NOTES ON A STRANGE WORLD MASSIMO POLIDORO

Facts and Fiction in the Kennedy Assassination

nvestigating historical mys- j-^| a freeway. The Presidential lim- teries is, possibly, one die ousine entered the plaza, moved Imost fascinating and slowly along Houston Street, rewarding aspects of die work of then took a left turn right in a skeptical researcher. Mysteries front of die Texas School Book diat appear to have no possible Depository building. solutions, that could certainly It was diirty minutes past be termed "cold," can, some- noon. What happened next was times, become clearer thanks to documented by a movie buff, a more careful investigation of Abraham Zapruder, who was die original sources and also to fuming die motorcade with an die advancements of science. 8 mm movie camera. The film is silent, for diere was no audio on Think only of die many histori- November 1963, John F. Kennedy and Jackie in the presidential motor- cal enigmas and crimes that cade. Cred t: 1963 Art Rickerby/Black Star home-movie cameras back dien. DNA-testing techniques have During the shocking sequence, tragic death of President John Fitzgerald helped to solve, like the riddle of the President can be seen waving to die Kennedy, and it would take a few com- Anastasia Romanoff's claimed survival crowd, but then he is hit by something and plete issues of SKEPTICAL INQUIRER just (Gill 1994, 1995) or the real origins of brings his hands to his neck, right in front to deal with the more relevant matters Kaspar Hauser (Weichhold 1998). of him. Governor Connally starts to turn involved in the case. I will outline sev- However, cases are often made more and shake, he is hit as well. Then, there is a eral examples of bad research involved in difficult to solve when facts get confused fatal shot to Kennedy's head. He died soon popular investigations of this case. with imagined realities and unfounded after at die hospital. Let's get back to that fatal day, conclusions. Eyewitness testimonies and Who killed him? It was soon deter- November 22, 1963. President Kennedy self-styled experts, even in good faith, mined that the shots came from the arrived in Dallas, Texas, during the elec- can alter details and hide important sixth floor of the Book Depository. tion campaign. In 1964, there would clues diat—if untouched—could lead to There, piles of boxes were found, have been new elections, and Kennedy, radically different conclusions. In order stashed around a window, creating a who wanted to be sure to be re-elected, to give you some clear examples of what "sniper's nest" with a clear view of the had started a tour of the southern I mean, I will examine one of the great site of the shooting. A rifle was also states, the most conservative ones, where tragedies of die twentieth century. found that had just been fired along he was less popular due to his progres- with three spent cartridge shells. The Day JFK Died sive ideas. After about two hours, a suspect was It was decided that a motorcade Hundreds of books and thousands of stopped. He had had a confrontation would be conducted through the city. articles have been written about die with the police inside a movie theater, Kennedy and his wife would be in the and it was later found out that he had backseat of the presidential limousine, just shot dead a policeman who had Massimo Polidoro is an investigator of the and Governor Connally and his wife stopped him on a nearby street. paranormal, author, lecturer, and cofounder would sit in front of them. His name was Lee Harvey Oswald; and head of CICAP, the Italian skeptics Dealey Plaza, in downtown Dallas, is a he was a young man who worked at die group. His Web site is www.massimo large, basin-like square where three roads depository and had been seen on die polidoro.com. converge toward an underpass that leads to sixth floor of that building just minutes

