JFK Assassination Hearings - 12/29/1978
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
Old House Caucus Room in the U.S. Capitol Building, text on screen reads “House Select Committee on Assassinations, John F. Kennedy December 29, 1978." Press members gathered in hearing room; adult African-American man sets up chalkboard. Commentator Paul Duke introduces the subject of today’s hearings. Duke says Committee will hear new evidence from scientific report that claims four shots were fired on the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, not three shots as experts have said. This report raises the conspiracy that shooter Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone and that another gunman shot from the Grassy Knoll. Duke says the Warren Commission originally concluded three shots were fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Duke says Committee will hear this new conflict in evidence. A group of acoustical experts including Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy of Queens College New York City will be testifying. Dr. James Barger also will testify.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
Commentator Paul Duke introduces Jeremiah O’Leary of the Washington Star and Carl Oglesby of the Assassination Bureau. Duke opens discussion on the upcoming House Select Committee hearings on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. O’Leary believes the Committee, “born” in controversy, will “die” in Controversy, saying the testimony today will lead the Committee into an executive session and will tell the world what they believe happened: whether there were four shots or three; whether there were two gunmen; whether the Warren Committee was right all along. O’Leary says the Committee will have witnesses helping to reach their conclusion, including a new witness the Committee has located, Dallas Police Officer H.B. McLain, the motorcycle cop who had an open microphone recording the shootings. O’Leary says trajectory and medical examiner witnesses will be recalled to testify on the validity of the three and four shot theories.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
Commentator Paul Duke turns discussion of the upcoming House Select Committee hearings on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to Carl Oglesby of the Assassination Information Bureau. Oglesby says that if the police officer audio tape does show gunfire from two directions, then it would put an end to the “no conspiracy” theory, unless there were somehow two lone assassins by chance. Oglesby says a new prima facie theory may lead to opening a new investigation by the Justice Department. Duke suggests that even if four shots were fired it does not prove there was a second gunman. Oglesby says if there is a short enough delay between shots three and four, then there is no way Lee Harvey Oswald’s Mannlicher-Carcano rifle could have fired shot four.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
Paul Duke asks Jeremiah O’Leary of the Washington Star if there is skepticism on the House Select Committee on Assassinations toward the new theory on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, that four shots could have been fired from two different locations. O’Leary says yes and he also is skeptical. O’Leary says there is a quantum leap in proving three shots or four were fired, including a leap in deciding which shots came from the Grassy Knoll, if any at all. O’Leary says if there is proof of four shots coming from two directions, there is still no proof that the two men knew one another or that they conspired.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
Paul Duke outlines the day at the House Select Committee hearings on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, says a rather long opening statement will be made by Committee Chief Consul G. Robert Blakey, who will give background to the proceedings. Committee Chairman U.S. Representative Louis Stokes (D-OH) seated at table with other Committee members; Duke (VO) says the hearings will begin soon, and the he House Select Committee on Assassinations has seven Democrats and three Republicans. Duke says the Zapruder Film will be shown at some point in the day’s proceedings, accompanied by a simulation of the shooting, reenacted in Dallas by Committee staff. Jeremiah O’Leary of the Washington Star says the reenactment might be the most dramatic part of the day; an investigative officer told him that when the soundtrack is played over the Zapruder Film, it will “boggle” your mind. Duke and O’Leary discuss the movements of Jacqueline Kennedy, President Kennedy, and Texas Governor John Connally in the presidential car at the time of the shooting. Crowded hearing room, Duke (VO) stresses the sensitivity of the hearings and the tragedy of the JFK assassination. Sounds of Committee speaking among themselves. Duke (VO) says the start of the hearings has been delayed. Chairman Stokes and U.S. Representative Samuel L. Devine (R-OH) talking with adult Caucasian female staff member.