20 Key Facts About the JFK Assassination in 8 Minutes

[Michael T. Griffith]

I published this article on my JFK site a few weeks ago. It has proved to be one of the most popular articles on my site. The article presents 20 key facts about JFK's murder that can be read in 8 minutes. References for each fact are presented after the list of facts. Here are a few of the facts:

1. The ammunition that struck JFK in the head did not behave like the type of ammunition that the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, supposedly used. Also, Oswald allegedly used 6.5 mm bullets, but the rear entrance wound on the skull was only 6.0 mm wide, so it could not have been made by a 6.5 mm bullet.

2. One of the three bullet shells that were reportedly found near the window from which Oswald allegedly fired could not have been used to fire a bullet during the shooting because it had a sizable dent in it. This means Oswald could have only fired two shots, but at least three shots were fired during the assassination.

10. Richard Case Nagell, a U.S. military intelligence agent and a CIA contract agent, told government investigators and private researchers that in late 1962 he became aware of a plot to kill JFK that involved elements of the CIA and anti-Castro Cubans, that Oswald was a U.S. intelligence operative, and that he warned Oswald a few months before the assassination that he was being set up to take the fall for JFK’s murder. Jim Wilcott, a former CIA finance officer, has confirmed that Oswald was a U.S. intelligence operative. Wilcott reported that he processed several CIA payments to Oswald when Oswald was in Japan.

11. In 2017, documentation was discovered that revealed that an extra bullet was found in JFK’s limousine by two Navy petty officers on the night of the assassination. The petty officer who found the bullet confirmed the account, and Dr. James Young, a Navy doctor who attended the autopsy, has confirmed that he received the bullet from the petty officer. The bullet disappeared after it was given to one of the autopsy doctors.

12. Three scientists with expertise in radiology have examined the JFK autopsy x-rays and have determined through optical density measurements that they have been altered.

19. Eyewitness accounts, photos, declassified files, and the Zapruder film indicate that six shots were fired at JFK’s limousine. The lone-gunman theory only allows for three shots.

20. In 1995, the Assassination Records Review Board discovered that the Secret Service had illegally destroyed all of their records regarding security arrangements for President Kennedy’s other trips in the fall of 1963. When Congress passed the JFK Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992, the National Archives advised the Secret Service not to destroy such records, but the Secret Service destroyed them anyway—and tried to conceal this from the Review Board. Destroying those records made it impossible to compare the security arrangements for the Dallas trip with the arrangements made for JFK’s other trips that fall.

20 Key Facts About the JFK Assassination in 8 Minutes
https://miketgriffith.com/files/20keyfacts.htm

[Paul May]

Your use of the word “facts” in the subject venue in itself is factually wrong. As conspiracy types typically do, you insult any readers by implying YOUR facts are universally accepted by ALL historians, scientific and medical experts, ballistic experts et al. That in itself is factually inaccurate and you know that. 56+ years and the research community wallows around in the same swamp because of this type of garbage. Remarkable.

[Michael T. Griffith]

Your use of the word “facts” in the subject venue in itself is factually wrong. As conspiracy types typically do, you insult any readers by implying YOUR facts are universally accepted by ALL historians, scientific and medical experts, ballistic experts et al. That in itself is factually inaccurate and you know that. 56+ years and the research community wallows around in the same swamp because of this type of garbage. Remarkable.

Hogwash. Just hogwash. This is a perfect example of your emperor's-new-clothes posturing. Just because you and your tiny band of WC true believers refuse to acknowledge that a fact is fact does not mean the fact is not fact.

No one denies that the HSCA acoustical experts determined that the DPD dictabelt contains four gunshot impulses and that one of the shots came from the grassy knoll.

There is no question that the Secret Service destroyed their PRS records for the fall 1963 presidential trips, despite being told not to do so.

There is no question that Connally adamantly stated that he was not hit by the first shot. Gosh, how can you dispute this?

The head-shot bullet did not in fact behave like FMJ ammo. You find me a credible wound ballistics/forensic expert who is willing to say for the record that an FMJ bullet entering the skull at a downward angle would ever deposit *two* fragments below the entry wound via shearing. Find me one. Let's see his name and see his statement. It's hogwash. This is why Larry Sturdivan decided that the 6.5 mm object on the AP x-ray could not be real, because he knew that no FMJ bullet would deposit one fragment, much less two fragments, below the entry point via shearing (or via any other process).

