</s>FD-302 (Rev. 4:15-64) FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 1 Date 6/26/68 Mrs. AIMA MC FARLAND, 10508 South Hoover Street, Los Angeles, California, advised she has been employed at the Ambassador Hotel since May of 1965 as maid. She stated that she was so employed the night Senator ROBERT P. She KENNEDY was shot, but was off duty at 11:45 p.m. She advised P. the could offer no information on the events of that evening. On 6/24/68 Los Angeles. California Los Angeles 56-156 at -66 - File # SA TIMOTHY J. O'NEILL/cj1/clp 6/25/68 by Date dictated This document contains neither recommendations nor conclusions of the FBI. It is the property of the FBI and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents are not to be distributed outside your agency. 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents detail FBI interviews conducted between June 4–7, 1968, with individuals present at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles during Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination on June 5, 1968. Witnesses included hotel staff (maids, waitresses, housemen, file clerks), campaign personnel (security officers, coordinators, press secretaries), and journalists. Accounts describe Kennedy’s movement through the hotel, including a last-minute route change to the Colonial Room instead of the ballroom. Security efforts to subdue an unidentified white male with a gun were noted, though details varied among witnesses. Multiple individuals mentioned SIRHAN BISHARA SIRIHAN as a suspect, though not all confirmed direct sightings. Post-assassination chaos, medical assistance, and crowd reactions were reported. Administrative notes referenced document classification and distribution restrictions, including redacted social security numbers (e.g., [SSN REDACTED]).  

Key People  
- **Aima McFarland**: Maid at the Ambassador Hotel; stated she was off duty by 11:45 p.m.  
- **Deg Mackinga**: Ballroom worker; claimed no suspicious activity in the Embassy Room.  
- **Darlene Minor (Mrs. Richard Minor)**: Waitress; reported hearing shots around midnight.  
- **Juan Fena**: Houseman; learned of the shooting from colleagues in the storeroom.  
- **Robert Rose**: Journalist; described leaving his room after hearing about the shooting via television.  
- **Colette Thelin**: File clerk; stated no observation of Sirhan Sirhan or suspicious activity.  
- **John H. Ahrndt**: Kennedy for President Committee chairman; witnessed crowd reactions to the shooting with Cheryl Moore.  
- **William Barry**: Security officer; described escorting Kennedy through the crowd and noting a white male with a gun.  
- **Joan Braden**: Women’s coordinator; mentioned a route change toward the Colonial Room.  
- **Thomas W. Braden**: Campaign coordinator; corroborated details about Kennedy’s movement.  
- **Gerald Bruno**: Upstate Representative for Kennedy; reported leaving the hotel on June 4 after learning of the shooting.  
- **John Kelly**: Assistant to Jesse Unruh; provided details about Kennedy’s speech and crowd movement.  
- **Jack Crose**: Assistant to Jesse Unruh; described Kennedy’s route through the hotel and interactions with staff.  
- **Jesse Unruh**: California Assembly Speaker; involved in planning Kennedy’s appearance at the hotel.  
- **Pierre Salinger**: Advised on Kennedy’s post-speech activities.  
- **Richard Drayne**: Press secretary; noted Kennedy’s path to the Colonial Room and speculated about an assassin.  
- **James Dunn**: Staff member; described hearing five shots during Kennedy’s speech and the aftermath.  
- **Ann Ferguson**: Volunteer; detailed her experience in the hotel, including encountering Stroll (Erwin Cox) and coordinating medical aid.  
- **Bill Cox**: Accompanied Ferguson; present during the incident.  
- **Stroll (Erwin Cox)**: Claimed to be shot after attempting to follow Kennedy through a passageway.  
- **SIRHAN BISHARA SIRIHAN**: Suspect mentioned by multiple witnesses, though not all confirmed direct sightings.  
- **Jeff Greenfield**: Legal assistant on Kennedy’s staff; claimed no sighting of Sirian (likely Sirhan) at the hotel.  
- **Adam Walinsky**: Speechwriter for Kennedy; referenced interactions with campaign staff.  
- **LESIER OTTO GUTMAN**: Campaign coordinator; described involvement in Southern California campaign and observations of the Ambassador Hotel in 1963.  
- **Dr. MARCUS S. MC BROOM**: Hotel guest and witness; recounted chaos after the assassination, including gunshots and casualties.  
- **George Plimpton**: Witness at the hotel during Kennedy’s speech; reported witnessing a struggle involving Sirian Sirihan.  
- **Freddy Plimpton**: Wife of George Plimpton; provided account of events from her vantage point near the stage.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles**: Site of RFK’s speech and the assassination; included Embassy Room, Ballroom, Colonial Room, storeroom, coffee shop, kitchen/passageway, press room.  
- **Central Receiving Hospital**: Where Ahrndt and Moore sought Dr. Miller; also referenced in post-assassination medical response.  
- **Good Samaritan Hospital**: Where Kennedy was taken after the shooting.  
- **Beverly Hills nightclub**: Planned meeting for Kennedy’s supporters.  
- **5615 Wilshire Boulevard**: Kennedy campaign headquarters in Los Angeles.  
- **Riverside Drive, New York City**: Mentioned in context of campaign activities.  
- **Plainfield, New Jersey**: Location of Jeff Greenfield’s marriage in May 1968.  

Key Events  
- **June 4, 1968**: Gerald Bruno left the Ambassador Hotel after learning of Kennedy’s shooting and returned to Los Angeles.  
- **June 5, 1968**: RFK delivered a victory speech at the Ambassador Hotel; witnesses reported hearing five shots during or immediately after the speech.  
- **Shooting Incident**: Multiple accounts described chaos in the hotel, including attempts to assist Kennedy, medical personnel responding to casualties, and police actions post-assassination.  
- **Security Efforts**: Witnesses noted efforts to subdue an unidentified white male with a gun, though details varied.  
- **Route Change**: Kennedy’s movement was altered from the Embassy Room to the Colonial Room instead of the ballroom.  
- **Suspect Mention**: SIRHAN BISHARA SIRIHAN was identified as a suspect by several witnesses, though not all confirmed direct observations.  
- **Post-Assassination Chaos**: Staff members like James Dunn and Ann Ferguson coordinated medical aid; individuals such as Stroll claimed injuries.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews and documented witness accounts.  
- **Kennedy for President Committee**: Included campaign staff like Jack Crose, Richard Drayne, and Thomas W. Braden who provided details about RFK’s movements and security.  
- **Ambassador Hotel Staff**: Involved in guiding Kennedy through the hotel and managing crowd control.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department**: Mentioned in context of interviews and post-assassination actions.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-x-4_sec_001_ser_1-299-part_3_of_7.pdf

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