2 2 January/February 2005 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER tion—and the fallibility of eyewitness accounts (Loftus 1980, 1996). One of the best-known witnesses to the assassination, and the only one who is also the author of a book from the point of view of an eyewitness, was a woman named Jean Hill (Sloan and Hill 1992). She can be seen in the Zapruder film, standing beside a friend. In her testimony, told and retold over the last forty years, she claimed among other things that she was looking at the limousine where she saw Kennedy and his wife, Jackie; the couple was "looking at a little dog between them," a "white fluffy dog." Hill then jumped to the edge of the Figure 1. The hypothetical trajectory of the "magic bullet" as presented by various authors street to yell, "Hey, we want to take your (Garrison 1988, Groden 1989). picture!" JFK turned over to look at her. At that point, he was shot, and Jackie shouted, "My God, he has been shot!" Then, Mrs. Hill said that she saw "some men in plain clothes shooting back" and "a man with a hat running toward the mon- ument" on die other side of the plaza on the so-called "grassy knoll." Immediately, she started running after him, thinking he was involved in die shooting. "When I ran across the street," she specified, "die first motorcycle that was right behind the President's car nearly hit me." Thus, she was the first person to run up the grassy knoll, and many followed her. However, the man ran off and she missed him. She was convinced that this Figure 2. The real trajectory, plotted in accordance with the exact postures of Kennedy and Connally, was not significantly altered until the bullet was slightly deflected by Connally's rib. man was Jack Ruby, the club owner (Images adapted from Posner 1993) who, in three days, would kill Lee Harvey Oswald. before the shooting. After that, he dis- than one killer, and this meant that And there we have our proof for the appeared, and he turned out to be the there had been a conspiracy plot to kill existence of a conspiracy. only employee absent from the deposi- the president. This, however, is one of those rare tory for no legitimate reason. At least, I believed that until I started occasions in which dozens of reporters Oswald was an ex-marine and com- to research the story for my latest book and photographers are present on the munist sympathizer. The evidence (Polidoro 2004), and the strangest thing scene of an event and so there are count- against him quickly piled up, but only to me was that the deeper 1 went into it, less statements on record from eyewit- three days after his capture, during his the more the Oliver Stone version of the nesses and pictures from every angle. transfer to a police van that would escort story looked weirder and weirder. Thus, we can compare Jean Hill's mem- him to a more secure prison, nightclub I can't go into the coundess details ory with actual facts. owner Jack Ruby shot him dead. here, as I have done in the book, but I'll Those of you who have seen the give you just a couple of examples of the • She said that she was looking at the Oliver Stone movie JFK, where this kind of pitfalls into which a historical limousine. story is told in great detail, will remem- investigator can easily fall. In the film, you can see that when ber die many contradictions coming out Kennedy is shot the first time, she is looking away from him. of die official investigation of the assas- I Saw It; I Was There ... sination. I have seen that movie as well, Most strange phenomena and conspir- • She said that the couple was "look- ing at a little dog between them," a and, like anyone else, I couldn't help but acy theories rely on eyewitness testi- "white fluffy d o g . " be convinced that Oswald could not be mony. Psychologists are aware of the There was no dog between them, just the only assassin. There had to be more many limits of memory and percep- a bunch of red flowers.

