First was the magic bullet theory. This theory posits that a single bullet caused all the wounds to Governor Connally and the nonfatal wounds to the president. The theory says that a three-centimeter-long copper-jacketed lead-core 6.5×52 mm Mannlicher–Carcano rifle bullet fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository passed through President Kennedy’s neck and went into Governor Connally’s chest, went through his wrist, and embedded itself in the Governor’s thigh. Assuming this is true, then this one bullet made its way through fifteen layers of clothing, seven layers of skin, and approximately fifteen inches of muscle tissue, struck a necktie knot, removed four inches of rib, and shattered a radius bone. The bullet was found on a gurney in the corridor at Parkland Memorial Hospital after the assassination in almost pristine condition. How could this be possible? A particular forensic technique used to match bullets found at crime scenes to bullets found in a suspect’s possession, called comparative bullet lead analysis, was first used in this investigation.
In 2003, a panel of experts contradicted the FBI’s analysis of the evidence at the time, and caused the bureau to stop using the technique altogether.5 Why was this single bullet theory so important? If it was found that a second bullet had hit Governor Connally, it would have proven that there was more than one gunman. The Zapruder film shows the injuries caused on that day and the two men being wounded seconds apart wouldn’t be consistent with a bolt-action rifle reloading in that period of time. The conclusion, therefore, would have to be that a single bullet caused all of the wounds or there was more than one shooter.
The second thing that I was fascinated with in studying the JFK assassination was the aforementioned Zapruder film, a silent 8mm color motion picture sequence shot by Abraham Zapruder. It’s not the only footage from that day, but is the clearest example and was used endlessly in analysis. In a particular sequence, it appears that the president’s head goes backwards from the impact of a bullet. This motion caused people to believe that perhaps there was another shooter who was in front of the motorcade. A 2018 study, which replicated the conditions and trajectory of bullets into melons, concluded that “the observed motions of President Kennedy in the film are physically consistent with a high-speed projectile impact from the rear of the motorcade, these resulting from an instantaneous forward impulse force, followed by delayed rearward recoil and neuromuscular forces.”6
In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations stated that acoustic evidence from a Dallas police officer’s radio showed it was likely that two shooters had fired on Kennedy’s limousine, and it concluded that the assassination “probably” involved a conspiracy.7
Last, I was intrigued by Lee Harvey Oswald’s own claims that he was a “patsy.” Could this be possible? Maybe it’s the Fox Mulder conspiracy theorist in me, but I still believe it’s possible he didn’t act alone. There were several tests that were conducted after Oswald’s arrest, one of them was a neutron activation analysis. This test can prove whether or not the person has fired a weapon recently. The test found no evidence of residues on Oswald’s cheek, where the gun would have to be set in order to fire at the motorcade accurately. Seven marksmen carried out a test whereby they made the same shots as Oswald and after being tested, all of them had residues on their cheeks. The fact that Oswald didn’t suggests he didn’t fire a rifle that day. Another fact about Oswald is that he wasn’t that great of a shooter. Having served in the United States Marines, his skills were tested. In 1956, his score of 212 was just two points above the sharpshooter requirement and well below the 220 needed for expert classification. Oswald’s skills didn’t improve as he scored just 191 in May of 1959. In subsequent years, sharpshooters have tried to replicate the lone gunman theory and failed.
Jake Epping prevents the Kennedy assassination in 11/22/63 but the world is in chaos after his return to 2011. He ultimately chooses to reenter the portal to undo his changes so that his beloved Sadie can live and the world will be set on its former path. We may not know what the future holds or how our decisions may impact the world but Stephen King makes one thing clear in this book: love is universal and transcends time and space.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Doctor Sleep
It would be easy to lose count of Stephen King’s many revered novels and stories. So many have been developed into numerous iterations of TV series, movies, and even in the case of The Shining, an opera. He has developed book series like the Dark Tower and Mr. Mercedes trilogy. Most eagle-eyed constant readers can also find connections between many of his books, creating a complex web of mentions that correspond in different works. Yet, King is not known to write sequels for most of his most famous works. The Shining resonated with many readers, and thus was often brought up at readings, interviews, and fan events. One of the most common questions was whatever happened to Danny Torrance, the little boy who lost his father, and had the “shine,” a unique power that allowed him to read thoughts and sense danger?
This question began to intrigue Stephen King. Danny would be grown up now. Would he be driven to addiction like his father? How would he handle his ability? Would it be more of a blessing or a curse? To his fans’ great delight, King answered all these questions and more in the 2013 novel Doctor Sleep. Danny had unfortunately succumbed to alcoholism like his father Jack, yet after hitting rock bottom he found solace and purpose working in a hospice.
That is until he begins to communicate with a girl named Abra, who shares his “shining” as well as a telepathic connection with Danny. Things turn bad when the novel’s villain, Rose the Hat, and her gang of vampires stalk Abra. Danny must become the hero once again, saving not only Abra, but every person who possesses the “shine.” These vampires led by Rose the Hat are not the Salem’s Lot variety. Instead of blood, they subsist on the fumes released by the fear of those with the power. This means they resort to torture and murder in order to stay young and healthy.
This obviously got us thinking about the extreme lengths people will go to appear younger or slow the process of aging. The term “fountain of youth” is often attached to fad diets, skin creams, or shakes full of spinach and vitamins. It is most popularly derived from the legend of Ponce De Leon and his exploration of what is now modern-day Florida. Juan Ponce De Leon was a Spanish conquistador who lived on the cusp of the sixteenth century. Stories have endured that Ponce De Leon was searching for the famed fountain of youth when he landed on the Eastern coast of Florida. Yet, historians today argue there is no proof of his motive.
North Bimini is home to the “healing hole,” a well of sea water made naturally by limestone. It is at the end of several twisting tunnels and many Europeans revered it as having water that would provide the drinker with better health.
Whether the Spanish conquistador was on the hunt for the fountain of youth, he was not the first to be linked to its existence.
Accounts of a river of youth were nothing new to men of the time. The Alexander Romance, a collection of stories about the mythical exploits of Alexander the Great, from the third century, has the conqueror looking for a river of immortality in India. And The Voyage and Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Knight, written in the fourteenth century, includes a description of the fountain of youth. When Caribbean natives spoke of an island called Bimini, where there was said to be a river of curative waters, some of the Spanish explorers believed them. Pietro Martire de Anghiera, an Italian historian, discounted the story but wrote Pope Leo X in 1513 with his concerns that “all the people … think it to be true.”1