At least three dozen DP witnesses said they thought shots came from the grassy knoll. How could you not know this? This is a fact. You might not like it, but it is a fact.

The Secret Service did in fact refuse to allow the Dallas medical examiner to perform an autopsy. How can you not know this?

The fact that the military doctors who performed the autopsy at Bethesda were poorly qualified and inexperienced has been acknowledged by virtually everyone on both sides. Are you suggesting that they were not unqualified and inexperienced? (Humes and Boswell had *never* done a gunshot autopsy, and Finck had not done one in two years.)

The fact that Connally was positive he was not hit until Z234 is a matter of record. Find me someone who disputes this.

The holes in the back of JFK's coat and shirt do in fact put the back wound about 5 inches below the collar, and that placement is in fact confirmed by the autopsy face sheet (marked "verified"), by the death certificate (also marked "verified"), and by the FBI's report on the autopsy.

The HSCA did in fact discover that Ruby had extensive Mafia ties, and my description of the committee's findings about Ruby's shooting of Oswald downplays, if anything, what the committee said.

We did uncover documentation in 2017 that an extra bullet was found in the limo that night. Dr. Young, the Navy doctor who received it from the petty officer has confirmed this, and, when asked about it, the petty officer confirmed that, yes, he did find a smashed bullet in the limo and gave it to Dr. Young. (Yup, it is pretty hard and silly to think about trotting out your "they were mistaken" argument, especially given the fact that Young believed in the lone-gunman theory and did not realize that the extra bullet destroys it.)

We do in fact have cold, hard documentary evidence, supported by eyewitness accounts, that Kennedy's body arrived at the Bethesda morgue at 6:35 PM, whether you like it or not. 

Richard Case Nagell did in fact tell government investigators and private researchers that in late 1962 he became aware of a plot to kill JFK that involved elements of the CIA and anti-Castro Cubans, that Oswald was a U.S. intelligence operative, and that he warned Oswald a few months before the assassination that he was being set up to take the fall for JFK’s murder. And Jim Wilcott, a former CIA finance officer, did in fact state under oath that he processed several CIA payments to Oswald when Oswald was in Japan.

Dozens of witnesses who saw JFK's wound did in fact say that they saw a large wound in the right-rear part of JFK's head.

Oswald was not a skilled marksman according to his Marine rifle records and according to virtually everyone who saw him fire a rifle.

Etc., etc., etc.

Just because you refuse to acknowledge that a given body of evidence establishes something as a fact does not mean it is not a fact. It just means that you are not objective.

[Paul May]

WC true believers? I’ve stated publicly there may very well have been a conspiracy. How long have YOU been attempting to prove it? I ask because you’ve failed totally and repeating your same mantra from 30 years ago changes nothing. Who actually is your audience? Most on this site have been through the CT whirlwind. More recycled garbage. Little else.

[John Tonkovich]

Hogwash. Just hogwash. This is a perfect example of your emperor's-new-clothes posturing. Just because you and your tiny band of WC true believers refuse to acknowledge that a fact is fact does not mean the fact is not fact.

No one denies that the HSCA acoustical experts determined that the DPD dictabelt contains four gunshot impulses and that one of the shots came from the grassy knoll.

There is no question that the Secret Service destroyed their PRS records for the fall 1963 presidential trips, despite being told not to do so.

There is no question that Connally adamantly stated that he was not hit by the first shot. Gosh, how can you dispute this?

The head-shot bullet did not in fact behave like FMJ ammo. You find me a credible wound ballistics/forensic expert who is willing to say for the record that an FMJ bullet entering the skull at a downward angle would ever deposit *two* fragments below the entry wound via shearing. Find me one. Let's see his name and see his statement. It's hogwash. This is why Larry Sturdivan decided that the 6.5 mm object on the AP x-ray could not be real, because he knew that no FMJ bullet would deposit one fragment, much less two fragments, below the entry point via shearing (or via any other process).

At least three dozen DP witnesses said they thought shots came from the grassy knoll. How could you not know this? This is a fact. You might not like it, but it is a fact.

The Secret Service did in fact refuse to allow the Dallas medical examiner to perform an autopsy. How can you not know this?

The fact that the military doctors who performed the autopsy at Bethesda were poorly qualified and inexperienced has been acknowledged by virtually everyone on both sides. Are you suggesting that they were not unqualified and inexperienced? (Humes and Boswell had *never* done a gunshot autopsy, and Finck had not done one in two years.)

