Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed misleads viewers on JFK autopsy photographs -- making it appear that a White House photographer took additional pictures that are not in the record.

Robert Knudsen shown in screen shot from JFK: Destiny Betrayed

Here is an excerpt from a transcript: (17:07 in episode three)

Whoopi Goldberg: Doesn't this all lead to the question, if Stringer did not take these photographs, then who did?

[Robert Knudsen and Saundra Spencer]

Whoopi Goldberg: Robert Knudsen was one of the most fascinating stories that the Review Board encountered. Knudsen was a Navy photographer who was detailed to the White House in 1958. If you read his obituaries in the New York Times and the Washington Post, you will see that he is credited with photographing Kennedy's autopsy, except officially, he was not.

Douglas Horne: Robert Knudsen was not interviewed by the Warren Commission. So they finally found Robert Knudsen in 1978. And to its credit, the House Select Committee did a deposition. To their discredit, they never published it, they buried it for fifty years. And it got released in 1993 and I know why they buried it. Because everything he told them about autopsy photography contradicted what they thought they knew in the official record.

Oliver Stone: What did Knudsen tell them?

Douglas Horne: So he says, "Burkley had me develop these black and white negatives on Saturday, November 23rd, and that's when I saw photographs of probes in the body". Well, they didn't like that. They really didn't know whether to believe him or not, because there are no pictures of probes in the body, in the official collection. But he was sure that he developed those negatives and saw them.

Dr. David Mantik: He has never said he took photographs of the brain, but he implies that he was very busy taking photographs of the body. His wife was interviewed later by the Assassination Records Review Board. He told her that the photographs had been burned, deliberately, by the Secret Service, and that one photograph in particular, presumably the back of the head, had been severely altered. Gloria Knudsen was so disturbed by this after his death in 1989 that she actually contacted some of his colleagues there in the Navy, and they assured her that this was what he had told them, too. In fact, he had told them that he had seen photographs of the back of JFK's head that showed a large wound, low in the back of the head.

Douglas Horne: Stringer is still the autopsy photographer of record. I think they both took pictures. And I personally think that many of John Stringer's pictures never made it in to the official collection, and a lot of the ones we are looking at are Robert Knudsen's pictures.

A large part of this was in the two-hour JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, and I covered the problems of that segment here.

• Knudsen never claimed he was at the autopsy, and he told the HSCA that the autopsy photographs that he was shown were "roughly what I recall seeing."

• The supposed photograph that he saw with metal probes was a negative, and he said that he "just glanced at it."

• There is no evidence to support the claim that Knudsen was at the autopsy.

This post only covers what has been added to the segment.

Dr. David Mantik says that Mrs. Knudsen said that her husband claimed the autopsy photographs had been deliberately burnt by the Secret Service. Here is a link to the ARRB interviews with her and her family and there is no mention of this at all I have also prepared and gone through the transcripts of their interviews with the ARRB and I see no mention of any photographs being burned.

Mantik also mentions the colleagues that Mrs. Knudsen reached out to. Here is what she told Doug Horne:

According to Mrs. Knudsen, none of these people asked her husband if he had been at the autopsy, and he never told them that he had been there. Somehow they inferred it from "certain remarks" and from "the quality of the photographs," that "he may well have been at the autopsy."

It sounds like perhaps Knudsen might have had a few autopsy photographs and he showed them to one person.

That fact that Mrs. Knudsen would not divulge names to the ARRB to corroborate her account is telling.

Previous Relevant Blog Posts on JFK: Destiny Betrayed

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on General Curtis LeMay, Part Two

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, alleges that General Curtis LeMay was at JFK's autopsy.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on General Curtis LeMay, Part One

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, claims that General Curtis LeMay was ordered by General Zuckert to land at Andrews Air Force Base from his holiday in Canada, and that LeMay then decided to go to National Airport. That is not what happened.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part Three

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers on the opinions of Parkland Hospital doctors and Bethesda witnesses regarding JFK's head wound.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on David Ferrie and the CIA

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, erroneously claims that David Ferrie was an asset of the CIA and that he also flew missions for the CIA. This is simply not true.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Israel and Nuclear Weapons

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, makes it appear that Israel was about to use nuclear weapons in the 1973 Yom Kippur war. A key important fact was left out.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Dr. Charles Crenshaw

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, features Dr. Charles Crenshaw to bolster its claim that President Kennedy was shot from the front. Viewers are not informed of Dr. Crenshaw's credibility problems

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on the Harper Fragment

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers into thinking the Harper fragment was occipital bone that came from the back of Kennedy's head

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part Two

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, tries to make the case that because Parkland Hospital doctors saw cerebellum extruding from Kennedy's head wound, that it indicated an exit wound.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on JFK's Head Wound, Part One

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series JFK: Destiny Betrayed uses a variety of supposed witnesses to allege that the wound in the back of Kennedy's head was one of exit. Audrey Bell is one such witness and she doesn't have much credibility.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Jack Ruby

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers on the motivations of Jack Ruby.

