The Case of the Bunched Jacket

Since the release of the Warren Commission Report on the Kennedy assassination, critics have argued that Kennedy could not have been shot at the base of the neck. This is largely due to two issues. The first being the autopsy picture shown at the top right of this page. For a more detailed examination of this issue, please click here-this is imperative to understanding the anatomy of the 'neck' and 'back'. The second issue is in regards to the location of the bullet holes in Kennedy's suit jacket and suit coat. The bullet hole in Kennedy's shirt was measured to be 5-3/4 inches from the top of the collar. The hole in Kennedy's suit coat was measured to be 5-3/8 inches below the top of the collar. This, in the minds of many conspiracy theorists, is all the proof necessary to conclude that a conspiracy was involved in the brutal murder of President John F. Kennedy. However, an in depth look at Kennedy's position in the motorcade, correlated to functional human anatomy, helps to understand how the bullet transited the clothing at that location and caused a wound at the base of the neck.

Contrary to some critics, the elevation of suit coat fabric can and does occur. For a look at a conspiratorial twist involving the improbabilities of shirt bunching, please read this article by Cliff Varnell, AKA Nick Sylene, AKA N. Kidd Sylene at http://www.whoshotjfk.co.uk/SBT/Home_tests.htm

Contrary to the arguments presented against such a 'phenomenon', several photographs exist that show significant upward bunching of Kennedy's suit coat.

Since there are no photographs of Kennedy in the motorcade without his suit on, we cannot know for sure what his shirt looked like, but we can look at the possibility.

Contrary to the implications that such a 'phenomenon' cannot occur due to the merits of highly paid tailors and the rigors of custom fitting, the bunching of the suit coat can, did...and will always occur. The fact that this does happen is irrefutable and needs no further discussion. However, a complete dissection of the bullet holes in the apparel as related to the anatomical location of the back/neck wound is much overdo.

Some of those in the "tailor said so" category of conspiracy lore believe adamantly that a conspiracy exits because of the location of the holes in the fabric in relation to the autopsy findings. However, most conspiracy believers do not have a good grasp of human anatomy and rely on arguments based on tailors statements. For those who propagate such, they believe that the suit coat and shirt are designed to rest on the most prominent vertebrae in the cervical spine-C7; often referred to as 'vertebra prominens'. However, the human body is covered with many small and large muscles that make this assumption a plain impossibility. The base of a shirt collar rests near the uppermost point of divergence in the contour of the neck. Depending on the individual, this is usually where the thick trapezius muscle approximates the side of the neck. Please see the illustration below.

One of the principle arguments in Mr.Varnell's analysis is that the bottom edge of the shirt collar rests at the level of C6. However, using correlative anatomy and pictures of President Kennedy taken on the day of the assassination, we can reach a reasonable starting point and work forward from there. So, the first question to be answered is: At what vertebral level did Kennedy's shirt collar rest?

There are several known landmarks on the human body. However, since Kennedy was fully clothed, there are only a few correlations that can be made to approximate the level of the collar. One would be the mouth, the other would be the chin. A commonly taken x-ray is called an APOM (Anterior-Posterior Open Mouth). This view allows the examiner or radiologist to view the C1-C2 joint spaces in the upper neck. When taking this x-ray, the patient is in a neutral position with their back to the film and their mouth open. This removes the lower jaw and teeth from that area, creating a window to visualize C1-2. So, the mouth, in a neutral position, is correlated to C1-2. Another landmark with acceptable variance is the chin. In a random study, I took existing lateral cervical x-rays of 26 adult males and drew level, horizontal lines from the lower margin of the chin backwards through the spine. The patients' ages ranged from 19-59 years of age, with the mean age being 36.3 years old. The vertebral level of the horizontal line ranged from C3-C5. None of the horizontal lines crossed through C6. The mean level of the horizontal line was C4. President Kennedy was of normal facial and neck proportions and it is reasonable to assume that his chin was at the level of C4 in a neutral position.

This is a sample x-ray that was used as part of the study. As you can see, the horizontal line crosses between the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebra. Hence, this patient received a value of 3.5. The blue line represents a line through the mouth. Though difficult to see, this line crosses both C1 and C2. The first two cervical vertebrae are considered non-typical vertebra. They are commonly referred to as the Atlas (C1) and the Axis (C2) due to their shape and function. The joint between C1 and C2 allows us to turn our heads to a large degree.

President Kennedy, while suffering from numerous ailments, had a normally proportioned head a neck. He did not have a 'long face' or a prominent jaw. Therefore, for all practical purposes, we will assume that his chin was at the C4 vertebral level. This allows us to better approximate the resting level of his jacket collar. Unfortunately, the shirt collar cannot be seen in some photographs. However, as we will see, this is of minor importance.

This collage demonstrates the results of the anatomical study. The pink line represents the 'chin line' and is representative of C4 in the cervical spine. The blue line, or 'mouth line' indicates the level of C2, or the C1-C2 articulation to be most accurate. But, for all practical purposes and ease, we will refer to it as C2. The last picture is a still capture from a film taken during the motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963. The blue line crosses the earlobe because Kennedy's head is tilted to the right, thereby lowering the ear. This does not affect the vertebral alignment. X-rays are taken with the head tilted to the left or right with the mouth open as in a neutral film. These films demonstrate abnormal movement in the joint due to fracture. The important concept to remember is that the tilt of the head is insignificant.