After reading some posts by CTs, like this example "Not merely a "large number."..... The vast majority of the witnesses reported that the last two shots were nearly simultaneous...... That's impossible with a bolt action rifle...." so I did a quick collation of a number of witnesses who said the shots were roughly about evenly spaced or the spaces between were longer than virtually instantaneous. Btw some witnesses guessed that the length of time was greater between shots 2 and 3 than 1 and 2 but a lot of these witnesses didn't specify a specific length so cannot be counted by either side.
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JohnM
You have to look at all the evidence that bears on shot spacing, not just evidence specifically about shot spacing. You have to look at evidence relating to where the car was the shots sounded; what witnesses say what occurred in response to the shots - particularly the first shot as well as the perceived relative shot spacing. Then you must try to fit all the evidence of witnesses, photographs, film, physical evidence together to figure it out.
With respect to the evidence of witnesses as to shot spacing, you have to look at all their evidence too, not just what they said they recalled about the shot spacing. For instance, you cite Nellie Connally's evidence as to what she recalled about the spacing being 1..2.....3. But she also gave other evidence that conflicts with this. She said that she looked back at JFK after the first shot and never looked back after the second, which she said she saw hit JBC. The latter statement is inconsistent with her shot spacing recollection because she looks back until about z270. That puts the second shot after z270 and that is evidence of a 1.......2.....3 shot pattern.
It is not correct that the vast majority of witnesses reported that the last two shots were nearly simultaneous. If you look at the two witnesses (Kellerman and Hickey) who suggested they were nearly simultaneous or instantaneous, even they recalled a distinct spacing between those shots. Kellerman was able to discern 3 shots but described the last shots as a flurry. He said that there was 3 to 4 seconds of pause after the first shot and that the time between the first and last was 5 seconds. So implicitly, he is acknowledging that there could have been 1 to 2 seconds between the last shots, of which he recalled two. Kellerman admitted that the reason he described a "flurry" of shots was because he thought the wounds of Governor Connally indicated that he had been hit by several bullets (2 H 79). SA George Hickey expressed it as "almost simultaneous" but he recalled very distinct shots. He said that the first of those last two shots did not seem to hit JFK - only the hair on his right side flew up but the second definitely struck him in the head.
I have compiled the
summary of all the witness evidence relating to the shot spacing. The vast majority (47 out of 63 by my count) of those who commented on the shot pattern stated that the last two shots were closer together than the first two. Many others reported hearing a shot and then two more without expressly stating the relative spacing.
By my count 6 witneses said that the first two were closer together. Ken O'Donnell described two almost simultaneous shots and then a third but the others described distinct shots.
By my count 10 witnesses described shots about equally spaced.
So the distribution is: 47:10:6. To suggest that the 6 were right and 47 wrong, you would have to explain why people hearing a 1...2.....3 pattern are almost 8 times more likely to recall it as 1......2...3.
But that is not all the evidence that bears on shot spacing. At least 20 witnesses said that JFK reacted visibly to the first shot. Not a single witness said he smiled or continued to wave after the first shot. This necessarily puts the first shot after z190.
Photographers (Hughes, Betzner) said that they they exposed their film before the first shot sounded. Both exposures ended after z186. This body of evidence is inconsistent with a first missed shot or any shot before at least several frames after z186.
Observations that the first shot struck JFK fits with other independent evidence:
SA Jack Ready said that he turned to the rear immediately when he heard the first shot. He was on the front right running board of the Secret Service car following the President. To turn rearward, he had to let go of the front hand-hold with his right hand. He does not do this until z199 when he lets go and begins his rearward turn.
The witnesses in the motorcade gave consistent evidence as to their position along Elm or Houston streets at the time of the first shot that is completely inconsistent with a first shot before z190. At z190, the VP car was still turning and the VP security car was just beginning the turn. The car carrying Mayor Cabell and his wife was still on Houston just coming up to the intersection.
The witnesses along Elm street observed the position of the President relative to where they were standing at the time of the first shot. For example, Mary Woodward said that the first horrible ear-shattering noise occurred as the car passed by her. She was standing just west of the lamp post on Elm and the President was opposite her around z190-195. Others, provided consistent recollections.
Their evidence is compiled here.
So, when you put all of the evidence together, the only shot pattern that fits the rest of the evidence, is the 1.....2...3 pattern, which is the one recalled by the vast majority of witnesses. And this fits perfectly with the abundant evidence that there was a single shooter who fired 3 shots from the SN.