The Enabling of Oliver Stone

An essay on the intellectual monstrosity of JFK: Destiny Betrayed.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Otto Otepka

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers into believing that Otto Otepka uncovered evidence that Oswald was a fake defector.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads by Claiming Jack Ruby was Signaled

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, alleges that Jack Ruby was signaled by car horns in the basement of the Dallas Police Department. The evidence clearly shows that there were many horns being sounded in the basement.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Supposed Extra Bullet, Part Two

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, misleads viewers by intimating that that there was a through-and-through hole in the windshield. This is simply not true.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Oswald's Income

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, makes the erroneous claim that Lee Harvey Oswald was not paid for his last quarter of service in the U.S. Marines.

Oliver Stone Disses the Sixth Floor Museum

JFK: Destiny Betrayed needlessly, and unfairly, criticizes the Sixth Floor Museum.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Supposed Extra Bullet

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary series, JFK: Destiny Betrayed, alleges that an extra bullet was found in JFK's limousine the evening of the assassination. This is just not true.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on CIA Involvement in Plot against de Gaulle

JFK: Destiny Betrayed alleges the CIA was involved in an assassination plot against French President Charles de Gaulle. Scenes from a fictional film are used to buttress the allegation. The truth - the CIA had nothing to do with the supposed plot.

"JFK: Destiny Betrayed" Misleads on Allen Dulles and the Warren Commission

The evidence is clear - Robert Kennedy wanted Allen Dulles on the Warren Commission.

What Ever Happened to Jim Garrison?

Jim Garrison is AWOL in Oliver Stone's so-called documentary JFK: Destiny Betrayed.

Previous Relevant Blog Posts on JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass

Oliver Stone Admits "JFK Revisited" is a Flop

Oliver Stone is disappointed that no major movie or TV reviewers have commented on his so-called documentary.

Oliver Stone Claims the Zapruder Film was Altered

Yes, Oliver Stone is an alterationist.

"Guilt by Orientation" - The CIA Strikes Again!

James Kirchick's terrific article on Oliver Stone and homosexuality.

Is the JFK assassination linked to 9/11 and Covid-19?

Just when I thought conspiracy theorists couldn't get any crazier.

Two Important Posts Debunk "JFK Revisited"

Tracy Parnell debunks a series about JFK Revisited on the WhoWhatWhy website, and Andrew Jackson debunks the film on Quora. Both articles are well worth your time.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Autopsy Photographs of JFK, Part Two

Did Saundra Spencer really develop a completely different set of autopsy photographs?

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on Autopsy Photographs of JFK

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary tries to make the case that a White House photographer took photos at the autopsy. The only problem is that there is no evidence he was actually there.

Oliver Stone Pulls the Wool Over Joe Rogan's Eyes, Part Two

Stone misspeaks on the Joe Rogan show about JFK's brain.

Oliver Stone Pulls the Wool over Joe Rogan's Eyes

Stone misspeaks on the Joe Rogan show and I present a challenge to conspiracy theorists.

Jefferson Morley and "JFK Revisited"

Tracy Parnell dissects Morley's article on JFK assassination documents and "JFK Revisited"

"JFK Revisited" Misleads by Putting Words in Kennedy's Mouth, Part Two

Did President Kennedy actually say that he was going to shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the wind?

"JFK Revisited" Misleads by Putting Words in Kennedy's Mouth...

David Talbot claims that JFK told the French Ambassador that he was not in full control of his entire government. There is no evidence he ever said that.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on Supposed CIA Support of the 1961 Coup Attempt in France Oliver Stone's so-called documentary claims the CIA supported the 1961 coup attempt against French President Charles de Gaulle in 1961. The only thing missing is evidence.

Max Boot on Oliver Stone's Lies

Max Boot: Oliver Stone just can't stop spreading lies about JFK's assassination.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on Valery Giscard D'Estaing

Did Gerald Ford really disclose to French President Valery Giscard D'Estaing that the JFK assassination was a conspiracy? Perhaps not.

"JFK Revisited" Star Believes in a Massive COVID Conspiracy

Robert Kennedy, Jr. believes in a massive conspiracy regarding Covid and the intelligence agencies.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on Kennedy's Back Wound

While Gerald Ford edited some language in the Warren Report, he did not change the location of the back wound. Autopsy photographs show exactly the location of the back wound.

