</s>FBI TAMPA 1040AM URGENT 6/5/68 ELR 10 ALL SACS FROM DIRECTOR 1F ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF SENATOR ROBERT F. KENNEDY, LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA. JUNE FIVE. SIXTEIGHT. AN ASSAILANI, AS YET UNIDENTIFIED BUI WHO IS IN CUSTODY OF LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENI, ATTEMPTIED THE ASSASSINATIOH OF SENIOR ROBERT E. KENNETH A. TELVELVED FIFTEEN A.M ., TODAY, IN THE BALLROOM OF THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL. LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIAL. THE FBI IS RENDERING ALL POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIVE ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES. INCLUDING THE SERVICES OF THE FBI LABORATORY AND IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. IF YOU RECEIVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATERI. IF BUREAU AND LOS INVESTIGATION BE EXPEDIOUSLY ADVISED AND ALL NECESSARY INVESTICATION IMMEDIATELY INITIATED. NO COMMENT SHOULD BE MADE 10 THE PRESS WITH RESPECT 10 THE QUESTION OF FBI JORDISICATION EXCEPT THAT THE FBI Is RENDENDERANCE AS INDICATED ABOVE. END 24-729-1 HOLD FOR ANOTHER ALL SAG SEARCHED N SERIALATED N A SoyleWy 00.LA 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176 BHNSSEFI MIAMI

The documents detail FBI records related to multiple investigations involving individuals connected to the RFK assassination and other federal inquiries. One case focuses on Sirhan Bishara Shirian, a Jordan-born individual arrested for attempting to assassinate Senator Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. Shirian, described as a former exercise boy at Santa Anita Race Track, was identified through FBI coordination with local authorities and assigned the code name "RENSAIL" for internal communications. The FBI requested information on potential conspiracies, distributed photographs of Shirian to field offices, and issued instructions for reporting related activities. Case files were closed on June 24, 1968, and reviewed again on July 16, 1968, with no new leads identified. Another case involves Pernell Ezzell, a Florida resident with a history of legal issues including revoked driver’s licenses in Florida and North Carolina due to accidents and alcohol-related incidents. Ezzell was interviewed by the FBI in Shreveport, Louisiana, on August 27, 1968, where he denied involvement in the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. or RFK, though his erratic behavior, financial struggles, and substance abuse were noted as potential risks. The FBI also closed files on cases labeled "KENSALT" and "MURKENI" via an airtel from Tampa SAC to the FBI Director on October 14, 1968, confirming prior instructions and disseminating Letters of Instruction (LIMs) to agencies including CIA, Secret Service, OSI, MI, and NISO.  

Key People  
- **Sirhan Bishara Shirian** (also referred to as SIRIAN BISHARA SIRIHAN): Perpetrator of the RFK assassination attempt; former exercise boy at Santa Anita Race Track, born March 19, 1944, in Jordan.  
- **Homer Newman**: FBI Miami Office agent who relayed instructions from Atlanta Division regarding reporting riots or violent demonstrations related to the assassination.  
- **John R. M. Whelan**: FBI Tampa SAC involved in coordinating responses and case management.  
- **Donald Kelly** and **Jonah Carroll**: Individuals who reported potential threats or information about the assassination attempt.  
- **William F. Doyle**: Case agent assigned to the RFK investigation.  
- **Pernell Ezzell**: Florida resident investigated for legal issues, including revoked licenses and alleged erratic behavior.  
- **Mrs. Fay Ezzell**: Ezzell’s wife who reported his job search in California and financial struggles.  
- **Emory A. Dowling, Jr.** and **Frank Wetzel**: Former employers of Ezzell.  
- **Violet Alred**: Ezzell’s girlfriend, nurse at Clear Lake Manor Nursing Home.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Site of the RFK assassination attempt; location associated with Shirian’s background (Santa Anita Race Track).  
- **Tampa, Florida**: FBI office involved in case coordination and administrative tasks.  
- **Miami, Florida**: FBI Miami Office referenced in communications.  
- **Shreveport, Louisiana**: Location of FBI interview with Pernell Ezzell.  
- **Orlando, Florida**: Ezzell’s residence and former employment location.  
- **North Carolina**: Site of accidents leading to license revocations for Ezzell.  
- **Charleston, South Carolina**; **Jacksonville, Florida**; **Memphis, Tennessee**; **New Orleans, Louisiana**: Locations referenced in case closures and agency coordination.  

Key Events  
- **June 5, 1968**: Attempted assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles by Sirhan Bishara Shirian.  
- **June 6–7, 1968**: FBI Tampa and Miami offices coordinated case management, distributed photographs of Shirian to field divisions, and issued instructions for reporting related activities.  
- **June 24, 1968**: Airtel communication confirming closure of the RFK investigation (NUCD) unless new leads emerged.  
- **July 16, 1968**: Review of case files indicating all logical leads had been exhausted in the RFK investigation.  
- **August 27, 1968**: FBI interview with Pernell Ezzell in Shreveport, Louisiana, where he denied involvement in MLK or RFK assassinations and described his travel history and substance abuse.  
- **October 14, 1968**: Tampa SAC issued airtel closing files on "KENSALT" and "MURKENI," disseminating LIMs to agencies including CIA, Secret Service, OSI, MI, and NISO.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Central agency managing the RFK investigation, coordinating with local law enforcement, and handling case reports.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department**: Arrested Shirian following the assassination attempt.  
- **Secret Service**: Mentioned in LIM dissemination for jurisdictional authority.  
- **Office of Security Investigations (OSI)**: Involved in case closures and agency coordination.  
- **Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)**: Referenced in LIM dissemination.  
- **Military Intelligence (MI)**: Included in LIM distribution.  
- **National Investigative Service Organization (NISO)**: Mentioned in LIM dissemination.  
- **Perdue Radio and Television Company**: Former employer of Pernell Ezzell.

RFK Declassified Files

44-tp-729.pdf

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