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassination Chairman U.S. Representative Louis Stokes (D-OH) seated with U.S. Representatives Samuel L. Devine (R-OH) and L. Richardson Preyer (D-NC). Chairman Stokes opens hearings on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Stokes makes opening statement: the Committee will hold a one-day hearing on the assassination of President Kennedy, focusing on acoustical analysis of audio tape recorded on the day of the JFK assassination; the Committee is prepared to make its final conclusions and recommendations on all the questions on both the assassinations of JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which the Committee will do after the public session has adjourned; the Committee thought it best to hold a public hearing before the final Committee vote. Stokes recognizes Committee Chief Consul G. Robert Blakey.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey makes opening statements at hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, discusses verdict of the Warren Commission and original finding that three shots were fired from the same rifle at the Texas School book depository. Blakey says the Warren Commission findings must be revisited if the time span between shots was too short to have been fired from the same rifle or if one or more of the shots were fired from a different direction; if either of these two situations occurred it must be considered that there may have been a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy. The Warren Commission was persuaded that there were at least two to three shots fired at the most, each fired from the Texas School Book Depository. Blakey’s notes on podium as he continues to speak. The Warren Commission considered a variety of evidence, including medical and ballistics data, as well as witness testimony, and maintained that the time span between the shots was either 4.8 to 5.6 seconds or 7.8 to 7.9 seconds; the difference between these two figures depended on which of the three shots the Warren Commission believed was a miss.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey continues opening remarks at hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Blakey continues remarks on findings of the Warren Commission. The discovery of three spent cartridge cases were found on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository was considered convincing proof of only three shots, and the Warren Commission concluded its investigation disclosed no credible evidence that shots were fired from anywhere else. The work of the House Select Committee on Assassinations on the number of shots fired has been based almost entirely on scientific evidence. The Committee has had access to a motion film record of the assassination made by Abraham Zapruder, forensic and medical testimony, ballistic and neutron activation analysis, a trajectory reconstruction, and an analysis of a recording of sound transitions from a police motorcycle radio. The hearing will be concerned for the most part with the scientific evidence and its implications, with particular attention paid to new analysis of data previously developed in the Committee’s acoustics project, conducted by independent consultants whose findings were recently submitted to the Committee. Predominantly Caucasian adult male and female audience.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-361 into the record at hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, presents enlarged aerial photo of Dealey Plaza. Pointer stick outlines the President's motorcade route on Elm St., points out the Texas School Book Depository and the Grassy Knoll. Blakey discusses the Warren Commission’s acknowledgement that testimony on the number of shots fired did vary, with the consensus was three shots, but some witnesses heard two, while others heard four. Witnesses also testified in varying degrees to the time span of the shots, the general estimate being 5-6 seconds. FBI tests indicated Lee Harvey Oswald’s rifle could not be fired in less than 2.25-2.3 seconds. For the Warren Commission to conclude that only one assassin was involved there had to be a specific time span between shots. The Warren Commission heard testimony that shots came from directions other than the depository building, but were persuaded this testimony should not be credited due to the difficulty of accurate perception and non-supportive physical evidence. U.S. Representative Samuel L. Devine (R-OH) looks over his notes while Blakey speaks.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
U.S. Representatives Samuel L. Devine (R-OH) and L. Richardson Preyer (D-NC) with House Select Committee on Assassinations Chairman U.S. Representative Louis Stokes (R-OH). Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey discusses the Committee’s statistical analysis of the witness testimony regarding the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, introduces JFK exhibit F-360; adult Caucasian female staff member sets up chart breaking down witness testimony regarding the direction of shots fired. 27.5 percent of witnesses felt the shots came from the direction of the Texas School Book Depository; 11 percent believed the shots came from the Grassy Knoll; 13.9 percent thought the shots originated elsewhere; and 43.8 percent were unable to tell where the shots came from. Blakey argues that witnesses who were also trained law enforcement personnel might be better at originating shots from sound than other witnesses.