his responsibility to uphold the findings of the Warren Commission investigation which he found "extremely superficial and sloppy", Wecht mentions another exhibit he didn't get to talk about which diagrams bullet passing through JFK's neck which he says would show the bullet should have flown out and beyond the car.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative MCKINNEY asks of the Zapruder film, the bullet trajectories, and the condition of the bullet which is the most significant to Wecht's disagreement with the single bullet theory - Wecht responds the trajectories would be first, followed by the condition of bullet, followed by the film - but adds that they are all integrated in his analysis.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
McKinney confirms that based on the men's positioning in the Zapruder film that it is Wecht's opinion that the bullet's trajectories are impossible - Wecht says he has never heard any testimony of dramatic movement on the men's part to get them lined up so as to make the bullet's path possible.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
McKinney asks if Wecht is aware that no metal fragments were found in JFK's neck of Connally s chest - Wecht says yes but that there was a press story that a nurse removed and gave to a policeman a fragment of metal found in Connally s chest - McKinney goes on to ask if it were true that no metal were found in chest and neck (as is documented) than couldn't the bullet have emerged in such good shape - Wecht responds no because it couldn't also then have broken Connally s wrist and escaped damage, besides the fact again that the trajectories do not line up.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative FLOYD J. FITHIAN asks if a test were conducted with the bodies lined up according to photo analysis and supported the single bullet theory would Wecht change his views - Wecht says yes - Fithian asks about second simultaneous shot to JFK's head - Wecht explains to him frangible ammunition would not leave an exit wound. Fithian wants to know about the bullet's course in relationship to its breaking the bone, would it have to go through the bone and wouldn't it leave a hole - Wecht responds that it would have to hit the bone to get the fracture Connally had but that it could hit the bone off center, break it and not leave a hole.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Fithian asks if evidence becomes available that the fragments in Connally s wrist came from bullet 399 wouldn't this impair Wecht's interpretation - Wecht says test would have to be conducted on all bullet fragments for him to be swayed and other trajectory and damage tests would have to be conducted.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Fithian wants to know if analysis of film and other techniques of Wecht on which he bases his interpretation fall outside of the field of forensic pathology - Wecht responds no and explains that these are legitimate techniques of the field.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Representative HAROLD S. SAWYER asks what happened to the other bullet if there was more than two fired and then asks where this bullet would have been fired from - Wecht answers possibly from a lower floor of the book depository.
JFK Assassination Hearings - Dr. Cyril H. Wecht (Part III)
Sawyer says he's seen studies that show erratic behavior of bullets when hit twigs. Wecht's response cut off by end of tape.