In Myers's re-creation of the assassination for ABC, the two men come back into view from behind the Stemmons sign and -- suddenly -- there is a major disturbance. Both men rapidly move their arms. Soon after, they hardly move at all, until JFK is shot in the head. Viewed in real time, it is not clear exactly what happens, nor does it seem to matter. Myers has achieved the desired effect: the appearance of two men reacting to being shot at the same time.

As shown in Trick 1, Myers delayed Kennedy's reaction until this moment. For his next trick, Myers accelerated Connally's reaction so that it, too, occurs at this moment. As you will see, this trick came out of a hat. Literally.

"These rapid rotational changes are consistent with the type of chest wound JBC suffered. Finally, this the only time in the shooting sequence that such a dramatic shift in the torso position occurs." ("Secrets of a Homicide" website; Conclusion 1) [Trick 3 shows how blatantly false this last statement is.]

Notice the contrast between Myers's frames and the real ones, especially 228. Connally looks like he is sneezing into his hat. Nothing like this ever happens on the Zapruder film - nor is the hat ever that visible in this sequence. The white spot in Z-228 is only the size of a beanie, so it may not be the hat at all. Indecipherable white spots appear in several places in the Z film, especially on shiny surfaces. In Z-228, the beanie-sized white spot is viewed through the shiny plastic between the metal supports of the convertible top.

For a split second, in Z-227, Connally's head is turned sharply to his right, and his hat seems to be slightly higher than it was before, but this is not clear. The frame is blurred and objects in the right foreground are smeared and elongated. Something white remains in Connally's lap, so the elongated white object near his face may be only his hand. In Z-228, the hat - if that is what it is -- is not far from his face, but it never rises to cover his face.

So, Connally may or may not have fumbled with his hat. And he turned more to the front and settled back in his seat, but what does this prove? Where is the proof Connally is shot at this time as opposed to later? Would he continue to cling to his hat despite the great sucking wound in his chest, or the crushed bone of his wrist (4WCH120), the partial transection (cross cut) of his radial nerve and the total transection of the tendon connecting wrist to thumb? (4WCH124) On his website, Myers describes earlier, more subtle, "evidence" that Connally is shot at this time, little events he associates with the direct action of a bullet:

"In the 1/18th of a second between Zapruder frame 223-224, a number of measurable events occur. JBC's torso pitches forward 7.5 degrees and begins a sharp rotation to the left, while his head pitches rearward 3.2 degrees. The right side of his suitcoat also bulges outward, obscuring part of his shirt." ("Secrets of a Homicide" website; Conclusion 1)

The expression "pitches forward" is a gross exaggeration, even for Myers. If you get a magnifying glass, you might see what he is talking about, but this is nothing compared with what Connally does later. As for the famous movement of his jacket, it is not clear that it actually "bulges." Some call it the "lapel flip," but it seems more of a flop - and, unlike the Myers's frames, the Zapruder frames show the jacket remaining in that position. John Lattimer said the lapel "snapped back" into its previous position right after. (JAMA 1993; 269(12):1544-1547) In Lattimer's experiments on creating "lapel bulges," the jackets always snapped back, he said. (Journal of American College of Surgery, 1994; 178:517-522) (See more on these experiments, below.)

The jacket flops across Connally's chest a little more whenever he moves his right arm forward. You can see for yourself how this happens. Just spend a few minutes watching anyone in a jacket or unfastened outer garment. You can even see another, smaller, lapel flop on the Zapruder film. Myers directs your attention to the contrast in the jacket's behavior between frames 223 and 224, but an earlier frame, 222, also shows the jacket "bulging" somewhat. Below, the frames are out of order so that Z frames 222 and 224 are close together for comparison:

An Earlier Lapel "Bulge"

Lattimer Disproves Lapel Bulge Theory - Unintentionally

John Lattimer may have proven, unintentionally, that the lapel did not move because of a bullet. If you take his word for it, only a tumbling bullet - one that strikes sideways, presenting its length against the material -- can make a jacket blouse outward. If the bullet exits straight on (nose first), the jacket does not move perceptibly. As evidence the bullet did exit sideways, Lattimer reported the large, irregular hole in the front of his shirt. (Lattimer, J.K., Laidlaw, A., Heneghan, P., Haubner, E.J. Experimental duplication of the important physical evidence of the lapel bulge of the jacket worn by Governor Connally when bullet 399 went through him. Journal of the American College of Surgeons 1994; 178:517-522)

What Lattimer did not report: unlike the large holes in the fronts of jackets used in his experiments, the hole in the front of Connally's jacket was small and neat, only 3/8ths of an inch in diameter (5WCH63), proof the bullet did not exit sideways. (And the large hole in the shirt was mostly likely caused by an exiting fragment of rib.)

Roy Kellerman's Torso Shifts!

Let's return to Myers's comment about what happens between Z-224 and 228:

"These rapid rotational changes are consistent with the type of chest wound JBC suffered. Finally, this the only time in the shooting sequence that such a dramatic shift in the torso position occurs." ("Secrets of a Homicide" website; Conclusion 1)

Myers is no authority on how a bullet directly moves a body "with this type of chest wound" or any other kind of wound, nor does he provide any references from the medical-ballistics literature to support this assertion, nor would he be able to evaluate such references if he could find them, nor does he admit the existence of any other explanation for the small change he labels "a dramatic shift." Dramatic? The man faces the front and seems to settle back into his seat a bit more. He is not the only one to changes his posture, but you would never know this from Myers's "study" because Myers did not include the other occupants of the car.

Roy Kellerman, the Secret Service agent sitting in front of Connally also shifts in his seat between Z-224 and 228. Provided below are frames showing the minor shifts in posture of both men, followed by frames that focus on Kellerman alone:

Z-224 Connally faces the side; Kellerman is half-turned; only Mrs. Connally's right shoulder is visible beyond Kellerman's.

Z-228 Connally settles back and faces the front; Kellerman has shifted enough to bring into view Mrs. Connally's left shoulder. She also may have moved.

Z-224 Kellerman is half-turned; only Mrs. Connally's right shoulder is visible beyond Kellerman's.

Z-228 Kellerman has shifted enough to bring into view Mrs. Connally's left shoulder. She also may have moved.

Note: Roy Kellerman was not shot. Please see Trick 3 to learn how Myers makes this false statement come true: "Finally, this the only time in the shooting sequence that such a dramatic shift in the torso position occurs." ("Secrets of a Homicide" website; Conclusion 1)