</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum TO : ADDP DATE: 8 July 1968 FROM : C/TSD SUBJECT: Assessment of Sirhan Dear Cord, If felt, after talking to you about the original assessment statement on Sirhan, that the essence of what the psychologist were trying to say could be said more succinctly. They have made another attempt at resting the way they see Sirhan and I think have done better this time. Attached is the restated assessment. Sid

Summary  
This document contains a personality assessment of Sirhan Sirhan, conducted by psychological professionals in 1968, following the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. The assessment discusses Sirhan's handwriting analysis, noting that media coverage may have influenced their interpretation. It acknowledges the difficulty in accurately describing Sirhan’s mental state due to limited information and potential contamination from external sources. The evaluators conclude that Sirhan appears to be an impulsive individual who might act unpredictably under stress, comparing him to historical assassins like James A. Garfield and William McKinley rather than calculated killers such as Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. The text also references conspiracy theories, suggesting Sirhan could have been a tool of a larger plot, though the likelihood of effective coordination is deemed low.  

Key People  
- Sirhan Sirhan: The individual assessed for potential mental illness and impulsive behavior.  
- Robert F. Kennedy (RFK): The assassinated senator, whose assassination is the context for Sirhan’s evaluation.  
- James A. Garfield: Historical figure cited as an example of an impulsive assassin.  
- William McKinley: Another historical figure referenced in comparison to Sirhan.  
- Abraham Lincoln: Mentioned as a contrast to Sirhan’s alleged impulsiveness.  
- John F. Kennedy: Cited alongside Lincoln as an example of a calculated assassin.  

Key Locations  
- No specific locations are mentioned in the document.  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy (1968): The context for Sirhan’s assessment.  
- Historical assassinations of James A. Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1901), Abraham Lincoln (1865), and John F. Kennedy (1963): Used as comparative examples in the analysis.  

Key Organizations  
- No specific organizations are mentioned in the document.

RFK Declassified Files

07165464_memorandum_assessment_of_sirhan.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search