</s>UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE D.P.R FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION In Reply, Please Refer to File No. WASHINGTON, D.C. 203535 June 17, 1968 ASSASSINATION OF SENATOR ROBERT F. KENNEDY LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA A United Press International release on June 13, 1968, indicated an unidentified Arab Government had passed new and started an information Arab officials rela- tive to Starling's Information It was reported to Congress- pondent John Kimshara Sirhara London It is reported for cha- Sirhan had traveled in the Middle East in 1964 for seven months. He allegedly returned to the Middle Eastern in 1966 spending five months in Cairo, Egypt, before returning to the United States in the beginning of 1967. A Reuters dispatch on June 15, 1968, additionally reported that this individual's full name, according to Kimche, was this individual, full name. This indi- visual, according according to the dispatch, first brought to the United States in 1928 when he was four years old. He was allegedly married upon a return to the middle East on June 27, 1957, to Lella Usset Michael at Es Salt, Jordan. Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service show that Sirhana Sirhania Sirhan entered the United States on January 1957, his date of birth was given as Jerusalem, 1967. PII Investigation by our Los Angeles Office reveals he took up residence with his family in Pasadena, California, immediately upon his entry into the United States attending the Pasadena city schools until graduation from the John Muir High School in June, 1963, Thereafter he attended Pasadena City College until May of 1965. Investigation reveals that during 1964 Sirhan Bisharan Sirhan was attending school and employed at two Pasadena, California, service stations, Investigation further indicates that during 1966 was continuously the Pasadena, California, area, 66.2.C File 27 DEPARTMENT: JUN 5 1969 mh R.A.O.

Summary  
The documents detail federal and local investigations into the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is identified as the suspect, with evidence indicating his presence at the scene. The FBI and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) conducted interviews with witnesses, including Rafer Lewis Johnson, an Olympic champion who allegedly questioned Sirhan post-assassination, and Jesus Perez, who observed Sirhan holding a gun after the shooting. Investigations into Sirhan’s background revealed he had resided in Pasadena, California since 1957, attending school and working at service stations. His family, including four brothers, was interviewed by the FBI, confirming his U.S. residency since arrival in 1957. The Department of State received conflicting information from Jordan regarding Sirhan’s father denying involvement claims. A United Press International report suggested an Arab government provided details on Sirhan, but this was deemed unfounded. Delays in Kennedy’s itinerary due to election returns led to his movement between locations at the hotel. Mrs. Ethel Kennedy, his wife, was reportedly near him during the shooting but had not been interviewed by authorities. Additional documents include FBI and LAPD interviews with 207 hotel employees, including Roosevelt Grier (a professional football player who helped disarm Sirhan) and Louis Shelby (a restaurant owner linked to Sirhan’s employment history). The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office concluded there was no evidence linking Sirhan to the assassination or other individuals. The FBI requested permission to interview Mrs. Ethel Kennedy. A separate telegram from the U.S. Department of State notes a report by John A. Sweede, a U.S. citizen in Singapore, who claimed a hotel waiter at Hotel Bagdad inquired about Kennedy’s shooting before it was confirmed on June 5, 1968.  

Key People  
- **Sirhan Bishara Sirhan**: Suspect identified as the assassin; lived in Pasadena since 1957, attended school and worked at service stations.  
- **Rafer Lewis Johnson**: Olympic champion who allegedly questioned Sirhan post-assassination.  
- **Jesus Perez**: Witness who saw Sirhan with a gun after Kennedy was shot.  
- **Mrs. Ethel Kennedy**: Senator’s wife reportedly near him during the shooting; requested FBI interview.  
- **Roosevelt Grier**: Professional football player who assisted in disarming Sirhan.  
- **Louis Shelby**: Restaurant owner where Sirhan had been employed; suspected of potential involvement in Zionist goals.  
- **John A. Sweede**: U.S. citizen in Singapore who reported an inquiry about Kennedy’s shooting to embassy officials.  
- **Stephen J. Pollak**: Assistant Attorney General involved in coordinating federal investigations.  
- **Ramsey Clark**: U.S. Attorney General addressing conspiracy theories and legal actions.  
- **E. Ernst Schaefer**: Sent a letter to Ramsey Clark discussing alleged ties between Sirhan and an Arabic Student Organization, as well as broader conspiracy theories involving Middle Eastern groups like El-Fatah.  
- **Mrs. Lenora Salvucci**: Wrote to Congressman William H. Bates expressing concerns about government conspiracies in the assassinations of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California**: Site of Senator Kennedy’s assassination on June 5, 1968.  
- **Pasadena, California**: Sirhan’s residence and place of education/work.  
- **Hotel Bagdad, Singapore**: Site of the alleged conversation about Kennedy’s shooting reported by John A. Sweede.  
- **Tel Aviv, Israel**: Embassy where information about Sirhan was relayed to the U.S. Department of State.  
- **Jordan**: Sirhan’s family connections and alleged travel history.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Conducted interviews with witnesses and hotel employees.  

Key Events  
- **June 5, 1968**: Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.  
- **Post-assassination Investigations**: FBI and LAPD interviewed witnesses, hotel staff, and associates of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan to determine his involvement.  
- **Legal Proceedings**: Sirhan Bisharan was charged with murder; Mr. Wilbur Littlefield was appointed as his public defender due to financial constraints.  
- **Conspiracy Theories**: Letters from E. Ernst Schaefer and Mrs. Lenora Salvucci raised questions about government complicity, Middle Eastern groups, and connections between the assassinations of JFK and RFK.  
- **International Report**: John A. Sweede reported an inquiry about Kennedy’s shooting to U.S. embassy officials in Singapore before it was confirmed.  
- **Government Radio Broadcast**: On June 5, 1968, a government radio broadcast reported Kennedy’s shooting, which was later confirmed as the assassination.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted primary investigation into the assassination and coordination with legal authorities.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Collaborated with FBI on the investigation; conducted interviews with witnesses and hotel employees.  
- **Department of State**: Received and relayed information about Sirhan from foreign embassies, including reports from Singapore.  
- **U.S. Department of Justice**: Oversaw legal responses, including injunctions against Jim Garrison’s investigation into JFK’s murder.  
- **Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office**: Reviewed evidence and concluded no link between Sirhan and the assassination.  
- **Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)**: Provided records on Sirhan’s U.S. entry and residency.

RFK Declassified Files

166-12c-1_section_2-part_2_of_4.pdf

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