</s>56-LA-156 Sub.X-4 VOL.5 06/07/1968-OPEN FBI - CENTRAL RECORDS CENTER LA-LOS ANGELES EXHIBIT 19 DECLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY DERIVED FROM Class / Case # Sub Vol Serial # FRI AUTOMATIC DECLASSIFIATION GUIDE 056 156 X-A 5 6/07//196 OPEN DATE: 2-14-25 FRI M89/K40 8/11/1201271 RPQWJHBLO 2025 RELEASE UNDER C4176

Summary  
The document details testimony from Grand Jury proceedings on June 7, 1968, in Los Angeles County regarding Sirhan Bishara Sirhan’s indictment for assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel during a Democratic primary celebration on June 5, 1968. Witnesses included Paul Ziffren, who confirmed Kennedy’s identity and his acquaintance with him; Dr. Henry M. Cuneo, who described Kennedy’s medical treatment following the shooting, including a tracheostomy and craniotomy at Good Samaritan Hospital; and Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, the County Coroner, who detailed an autopsy performed on Kennedy. The transcript references exhibits such as photographs of Kennedy, bullets, spent cartridges, and diagrams of the Ambassador Hotel’s layout. A separate testimony from a witness present at the hotel described Kennedy’s arrival, speech, and exit through curtains behind the podium, noting confusion caused by press individuals blocking access. Dr. Noguchi’s autopsy identified three gunshot wounds: one in the right mastoid (head), another in the right axilla (armpit), and a third near the second wound. The head wound caused fatal brain damage, while the other injuries were non-fatal but could have led to complications without treatment. Sergeant Albert J. LaVallee provided a diagram of the hotel’s second-floor kitchen area as part of the investigation into the assassination scene.  

Key People  
- Sirhan Bishara Sirhan (defendant)  
- Robert F. Kennedy (victim, U.S. Senator from New York)  
- Paul Ziffren (witness, acquaintance of Kennedy)  
- Dr. Henry M. Cuneo (physician who treated Kennedy post-assassination)  
- Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi (County Coroner, performed autopsy on Kennedy)  
- John E. Howard, Morio L. Fukuto, John W. Miner (Deputy District Attorneys representing the prosecution)  
- Jesse Unruh, Pierre Salinger, Stephen Smith (individuals associated with Kennedy’s entourage)  
- Sergeant Albert J. LaVallee (Los Angeles Police Department)  
- Witness (name not provided, referred to as "the witness")  

Key Locations  
- Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles, California), site of the assassination and investigation  
- Good Samaritan Hospital (Los Angeles County), where Kennedy was treated  
- Los Angeles County Courthouse (location of Grand Jury proceedings)  
- Embassy Room, Stage Anteroom, Hall Ramp, Podium door (S-1-1), Double doors with curtain (marked on Exhibit 1), second-floor kitchen area  

Key Events  
- Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel  
- Medical treatment of Kennedy at Good Samaritan Hospital, including tracheostomy and craniotomy  
- Autopsy conducted by Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi to determine cause of death  
- Grand Jury proceedings on June 7, 1968, to investigate Sirhan Bishara Sirhan’s involvement in the assassination  
- Testimony regarding Kennedy’s arrival at the hotel, speech delivery, and exit through curtains behind the podium  
- Identification of three gunshot wounds during autopsy, with emphasis on the fatal head injury  
- Presentation of a diagram (Exhibit 1) of the Ambassador Hotel’s Embassy Room floor plan and a diagram of the second-floor kitchen area  

Key Organizations  
- Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office (prosecuting the case)  
- Los Angeles County Grand Jury (investigating the case)  
- Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office (performed autopsy on Kennedy)  
- Los Angeles Police Department (Survey Unit, provided hotel diagram)  
- Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (pathologists present during autopsy)

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156-x-4_sec_005_ser_06-07-1968--part_1_of_6.pdf

Document Summary

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