</s>Weekly Summary #37 Page 10 Dep. Dist. Atty. David N. Fitts made the opening statement for the prosecution and presented this information: Sirhan was in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen 47 hours before the assassination and was seen by two witnesses. Returning to the kitchen on June 5, 1968, Sirhan shot the Senator at almost point-blank range, firing several shots which fatally wounded and injured five others. On the day of the shooting, Sirhran spent most of the time at the San Gabriel Valley Gun Club, and told another club patron he was going to use his gun for hunting. "It could kill a dog," Fittts said Sirhan told a witness who will testify later in the trial, reported a Los Angeles newspaper (Herald- Examiner). Sirhan told Jess Unruth, former State Assembly speaker, he shot Kennedy "for my country." The statement was made when Unruh accompanied Sirhan and two police officers to the Rampart Division Police Station fol- .Swing the arrest of the Jordanian immigrant. Unrhh will testify to this Fitts said, according to the newspaper. Fittts began his presentation with a series of key dates, which he listed in chronological order. The first was August 10, 1965, when Albert Leslie Hertz purchased a.22 caliber "Cadet" Iver-Johnson, eight-shot revolver. The pistol ~entually found its way into the possession of George Ehrart, a co-worker of Munir Sirhan, the defendant's brother. On the next date, or on about February 2, 1966, Fitt's added, Erhart drove to the Sirhan home in Pasadena, with a companion and "in the more - 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

John F. Kennedy:
- Senator's essential life functions stabilized after tracheotomy
- Condition remained stable for over 10 hours post-surgery
- Blood pressure, pulse, cardiac condition, and breathing were relatively normal until June 5 afternoon
- Pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. on June 6, slightly more than 25 hours after the shooting

Assassination:
- Senator Robert F. Kennedy shot on June 5, 1968
- Five other persons injured in the shooting

Sirhan Bishara Sirhan:
- Accused of assassinating Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and injuring five others
- Trial ongoing with prosecution presenting its case
- Defense expected to call about 30 witnesses and present their case over three weeks

Prosecution:
- Intends to conclude its case by midweek, showing why the young Arab should die in the gas chamber for the murder
- Has called 80 witnesses and has not substantially reduced the planned number of witnesses
- Plans to introduce Sirhan's diaries, which show his premeditation to murder Sen. Kennedy

Defense:
- Plans to diminish the cumulative impact of the prosecution witnesses' testimony by refusing to cross-examine witnesses at length or at all
- Will argue that Sirhan acted without malice and may get off with a sentence of five years in prison or less
- Expected to call about 30 witnesses, including the Sirhan family, psychiatrists, and other defense experts

Related Individuals:
- Dr. Thomas Noguchi, county coroner-medical examiner, resigned effective March 4
- Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Evelle Younger denied a report by Frank Mankiewicz and Tom Braden that Secretary of State William Rogers had "approved" a possible disposition in the Sirhan case

Dates:
- June 5, 1968: Senator Robert F. Kennedy shot
- June 6, 1968: Pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m.
- February 25, 1969: Trial ongoing with prosecution presenting its case
- March 4, 1969: Dr. Thomas Noguchi resigned as county coroner-medical examiner

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-u_sec_001_ser_1--part_2_of_7.pdf

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