by Jerry Organ
Canning applied sight-line alignment to the black-and-white photograph taken
by Hugh W. Betzner, Jr. that was originally published in the Nov. 24, 1967
issue of Life. Canning had previously positioned the men precisely
using the technique on a photograph of the limousine taken on Houston Street
by professional AP photographer James Altgens. Canning primarily relied
on stereo viewing of clear Zapruder frames.
Of Canning's positioning of the Governor, the HSCA Photographic Evidence
Panel noted: "Connally cannot have been sitting very far to the left
of this position in view of his location in Zapruder frame 190."
The HSCA Photographic Panel determined the Betzner photograph was taken
at the same moment that frame 186 was exposed in Zapruder's camera. This
is an important time reference as the HSCA choose Z190 as the point at which
both men were struck by the same bullet, a moment determined by the camera
blur study, visual observations by the Panel, and the then-compelling acoustics
analysis. That both men were struck by the same bullet was a conclusion
reached by the HSCA Forensic Pathology Panel.
Since that time, the HSCA's wounding scenario has been challenged. The acoustics
evidence was discredited in a report by the National Academy of Science.
That cast immediate doubt on two of the HSCA's four-shot scenario: the second
at Z190 (discussed above) and the third alleged to have been fired from
the Grassy Knoll just before the fourth shot at Z313. Though in dispute,
there is reasonable evidence that the HSCA was right that a first shot occurred,
a miss, in the region of Z160.
A shot clearly impacted the President's head between frames Z312 and Z313.
The direction of the fatal shot has been disputed, although the HSCA Forensic
Pathology Panel though the trajectory consistent with a shot fired from
the Sniper's Nest window.
The Betzner photograph was taken as the limousine rode away from the photographer.
The area that included JFK is relatively small and most of the limousine
is obscured by a spectator near Betzner. Canning noted that the base of
the car's rollbar post was visible, as well as the base of the Secret Service
handhold on the left of the trunk. When sight-lines are applied to these
two points (above), it is obvious that Kennedy was to the right of the line
and, though not visible in this photo, Connally was to the left. This matched
the stereo analysis of the Zapruder film.
Sight-lines applied to Z189 in Canning Retraced
reveal Connally's relative alignment to JFK was a match to Canning's positioning
(in blue on the diagram above). It can be reasonably assumed that little
change occurred to the positioning of the two between Betzner and Z189.
In the early 1990s, a significant discovery became widely-known for the
first time. As the limousine emerged from behind a highway sign between
it and Zapruder's camera, a curious event occurs during the interval between
Z223 and Z334. Connally's right jacket lapel seems to flip over and obscure
much of the right side of the shirt front visible to Zapruder's camera.
This event has been called the "lapel flip."
Canning did not apply his sight-line analysis to the Zapruder frames capturing
the lapel flip, widely seen by proponents of the Single-Bullet Theory as
the precise moment of impact. Frame 223, the last moment before the shot
impacted, does not show Kennedy, as he's hidden from view. Frame 224 shows
more of JFK, and the lapel flip occurring to Connally. Sight-lines applied
to the rollbar base and trunk aerial align to support Canning's positioning
(in blue above). I have added in Mrs. Kennedy's approximate position.
The map above demonstrates a shot from the Depository's "Sniper's Nest"
window at Zapruder frame 223 would have been 8-degrees to the right of the
limousine's midline.
As applied to the limousine drawing and Canning's positioning (in blue above),
an 8-degree trajectory at Z223 would have entered JFK's back and exited
the midline of the throat, wound sites determined by the HSCA Forensic Pathology
Panel. Assuming minimal deflection in coursing through Kennedy's neck, the
bullet continued on to strike Connally in the right armpit. Canning did
not model beyond that point, as trajectory defection would have been impossible
to determine.
Canning's sight-line analysis and positioning have been confirmed as correct
for the moment in the Zapruder film when the Single-Bullet Theory is thought
by some to occur.
Digital design and contents:
(c) Copyright 2004 Jerry Organ.
All rights reserved.
Photographs have individual copyright.