SKEPTICAL INQUIRER January/February 2005 23 • She said that she "jumped to the ing of JFK buffs, and was even depicted in the back seat, and Connally was sit- edge of the street" to yell, "Hey, we in Oliver Stone's movie. She is the ting lower, in the middle of the front want to take your picture!" and JFK proud holder of a card bragging that seat of the car. So, in order to produce turned over to look at her. she was the "closest witness" to the those injuries, the path shown in figure The Zapruder film shows that Hill never moved or said a word—and the President at the time of the fatal shot to 2 is the real trajectory that a bullet had President did not turn to look over. In the head. It is quite clear what happens to follow, and, from die analysis per- fact, he had just been shot when he to some people when they find them- formed by real experts, it turns out that passed in front of her. selves right in the middle of history and thete was only one position from which • She said that Jackie shouted, "My have absolutely no role in it. They this bullet could be shot: the sixth floor God, he has been shot!" imagine one. of the Texas School Book Depository. Jackie and the car's four other wit- What can we conclude from these nesses deny that Jackie said anything. This Must Be So; I Know... examples? Certainly, that investigators • She said that she saw "some men in Imagined testimonies are just one of the must guard against preconceived ideas plain clothes shooting back." many problems diat an investigator of before starting an investigation. Before But in an interview recorded just historical mysteries has to deal with. you know it, you start twisting facts and forty minutes after the assassination Another one is "imagined experts," that discarding evidence that contradict by a Dallas television station, she was asked: "Did you sec the person is, self-styled experts with no real exper- those ideas, making you draw un- who fired the—" And she answered: tise in the chosen field except what they founded solutions. What we should do "No ... I didn't see any person fire think is "common sense." The Kennedy instead is to try to do our best to dig up the weapon ... I only heard it." assassination presents dozens of such facts and let them speak for themselves. • She said that she immediately cases, but one of the most popular They may have things to say that often started running after the "man with involves the so-called "magic bullet." turn out to be quite surprising. a hat," thinking he was involved in The Warren Commission that inves- the shooting. "When I ran across This article has been adapted from Massimo the street," she specified, "the first tigated the Kennedy assassination con- Polidoro's presentation at the fifth World motorcycle that was right behind cluded that the reactions of Kennedy the President's car nearly hit me." Skeptics Congress (Abano Terme, Italy, October and Connally occurred too close 8-10. 2004). But as can be seen in the many together for two separate shots, even pictures taken during those fatal from the same gun, to have been respon- References moments, she stands still at her sible for their wounds. They almost Garrison, J. 1988. On the Trail of the Assassins. place as the limousine and the seem to react at the same instant, in the New York: Sheridan Square Press. Gill, P.. C. Kimpton, R. Alision-Greiner, K. enhanced version of the film seen by the motorbikes pass by. She even sits Sullivan. M. Sioneking. T. Melton, J. Nott, S. on the grass while all of the cars of commission. They concluded that one, Barritt, R. Roby, and M. Holland. 1994. the motorcade proceed behind single bullet caused the injuries to both Establishing the identity of Anna Anderson Manahani. Nature Genetics Jan; 9(1): 9-10 the President's limousine. the President and the Governor. (Erratum in: Nat Genet 1995 Feb; 9(2): 218). • She also specified that after jumping This is where the "imagined experts" Gill, P 1995. Establishing the identity of Anna into the middle of the road, she was step in and say: "It must have been a Anderson Manahan. Nature Genetics 9(1): 9—10. the first person to run up the grassy really magical bullet in order to enter Groden, R.J., and H. Livingstone. 1990. High knoll, and many followed her. Treason: Tht Assassination of President John F. Kennedy from the back, exit from his Kennedy and the New Evidence of Conspiracy. In photographs, you can see a lot of throat, dien make a turn and enter New York: Conservatory Press (Berkeley Books). people running around die area and Connallys back, exit from his chest, hit Loftus, E., and K. Ketcham. 1996. The Myth of up to the grassy knoll, but Hill always Repressed Memory: False Memories and stays in the same spot, probably is right wrist, make another bend, and, Allegations of Sexual Abuse. New York: St. shocked by the whole thing, like most finally, land in his left thigh!" How Martin's Press. of die people present. could a single bullet follow this zigzag Loftus. E. 1980. Memory. Boston: Pearson Addison-Wesley Publishing. • She was convinced diat the man she route, seen in figure 1? Polidoro, M. 2004. Grandi gialli delta storia. had followed was Jack Ruby. Their conclusion is obvious: those Milano. Italy: Edizioni Piemme. At that precise moment, Ruby was injuries could not have been produced Sloan. B.. and J. Hill. 1992. JFK: The Last Dissenting Witness. Grema. Louisiana: Pelican Books. witnessed by many to be at the offices by just one bullet, so there had to be of die Dallas Morning News. Weichhold G.M.. J.E. Bark, W. Korte. W. more than one shooter—further proof Eisenmenger, and K.M. Sullivan. 1998. DNA Now, as we can see, facts contradict of a conspiracy. analysis in the case of Kaspar Hauser. The International Journal of Legal Medicine. This conclusion, however, as logical many details of Jean Hill's dramatic tes- 111(6): 287-91. timony. Aside from excusable mistakes as it may sound at first, does not take and errors made in good faith, we have real facts into account. And it only Further reading here a story that, over the years, has works until you don't look at Kennedys McAdams, J. Web site on the Kennedy assassination: ://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm. changed and grown out of proportion, and Connallys actual positions in the Posner, G. 1993. Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald to the point that Mrs. Hill became a car. They were not one in front of the and the Assassination of JFK. New York: sort of celebrity, invited to every meet- other; Kennedy was in a higher position Anchor Books. D

2 4 lanuary/february 200S SKEPTICAL INQUIRER