Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. SPECTER. Dr. Carrico, assume these facts, if you will--first, that
President Kennedy was struck by a 6.5-mm. missile which entered the
upper-right posterior thorax, just above the scapula, being 14 cm. from
the tip of the right acromion, a-c-r-o-m-i-o-n (spelling) process,
and 14 cm. below the tip of the right mastoid process, and that the
missile traveled between two strap muscles, proceeded through the
fascia channel without violating the pleural cavity, striking the side
of the trachea and exiting in the lower third of the anterior throat.
Under the circumstances which I have just described to you, would
the wound which you observed on the President's throat be consistent
with the damage which a 6.5-mm. missile, traveling at the rate of
approximately 2,000 feet per second, that being muzzle velocity, with
the President being 160 to 250 feet away from the rifle, would that
wound be consistent with that type of a weapon at that distance, with
the missile taking the path I have just described to you?
Dr. CARRICO. I certainly think it could.
Mr. SPECTER. And what would your thinking be as to why it could produce
that result?
Dr. CARRICO. I think a missile of this size, traveling in such a
direction that it had very little deformity, struck nothing which would
cause it to begin tumbling, and was slowed very little by passing
through this relatively easy traversed planes, would not expend a great
deal of energy on exit and would very likely not tumble, thus producing
a small, round, even wound.
Mr. SPECTER. What has been your experience, if any, with gunshot wounds?
Dr. CARRICO. In working in the emergency room at Parkland, we have seen
a fairly good number of gunshot wounds, and with .22 and .25 caliber
weapons of somewhat, possibly somewhat lower velocity but at closer
range, we have seen entrance and exit wounds of almost the same size,
especially the same size, when passing through superficial structures.
Mr. SPECTER. And what superficial structures did those missiles pass
through to which you have just referred?
Dr. CARRICO. The ones I was referring to in particular were through the
muscles of the leg superficially.
Mr. SPECTER. Approximately how many missile wounds, bullet wounds, have
you had an opportunity to observe in your practice, Doctor?
Dr. CARRICO. I would guess 150 or 200.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you describe as precisely for me as possible the
nature of the head wound which you observed on the President?
Dr. CARRICO. The wound that I saw was a large gaping wound, located
in the right occipitoparietal area. I would estimate to be about 5 to
7 cm. in size, more or less circular, with avulsions of the calvarium
and scalp tissue. As I stated before, I believe there was shredded
macerated cerebral and cerebellar tissues both in the wounds and on the
fragments of the skull attached to the dura.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you notice any other opening in the head besides the
one you have just described?
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