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey continues discussing witness testimony to the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, including the testimony of Dallas police officer Bobby W. Hargis, who was riding a motorcycle to the left rear of Kennedy’s car and questioned by Warren Commission Counsel Samuel A. Stern. Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-644, the Warren Commission testimony of Officer Hargis. Hargis said he was next to Jacqueline Kennedy when he heard the first shot, at which time JFK bent over and Texas Governor Connally turned around; Hargis said that when JFK straightened up, a bullet hit his head, and it seemed like JFK’s head exploded and Hargis was splattered with blood and brains. When asked about the direction of the shots, Hargis said at the time of the shooting he felt like the shots could have come from the railroad overpass, but also had a feeling they might have come from the Texas School Book Depository, adding that those two places could have been the primary shooting spot. At the time of the shooting he saw a man fall at the base of “the incline” (of the Grassy Knoll) and cover his child.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-661 at hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. Adult Caucasian female staff member displays enlarged photograph of activity on the Grassy Knoll after President Kennedy was assassinated; man (William Eugene Newman Jr) covering his child, people running. Blakey introduces a copy of Newman’s statement to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department as JFK exhibit F-645; the Newmans where observing JFK’s motorcade near the curb from the west end of the concrete on Elm St.; Newman fell down on the grass after the shots were fired because it seemed they were in the direct path of fire; Newman thought the shot came from the garden behind him on an elevation from where he was; Newman did not recall looking back towards the Texas School Book Depository.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey introduces evidence JFK exhibits F-155 ( enlarged photo marking filming position of Abraham Zapruder and President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade) and F-646 (copy of Zapruder’s Warren Commission Deposition). Zapruder was questioned by Warren Commission Counsel Wesley Lieber. Zapruder did not have any impression of which directions the shots came from but thought they may have come from behind him. Zapruder did agree with Lieber that the shots could have come from any direction and there was no way of knowing at the time. Zapruder could not, at first, identify the first shot due to the echo, but could clearly identify the second shot by sound.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee members U.S. Representatives L. Richardson Preyer (D-NC) and Samuel L. Devine (R-OH) with Chairman Louis Stokes (D-OH). Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-647, statement from Secret Service Agent Paul E. Landis, who was in the follow-up car behind the presidential limousine; Landis can be seen in JFK exhibit F-155. Landis indicated the first shot sounded like the report of a high-powered rifle from behind him, over his right shoulder; Landis said he was not certain from which direction the second shot came, but his “reaction” at the time was that the shot came from somewhere on the front right-handed side of the road.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-648, the Warren Commission testimony of U.S President John F. Kennedy assassination witness S.M. Holland, who saw sign of a shot coming from a group of trees on the Grassy Knoll. Holland was standing on the overpass above Elm St. Holland indicated he heard four shots; after the first shot Holland saw Texas Governor John Connally turn around, then heard another report. Holland said the first two shots sounded like they came from the upper part of the street, the third shot was not as loud as the other shots. Holland said there was a report and a puff of smoke 6-8 feet above the ground right out from under some trees (in the Grassy Knoll); Holland said the sound wasn’t as loud as previous shots. Warren Commission Counsel Samuel A. Stern asked Holland if he had any doubts about hearing a fourth shot; Holland had no doubt about hearing a fourth shot and seeing a puff of smoke. Holland commented on the activity after the shooting, one of the motorcycle police officers in the motorcade threw his bike down and ran towards the grassy knoll.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey discussing witness accounts of bullets striking different points in Dealey Plaza: two witnesses said they saw bullets striking the pavement on Elm St. Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-649, statement by Royce Skelton to Dallas County Sheriff Department. Skelton was standing with Austin Miller on train trestle that crosses Elm Street; Skelton heard what he thought was fireworks and saw something hit the pavement at the rear of President Kennedy’s car. JFK’s car got into right-hand lane and Skelton heard two more shots. Skelton then heard a fourth shot and saw the bullet hit the pavement in the left or middle lane. Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-650, Royce Skelton’s testimony before the Warren Commission; Skelton said he saw smoke rise from the pavement where a bullet hit, and he had thought the gunfire came from the area of the presidential limousine. Skelton saw a bullet hit on the cement at the left-front of JFK’s car. Skelton said he saw smoke from the southwest in line with the Texas School Book Depository.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey discussing witness Virgie Baker. Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-651, Baker’s statement to the FBI. Baker was standing across the street from the Texas School Book Depository when she heard the shots. Baker thought the shots came from the direction of the triple overpass, and when looking that way Baker presumed she saw a bullet bounce off the pavement. Blakey introduces JFK exhibit F-652, Virgie Baker’s testimony before the Warren Commission. Warren Commission Counsel Wesley Liebler asked Baker where the noise she heard came from; Baker thought the noise she heard was close to the underpass. Liebler questioned Baker in respect to the bullets she saw. Baker saw the impact on the curbside of the street, opposite from the side of the Texas School Book Depository, adding that the impact was approximately in the middle of the lane. Baker thought the impact was behind JFK's car. Blakey discusses content in the Warren Commission’s record regarding “suspicious” activity around the Grassy Knoll: footprints by the fence; an individual who identified himself as Secret Service, when no agent was supposed to be in that area; and activity that could be called “flight,” but the fact remains that no one gives credible testimony that they saw anyone with a rifle around the fence at the time of the assassination. In the absence of credible testimony or hard evidence to support the theory of the “Knoll shot,” the Warren Commission concluded the shots came from only one place, the Texas School Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald worked.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing into the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Counsel G. Robert Blakey discussing Committee attainment of acoustics analysis of a sound recording of made during the assassination in Dealey Plaza, evidence not available to the Warren Commission. A Dallas Police tape recorded the sounds of the assassination from the transmitter of a motorcycle police officer whose microphone was on. The Committee searched for the best people in the acoustics field, and contracted the firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman (BBN). Early testing was unsuccessful, as the Committee only had a copy of the tape. The Committee was later able to obtain the original copy of the 1963 dispatch tape, along with dictabelts that originally recorded the transmission. Dr. James E. Barger of BBN was able to locate several segments of the tape that contained “impulses” that might have been gunfire. The impulses were put through six screening tests.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the Assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey continuing to discuss the acoustic analysis carried out on the Dallas Police audio transmission tape by the firm of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman (BBN). In actual firing tests conducted on behalf of the Dallas Police Department in Dealey Plaza during August 1978, Dr. James E. Barger set out to determine what the echo pattern looks like for two shooter locations; the Texas School Book Depository and the Grassy Knoll, with several target locations along the JFK motorcade route. Dr. Barger matched his 1978 Dealey Plaza environment tape with the 1963 audio tape, was able to arrive at several conclusions: the motorcycle whose radio transmitted the broadcast was apparently in Dealey Plaza; there was a 95 percent chance probability that two of the impulses were caused by gunshot; there was a 60-70 percent probability that there were three shots; there were indications of a fourth shot from the grassy knoll, put at a 50-50 probability.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey continuing to discuss acoustic analysis carried out on the Dallas Police audio transmission tape. Independent experts Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschkenasy were brought in to review the findings of Dr. James E. Barger of Bolt, Beranek, and Newman. Weiss and Aschkenasy focused on the third shot, the one Dr. Barger thought may have come from the grassy knoll. Weiss and Aschkenasy will be available to testify at the hearing today. Blakey discusses Weiss’ credentials. Weiss was also hired by the U.S. Government to analyze U.S. President Richard Nixon’s audio tapes during the Watergate investigations.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey continuing to discuss acoustic analysis carried out on the Dallas Police audio transmission. Blakey discusses credentials of Ernest Aschenasy, who also assisted in the analysis of U.S. President Richard Nixon’s audio tapes during the Watergate investigation. Blakey asks to call Professor Mark Weiss and Aschenasy as witnesses. Committee Chairman U.S. Representative Louis Stokes (D-OH), seated with U.S. Representatives L. Richardson Preyer (D-NC) and Samuel L. Devine (R-OH), calls Weiss and Aschenasy as witnesses, who are sworn in.