The fact that Connally was positive he was not hit until Z234 is a matter of record. Find me someone who disputes this.

The holes in the back of JFK's coat and shirt do in fact put the back wound about 5 inches below the collar, and that placement is in fact confirmed by the autopsy face sheet (marked "verified"), by the death certificate (also marked "verified"), and by the FBI's report on the autopsy.

The HSCA did in fact discover that Ruby had extensive Mafia ties, and my description of the committee's findings about Ruby's shooting of Oswald downplays, if anything, what the committee said.

We did uncover documentation in 2017 that an extra bullet was found in the limo that night. Dr. Young, the Navy doctor who received it from the petty officer has confirmed this, and, when asked about it, the petty officer confirmed that, yes, he did find a smashed bullet in the limo and gave it to Dr. Young. (Yup, it is pretty hard and silly to think about trotting out your "they were mistaken" argument, especially given the fact that Young believed in the lone-gunman theory and did not realize that the extra bullet destroys it.)

We do in fact have cold, hard documentary evidence, supported by eyewitness accounts, that Kennedy's body arrived at the Bethesda morgue at 6:35 PM, whether you like it or not. 

Richard Case Nagell did in fact tell government investigators and private researchers that in late 1962 he became aware of a plot to kill JFK that involved elements of the CIA and anti-Castro Cubans, that Oswald was a U.S. intelligence operative, and that he warned Oswald a few months before the assassination that he was being set up to take the fall for JFK’s murder. And Jim Wilcott, a former CIA finance officer, did in fact state under oath that he processed several CIA payments to Oswald when Oswald was in Japan.

Dozens of witnesses who saw JFK's wound did in fact say that they saw a large wound in the right-rear part of JFK's head.

Oswald was not a skilled marksman according to his Marine rifle records and according to virtually everyone who saw him fire a rifle.

Etc., etc., etc.

Just because you refuse to acknowledge that a given body of evidence establishes something as a fact does not mean it is not a fact. It just means that you are not objective.

Have you looked at Oswald's Marine rifle records?
Do you know the difference between supported and unsupported positions, etc.?

For the record, I am not a believer of the WC's conclusions.
I am also not a believer in unproven conspiracy theories.

[Paul May]

No one denies that the HSCA acoustical experts determined that the DPD dictabelt contains four gunshot impulses and that one of the shots came from the grassy knoll.

In 2020 everyone denies what you state as fact above. This “evidence” was long ago discarded. You know this FACT yet you continue pushing it.


At least three dozen DP witnesses said they thought shots came from the grassy knoll. How could you not know this? This is a fact. You might not like it, but it is a fact.

Unconcerned with what witnesses “thought” they heard. No ballistic evidence for ANY shots from the grassy knoll. More CT fantasy.

The Secret Service did in fact refuse to allow the Dallas medical examiner to perform an autopsy. How can you not know this?

I’m not disputing this. You however as you ALWAYS do find this nefarious. I do not. Human emotion and Jackie Kennedy played a huge role.

The fact that the military doctors who performed the autopsy at Bethesda were poorly qualified and inexperienced has been acknowledged by virtually everyone on both sides. Are you suggesting that they were not unqualified and inexperienced? (Humes and Boswell had *never* done a gunshot autopsy, and Finck had not done one in two years.)

Agree. The military doctors were poorly qualified. The POTUS deserved better. Nefarious? Hardly. The quality of the autopsy was business as usual but under the glare of public scrutiny.

Oswald was not a skilled marksman according to his Marine rifle records and according to virtually everyone who saw him fire a rifle.

Once again you attempt to deceive. Oswald qualified as Marine Corps sharpshooter. The Kennedy shooting itself was not a terribly difficult act. Your continued reliance on witnesses is absurd and does little to bolster your weak arguments.

I can go on and on but what’s the point?

[Michael T. Griffith]

Your use of the word “facts” in the subject venue in itself is factually wrong. As conspiracy types typically do, you insult any readers by implying YOUR facts are universally accepted by ALL historians, scientific and medical experts, ballistic experts et al. That in itself is factually inaccurate and you know that. 56+ years and the research community wallows around in the same swamp because of this type of garbage. Remarkable.

Most of the facts in the list are documented beyond dispute and are non-controversial. The problem is that you just don't like them, and you don't want people to know about them.

