Could a bullet traveling in the path which I have described in the prior hypothetical question, have inflicted nil of the wounds on the Governor?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.

Mr. Specter.

And so far as the velocity and the dimension of the bullet are concerned, is it possible that the same bullet could have gone through the President in the way that I have described and proceed through the Governor causing all of his wounds without regard to whether or not it was bullet 399?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.

Mr. Specter.

When you started to comment about it not being possible, was that in reference to the existing mass and shape of bullet 399?
Dr. SHAW. I thought you were referring directly to the bullet shown as Exhibit 399.

Mr. Specter.

What is your opinion as to whether bullet 399 could have inflicted all of the wounds on the Governor, then, without respect at this point to the wound of the President's neck?
Dr. SHAW. I feel that there would be some difficulty in explaining all of the wounds as being inflicted by bullet Exhibit 399 without causing more in the way of loss of substance to the bullet or deformation of the bullet.
(Discussion off the record.)

Mr. Specter.

Dr. Shaw, have you had an opportunity today here in the Cornmission building to view the movies which we referred to as the Zapruder movies and the slides taken from these movies?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.

Mr. Specter.

And what, if any, light did those movies shed on your evaluation and opinions on this matter with respect to the wounds of the Governor?
Dr. SHAW. Well, my main interest was to try to place the time that the Governor was struck by the bullet which inflicted the wound on his chest in reference to the sequence of the three shots, as has been described to us.
(At this point the Chief Justice entered the hearing room.)
This meant trying to carefully examine the position of the Governor's body in the car so that it would fall in line with what we knew the trajectory must be for this bullet coming from the point where it has been indicated it did come from. And in trying to place this actual frame that these frames are numbered when the Governor was hit, my opinion was that it was frame number, let's see, I think it was No. 36.

Mr. Specter.

236?
Dr. SHAW. 236, give or take 1 or 2 frames. It was right in 35, 36, 37, perhaps.

Mr. Specter.

I have heretofore asked you questions about what possibly could have happened in terms of the various combinations of possibilities on missiles striking the Governor in relationship to striking the President as well. Do you have any opinion as to what, in fact, did happen?
Dr. SHAW. Yes. From the pictures, from the conversation with Governor Connally and Mrs. Connally, it seems that the first bullet hit the President in the shoulder and perforated the neck, but this was not the bullet that Governor Connally feels hit him; and in the sequence of films I think it is hard to say that the first bullet hit both of these men almost simultaneously.

Mr. Specter.

Is that view based on the information which Governor Connally provided to you?
Dr. SHAW. Largely.

Mr. Specter.

As opposed to any objectively determinable facts from the bullets, the situs of the wounds or your viewing of the pictures?
Dr. SHAW. Yes. I was influenced a great deal by what Governor Connally knew about his movements in the car at this particular time.

Mr. Dulles.

You have indicated a certain angle of declination on this chart here which the Chief Justice has.
Dr. SHAW. Yes.

Mr. Specter.

Do you know enough about the angle of declination of the bullet that hit the President to Judge at all whether these two angles of declination are consistent?

« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here

Last Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:36 CET