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell taking testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on the acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmissions tap. Weiss and Aschenasy confirm they are familiar with the work done by Dr. James E. Barger. Mark Weiss testifies to the validity of Dr. Barger’s sound and echo reconstruction experiment of the JFK assassination in Dealey Plaza. Weiss discusses his and Aschenasy’s work on analyzing Dr. Barger’s finding that there may have been a third shot fired from the grassy knoll.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas audio transmission tape from the assassination of President Kennedy. Weiss and Aschenasy concluded there was a 95 percent possibility that a shot was fired from the grassy knoll. Weiss discusses the scientific principles used in the analysis of the audio tape of the JFK assassination.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas audio transmission tape. Weiss discusses the scientific principles behind echoes and sound in recordings vs. the human ear. Weiss discusses variables in echoes in urban environments such as Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas audio transmission tape. Weiss discusses reproduction of sound and echo patterns based upon sound source and listener location. Weiss discusses the scientific principles used in his analysis.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continues taking testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy testimony on acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmission tape from the assassination. Weiss discusses the equipment used for analyzing the tape: a large survey map of Dealey Plaza, a long graduated scale for measuring map scale, a calculator, and an oscilloscope for measuring wavelengths and plotting.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to takes testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmission tape from the assassination. Weiss discusses the basic principles of audio analysis and echoes in Dealey Plaza, and the use and placement of microphones set to predict the echo pattern. Weiss discusses usingthe acoustic analysis of Dr. James E. Barger to become familiar with the acoustical structure of Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmission tape from the assassination. Weiss discusses additional information needed to be gathered in addition to the acoustic analysis of Dealey Plaza by Dr. James E. Barger. Weiss says his team needed to know where the sources of sound were and have some idea of where a shooter might have been, by all indications the Grassy Knoll. Weiss says they also needed to know locations of reflective surfaces for echoes. Weiss had to know where the police motorcycle that recorded the audio was positioned, and was likely in the proximity of the microphone that picked up the strongest matching pattern in Dr. Barger’s tests-- between a shot from the Knoll and impulses on the police tape recording. Weiss says the sound velocity also needed to be determined. Weiss discusses the speed of the tape recorder being about 5 percent slow.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmission tape from the assassination. Cornwell and Weiss discuss the shooting sound locations and the location of the police motorcycle.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell asking Committee Chairman U.S. Representative Louis Stokes (D-OH) to admit and display exhibits 349, 672, and 667. Stokes admits the exhibits. Middle-aged adult Caucasian female assistant helps Professor Mark Weiss set up the exhibits for further testimony. The assistant mics Weiss and gives him a pointer stick.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell continuing to take testimony of Professor Mark Weiss and Ernest Aschenasy on acoustic analysis of the Dallas Police audio transmission tape from the assassination. Weiss discusses his audio analysis of Dealey Plaza with the aid of visual displays, points out the hypothetical location of observer and shooter near the Grassy Knoll in an enlarged aerial photo. Weiss explains the directions of gunfire sounds. Middle-aged adult Caucasian female assistant steps in to reposition Weiss’ microphone. Weiss discusses sound and echo patterns in Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss continuing to discuss acoustic analysis of Dealey Plaza via visual aids. Weiss explains visual printouts of gunshot sound waves and echoes. Weiss turns to topographic survey map of Dealey, pointing out the positions of Elm Street, the Grassy Knoll, and Microphone Number Four. Weiss points out echo points in Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss discussing a specific echo point within the soundwave printouts from the acoustic analysis of Dealey Plaza. Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell interrupts to ask Weiss to adjust his microphone. Young adult Caucasian male assistant adjusts Weiss’ mic. Weiss discusses the process of locating specific echo surfaces in Dealey Plaza corresponding with specific echoes recorded in the acoustic analysis.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss discussing the scientific and mathematical processes for identifying exact echo locations of gunfire in Dealey Plaza, based on data from the acoustic analysis. Using two pins and a length of string, Weiss plots out the direction of gunfire sounds and echo points on a map of Dealey Plaza. Weiss identifies the Dallas County Records Building as one echo surface.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss using two pins and a length of string to demonstrate the method for finding another echo surface in Dealey Plaza. Weiss says there were 22 echo paths in total found in the acoustic analysis of Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell asking Professor Mark Weiss to reconfirm and further explain the findings of the echo paths in the acoustic analysis of Dealey Plaza. Weiss simplifies his explanation of echo paths in the acoustic analysis, says the purpose of his work was to find a set of echoes that would match the impulses found on the Dallas Police audio transmission recording of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Weiss displays and explains a waveform chart of the Dallas Police recording, pointing out the impulses in the recording. Cornwell asks Weiss to explain why the current waveform chart on display looks different from the waveform chart from that of Dr. James E. Barger from his analysis of the original recording. Weiss says Dr. Barger’s waveforms represent the strength of the signal, whereas Weiss’ waveforms were focused on precise measurements of time-elapsed.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss explaining the process used for predicting gunfire echo paths from the Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza. Using a topographical map of Dealey Plaza and a scale, Weiss demonstrates their method of determination. Weiss discusses variables in echo times and distances.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss setting up a chalkboard and waiting for adult Caucasian female assistant to provide him with chalk. Weiss uses the chalkboard to illustrate the interval in time between the initial gunshot and an echo from different surfaces in Dealey Plaza. Weiss begins discussing moving around the microphone and rifle.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell asking Professor Mark Weiss if he concluded the hypothetical shooter was not in the chosen location, or if the open microphone of the Dallas Police motorcycle was not in the right location; Weiss says this was the conclusion. Weiss says that after changing the position of the shooter and the microphone (the two variables), you start to close in on data matching the original Dallas Police audio transmission. Weiss discusses the difficulty encountered in getting the experiment data to match the data from the original police audio transmission.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss continuing to discuss the Dealey Plaza acoustics recreation and the original Dallas Police audio transmission of Kennedy assassination. Weiss points out that a new variable needed to be added: the microphone on the Dallas Police motorcycle was in motion, so the experiment’s microphone needed to be put in motion, matching the bike's speed. Once the microphone was put in motion, the experiment produced an echo set matching the impulses on the Dallas Police audio transmission with greater accuracy.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel asking Professor Mark Weiss if he can quantify the findings of his acoustical analysis of Dealey Plaza. Weiss uses his waveform chart to further explain data generated from his experiment. Weiss says his team focused only on what matched the noise level of gunfire and the proceeding echoes in Dealey Plaza.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Professor Mark Weiss continues explaining the findings of his acoustical analysis of Dealey Plaza. Weiss discusses the concept of binary correlation. Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell watches on. Weiss discusses probabilities. Cornwell asks Weiss if the position of the shooter could have been moved in the experiment; Weiss says it was possible to move the shooter’s location within a five-foot radius on the Grassy Knoll but reaffirms the current position provided the best match to the original Dallas Police audio transmission.
JFK Assassination HSCA Hearings
House Select Committee on Assassinations hearing on the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Committee Deputy Chief Counsel Gary T. Cornwell asking Professor Mark Weiss if he can identify the type of firearm that would have been fired from the Grassy Knoll based upon the Dallas Police audio transmission and acoustical analysis of Dealey Plaza. Weiss discusses the audio signature of a rifle firing a supersonic bullet. Weiss points out evidence of a supersonic shock wave on the waveform charts from the original Dallas Police audio transmission of the Kennedy assassination and the acoustical analysis of Dealey Plaza. Cornwell asks Weiss to confirm if the hypothetical shot from the Grassy Knoll was a supersonic bullet from a rifle.