WC true believers? I’ve stated publicly there may very well have been a conspiracy. How long have YOU been attempting to prove it? I ask because you’ve failed totally and repeating your same mantra from 30 years ago changes nothing. Who actually is your audience? Most on this site have been through the CT whirlwind. More recycled garbage. Little else.

The JFK case would be much further along were it not for propagandists such as yourself. I know you keep saying that you've stated there may have been a conspiracy, but, gosh, one would never guess that you were not a WC apologist to read the vast majority of your posts in this forum.

It is revealing that you would so severely over-react to a list of 20 facts, some of which can be found stated in the WC report, in the HSCA report, or in numerous pro-WC books. Perhaps what you meant to say is that you don't believe that most of those facts are determinative.

For example, there is no dispute that the HSCA concluded that the DPD dictabelt contains four gunshot impulses and that one of the shots came from the grassy knoll. This is an indisputable fact. However, WC apologists continue to insist that the HSCA acoustical experts were wrong. But the fact that WC apologists refuse to accept the HSCA's acoustical evidence as valid does not change the fact that the HSCA, as I say in the article, "concluded that two gunmen fired at JFK and that one of the gunmen fired from the grassy knoll. The committee determined that a police recording made in Dealey Plaza during the shooting contained four gunshot impulses."

Similarly, there is no doubt that Richard Case Nagell told government and private researchers exactly what I say he told them. Nor is there any doubt that Jim Wilcott told the HSCA and private researchers exactly what I say he told them. No historian disputes these facts. However, some historians claim that Nagell and Wilcott's accounts are wrong and even fabricated, but they don't dispute that Nagell and Wilcott said what I say they said. In other words, some historians argue that Nagell and Wilcott's accounts are not determinative.

Have you looked at Oswald's Marine rifle records? Do you know the difference between supported and unsupported positions, etc.?

I spend several pages in my book Hasty Judgment talking about Oswald's Marine rifle scores (pp. 40-43).

https://miketgriffith.com/files/hastyjudgmentbook.pdf

In my 21 years in the Army, I fired many, many times at rifle ranges that were very similar to the ones where Oswald fired. Any veteran who will be honest will tell you that if someone's best marksmanship score is to barely qualify at the second level (Sharpshooter), they are not a very good shot, and that nobody would consider them to be a skilled rifleman.

And let us remember that Oswald's mediocre marksmanship in the Marine Corps was done with a semi-automatic rifle, so he had no difficult bolt to operate between shots, and that he had already practiced firing at the targets many times in previous sessions. Yet, the very best he could do was to barely qualify in the second of three marksmanship categories (Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert).

The WC's own rifle tests were very revealing: The commission hired three Master-rated riflemen to attempt to duplicate Oswald's alleged shooting feat. The three Master-rated shooters fired 18 rounds while using the scope and three rounds while using the iron sights. They used the alleged murder weapon, the Mannlicher-Carcano that was traced to Oswald. How'd they do?

They missed the head and neck area of the target board silhouettes 18 out of 18 times when they used the scope, and 2 out of 3 times when they used the iron sights. In other words, they missed the head and neck area of the target silhouettes 20 out of 21 times.  Several of their misses were far apart on the boards. Some of their shots missed the silhouettes entirely. It's revealing that they shot so poorly even though they were allowed to take as long as they wanted for the first shot, even though two of them took longer than 6 seconds to fire, even though they were only firing from 30 feet up, and even though they were shooting at stationary--yes, stationary--target boards.

Yet, we are asked to believe that Oswald, who had had little if any target practice in the preceding two years, scored 2 hits out of 3 shots in 6 seconds while firing from 60 feet up at a moving target.

If you want to give Oswald an extra 2 seconds by assuming he fired at JFK before JFK passed under the oak tree (JFK passed under the oak tree from Z166 to Z210), then you must also assume that Oswald missed the entire limo with his closest and easiest shot. And if you say that JFK was hit with this early/pre-oak tree first shot, then you must abandon the SBT, because Connally shows no trace of having been hit until Z224 at the absolute earliest, and Connally himself insisted he was not hit until Z234.

[Paul May]

Let’s cut to the chase. You believe at least 6 shots were fired in Dealey Plaza. It’s 57 years later. Who were the assassins? Prove your case with hard, credible evidence.  It’s not what you think you know, it’s what you can prove. We await the solution.