"JFK Revisited" alleges Oswald was "placed"

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary alleges that Oswald was "moved" to Dallas and "placed" in the Texas School Book Depository. This is totally ridiculous.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Throat Wound

The preponderance of the evidence indicates JFK's throat wound was one of exit.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Supposed Chicago Plot There is no evidence that there was actually a plot against JFK in Chicago.

Was James Gochenaur a Credible Witness in "JFK Revisited"?

Gochenaur's writings don't back up his allegations in JFK Revisited.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on Guy Banister

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary claims that Guy Banister gave Oswald a room at 544 Camp Street. The evidence does not support the allegation.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on JFK's Brain, Again...

Dr. Robert Kirschner's consultation with the ARRB explains a mystery in the documentary.

"JFK Revisited" Misleads on the Weight of JFK's Brain

JFK Revisited makes a big deal about the weight of JFK's brain and ignores a non-conspiratorial explanation.

JFK Revisited Distorts John Stringer's Testimony

Oliver Stone's so-called documentary makes it sound like the autopsy photographer said that he did not take the photos of JFK's brain that are in the current inventory,

JFK Revisited Lays an Egg

Oliver Stone took to Twitter last weekend to bemoan the fact that the mainstream press is ignoring his so-called documentary, JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass.

Oliver Stone with "JFK Revisited" Crucifies Clay Shaw Once Again

There is something really obscene about Oliver Stone once again going after Clay Shaw.

JFK Revisited Doesn't Tell the Whole Truth about John Connally

You won't learn everything you need to know about Connally's position on the shots from Oliver Stone's so-called documentary.

JFK Revisited Uses Marina Porter to Mislead Viewers

Oliver Stone tries to make it seem like Marina Porter has denied taking the backyard photographs of Lee Harvey Oswald.

JFK Revisited: Were the Oswald Backyard Photographs Faked?

Oliver Stone once again raises the issue of the legitimacy of the backyard photographs of Lee Harvey Oswald.

JFK Revisited: Was Clay Shaw the elusive Clay Bertrand?

This post debunks every witness that has ever claimed Shaw was Bertrand.

Oliver Stone's Poverty of Imagination

He cannot imagine any sort of non-conspiratorial explanations for any of the suspicious pieces of evidence in his film.

Was Clay Shaw a "Contract Agent" for the CIA?

No, Clay Shaw was not a "contract agent."

Steve Roe Blog Posts on JFK Revisited & JFK: Destiny Betrayed

Oswald's Marine Corps 3rd Quarter Pay False Mystery

Oswald was paid by the Marine Corps, not ONI, CIA or any other Intelligence agency.

Cartoonists Oliver Stone and James DiEugenio try to Dupe the Public about Dr. Malcolm Perry

JFK: Destiny Betrayed doesn't tell the whole truth about Dr. Malcolm Perry.

Oliver Stone's JFK: Destiny Betrayed Film Never Checked the Facts

Steve Roe finds additional evidence that debunks the allegation in JFK: Destiny Betrayed

that Oswald not paid by the Marines for the 3rd quarter of 1959.

Oliver Stone Disses the Sixth Floor Museum

Stone and DiEugenio falsely accuse the Sixth Floor Museum as openly promoting Oswald as the Assassin.

Oliver Stone's JFK Revisited Screenwriter Reprimanded by ARRB in 1998

An exchange of letters between James DiEugenio and Jeremy Gunn of the ARRB.

Is This How Real Documentaries Are Made? There is some 'interesting' editing in Oliver Stone's so-called documentary.

JFK Revisited Screen Writer Crawfishes on Dallas to Chicago Airmail Overnight Delivery James DiEugenio changes his story on the Klein's money order.

Debunking Another JFK Myth - Overnight Mail from Dallas to Chicago

Conspiracy theorist James DiEugenio doesn't understand the history of the mail deliver in the United States.

JFK Revisited: More Deception and Half-Truths

The truth about Jack Ruby and the FBI.

JFK Revisited: Again, Caught Creating False Mysteries "Stone/DiEugenio hatch another Bogus Mystery with Sinister Strap/Sling Mounts on Oswald's Rifle"

JFK Revisited: Tripping on the Stairs

Oliver Stone claims that Oswald could not have been in the sniper's nest on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. Steve Roe exposes Stone's mistakes.

Oliver Stone doubles-down on the Looney Frontal Shot to the President

In an interview on RT [Russia Today], Oliver Stone says that the throat wound might have been made by a flechette.

Oliver Stone - Deceptive Filmmaker?

Steve Roe presents some examples of Oliver Stone's 'creative' abilities.

A Look at the "JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass" Film by Oliver Stone

Oliver Stone distorts the testimony about Oswald's palmprint on the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle.