The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 has long been a focal point of American history discussions. A fresh perspective has emerged from Paul Landis, an ex-Secret Service agent, specifically about the “magic bullet” and its discovery location. Landis was a witness to the assassination.
As per the Warren Commission’s findings, a bullet had impacted President Kennedy from behind, moved through his throat, and then caused injuries to Texas Governor John Connally. This sequence was doubted by many, leading to the coinage of the term “magic bullet theory.”
Contrary to this, Landis recounts that after arriving at the hospital with the motorcade, he discovered the bullet inside the presidential limousine. Grasping its evidentiary significance, he took the bullet and positioned it on President Kennedy’s stretcher, believing it might be beneficial for medical examination.
Landis speculates that a possible transfer of the bullet could have occurred from Kennedy’s to Connally’s stretcher, which may account for its discovery at the latter’s location. This narrative contrasts with the prevailing belief that the bullet was located on what was assumed to be Connally’s stretcher at the hospital post-medical intervention.
Initially convinced of Lee Harvey Oswald’s sole participation, Landis’ recent comments indicate emerging reservations. The implications of this story, as historian James Robenalt suggests, might bring back discussions about an alternative shooter’s potential involvement. While Ken Gormley, a presidential historian, believes that Landis’ revelations aim to rectify historical inaccuracies, certain critics have spotlighted discrepancies between his present account and earlier statements.
Landis has now committed his recollections to paper, producing a book in the hope of adding more insight into the debated event.