Nov. 13 Documentary on JFK Assassination Highlights Use of Leica ScanStation Technology in Shooting Scene Reconstructions

Leica ScanStation PS20 is used to recreate and analyze the crime scene and possible bullet trajectories as part of a NOVA documentary that re-examines the evidence using modern scientific tools.

Norcross, GA, November 7, 2013 – What really happened in Dealey Plaza in the West End district of downtown Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963? Did Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, fire the bullet that killed President John F. Kennedy and wounded Governor John Connally? Or were additional shooters involved as part of a larger conspiracy?

On Nov. 13, 2013, the NOVA documentary COLD CASE JFK will follow a group of experts who re-examine some of the unsolved mysteries of the Kennedy assassination using modern scientific tools. Among the group is Michael Haag, a forensic scientist with a major southwestern law enforcement agency and an independent forensic science consultant specializing in shooting scene reconstructions.

As part of the investigation, Haag traveled to Dealey Plaza where he was joined by Tony Grissim of Leica Geosystems, a technical advisor for the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners. Using a Leica ScanStation PS20, the team spent an entire day collecting laser scan data from the plaza and from inside the Texas School Book Depository (now known as "The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza") where the shooting is said to have taken place.

“With the scan data, once you go in and start either putting yourself in a particular viewpoint or taking some of those measurements, it’s pretty easy to begin knocking some of those [conspiracy] theories down … or see what is possible,” Haag said in an interview with Leica Geosystems. Read the full story and download an exclusive behind-the-scenes podcast interview here.

“Cold Case JFK”will air on Nov. 13, 2013, at 9 pm ET on PBS as part of a series that commemorates the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death. Watch the preview here: http://video.pbs.org/widget/partnerplayer/2365105347/.

Photo caption: The Leica ScanStation in Dealey Plaza, the location of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The sixth floor corner window of the Texas School Book Depository (now a museum) is visible just above the tree line. Photo by Tony Grissim

Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
With close to 200 years of pioneering solutions to measure the world, Leica Geosystems products and services are trusted by professionals worldwide to help them capture, analyze, and present spatial information. Leica Geosystems is best known for its broad array of products that capture accurately, model quickly, analyze easily, and visualize and present spatial information. Those who use Leica Geosystems products every day trust them for their dependability, the value they deliver, and the superior customer support. Based in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, Leica Geosystems is a global company with tens of thousands of customers supported by more than 3,500 employees in 28 countries and hundreds of partners located in more than 120 countries around the world. Leica Geosystems is part of Hexagon, a leading global provider of design, measurement and visualization technologies that enable customers to design, measure and position objects, and process and present data.