Mortal Error: The Shot That Killed JFK

I bought MORTAL ERROR: THE SHOT THAT KILLED JFK by Bonar Menninger after seeing the documentary called "JFK: The Smoking Gun," which is based on this book.Menninger based his book on the studies, findings and interviews he conducted with a man named Howard Donahue who was a firearms/ballistic expert/gun engineer and was the only one out of 11 rifle shooters that CBS hired to test and fire the Carcano rifle -- the same model that Lee Harvey Oswald used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy -- and hit the moving target with all three shots within the required time. This test was conducted in 1967, I believe, and done at CBS News's cost to compare with the Warren Commission's Report on Kennedy's assassination.This is how Donahue comes into the picture. After conducting the CBS rifle test back then, Donahue was approached by a small newspaper to write a story about his experience with the rifle and the Warren Commission's findings and it was during this time he began to find inconsistencies and factual errors throughout the report when compared to the evidence. This led him down a road that was an extremely tangled web of conspiracies, inaccuracies, cover-ups, etc., that took decades to unravel.What Donahue uncovers is really quite shocking; he asserts that although Oswald did shoot at Kennedy, two of the shots hit, and one missed, the third -- and what many would say was the fatal shot -- came from an accidental shooting from a secret service agent who was riding in the follow up car to the President's. Even though most believe that the third and final shot was what killed President Kennedy, Donahue believed, based on the X-Rays and doctors' testimonials, that the second shot that hit both Kennedy and Texas Governor Connally might have actually been the mortal wound that killed him even if the third shot to the back of the head never happened. And he believes that the outside or third shot was accidental, coming from an AR-15 rifle that a secret service agent reached for after the first shots were fired and the gun accidentally discharged when he fell backward as the cars sped up. He arrives at this conclusion not from a preconceived ideal, but following the factual evidence such as the Zapruder film, various photos, X-rays, autopsy reports, and witness testimony (including those that were not used in the Warren Commissions hearings).I'm not going into too many details here but basically that's Donahue's theory, which he gathered from evidence and conducting his own experiments based on that evidence with ballistics/trajectories, etc., and that's what author Menninger has laid out in this fascinating book.Not only do you get the actual photos and diagrams that were taken from the time, but you also get the witness testimonies in the appendix, the excerpts from the actual Warren Commission's Report, Donahue's own drawings, etc., etc., and why he believes what he believes. Menninger presents it in a clear and organized fashion, starting from the beginning where Donahue enters the picture and what led him down this road. Donahue also dispels many of the myths surrounding the JFK shooting including the infamous one that Oliver Stone based his movie JFK on (the "magic bullet"), and the real life debacle of Louisiana DA Jim Garrison and his pursuit of Clay Shaw.I think this book was originally published in 1992 but this is the first time, thanks to the documentary, that I've heard about Donahue's theory. We just passed the 50th Anniversary of The JFK Assassination and I think they re-released this book in e-form recently, and I'm not sure if anything has been revised, but so far this is the most plausible theory that I've heard yet.I don't think anyone has refuted Donahue's theory. If so, I haven't heard anything yet. In fact, until seeing the documentary, I never even heard of this and it never comes up during the specials about the myths and coverups regarding the assassination.Menninger paints Donahue as someone with no ax-to-grind and had no vested interest in the outcome of his findings and was only bringing this up time and time again, including to the US House of Representatives Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) in 1976, which was formed at that time to directly address the Kennedy and MLK assassination (among others), after finding contradictions and errors in the Warren Commission's Report, compared with the evidence, so that once and for all his theory could be either disproved or allowed to stand, but he was basically ignored or shuffled away.Anyway, we'll probably never know what really happened but this argument is one that makes sense. I'm surprised that this isn't one of the more widely known theories out there, but maybe it's just me that hasn't heard of this one before.In any event, the book is a great read!I did have some issues with the pictures and other incidental material such as diagrams, testimonies etc., on my Kindle Fire HD. There are links to the corresponding evidence in each chapter, so when you click on them, it takes you to the picture, figure, diagram etc., and sometimes when I zoomed in on the picture and pressed the back button, it would take me back to the original photo, and I'd press back again to get back to the chapter, but the book would close and I'd be at the carousel.Also, some illustrations were stacked one on top of the other, 90-degrees to the reader, so when you tilt the Kindle to try and see it right side up, the orientation would move, so it would remain at 90-degrees (which can be fixed by disabling the "auto orientation" or "auto rotate" whatever it's called in the settings). These were just small annoyances that I thought I should mention. Other than that the Kindle book is an interesting read, although it does get a little technical at times.Anyway, I think everyone should read this book because it opens up a lot of questions not just about Kennedy's killing (though it does do that), but about what is moral in regards to what should and should not be revealed to the public.

