From: grant_jo@ripple.enet.dec.com (Joel Grant)
Subject: On The Trail of Dr. Wecht's Position
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 15 SEP 92 07:47:13 PDT


First - to Bruce Schuck - I have heretofore borne your 
crude and childish ad hominem attacks in good grace.  No
more.  If you would like me to address your recent, or
any future postings, drop the silly insults and at least
try to act like a rational adult.  

Now - perhaps for a change we (i.e. we who read and write
in alt.jfk) can do a collaborative project.  [Perhaps not. ;^)]
The project: to trace the evolution of Dr. Wecht's position.

Being a rabid "pro-WC" type I was naturally skeptical when
I read the following statement by Prof. Jacob Cohen (Chairman,
Dept. of American Studies, Brandeis Univ.) in the June issue
of "Commentary" magazine in an article titled "Yes, Oswald Alone
Killed Kennedy":

    "...The X-rays and photos clearly show that that massive wound
    of exit is on the right side of the head, not in the back, and
    was caused by a bullet entering in the rear of the skull where a
    small wound of entry was seen by the autopsy doctors.

        Again, this is the conclusion of every one of the prominent
    forensic pathologists who studied the photos and X-rays which
    show the location and nature of the wounds and the pattern of
    fracturing.  Even Dr. Cyril Wecht, one of the stars of the
    A&E documentary, a frenetic critic of the official version, agreed
    on this point after examining the X-rays and photos over a 
    two-day period."

    What's this?  Dr. Wecht *agrees* with the other forensic
    pathologists?  I was, as I say, skeptical.  So I wrote a
    letter to Prof. Cohen asking him for a citation.  His reply
    came in yesterday's mail:

    "After seeing the X-rays and photos for two days in 1973 Wecht
    wrote:

    	"The available evidence, assuming it to be valid,
    	gives no support to theories which postulate gunmen
    	to the front or right-front of the presidential car.
    	The wound in the President's head can only have been
    	fired from somewhere to the rear of the President."

    With regard to the validity of the documents, he wrote:

    	The X-rays and photographic materials give every indication
    	of being authentic... and the facial features, where they
    	can be seen, are consistent with the author's recollections
    	of the President."

    The source is "The Forensic Science Gazette", Sept., 1973, 
    p. 18."

    Prof Cohen also believes that Dr. Wecht wrote another article
    in the "Southwest Medical Journal" about that time but Prof.
    Cohen doesn't have that citation available.


    I do not claim to be a Wecht expert, so some questions spring
    to mind:

    1. Just what was his testimony before the HSCA?  My memories are
    vague, but I seem to recall him dissenting, but without citing
    any specific evidence for his point of view.

    2. I have seen him in the "Nova" special arguing that the
    final shot must have hit JFK from the right front, since he
    is driven backwards and to the left.

    3. What did Dr. Wecht say at the Chicago symposium?

    Of course another point this covers, indirectly, is the charge
    that only "loyalists" were given access to the autopsy materials
    prior to the HSCA investigation.

    I shall endeavor to obtain both of the articles cited above -
    perhaps someone here has ready access to (from the point of
    view of my world) obscure, almost 20 year-old medical journals.

    I am genuinely interested to find out the evolution of Dr.
    Wecht's position.  I have no evidence to suggest that he is
    a dishonorable or dishonest man.  If, in 1973, after viewing
    the material for two days he concluded that JFK was shot twice
    from behind, and if he now believes something else - what 
    happened to change his conclusions?

Joel Grant  (speaking on his own behalf)

    Joel