Kennedy assassination theories

A number of theories exist with regard to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Often called conspiracy theories, these are usually scenarios involving powerful individuals and/or groups at the time who theoretically had the means, motive and opportunity to plan and execute the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

General disputes

The two official government investigations have confirmed that the security around Kennedy's motorcade had been considerably reduced from its customary levels. The lack of security suggests to some that the CIA, Secret Service and/or some other agent, rogue agent(s), or agencies were actively involved in the assassination, rather than simply negligent.

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Many people have pointed to the Warren Commission's single bullet theory as unlikely. Some ballistic evidence has suggested that such a bullet trajectory was possible, but this particular point is a source of much contention and disagreement.

Related Topics:
Warren Commission - Single bullet theory

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Other points of contention:

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• The president's Lincoln Continental limo was immediately cleaned and repaired instead of being secured as ballistic evidence.
• Kennedy's body was immediately taken to Washington, rather than examined by the local coroner as Texas law mandated.
• Governor Connally?s hat, which he was holding in his right hand when the wrist was penetrated by a rifle bullet, has disappeared from the evidence chain after last being seen in the Dallas police chief's office on the evening of November 22. According to Connally's wife and official reports, the gold Mexican peso cufflink Connally was wearing on his right shirt sleeve cuff has also disappeared (there was no gold residue found on the "magic bullet" or any other bullet fragment, nor in the limousine, nor within Dealey Plaza).
• The Dallas police did not seal off the Texas School Book Depository until 12:39 to 12:40 PM; policeman, detectives, witnesses, and others were busy searching the grassy knoll, parking lot, and railroad yard from 12:30 to 12:39 pm.
• The Dealey Plaza area itself was not sealed off by the Dallas police, and photographs show that vehicles were driving down Elm Street, through the crime scene kill zone, within nine minutes of the assassination.
• Oswald's Marine Corps service record was "routinely" destroyed in 1973.
• Several of the Bethesda autopsy photos are now missing.
• The location of President Kennedy's brain is not accounted for.

Whether deliberate or not, these matters suggest, at the very least, poor handling of the evidence. Questions abound about the autopsy, performed by three military personnel in Bethesda Hospital on November 22, 1963. A 6.5 mm bullet fragment is clearly visible on the x-rays, and yet was apparently missed by the autopsists. The fragment was mostly round, located at the rear of the president?s head almost three inches (75 mm) above the fatal bullet's supposed entry point, but on the outside of the skull. This fragment was never reported by the Warren Commission or referred to in the autopsists' evidence, and was commented on only when the x-rays were released to a limited number of researchers in 1966, and again when the x-rays were reviewed by the Ramsey Clark Panel in 1968.

Related Topics:
November 22 - 1963 - 1966 - Ramsey Clark - 1968

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It may never be possible to prove any conspiracy theory, or combination of theories, about the Kennedy assassination, or, conversely, to disprove the Warren Commission's findings that Oswald acted alone. Howevever, thousands of pages of documentation are still being withheld from the public, and it is possible that several pieces of evidence may yet emerge, such as photographs and films, Governor Connally's "Stetson" hat, and the testimony of those living witnesses that have yet to come forward.

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