JOE ELLIOTT SAID:
The SBT bullet struck Kennedy and Connally around Z222, not Z224.
DAVID VON PEIN SAID:
Isn't Z222 "around" Z224, WhiskyJoe? ~grin~
Not that this two-frame differential really matters a great deal. You and I both know full well that the SBT is true, regardless of the exact Z-Film frame. And Vince Bugliosi realizes that important fact as well, such as when Vince says this on page 482 of "Reclaiming History":
"The overwhelming evidence is that whenever Kennedy and Connally were hit, or first reacted to being hit, they were both struck by the same bullet." -- VB
It's kind of like arguing whether or not Lee Oswald's toenails were neatly trimmed at the time he was murdering JFK. In other words -- what difference does it really make in the long run?
But I still favor Zapruder Frame #224 for the Single-Bullet Theory.
One thing's for certain (IMO) -- the first EFFECTS of the bullet striking either victim are first VISIBLE on the Z-Film at exactly Z224, with that precise frame of the film showing (IMO) the actual IMPACT of the bullet striking Governor John Connally, via Connally's right shoulder pitching forward and dropping down slightly:
There are absolutely no visual indicators of a bullet striking the victims prior to Z224 (IMO).
Along a related line of thought -- A lot of JFK researchers like to get "cute" (in a sense) by saying that the head shot to President Kennedy occurred at Z-frame 310 or Z311 (or some pre-Z313 frame), when it's quite clear that the first VISUAL evidence on the Zapruder Film of JFK being struck in the head by a bullet is Z313 exactly.
But, naturally, it took the bullet a certain amount of time to reach President Kennedy's head after leaving the muzzle of Lee Harvey Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle.
Vincent Bugliosi covers this subject quite well in his book "Reclaiming History", with Vince concluding that the fatal bullet that hit JFK in the head was fired at approximately Z310 or so, 3/18ths of a second before we see the impact on the Z-Film.
Similarly, some researchers prefer to say that the SBT is occurring at Z221 or Z222 or Z223 (Dale Myers prefers Z223), even though there's not a sign of such a SBT hit VISUALLY on Mr. Zapruder's film until Z224. As for me personally, I always go by this rule (just for clarity and consistency):
The Zapruder Film frames that I utilize when discussing the details of when JFK and Governor Connally were struck by bullets in Dealey Plaza are always the frames that equate to when the first SIGNS OF IMPACT upon the victims can be seen in the film (i.e., precisely Z224 and Z313).*
* = Another obligatory "IMO".
Plus, I'll add this (for good measure):
"At issue is the time delay between bullet impact and the observable reactions of each man to his injury, which in turn is determined by many factors, including whether or not their reactions were voluntary or involuntary. If involuntary, they would have occurred almost simultaneously with the injuries. If voluntary, there is often a slight delay in reacting." -- HSCA Volume 7; Page 179
David Von Pein
July 11, 2009
