Overview
The assassination of John F. Kennedy has gone down as one of the most controversial criminal cases in American history. With the evidence available, investigators were able to quickly link the assassination to Lee Harve Oswald. But as time passed and more investigation transpired, there were many that felt the shooting was a part of a conspiracy. With the help from a number of sources, this case analysis will help evaluate the physical evidence as well as enhance the overall understanding of the case. The various topics that will be covered throughout this analysis include the Warren Commission, the Mannlicher-Carcano, the single bullet theory, the autopsy results, and the Zapruder film. After the analysis of these topics is complete,…show more content… “After a nearly yearlong investigation, the commission, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, concluded that alleged gunman Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone in assassinating America’s 35th president, and that there was no conspiracy, either domestic or international, involved”. [1] As indicated, this investigation held by Chief Warren and his staff determined that the assassination of JFK was a result of a lone gunman. But further investigation from experts along with the accounts of eyewitnesses led to speculation amongst the public. According to Jim Moore, “The Warren Commission…never really conducted an investigation. They began with a conclusion and then worked fairly carefully to ensure that the available facts fit the pre-ordained determination”. [2] While some individuals believed that the Warren Commission provided a reasonable investigation of the case, there were many that would agree with the passage taken from the book, “Conspiracy of One”. When more and more information had been made public about the case, people began to form their own opinions on what happened in the assassination of JFK. The theory that there was a lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald, had been pushed aside and more people began to think that there was a conspiracy in the murder of the…show more content… Kennedy was a 6.5-millimeter model 91/38 Mannlicher-Carcano rifle. Since the Warren Commission report identified Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone assassin, it was determined through their investigation that Oswald was responsible for firing all three of the shots that were acknowledged by the commission. In chapter 3 of the Warren Commission report, it discusses the span of time that it took to fire all three shots and determined that all of the shots were fired from one location. “[T]he Commission has concluded that the shots which killed President Kennedy and wounded Governor Connally were fired from the sixth-floor window at the southeast corner of the Texas School Book Depository Building… and that the three shots were fired in a time period ranging from approximately 4.8 to in excess of 7 seconds”. [3] This statement temporarily covers up the idea of a conspiracy, but after more investigation and analysis it became evident that the sole gunman theory had little to no possibility. In a CBS Special about the Mannlicher-Carcano [4], firearm experts analyze and try to recreate the rapid firing of the bolt-action rifle. In the special, the experts attempt to land two of the three shots in the pre-determined time frame of approximately 5-7 seconds. The information gathered from this experiment is quite interesting and leads one to believe that it was not possible for Lee Harvey Oswald to land two of the