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The JFK Assassination. JFK, Jackie, Texas Governor John Connally and his wife. Dealey Plaza. Dealey Plaza. Shots rang out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzJQE8LYrQ. Declared Dead 1 Hour Later. America is Shocked. JFK’s Funeral. Lyndon B. Johnson Sworn In.
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Lyndon B. Johnson Sworn In on Air Force One just after Kennedy died
Lee Harvey Oswald • A Communist • Was in marines • Lived in USSR • Bored in USSR • Moved from job to job • Leading suspect in murder, FBI concluded he acted alone • Was assassinated later by Jack Ruby
Warren Commission • FBI Investigation of who killed JFK • Concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted independently
The Warren Commission • The new president, Lyndon Johnson, set up an investigation into the assassination. The man in charge was Chief Justice Earl Warren. His report concluded that • that only three shots were fired • that the second and third of these hit Kennedy • the third shot to JFK’s head was fatal • the shots were fired from the Book Depository by Lee Harvey Oswald, who worked there. • there was only one gunman and, therefore, no conspiracy. An official drawing from the Warren Commission. It was drawn from written descriptions – not photographs – of the wounds. The neck wound is much too high.
The post mortem or autopsy photo on the right shows the actual location of the bullet entry wound, as opposed to the official drawing on the left, which places it too high on the neck.
This drawing is also clearly wrong. The entry wound to Kennedy’s neck on the drawing on the left is both too high and too much to the side.
A drawing of the impact of the second shot fired – according to the Warren Commission. This would not have been a fatal wound.
Criticisms of the Warren Commission • Many accused the Warren Commission of a cover-up, claiming that: • it ignored dozens of witnesses who claimed they heard at least one shot from the grassy knoll • Oswald could not have fired such a poor quality weapon so accurately in such a short time (8.5 secs) • ‘the magic bullet’ could not have caused such extensive wounds to JFK and Connally and suffer so little physical damage • there must, therefore, have been a second gunman firing at Kennedy from the grassy knoll. • two gunmen means there was a conspiracy
The Conspiracies • Mafia conspiracy • Soviet Conspiracy • Cuban/CIA Conspiracy • Lyndon B. Johnson Conspiracies