</s>STATEMENT OF ROOSEVELT GRIER TARLEM AT THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL 2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1968, 9:45 A.M. QUESTIONED BY: SCGT. J. R. P. J ., PATCHETCH, #7872 3 SGT.J. R ., MACATHUR, #8372 SGT ., J.R. M. MacATHUR. 4 SUMARY REPORT DICTATED LAND OFFICERS. REPORTED AND TRANSCRIBED BY. SHARON THILLMAN, CSR, ON JUNE 28, 1968. 5 6 7 Grier indicated on the night of the shooting, prior 8 to the Senator's speech, he was with him in his suite on the 9 Fifth Floor of the Ambassador Hotel. When it came time for* 10 the speech, the Senator, Grier and others left the room and 11 took a freight elevator to the kitchen area adjacent to the 12 Embassy Room. They entered the room via the kitchen and again 13 Grier, along with the Senator. was on the stage with other 14 members of the Senator' s campaign. At the conclusion of the 15 speech, the senator exited the stage by a rear door. Grier 16 recalled that he assisted the Senator 's wife, Ethel Kennedy, 17 in getting down from the stage. He walked with her on her 18 right side. After leaving the stage, they entered a foyer 19 area between the kitchenand the Embassy Room. Grieer recalled 20 this area was quite crowded with people and television men carrying cameras. 21 22 At the time of the Shooting, he approached that 23 he was about two pace(s) to eight feet) from the double 24 doors leading into the kitchen. He recalled hearing the shots 25 but was not sure of the number or sequence. He immediately 26 Form 613 (R-3-4) 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

The documents detail witness accounts, investigative efforts, and administrative records related to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Roosevelt Grier Tarlem described his presence with Kennedy in the hotel’s fifth-floor suite prior to a speech, exiting via a freight elevator to the kitchen area adjacent to the Embassy Room and stage. During the shooting, Grier reported being approximately eight feet from the double doors leading into the kitchen, disarming the suspect and handing the gun to Rafer Johnson before police arrived. A phone call log from June 6–7, 1968, references interviews with witnesses like Grier and Richard Aubry, as well as observations of a suspect described as Caucasian, six feet tall, possibly associated with a woman in a multicolored dress.  

Booker Griffin, a community leader, identified Sirhan Sirhan as the suspect, describing his physical appearance and noting "negative eye contact" during prior observations at the Ambassador Hotel. Richard Grijalva reported seeing an individual rapidly firing a weapon at a San Gabriel Valley Gun Club on June 4, later linked to Sirhan. Pete Hamill described RFK’s position during the speech and observed Sirhan being tackled by Rosie Grier after the shooting. Robert Healy recounted meeting the suspect in the Colonial Room, describing him as a young man with dark hair and Mexican features wearing badges and a tie clip. Thadis Heath, present in the kitchen area, heard shots and witnessed the struggle between Rosie Grier and the suspect. The FBI traced the weapon used to Albert Hertz, who sold it to his daughter Dana Westlake, then to George Erhard, who sold it to Sirhan. Adel Sirian was arrested, and his home was searched for evidence.  

Key People  
- **Robert F. Kennedy** (Senator)  
- **Roosevelt Grier Tarlem** (witness)  
- **Rafer Johnson** (individual who received the gun from Grier)  
- **Sirhan Sirhan** (suspect identified by multiple witnesses)  
- **Rosie Grier** (individual who tackled the suspect post-shooting)  
- **Booker Griffin** (community leader who observed suspects at the hotel)  
- **Richard Grijalva** (reported observing Sirhan at a gun club)  
- **Pete Hamill** (witnessed RFK’s position and suspect’s actions during the shooting)  
- **Robert Healy** (journalist who met the suspect in the Colonial Room)  
- **Thadis Heath** (witness present in the kitchen area)  
- **Albert Hertz** (gun owner whose weapon was traced to Sirhan)  
- **Dana Westlake** (daughter of Albert Hertz, intermediate buyer of the gun)  
- **George Erhard** (sold the gun to Sirhan)  
- **Adel Sirian** (arrested and searched for evidence)  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles**: Site of the assassination; fifth-floor suite, kitchen area, Embassy Room, Colonial Room, and stage.  
- **San Gabriel Valley Gun Club (Duarte, California)**: Location where Grijalva reported observing Sirhan firing a weapon.  
- **Colonial Room**: Area near the kitchen where Healy met the suspect and observed the shooting from TV.  
- **Nash Department Store (Pasadena)**: Location where Erhard identified Sirian.  

Key Events  
- **RFK’s speech at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968**: The assassination occurred during this event, with witnesses describing Kennedy’s position and the suspect’s actions.  
- **Observation of suspects**: Griffin noted two individuals (Sirhan and an unnamed woman) in the hotel prior to the shooting; Healy met the suspect in the Colonial Room.  
- **Gun club activity**: Grijalva reported seeing a man rapidly firing a weapon at the pistol range on June 4, later linked to Sirhan.  
- **Assassination scene**: Witnesses described Sirhan’s position near Kennedy, his actions during the shooting, and the immediate aftermath, including his fleeing and being subdued by Rosie Grier.  
- **Witness interviews and evidence collection**: FBI agents conducted interviews with witnesses like Hamill, Healy, and Heath to gather details about the suspect, their movements, and the events surrounding the assassination.  
- **Gun tracing**: The FBI linked the weapon used in the shooting to Albert Hertz, tracing its ownership through Westlake and Erhard to Sirhan.  
- **Arrests and search**: Sirian was arrested, and his home was searched for evidence.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews with witnesses, traced the weapon’s origin, and identified Sirhan through photographic evidence.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Involved in initial investigations, witness interviews, and locating Sirhan.  
- **Rampart Detective Division**: Part of LAPD’s investigative efforts into the assassination.  
- **Pasadena Police Department**: Assisted in verifying Sirian’s identity and conducting a home search.  
- **Administrative forms (e.g., Form 613, Form 618)**: Included in the documents as part of the investigation process.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156_sec_001_ser_a-l-part_4_of_7.pdf

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