Oswald in the doorway: the blog of the Oswald Innocence Campaign, by Ralph Cinque

While the limo was behind the Stemmons Freeway sign in the Zapruder film, Kennedy was hit twice: once in the back and once in the throat. Neither shot was fatal. The back shot only penetrated slightly in a non-vital area. For all practical purposes, it was scratch. The throat shot was more serious because that is a vital area. But, it didn't penetrate his spinal cord, and we know that because the autopsy showed no damage to his spinal cord. And it was too low to reach his brain. So, had Greer stepped on the gas, floored it, and done some evasive driving at that point, Kennedy could not only have survived, but resumed being President. 

He may have had some chronic swallowing problems and even some some speaking problems, but he still could have been President. 

But, it's very strange the way it happened because he got hit almost simultaneously with those two shots. So, why didn't he duck? Why didn't he have his wife duck? In the Zapruder film, why does he seem to be so out of it mentally? 

Kennedy was a military man. He had fought in war. He had been under fire, and he had been in battles; sea battles. So, why didn't he have the awareness to realize that he was under attack and that they were all in danger, and they needed to duck down; take cover; just like Lyndon Johnson took cover in his convertible.

So, where was Kennedy's mind? I think it is very plausible and even likely that they delivered a very fast-acting paralytic drug in at least one of those missiles that hit him, and probably the back shot. Why else would Kennedy have acted so dazed, so out of it, so doped up? 

Why was he just sitting there? I understand that he was having trouble breathing, but hey: I held my breath for 2 minutes once. So, no oxygen at all for 2 minutes, and I could still think. Do you think he was just overwhelmed? But, what about PT 109 and his actions then? 

From the time Kennedy emerged from behind the freeway sign until the fatal head shot in the Zapruder film was about 5 seconds. But again: they removed frames to hide the slowing and stopping of the limo. So, how long was it really? I don't know, but let's say 7 or 8 seconds. That is an eternity in terms of being shot and responding to it. The moment his mind became conscious of the attack, he should have acted swiftly to protect himself and the others, particularly his wife.  But, he didn't do it, and I believe his mind was numbed. I think it's the most plausible explanation for the behavior that we see.

Kennedy was phased; he was dazed; and it wasn't from the physical trauma. He was a sharp guy. We're all in agreement about that, right? So, how could he act so disoriented unless he was drugged? 

What happens in the Zapruder film is that Kennedy's head goes slamming back and to the left towards Jackie, and Jackie literally dodges it. And it wasn't a conscious decision; it was a reflex; it was an automatic response. So, for a moment, they separate.

 

They are quite far apart there; their heads. 

Kennedy is completely out of it at this point. He's dead. He's as much alive as a chicken running around with its head cut off. 

But, after that, she comes back to him, so they are huddled again, and she is higher than he is because he's got nothing to stay high with. If not for his back brace, he probably would have toppled over completely.

Above and below, she is holding him. He is leaning on her: lifelessly. He has no strength at all. He is completely and totally out of it. He's dead. 

And shortly after that, she begins her trek to the back of the limo.

Alright, so that's the story. They were huddled together up until the time of the fatal head shot. Then, they had a brief separation as he slammed back towards her, and she, reflexly, got out of the way. And then she returned to him and got close to him, but he couldn't rise up any more, so she was higher than him. And then she let him go and began her trek. 

So, we can use that to evaluate other films. When you watch the Nix film, you see JFK and Jackie very close together. They never go through that separation, and it's because they already went through it. She's just going to lie him down and then start her trek. 

You don't see the Moorman photo in the Nix film, and it's because it happened before Nix pointed his camera that way. So that leaves the Muchmore film. And  fortunately, it does offer much more. 

What I think happened in Muchmore is this: I think the fatal head shot came when Brehm and Babushka Lady were blocking Muchmore's view of the Kennedys. So, they are much like the Stemmons Freeway sign in the Zapruder film blocking the view of the back and throat shots. Here's a Muchmore frame before the limo reaches Brehm and BL, and you can see that Jackie and JFK are huddled closely together. She is really turned towards him, so her back is to us. And she is higher than he is. 

Notice that Babushka Lady is facing away from them. She's got her camera pointed to where she intends to take their picture, at an angle. She expects them to enter her visual field, and then she's going to hit the shutter. She is poised and waiting. And then when they emerge on the other side, we get this:

They are separated, and she is lower than before. That was the response to him slamming back and to the left and her getting out of the way, so the fatal head shot must have come while Brehm and BL were blocking our view. We don't see Kennedy's head slam back and to the left in the Muchmore film as we do in the Zapruder film, and that's the reason why.  

Here's the money shot:

That is as close as you are ever going to get to duplicating the Moorman photo. So, if you want to claim that Mary Moorman took the Moorman photo, then you better figure out a way to claim that she took it right here: