</s>FILE # J2389 INTERVIEWS PERSON INTERVIEWED: BYTON, MAKIN DATE/TIME SEX RACE HAIR EYES HT WT DOB RESIDENCE ADDRESS P.O. BOX 1009 PHONE BUSINESS ADDRESSE MARTINEZ, CALUE PHONE SF INFORMATION: (WHO, WHAT, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY & HOW) INVESTIGATORS MAKING INTERVIEW: APPROVED BY: 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O ., 1416

Summary  
The documents detail the FBI’s involvement in the investigation of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, a Palestinian-born individual, is identified as the perpetrator who shot RFK and five others using a .22 caliber revolver in the hotel’s kitchen area. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) requested FBI assistance to interview guests present at the hotel on June 5–6, 1968, for potential witness accounts or information about Sirhan. Interviews were compiled into FD-302 reports for submission to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with a tentative trial date set for November 1968. A diagram of the hotel’s kitchen area and shooting location was referenced, along with a film created by UCLA graduate student Tokunow depicting individuals resembling Sirhan at the event. The LAPD deemed the film unhelpful but acknowledged its existence. Additional records include interviews with guests such as Rafael B. Marys, Peter Strand-Stromaker, Jon Akazys, D. Hadden, and M. Acama. A separate entry notes a Nixon campaign official, Pete Fe Peterson, who encountered an individual claiming to have information about Sirhan but made no contact. The documents also reference inconsistencies, including a misplaced date (June 5, 1966 instead of 1968) and trial dates (July 6, 1960).  

Key People  
- **Sirhan Bishara Sirhan**: Palestinian-born assassin of RFK; arrested by LAPD on June 7, 1968.  
- **Tokunow**: UCLA graduate student who filmed events at the Ambassador Hotel, including individuals resembling Sirhan.  
- **Pete Fe Peterson**: Nixon campaign official in Los Angeles who interacted with an individual claiming to have information about Sirhan and the assassination.  
- **William T. Hag**: Individual contacted by Peterson, described as having a foreign accent and offering confidential information about Sirhan.  
- **Rafael B. Marys**, **Peter Strand-Stromaker**, **Jon Akazys**, **D. Hadden**, **M. Acama**: Listed as guests at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5, 1968; interviewed by FBI agents.  
- **Mr. H. Hirata** (Ace International Co., Tokyo) and **Mr. T. Motinaga** (Ace International Tool Co., Tokyo): Interviewed by investigators as hotel guests.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California**: Site of RFK’s assassination and primary investigation location.  
- **Embassy Ballroom (Ambassador Hotel)**: Where Kennedy addressed supporters before the shooting.  
- **Kitchen area of the Ambassador Hotel**: Location of the shooting.  
- **University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)**: Tokunow’s affiliation; location where film was created.  
- **Santa Monica, California**: Home of the *Evening Outlook*, which published a clipping about the film.  
- **Tokyo, Japan**: Addresses linked to Hirata and Motinaga’s residences/businesses.  

Key Events  
- **June 5, 1968**: RFK assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel by Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.  
- **Film Investigation**: Tokunow’s footage of the hotel event was examined by LAPD but deemed unhelpful; film reportedly stolen, with Tokunow contacting a Canadian writer for potential collaboration.  
- **Guest Interviews**: FBI agents interviewed multiple individuals listed as guests at the hotel to gather information about the assassination or Sirhan.  
- **Theft of Film**: Tokunow’s film was reportedly stolen, and he contacted a Canadian writer for potential collaboration.  
- **Sirhan’s Arrest**: LAPD arrested Sirhan on June 7, 1968; indicted for murder by Los Angeles County Grand Jury pending trial.  
- **LAPD Request**: LAPD requested FBI assistance in locating and interviewing individuals present at the hotel on June 4–5, 1968, for information about the assassination or Sirhan’s knowledge.  
- **Diagram Reference**: A diagram of the hotel layout was referenced, indicating the shooting occurred between the Embassy Ballroom and kitchen area.  

Key Organizations  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Conducted interviews, compiled FD-302 reports, and coordinated with LAPD on the investigation.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Requested FBI assistance in interviewing hotel guests; provided details about Sirhan’s arrest.  
- **Ace International Co./Ace International Tool Co.**: Businesses associated with Hirata and Motinaga, both linked to the hotel’s guest list.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156_sec_010_ser_2076-2275-part_3_of_9.pdf

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