President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 remains one of the most discussed events in American history. Former Secret Service agent Paul Landis was at the scene on that terrible day. He has recently come forward with an alternative version of events surrounding the discovery of the so-called “magic bullet.”
The original findings of the Warren Commission suggested that a bullet had hit President Kennedy from the rear, went through his throat, and subsequently injured Texas Governor John Connally. This trajectory, often seen as implausible, was termed the “magic bullet theory” by skeptics.
However, Landis presents a different scenario. He says that he found the bullet in the presidential limousine after the motorcade reached the hospital, not at Parkland Memorial Hospital as was widely believed. Recognizing the importance of this evidence, Landis took the bullet and placed it on President Kennedy’s stretcher, thinking it might help the doctors.
Landis postulates that this bullet could have been accidentally moved from Kennedy’s stretcher to Connally’s, leading to the confusion about its original location. This account contradicts the widely accepted theory that the bullet had been found on a stretcher believed to be Connally’s at the hospital after medical procedures.
While Landis initially believed in Lee Harvey Oswald’s lone involvement, his recent statements reflect growing doubts. James Robenalt, a historian, pointed out that this revelation might reignite debates about the potential existence of a second shooter. Presidential historian Ken Gormley sees Landis’ decision to share his account as a step towards setting the historical record straight. However, some critics find inconsistencies between Landis’ recent disclosures and his initial comments following the assassination.
Seeking to offer further clarity on a topic of national speculation, Landis has penned down his experiences in a new book.