</s>1 You met him? 2 A. No, I was with him all the way and nobody got in 3 between us. 4 BY SGT. MELENDRES: 5 Through the kitchen? 6 A A No, through the pantry doors. 7 Through the panty doors? 8 A Through the Pantry doors? 8 A Into what is the kitchen more or less, the start of the kitchen right by the ice machines just where I started 10 10 to walk by the Ice machines which were at the end of the table 11 where these people were standing, and this guy, he was wearing 12 at the time, no had a blue jacket on, powder blue. 13 BY SCT. PACHETT: 14 Light blue? 15 Light blue, and a white shirt and he had blue pants A 16 and I believe they had black checks, I'm not sure. 17 Q Would you describe the pants as light or dark? 18 A Would you desire the pantsas as light Or dark? 19 Q If you looked at the pants would you say they were 20 light or dark! 21 A Light. 22 A All right. 22 A And he was sitting there -- he was in kind of in a 24 A funny position, because he was kind of down -- like if he wo were 25 trying to protect himself from something. 26 Sitting where? Form 822 (0.3.3) 1 A He wan't sitting, he Was liko in a crouch. 2 BY SOT, IET BINDRES: 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary:  
The documents detail witness accounts and law enforcement investigations into the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. A deposition transcript describes a man wearing blue clothing (including a dark blue revolver) near Kennedy in the hotel’s kitchen area, where the shooting occurred after Kennedy approached him. Witnesses noted the shooter had a "stupid smile," was crouched or defensive, and fell into the arms of Rafer Johnson and another individual after being shot. The shooter was later identified as Sirhan Sirhan, with multiple witnesses confirming his presence near ice machines and tray stands. Law enforcement interviews included Sgt. Melendres, who described the suspect’s appearance and actions, and Richard Drew, a photographer who observed Kennedy fall to the floor following gunfire. Investigations by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) explored potential connections to political groups, including Marxist organizations and the Web Dubois Club, though these links were not conclusively established. Major Duarte’s account of an altercation involving Jaladipour and potential mistaken identity with Sirhan was noted as part of the broader investigation, with LAPD concluding it was likely a case of mistaken identification.  

Key People:  
- Robert F. Kennedy (victim)  
- Sirhan Sirhan (assassin, identified by multiple witnesses)  
- Rafer Johnson (sportscaster who restrained the shooter)  
- Carl Ucker (hotel captain who grabbed the gun)  
- Martin Polotsky (waiter who shook Kennedy’s hand)  
- Richard Drew (photographer at the Ambassador Hotel)  
- Major Duarte (interviewee discussing an altercation)  
- Jaladipour (individual involved in altercation with Duarte)  
- William T. Divale (linked to Walter Crowe Jr. and Marxist activities)  
- Kahn Bouzmond (possibly associated with the meeting involving Persians/Arabs)  

Key Locations:  
- Ambassador Hotel kitchen area (site of the assassination, near ice machines and tray stands)  
- Tray stand (used as a platform for the shooter and his companion)  
- Pasadena City College (location where William T. Divale met Walter Crowe Jr.)  

Key Events:  
- Robert F. Kennedy was shot in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen area after approaching an individual described as Sirhan Sirhan.  
- Witnesses reported multiple shots, with blood splattering on a witness’s face and the shooter falling into Rafer Johnson’s arms.  
- Law enforcement interviewed witnesses, including Sgt. Melendres and Richard Drew, to corroborate details of the shooting.  
- Major Duarte discussed an altercation involving Jaladipour, which was later deemed a case of mistaken identity by LAPD.  
- Investigations explored potential links between individuals and political groups, though these connections were not definitively proven.  

Key Organizations:  
- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) (conducted investigations into the assassination and Duarte’s altercation)  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (mentioned in context of surveillance and broader inquiries)  
- Communist Party (linked to Walter Crowe Jr.)  
- Web Dubois Club (organization associated with Walter Crowe Jr.)  
- Cuban Exile Organization (linked to Major Jose Duarte)

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-c-e_sec_002_ser_1--part_5_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search