This is an excellent book about ballistics expert Howard Donahue and the extensive research he conducted in a quest to determine who fired the bullet that fatally wounded President Kennedy. Although Kennedy was hit by two bullets, it is the second one — the one that struck the back of his head — that is generally regarded as the one that proved fatal. After years of careful, painstaking analysis of the available ballistic and forensic evidence, Donahue was able to derive the trajectory of the deadly, second bullet.That trajectory leads back to the Secret Service car that was following the President’s limo. According to Donahue’s theory, after Oswald fired the bullet that hit the President in the back of the neck, one of the Secret Service agents in the car directly behind Kennedy’s limo accidentally discharged his weapon and the bullet hit Kennedy in the back of the head.Whether you accept Donahue’s theory or not, his research makes it very clear that Oswald was not the only person who shot President Kennedy that day. One of the things Donahue uncovered was that several eye witnesses near the motorcade reported smelling gun powder. This is impossible to explain if Oswald was the only shooter, since there is no way the gun powder from Oswald’s rifle could have drifted down to the people near Kennedy's limo given the distances involved and the direction of the wind that day. Donahue also found, based on the X-rays of Kennedy’s skull, that the fatal bullet exploded, leaving tiny fragments of metal behind. The ammunition that Oswald fired from his rifle could not have produced such an effect. So there had to be two weapons fired at Kennedy that day. And as it turns out, one of the Secret Service agents in the car directly behind Kennedy had a rifle loaded with just the sort of explosive ammunition that killed the President.For me, at least, Donahue’s explanation finally makes sense out of what happened on that terrible day in Dallas. Many people have rejected Donahue’s conclusions, but as the author of this book points out, no one has refuted Donahue’s argument — and that includes the Secret Service. It is a shame that Donahue did not receive more recognition or appreciation for his accomplishment during his lifetime. Perhaps one reason for this is the fact that, even if we accept Donahue’s explanation of who really fired the fatal bullet, it still does not put to rest the question of whether there was a conspiracy to assassinate the President. Since Donahue’s theory agrees with the Warren Commission that Oswald fired the first round that hit the President, conspiracy theorists can go on speculating until the end of time whether Oswald acted alone or in collusion with others.The only thing that Donahue’s theory does not really explain is why the Secret Service decided to cover up the fact that one of their agents fired the lethal round. And that is still a mystery to this day.

Agree this is the most convincing book out there. It's very hard to fight the power of the government and it's politicians, although it's easy to see why they wanted to suppress it. Too bad it's not as well known--probably because it's not sensational and was published at a bad time.

It is always strange to think about this, I was in fact in Kindergarten back in Iowa and we were just getting ready to lay down for our naps when this all took place. I am now 64 and I still remember the effect it had on everyone, the only thing close perhaps has been 9/11. I think the author did a great job. After all, the main person here was involved in the subsequent testing of what happened after the fact and was a expert in the field. The Warren Commission for lack of a better word was a joke. The had one goal and that was to make sure Oswald was labeled the sole guy and wrap it up, period. I still laugh when you watch all those guys up there in the Book building milling around, no crime scene closed off, their passing that gun around like its Christmas and claim they got prints, uh huh! Then you let Oswald get shot, OK. The big question here of course is why the agent being blamed for "accidently" firing the shot waits years after the fact and tries to sue the book company. You would think he and the Secret Service would have logically nipped this in the bud early, if anything to keep his name clear. As one song said, "And it makes me wonder!"

A brilliant book. I believe that this incredibly thorough investigation gives closure to the actual shooting. The future may reveal why Jack Ruby killed Oswald and how did he get access to the police garage. Was there a link between Ruby and Oswald before the shooting? A must read for open minds.

This is the only JFK theory based on ballistic evidence rather than coincidences or conspiracy theories. Unbelievable conclusion but the only one that fits the facts. Kennedy's brother, the Attorney General at the time, did a good job of getting this covered up.

Awesome book. Read it years ago and bought this one as lost previous copy. Worth a read if you e any interest in JFK.Imo this IS what happened.

Interesting theory which could be very likely (don't want to disclose to much for risk of spoiling)

Brilliant read.