Unless he's just a patsy... a dead patsy, but a patsy nonetheless...
Note, what might be characterized as "tinfoil moments" are in small font.
I'm thinking of what the doctor said about removing the bullet in the press conference. He said he would guess there were 'hundreds of fragments'. (starting at 6:44)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gQrXGGd5ys&feature=youtu.be Post 16
here, by @Right_in_Virginia , whom I thank for that update
Some of those fragments referred to may well be splinters and crumbs of bone, but...
If the rifle was firing 7.62 X 39 rounds (AK-47/SKS ammo), I can't think of any of those ordinary full metal jacket, soft point or even hollow point bullets available from most ammo outlets in factory loads that should have fragmented that severely...
...but fragmentation thwarts recovery of the fragments and makes ballistics comparisons almost impossible. That makes identifying the ammo, and the caliber problematical, which could conceal the actions of a second, more professsional, shooter. Chances are that someone new to shooting would lack the expertise to hand load more exotic bullets, and might not be knowledgeable enough to purchase a higher grade of ammo.
So, unless the shooter acquired more expensive more frangible ammo made for training purposes for LEOs and also available on civilian markets for self-defense ammo to prevent overpenetration, "hundreds of fragments" seem unusual. Even punching through bone--though that would depend on whether the head of the femur and the hip joint were involved. Going through the Iliac crest the bone is thinner and I would not think it would fragment a bullet so badly.
Note: The statement may be an excusable exaggeration on the part of the physician to impress upon the press that the bullet is indeed fragmented and parts of that bullet will not be recovered. Recovered cartridge cases may indicate whether the ammo was ordinary or more exotic, and
if the results of the cartridge case ID don't match the anticipated results from a bullet fired from those manufacturers, perhaps something unusual was going on and the search area needs to be widened (and lengthened) along the path of bullet travel. A professional looking to make the deceased shooter a patsy would likely have fired from a vehicle or hide and recovered any brass. Similar fine fragmentation might be expected on frangible bullet impact with bone as would be anticipated with contact with a steel target.
That ammo might be able to be tracked to the shooter, and the composition of the bullet is sometimes compressed copper, not the ordinary lead or steel core found in most military surplus or newly made 7.62X39 ammo. If that ammunition is not frangible ammo, is the fragmentation normal (as in what would be expected) from bullets likely to have been fired from recovered cartridge cases?
Granted the Congressman's condition, his health and recovery are of paramount importance, and he should not be placed at risk for the sake of investigation, but an examination of the fragments in available medical images (and any recovered during surgery) may be sufficient to tell that tale, and herald the presence of what may be a deeper threat, should such exist--or, hopefully eliminate it completely.
Now this might sound like I'm trying to make a case for some 'shooter on the grassy knoll'. I am not.
I am trying to eliminate such speculation by getting the idea out in the open so it can be debunked now. Please, have at it, but use facts and cite sources, either way. We are lacking those at the moment, and without them, and in the midst of an ongoing investigation those might be hard to come by, all else is just wild-eyed speculation. If no one knows the answers, then someone should look.
I would absolutely love to think this was just some lone-wolf looney Lefty and
not a part of something bigger, but the only way I am willing to comfortably conclude that it was 'just one crazy' is to factually eliminate the other possibilities.
