Bullet trace on the Zapruder film

[rob]

Apologies if this is a subject that's already been investigated, but I've not seen any discussion anywhere. It seems so obvious that there's probably some simple explanation that's going to make me look stupid, but here goes.On the Zapruder film, I can see what looks like the trace of a bullet travelling downwards in a flash from around the top right corner of the frame, right into Kennedy's head, causing the fatal wound. I gather that, under certain conditions, bullets can leave traces like this.Has this been investigated before?

[Ray Mitcham]

Hi Rob, I've brought this up before both on this site and on others. The LNT's all say that it isn't the trace of a bullet but brain tissue being exploded out of JFK's head. If you assume that the grassy knoll shooter was behind Zapruders right shoulder, then a bullet fired from that position would follow the trace shown on the film. They also say that a bullet would not leave any trace on a movie film, although I have seen tracer bullets, which travel at the same speed as normal bullets, on many films. Because of the low trajectory of the bullet, I believe that it would have left a trace on the film.

[rob]

I'm not sure whether this descending flash is something that some people's eyes just don't pick up, or whether there's a simple explanation. I noticed it on a video of the Oliver Stone film, and I wasn't particularly looking for it. I think I actually may have missed it the first few times, so maybe it's something that you need to attune your eyes to.I've had the same explanation given - that it's a part of Kennedy's skull that's been ejected - and in freeze-frame that looks possible. Viewed in real time though, the flash definitely goes downwards.I'm no ballistics expert, but I'd agree just from my googling around for bullet information, that it seems perfectly plausible for a trace like that to appear on a film.Has anything more scientific been done on this? ie working out where the bullet would have come from if the flash really is a bullet trace? Or examining the film through a microscope to get some kind of objective evidence for this flash of light?This is puzzling me, because it's potentially a very firm proof of a shooting from the grassy knoll.

[Brian White]

I've seen that too,Rob,but the angle looks way too steep to be coming from the knoll,and a bullet wouldn't show up on film.I think it's probably a lens flare of some kind.Brian.

[Ray Mitcham]

Brian, re your comment about the angle being too steep. Assuming it was a bullet, If it was fired from over Zapruder's shoulder what other track would would it take than the one shown?

[Brian White]

Assuming we're talking about the same thing, Ray,the angle I remember was so steep the shooter would have to be floating in mid-air!(at least 45 degrees).There is absolutely no way a bullet is going to show up on film unlessit's a tracer round or was photographed with a special camera (likethose sharpshooter programs that are on History Channel now and then). A "low trajectory" makes no difference.Zapruder's little 8mmB&H couldn't have done it! Sorry,no way,dude!

[Ricky Clow]

A bullet wouldn't be able to be traced on Zapruder's film, it ran something at like 18.3 frames per second and a bullet only takes a fractions of that to travel, so I don't think that it would. But however in the film at I 224-226 I can basically see the path that CE399 took. And as for the "Back & to the left" I don't think that it works at all. A bullet from the rear would have made Kennedy's head snap backwards as the force of the bullet going through the skull + brain would pull some of it with it with a jet effect making Kennedy's head go backwards. And in the Z-film the blood and brains go forward out of the front right of his head, there is clearly a massive exit wound in the film, Zapruder showed that on television later that day. If a shot did come from the Knoll then you would see blood and such coming out of the rear of the head but I don't really see any. And as for "Badge-man" that doesn't work either, it is estimated that the photo was taken a fraction of a second after the head-shot hit, and so if "Badge-man" shot him then he would have already pulled the trigger, there wouldn't be still a muzzle flash and the bullet already hitting it's target, plus from "Badge-man's" sights I would think that the bullet would exit on the left side of the head and probably hit Jackie, or just miss her.

[Brian White]

I'm a little confused,Ricky. What do you mean,you can basically seethe path CE399 took? How,when it's not visible?Are we to assume you don't believe there was a shot from the knoll?You don't believe James Files,then?The "jet effect" stuff isn't believed by most researchers,except those with lone-nut agendas and no common sense.