There are countless theories centering around the controversial medical evidence related to President John F. Kennedy’s mysterious death. Recently, two new pieces of testimony have emerged, shedding further light on the mystery surrounding Kennedy's brain and adding to the intrigue surrounding this historic event. Check them out in our latest article.
Alternatively, keep reading for the gist of these testimonies and their implications.
The Mastrovito Interview
The first testimony regarding JFK’s medical evidence comes from James M. Mastrovito, a 20-year veteran of the Secret Service who served from 1959 to 1979.
The Relevance of James M. Mastrovito
Mastrovito's career included a stint on the White House detail from 1960 to 1962, and he eventually rose to become the Director of the Intelligence Division within the Secret Service. What makes Mastrovito's account particularly intriguing is his involvement with the Kennedy file, which contained a substantial amount of material related to the president.
The Testimony
The most astonishing revelation from Mastrovito's interview with the Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) was his claim that he had received a piece of President Kennedy's brain. He described the brain matter as being contained in a vial with an identifying label.
Notably, the vial was from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). When asked who had handed him the vial, Mastrovito stated that it was Walter Young, the first chief of the Intelligence Division, who had given it to him.
Unfortunately, Young had passed away a year before Mastrovito's interview. Shockingly, Mastrovito disclosed that he had disposed of the contents of the vial in a machine designed to destroy food.
The Vrtacnik Interview
Ken Vrtacnik worked at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) from 1964 to 1965. He was interviewed by Dave Montague and Doug Horne, who were part of the ARRB medical inquiry.
In his interview, Vrtacnik confirmed and supported the testimony given by Mastrovito. He disclosed that he saw President Kennedy's brain during his tenure at AFIP. According to Vrtacnik, the brain specimen was stored securely in a locked room as part of the AFIP complex.
Like Mastrovito, Vrtacnik was certain that it was Kennedy's brain because it was clearly labeled as such. He also emphasized that the brain specimen was subject to strict control and security measures.
The Plot Thickens
The revelations by Mastrovito and Vrtacnik add a new layer of mystery and controversy to JFK’s medical evidence.
In his documentaries JFK Revisited and JFK: Destiny Betrayed, Oliver Stone had previously raised questions about the weight and condition of Kennedy's brain based on available evidence. Stone argued that the official weight of Kennedy's brain, reported as 1500 grams, appeared inconsistent with the extensive damage caused by a gunshot to the head, as seen in the Zapruder film and reported by medical personnel at both Parkland and Bethesda.
Additionally, the condition of the brain, as described by witnesses, was severely damaged, with some reporting that a third of the brain was missing. However, the photographic evidence from the autopsy contradicted these accounts, showing a relatively intact brain with minimal disruption.
If the autopsy was conducted at Bethesda Naval Hospital and President Kennedy's brain was handed over to Admiral George Burkley for internment, how did a part of Kennedy's brain end up at the AFIP?
More importantly, why are we only hearing about this now? Read our articles to follow this line of inquiry into the assassination of John F. Kennedy. You can also support our decades-old cause through the contribution methods mentioned on our website.
Reach out for feedback and support.
