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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. V - Page 133« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Thomas J. Kelley)

Mr. Kelley.
it was ascertained that the person would be 52.78 inches from the ground--that is, taking into consideration the flexion of the tires, the flexion of the cushions that were on the car at the time.
Mr. Specter.
When you say 52.78 inches, which individual would that be?
Mr. Kelley.
That would be the President.
Mr. Specter.
And what part of his body?
Mr. Kelley.
The top of the head would be 52.78 inches from the ground. When Mr. Anderton was placed in the followup car, it was found that the top of his head was 62 inches from the ground. There was an adjustment made so that there would be--- the stand-in for Governor Connally would be in relatively the same position, taking into consideration the 3-inch difference in the jump seat and the 2-inch difference in his height.
Mr. Specter.
Considering the 3-inch difference in the jump seat--and I believe it would be an inch and a half difference in height between President Kennedy and Governor Connally--how much higher, then, approximately, was President Kennedy sitting than the Governor on November 22?
Mr. Kelley.
I am not----
Mr. Specter.
Would the President have been about an inch and half higher than the Governor on the day of the assassination?
Mr. Kelley.
The day of the assassination, yes.
Mr. Specter.
And were----
The Chairman.
Wouldn't the height of these men depend upon the length of their torso?
Mr. Kelley.
Well----
The Chairman.
You have some people who are shortwaisted, some people who are longwaisted. I don't know which either of these men were who were of the same height. But I know there is a lot of difference in men. We sometimes see the--a man who looks large sitting down, when he stands up he is small, because he has a long torso, and vice versa.
Mr. Kelley.
Of course the relative positions are apparent from the films that were taken at the time of the assassination. It would be, of course, that judgment---and it would have to be a judgment. But I think the films indicate there was just about that much difference in their height when both were seated.
Mr. Specter.
Inspector Kelley, I hand you a photograph marked as Commission Exhibit No. 697, which has heretofore been admitted into evidence, and identified by Governor Connally as depicting the President and the Governor as they rode in the motorcade on the day of the assassination, and I ask you if the stand-ins for the President and the Governor were seated in approximately the same relative positions on the reconstruction on May 24.
Mr. Kelley.
Yes., sir; in my judgment that is very close.
Mr. Specter.
What marking, if any, was placed on the back of President Kennedy--the stand-in for President Kennedy?
Mr. Kelley.
There was a chalk mark placed on his coat, in this area here.
Mr. Specter.
And what did that chalk mark represent?
Mr. Kelley.
That represented the entry point of the shot which wounded the President.
Mr. Specter.
And how was the location for that mark fixed or determined?
Mr. Kelley.
That was fixed from the photographs of a medical drawing that was made by the physicians and the people at Parkland and an examination of the coat which the President was wearing at the time.
Mr. Specter.
As to the drawing, was that not the drawing made by the autopsy surgeons from Bethesda Naval Hospital?
Mr. Kelley.
Bethesda Naval.
Mr. Mccloy.
Not Parkland, as I understand it?
Mr. Specter.
No, sir; not Parkland, because as the record will show, the President was not turned over at Parkland.
Mr. Kelley.
I was shown a drawing of--that was prepared by some medical technicians indicating the point of entry.
Mr. Specter.
Permit me to show you Commission Exhibit No. 386, which has heretofore been marked and introduced into evidence, and I ask you if that is the drawing that you were shown as the basis for the marking of the wound on the back of the President's neck.
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