WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Dartmouth Scientist: Oswald Rifle Photo Real

Dartmouth Scientist: Oswald Rifle Photo Real

Hanover, New Hampshire - November 11, 2009

There has been no shortage of conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. From the disputed magic bullet theory, to the claim that there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll, people have questioned who was behind the president's death. But Dartmouth College forensic scientist Hany Farid is trying to put at least one of the conspiracies to rest. It surrounds a backyard photograph taken of Lee Harvey Oswald; the person the Warren Commission found was solely responsible for Kennedy's murder.

"The shadow cast by Oswald's body is sort of long and off to his right so that suggests that the sun was up and to his left. But the shadow under his nose is very long and almost straight down so that suggests a light from above," Farid explained.

Farid says that the inconsistencies in two shadows seen by the naked eye suggest that the photo was doctored. So he set out to find out if that was actually the case. Using high-tech digital software, Farid created a 3-D model of Oswald, and then recreated the photo to see if the shadows are where they are supposed to be.

"Once you have a full 3-D model and you know where the camera is and you know where the light is and you know where Oswald is, you simply have to ask the question are the shadows consistent? That is do they look like what they look like in the origin photograph? And down to you know the most small details, the shadows match almost perfectly," Farid said.

Farid says that when it comes to shadows, the brain has a difficult time processing what it sees. Therefore, he says what seems out of place, like the shadow under Oswald's nose, is actually just the mind making mistakes.

"When you are relying on your brain and your visual system to make assessment of authenticity or other aspect of what you see is digital media, you have to be exceedingly careful. Because while the brain and visual systems are very good at certain things, it is also very bad," Farid said. "So the really bigger story here, is not Oswald-Kennedy, it's that you need to be careful when you believe what you see because often you are actually wrong."

Farid says his findings are not about conspiracies-- rather the role digital forensics can play when trying to crack a case.

Farid says his next project is to determine whether those popular YouTube videos of basketball players making full court shots are real.

Adam Sullivan - WCAX News