Mistakes in PBS Nova "Cold Case JFK"

Going over this picture from the animation in Cold Case JFK, I noticed a mistake made by the animator. This mistake highlights what is, to me, the primary reason the SBT is not feasible, and why Connally's wrist had to be struck by a bullet all its own.



In this picture, we see the bullet entering the palm side of Connally's wrist and exiting the back side of his wrist; passing between the radius and ulna bones of his forearm. In fact, medical records from Parkland Hospital show the bullet ENTERING the back of the wrist, and EXITING the palm side of the wrist; exactly the opposite of what you see above.

As well, the animator has depicted the bullet travelling at far too steep of an angle, almost appearing to be 45°. As you all know, the angle from the 6th floor was only 18-20° to begin with. Connally was struck by a bullet under the right armpit and that bullet exited just under his right nipple. In the cartoon above, it appears to be entering at the top of his shoulder, and exiting at the level of his navel; a gross exaggeration if I have ever seen one.

The importance of the wrist wound to debunking the entire SBT should not be underestimated. According to medical records, Connally was struck by a bullet in the "dorsal-lateral section" of his right forearm, just above his wrist. The bullet struck the radius bone full on, fracturing the radius into several pieces without deforming the bullet (see CE 399). It is suspected, from the long bullet hole in JBC's shirt cuff and the nature of the wound, that the bullet had been tumbling when it struck JBC and that it hit his forearm side on instead of nose first.

Dorsal-lateral means that the bullet hit the back or dorsal aspect of JBC's wrist towards the radius side or "lateral". In order for it to have hit this spot so squarely after exiting JBC's thorax at a 20-25° angle, it would be necessary for the back of his wrist to be facing his chest and perpendicular to the path of the bullet. Unless JBC was severely double jointed in his right elbow, and there is no evidence to support this, it was physically impossible for him to be holding his forearm in this fashion. Try this your self. In a sitting position, try holding your right wrist at the level of your right nipple and rotating your forearm back enough to present the back of your wrist to the path CE 399 would have taken. Unless you are India Rubber Man, it can't be done.

What is even more remarkable is that CE 399 was supposed to have struck the radius bone square on, and yet somehow have backed up and then passed neatly between the radius and the ulna, without leaving a mark on the ulna bone.



Radius bone and thumb seen on right. X-ray taken from palm side of wrist. Note small flakes of lead that were shed from the base of a FMJ bullet as it compressed after striking radius bone.

P.S. I just noticed, in the cartoon above, CE 399 exiting JFK at about the level of his right nipple.

Good Eyes. Just another example of a television show using not wholly scientific or accurate standards.