(Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

A place to chat about what you are reading. Whether it is book, magazine or eBook. Also, audio books.
Post Reply
User avatar
J.D.
Rat
Posts: 6666
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:10 pm
Location: Under a rock somewhere in Australia

(Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

Post by J.D. »

Former Victoria Police Homicide Squad sergeant Colin McLaren has dipped his toe into the murky waters of the JFK conspiracy river and come up with his own solution. McLaren claims to be the only homicide detective to have ever investigated the "Crime of the Century" and he makes a lot of noise about cutting through the BS. He made a point of going to Dealey Plaza in Dallas to see for himself; something every writer on the subject should do but not all have. He made a point of reading all 8000 pages of the Warren Commission into the shooting (now on .pdf).

According to McLaren, JFK was killed by accident.

Dismissing half a century of conspiracy theories, some of which I subscribed to, McLaren rehashes the work of a man called Howard Donahue from the late 1970s. It was Donahue, a firearms and ballistics expert, who first postulated that the controversial "Magic Bullet Theory" might be correct. It was also Donahue who produced evidence that there was a second shooter (assuming Oswald was the first).

Donahue's hypotheses were covered in a book called "Mortal Error: The Shot that Killed JFK" which was written by Bonar Menninger in the 1990s. Because of threats to sue, it was only printed once. I wouldn't say I was totally convinced. There are no witnesses to the actual discharge which he claims killed JFK, even though the weapon would have been in plain sight. Clearly McLaren believes it.

Although I don't know the man personally, I have worked on a lot of stories which he was involved in; the Tynan-Eyre murders in Walsh St, Mr Cruel and the murder of Karmein Chan. He seems blessed with the same spectacular ego you find in most Homicide Squad coppers. To be honest, they probably need it. In a high profile case they are expected to get a conviction or they tend to be reassigned.

His criticisms of the way the Warren Commission conducted his investigation are very valid. As a former copper, he would have been well used to the cut and thrust of a courtroom. Apparently the lawyers who were assigned to the hearing were pretty substandard and missed a lot of good detail.

Or did they?

This is where McLaren's dismissal of "conspiracy theories" falls down. He, himself, claims there was an elaborate cover up by the Secret Service, the branch whose job it is to guard the President. Conspiracy? Spectacular coincidence? You be the judge.
Last edited by J.D. on Wed Dec 11, 2013 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
сначала мы убиваем американского лося и белку.

"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell.

Proudly never a mod or admin at RSC from 2001 - 2009.
User avatar
Big Kev
Clean as a Whistle
Clean as a Whistle
Posts: 15060
Joined: Mon Dec 13, 2004 7:09 pm
Location: Little Britain
Contact:

Re: (Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

Post by Big Kev »

There were some good documentaries on Discovery Channel over the 50th anniversary weekend.

I used to be a bit sceptical about Oswald working alone and the Kevin Costner JFK film has a lot of inaccuracies in it. A lot of people centre totally on the 'back and to the left' bit on the Zapruder footage.

The documentaries convinced me that he did work alone though. There's actually very little real evidence to suggest otherwise and a lot of people miss the fact that JFK moves forwards BEFORE he falls back. I even saw some guy on youtube giving a presentation on the evidence where he contradicted himself by saying the back of his head blows out and then later went on to show an autopsy picture of a small single entry wound in the back and the front left (exit) area of his head in a mess. When you look at the stabilised version of the Zapruder footage it's actually pretty clear that all the shots are from behind and the magic bullet is nothing of the sort. It hit the guy when he had his hand up to his face so it went through his shoulder and wrist in a straight line then deflected in to his leg.

As with 99% of these major incidents where there are conspiracy theories, the most logical and obvious outcome is what actually happened on the day and reported at the time.
ARSE Biscuits! Driftu Kingu!
My Flickr Stream
User avatar
Jiminee
Posts: 2337
Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:28 pm
Location: Whyalla Proud

Re: (Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

Post by Jiminee »

I have read most of Mortal Error (JFK is a hobby of Dad's) and what Menninger writes makes a lot of sense. I have absolutely no idea if it is correct or not but it all seems logical and I have not seen many people poking holes in it as a theory.

To me the accidental shot by the Secret Service agent plus Oswald is the leader in the club house however Oswald is such a perfect patsy that he could well of been setup.
XLV SPORT
User avatar
J.D.
Rat
Posts: 6666
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2009 2:10 pm
Location: Under a rock somewhere in Australia

Re: (Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

Post by J.D. »

Well I didn't plan on debating the story but not even Earl Warren believed Oswald acted alone.

The reason?

Two different kinds of bullets. The metallurgy tests gave it away. So did the fatal shot.

The nutter stuff is what makes it hard to establish alternate hypotheses. Stories like "Jackie did it" and "it wasn't really Jackie" make it possible to marginalise any alternate POV.
сначала мы убиваем американского лося и белку.

"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell.

Proudly never a mod or admin at RSC from 2001 - 2009.
c.j
Midget Wanker
Posts: 5349
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 1:44 pm
Location: In a glass case of emotion
Contact:

Re: (Book) JFK: The Smoking Gun

Post by c.j »

*spoiler alert* - Don't read my post if you want to read the book first.


I watched the bits and pieces on TV at the anniversary, seems most logical with the cover up of what happened. UD's, ND's what ever term you want to use for the accidental discharge of a weapon do happen. We had a captain fire a 9mm through our mess tent on a deployment. Missed everyone, hit the oven. He was duly knocked unconscious by a member of the commando's and last we saw him was being returned to Australia for a desk gig. Nothing further was said about the fact a Corporal thumped him, as it should be :D
I would be keen to read this though. After I get through the library of Afghan editions that I have accumulated.

It seemed the most believable when you consider how quick everything was hush hush given the enormity of the event. It's a shame, I think America would have been a better place had he served his full 3 terms. It is three isn't it? I am not across the board on their system.

Good on him for taking it on too, there'd be a few sleepless nights in that when you consider the people being cross examined don't like having their lives inspected, especially by an Australian.
Image[url=steam://friends/add/76561198089849481]Image[/url]

;)
Post Reply