Paul Landis, a former Secret Service agent assigned to protect Jackie Kennedy, has recently published a book recounting his experiences on the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Landis, now 88 years old, had kept silent about the traumatic events he witnessed for nearly six decades. His book, titled “The Final Witness,” provides a detailed account of his time as part of the Kennedy detail. The book also raises questions about the official Warren Commission’s findings regarding the assassination, specifically concerning the so-called “magic bullet” theory.
According to Landis, his memories contradict the Warren Commission’s claim that a single bullet passed through President Kennedy and then struck Texas Governor John Connally. He insists that the bullet found near Connally’s stretcher at the hospital was the same one he found in the back of the presidential limousine. Landis speculates that the bullet may have been moved during the chaos that followed the assassination. This revelation challenges the foundation of the “magic bullet” theory.
The Warren Commission concluded that three bullets were fired by a single shooter, Lee Harvey Oswald, using a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle from the Texas School Book Depository. One bullet missed, and fragments were found nearby. The second bullet hit JFK’s neck and then struck Connally, causing multiple injuries. The third bullet struck Kennedy in the head. However, if Landis is correct and the bullet on Connally’s stretcher was the same one found in the limousine, it casts doubt on the official narrative.
The possibility of a second shooter has been a subject of debate for years. Some witnesses claimed to have heard shots from a nearby “grassy knoll,” as depicted in the film “JFK” by Oliver Stone. Opinions on Landis’s revelation are divided. Some believe it strengthens the argument for multiple shooters, while others see it as a potential breakthrough only regarding the “magic bullet” theory.
Landis vividly remembers the assassination. He heard the first shot and saw the President leaning to his left, seemingly checking where the noise came from. He did not realize Kennedy had been hit until the second shot. Landis’s colleague, Clint Hill, immediately jumped onto the limousine. When the third shot rang out, Landis witnessed Kennedy’s head being fatally wounded.
After arriving at the hospital, Landis found Jackie Kennedy cradling her husband’s head. He noticed bullet fragments in a pool of blood near her. On the top of the seat directly behind her, Landis discovered an intact bullet. Concerned it may be lost or taken as a souvenir, he decided to keep it and put it in his pocket.
Landis’s account sheds new light on the tragedy of President Kennedy’s assassination. His book allows readers to explore his firsthand experiences and raises important questions about the events of that fateful day.
