</s>Weekly Summary #51 Page 4. "I further indicated, however, that the judge might consider such an opinion irrelevant to the present proceedings, but that in any event, the letter would be in the file for consideration at any clemency hearing that might occur in the future. "I indicated that if the Senator wished to write a letter expressing his opinion, I would present it to your Honor in open court. I have here a hand-written letter, which was delivered to me on lay 19, 1969, and I offer it to you Honor for whatever consideration you deem proper." Copies of the Senator's letter were then handed to Judge Herbert V. Walker and Grant B. Cooper, one of the defense attorneys, but it was not read in open courtroom. Later, however. Younger released the text of the Kennedy letter, which is as follows: "Some weeks ago you inquired whether the Kennedy family wished to express any views on the possible penalties available to the court under the law in the trial involving the death of my brother. "The issue then was the position to be taken by the pro- secution on the offer of a plea of guilty and that involved the question whether there would be any trial at all. We felt that any answer to your inquiry at that time would accordingly be inappropriate. "At the time of the hearing on the sentence a similar inquiry was made by defense counsel. The matter was then before the jury and again any response seemed inappropriate. more ... 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details the conviction and sentencing of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan for the murder of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), who was assassinated on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and initially sentenced to death by Superior Judge Herbert V. Walker on May 22, 1969. The trial involved allegations of judicial errors, prosecutorial misconduct, and disputes over plea deal terms, with defense attorney Grant B. Cooper arguing for a new trial. The Kennedy family opposed the death penalty, submitting a letter to the court requesting mercy. Despite appeals and legal challenges, Judge Walker upheld the verdict, and Sirhan was transferred to San Quentin Prison’s Death Row on May 23, 1969. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office issued weekly summaries for media distribution, emphasizing transparency in the case. A separate summary from the DA’s office notes that charges against Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, the coroner, were dropped to avoid prejudicing the trial. The investigation involved over 4,000 witness interviews by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with no credible evidence supporting conspiracy theories such as the "polka dot dress girl" narrative or alleged accomplices. All case materials were made public for transparency. A final summary from May 1969, authored by District Attorney Evelle J. Younger, concluded that no credible evidence existed to support claims of a broader conspiracy beyond Sirhan’s actions. The DA criticized defense psychiatric testimony as "far-reaching and absurd" and emphasized the prosecution’s commitment to the death penalty despite appellate challenges. The LAPD publicly endorsed these findings, citing no external involvement in the assassination. Additional documents reference unrelated FBI cases involving fraud investigations tied to Tom Sheppard and Magnolia Petroleum Company, as well as mentions of individuals like Jim Braden and Victor Emanuel Perezia, described as "Lovebird Swindlers" involved in marriage scams. The text also includes discussions about potential Arab intelligence connections, Black Panther meetings, and the role of defense investigator Michael McCown, a former LAPD officer with ties to land purchase syndicates.  

Key People  
- **Sirhan Bishara Sirhan**: Convicted murderer of RFK; sentenced to death.  
- **Robert F. Kennedy**: Assassinated Senator; central figure in the case.  
- **Judge Herbert V. Walker**: Presiding judge who upheld the death sentence.  
- **Grant B. Cooper**: Defense attorney for Sirhan, argued for a new trial and clemency.  
- **Evelle J. Younger**: Los Angeles County District Attorney overseeing the prosecution; issued weekly summaries and concluded no conspiracy existed.  
- **Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi**: Coroner whose autopsy procedures faced scrutiny but were later exonerated.  
- **Sandra Serrano**: Claimed to have seen a "polka dot dress girl" after the assassination; her testimony was deemed fabricated.  
- **Vincent DiPierro**: Allegedly embellished his account of events based on Sandra Serrano's story.  
- **Jerry Owen**: Allegedly gave Sirhan a ride but later recanted his statements under polygraph examination.  
- **James W. Mundell**: A laicized priest who attended RFK’s party but was cleared of involvement.  
- **Saidallah Sirhan**: Brother of the accused, whose shooting incident on July 3, 1968, was unrelated to the assassination.  
- **Michael McCown**: Defense investigator with LAPD background; linked to land purchase syndicates.  
- **Al Farman**: Arab intelligence figure mentioned in FBI communications.  
- **Dr. Al Fatah**: Alleged leader of Al Fatach organization referenced in FBI files.  
- **Russell Parsons**: Attorney for Sirhan.  
- **Melvin Belli**: Lawyer barred from visiting Sirhan.  

Key Locations  
- **Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles**: Site of RFK’s assassination on June 5, 1968.  
- **San Quentin Prison, California**: Where Sirhan was sentenced to death and transferred to Death Row.  
- **Hall of Justice, Los Angeles**: Location of the trial and sentencing proceedings; also where public records were accessible.  
- **Rampart Station**: Where Sandra Serrano and Vincent DiPierro were interrogated.  
- **Pasadena Freeway**: Scene of an unrelated shooting involving Saidallah Sirhan.  
- **Dallas, Texas**: Linked to Jim Braden’s presence during the JFK assassination.  
- **University Park, Texas**: Residence of Jim Braden.  
- **Hollywood Boulevard**: Office of Dr. Al Fatah.  
- **New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Alexandria**: Locations referenced in FBI file notes.  

Key Events  
- **June 5, 1968**: Assassination of RFK at the Ambassador Hotel.  
- **May 22, 1969**: Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was formally sentenced to death by Judge Herbert V. Walker.  
- **May 23, 1969**: Sirhan transferred to San Quentin Prison’s Death Row.  
- **April 30, 1968**: Sirhan’s sentencing to death in the gas chamber.  
- **March 18, 1968**: Dr. Noguchi dismissed by the County Board of Supervisors due to misconduct allegations.  
- **July 3, 1968**: Sandra Serrano and Vincent DiPierro’s conflicting testimonies about the "polka dot dress girl" were exposed as fabricated.  
- **September 30, 1968**: Interview with James W. Mundell, who was cleared of involvement.  
- **Final press conference (June 4, 1969)**: DA Evelle Younger announced the conclusion of the investigation and public disclosure of all records.  
- **May 1969**: Younger’s final statement declaring no credible evidence supported conspiracy claims.  
- **LAPD and FBI collaboration**: Conducted witness interviews and forensic analysis, concluding no external involvement in the assassination.  
- **Fraud investigations**: Tied to Tom Sheppard, Magnolia Petroleum Company, and land syndicates involving Jim Braden and Victor Emanuel Perezia.  
- **Black Panther meetings**: Mentioned in context of Sirhan’s alleged associations.  
- **FBI inquiries**: Into Arab intelligence connections and the Al Fatach organization.  

Key Organizations  
- **Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office**: Oversaw prosecution, issued weekly summaries, and concluded no conspiracy existed.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Conducted a special task force (SUS) to investigate the assassination; publicly endorsed Younger’s findings.  
- **Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)**: Collaborated with LAPD on witness interviews and forensic analysis; referenced unrelated fraud investigations.  
- **County Clerk’s Office**: Prepared duplicate copies of exhibits for public inspection.  
- **Superior Court Criminal Bench**: Oversaw the trial, with Judge Herbert V. Walker presiding.  
- **Magnolia Petroleum Company**: Linked to Braden and Perezia in fraud investigations.  
- **Al Fatach**: Alleged Arab intelligence group referenced in FBI files.  
- **Black Panthers**: Mentioned in context of Sirhan’s alleged associations.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156_sec_014_ser_2851-3001-part_4_of_9.pdf

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