</s>LA 56-156 PAGE FOUR MISCELLANEOUS ON JUNE TWENTYSEVEN LAST, LOCAL PRESS CARRIED STORY CONCERNING ARREST OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS AT LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAIL WHO HAD EXPLOSIVES IN THEIR POSSESSION. THESE INDIVIDUALS HAD APPEARED COUNTY JAIL TO BAIL A FRIEND OUT; WERE AROUND FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND IN VIEW OF TIGHT SECURITY AT JAIL WERE CHECKED OUT AS BEING SUSPICIOUS. LOCATED IN THEIR VEHICLE WERE SEVERALL M ONE ONE, FIVE EIGHT TWO GROUND BURST ARTILLERY SIMULATORS ALONG WITH MARIJUANA AND A KNIFE. THESE INDIVIVIDULALS WERE BOOKED ON SEVERAAL CHARGES. ARSON EXPLOSSIVE DETAIL, LASO ADVISED SIMULATOR'S NOT CONSIDERED EXPLOSPIVES UNDER LAW, BUT CONSIDERED MORE OF A PYROTECHNIC device. LOCAL PRESS TODAY REPEATED STORYCONCERNING THE FOUR INDIVIVALLS CHARGED WITH BRINGING EXPLODIVES ONTO JAIL GROUNDS AND INDICATED IN ARTICLE THAT THIS WAS THE JAIL IN WHICH SIRHAN B. SIRHIAN IS BEING HELD AWAITING TRIAL. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details multiple aspects of the investigation into Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination and related events involving Sirhan B. Sirhan, including arrests at Los Angeles County Jail for possessing pyrotechnic devices, witness accounts of the Ambassador Hotel shooting, and FBI background checks on Sirhan. Four individuals were arrested for carrying non-explosive pyrotechnics during a visit to the jail where Sirhan was detained pending trial; these arrests were deemed unrelated to his case. Witnesses such as Vincent Di Pierro and Walter Dombrow provided conflicting accounts of Kennedy’s speech and subsequent shooting, with Di Pierro later admitting to fabricating details about a female companion of Sirhan. Acquaintances of Sirhan, including BLESS and LAYFIELD, described casual interactions without political affiliations or prior knowledge of his activities. The FBI compiled information on Sirhan’s personal life, employment, and alleged connections, while documenting logistical preparations for his trial, including bulletproof measures at the Hall of Justice. A letter referencing Sirhan’s alleged arrest in Baghdad for spying was noted but not confirmed.  

The document also includes an FBI investigation into an attempted assassination of Saidallah Bishara Sirhan on July 3, 1968, involving two vehicles—Volkswagen bus and Chevrolet sedan—that allegedly boxed him in while driving on the Pasadena Freeway. Two .38 caliber projectiles were recovered, though Sirhan denied owning firearms but was later found with a rifle case and ammunition belt in his car. A polygraph examination suggested he lied about the incident. Witness accounts of RFK’s assassination at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968, include Lon Bruce Rubin reporting six shots and observing a woman with blood fleeing the kitchen area, while George Plimpton claimed to be near Kennedy on stage but did not see the shooter.  

Additional FBI reports from July 1968 outline Sirhan’s arrest following RFK’s assassination, his charges of attempted murder and murder, and court proceedings. Physical evidence, including a .22 caliber revolver used in the shooting, was detailed alongside bullet trajectories. The coroner’s report on Kennedy’s death was delayed. Sirhan’s trial preparations included psychiatric evaluations, media restrictions via court orders, and his transfer to a secure facility at Los Angeles County Jail. Mary Sirian visited Sirhan in jail, while Ben Herrick, a gun store owner, sold ammunition to Sirhan and circulated petitions against gun control legislation. A Peace and Freedom Party meeting on June 24, 1968, involved checking attendees for resemblance to Sirhan.  

Key People  
- **Sirhan B. Sirhan**: Accused of assassinating RFK; arrested in connection with the assassination and later charged with attempted murder and murder.  
- **Vincent Di Pierro**: Waiter at Ambassador Hotel who lied about witnessing events, later admitting to fabricating details about a female companion of Sirhan.  
- **Walter Dombrow**: CBS news crew member who filmed Kennedy’s speech; provided witness account of the shooting.  
- **Lon Bruce Rubin**: Witness to RFK’s assassination; reported hearing six shots and seeing a woman with blood fleeing the kitchen area.  
- **George Plimpton**: Witness who claimed to be near Kennedy on stage during his speech but did not observe the shooter.  
- **Ben Herrick**: Gun store owner who sold ammunition to Sirhan and circulated petitions against gun control legislation.  
- **Mary Sirian**: Sirhan’s mother; visited him in jail and accompanied her son Adel during a visit to his new location.  
- **John Fahey**: Provided information to LAPD about activities at the Ambassador Hotel but was deemed unreliable by authorities.  
- **Gerald Light Goldstein** and **Jose Duarte**: LAFPP members who attended a meeting and were interviewed regarding potential sightings of Sirhan.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles County Jail**: Site of Sirhan’s detention pending trial; included secure cells with heavy surveillance.  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles**: Location of RFK’s assassination on June 5, 1968; site of witness accounts and physical evidence analysis.  
- **Pasadena Freeway**: Site of the alleged attempted assassination of Saidallah Bishara Sirhan on July 3, 1968.  
- **Hall of Justice**: Location of trial preparations for Sirhan, including bulletproof measures.  
- **Huntington Drive, San Gabriel**: Address of Ben Herrick’s gun store where petitions against gun control were displayed.  

Key Events  
- **June 5, 1968**: RFK was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel; witnesses reported gunfire and chaos during his speech.  
- **July 3, 1968**: Sirhan reported being shot by two vehicles on the Pasadena Freeway; police recovered .38 caliber bullets.  
- **Polygraph Examination**: Conducted on Sirhan regarding the shooting incident; results indicated he lied about his account.  
- **Coroner’s Report Delay**: The coroner’s report on Kennedy’s death was delayed for at least one week.  
- **Trial Preparations**: Sirhan’s psychiatric evaluations, media restrictions via court orders, and transfer to a secure facility at Los Angeles County Jail.  
- **Peace and Freedom Party Meeting (June 24, 1968)**: Attendees were checked against Sirhan’s photographs for potential sightings.  

Key Organizations  
- **FBI**: Conducted investigations into RFK’s assassination, Sirhan’s activities, and related threats; coordinated with LAPD.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Led the investigation into RFK’s assassination, issued notices seeking witnesses, and managed security for Sirhan during his incarceration.  
- **Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department**: Managed Sirhan’s detention and security protocols post-arrest.  
- **Committee for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership**: Collaborated with Ben Herrick in circulating petitions against gun control legislation.  
- **Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (LACADA)**: Prosecuted Sirhan for attempted murder and murder; presented evidence to the grand jury.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-e_sec_001_ser_1--part_6_of_7.pdf

Document Summary

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