</s>Additionally, Wolfer testified that he had test fired eight bullets from the Sirivan weapon into a water tank, obtaining seven test bullets. Wolfer had taken one of the seven test bullets and compared it to an evidence bullet and determined that the bullets in question had come from the Siriran weapon. scratched as it passes along the barrel of a gun. The unique due to the scratcher was the process that causes a bullet to become scratches as it passed along the barrel and the bullet picked scratchers as it was the imperfections of the barrel and the bullets picked ferent rifle specifications, by looking at the scratches on the And since different manufacturers of guns and bullets have diff- particular to the lands and grooved the particular bullet. Wolffer was able to conclude that bullets - one fired bullet and one evidence bullet - had been fired from the same gun. Wolffer impression that searches the same projectiles that pass through the gun. There was no evidence that the bullet was fired from one when expelled, therefore, these bullets that matched under a com- parison test microscope could be said to have been fired From one weapon. Wolfer was unable to positively identify the bullet that actually killed Senator Kennedy. People's 48, as having been fired From the Sirrin gun due to to the fragmentation of the bullet. But Wolffer was able to have the first bullet. same rifle specifications as other bullets fired from The Sirhan weapon. Wolter then described the trajectory of the bullets. The first bullet entered Senator Kennedy's head behind the right ear and was later recovered from the victim's head and booked as evidence. of Senator Kennedy's bullet coat (never entering his body) and traveled upward striking victim Schrade in the center of his forehead. the bullet was recovered from his head and booked into bullet was recovered by the Coroner from the sixth cervical shoulder approximately 7" below the top of the shoulder. This bullet. was recovered to the corner from the sixteenth cervical d. The fourth bullet entered Senate Kennedy's right rear back approximately 1" to the right of the Bullet #3. This bullet right arrow and forward and exited the victims' body in the rigging room. The second plastered ceiling was lost somewhere in the striking room. ceiling space. butlook. The fifth bullet struck victim Goldstein in the left rear butlook, The fifth bullet was recovered from the Victim and booked as pants f. (news) entering passed through victim Goldstein's left entered victim Stroll's left leg. The bullet was later discovered<loc_86><loc_833><loc_881><loc_874><loc_86><loc_874>and booked as evidence." The sixth bullet struck struck victim Weisel in the Left abandoned by the seventh bullet struck the evidence. h. The eighth bullet struck as plaster and then struck victim Evans in the head. This bulletin was recovered FROM the bullet recovered from them

The investigation into the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy was reopened in 1975 due to concerns about the integrity of the evidence and the handling of exhibits by the Los Angeles County Clerk's office. The Grand Jury report criticized the manner of enforcement of court-imposed restrictions on viewing and handling of Sirhan exhibits, particularly ballistics evidence.

A task force found that the charges relating to operation of the department were generally satisfactory, but concluded that there was no substance to the Grand Jury findings that there was an unfortunate lack of concern for the integrity of the exhibits. A hearing by Supervisor Ward in May 1974 examined the Sirhan matter and found no substance to the Grand Jury findings.

The autopsy report of Dr. Noguchi indicated that Senator Kennedy was shot with three bullets, one entering his right mastoid region, another in his right axillary region, and a third in his left upper back. The paths of these bullets are consistent with the testimony of eyewitnesses.

A formal hearing by the Los Angeles County Grand Jury examined 30 witnesses under oath and found no evidence that was ignored or not implemented by the staff of the County Clerk's Office.

The Select Committee of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences reported in July 1975, stating that there were legitimate forensic questions in the Robert F. Kennedy case. They felt that there was more than a reasonable possibility that these questions could be answered if there was a new re-examination of the evidence.

A CBS application sought an order for the inspection and examination of various ballistics and firearms exhibits in the Sirhan case, which were identified by the two petitions before the court. The exhibits sought to be inspected and examined included those related to the Sirhan gun and bullets.

The re-testing of the Sirhan weapon and the re-examination of all bullet evidence were ordered by Presiding Judge Wenke in September 1975. The various parties negotiated through their attorneys for several weeks to develop a test procedure that would be thorough and exhaustive.

A further test advocated by Bradford dealt with powder residue composition analysis by gas chromatography, which would utilize a new methodology recently developed by the Association. This ballistic examination would utilize a new methodology recently developed by the Association.

The re-testing of the Sirhan weapon and the re-examination of all bullet evidence were ordered by Presiding Judge Wenke in September 1975. The various parties negotiated through their attorneys for several weeks to develop a test procedure that would be thorough and exhaustive.

Bozanich argued that the judicial process had already twice established that Sirhan was the lone gunman, and therefore any eventual testing would be of little or no value. Bozanich proposed that such a thorough and additional analysis by experts would be considered that each panel member might have a different level or threshold of which they might make a positive or inconclusive identification.

Judge Wenke declined to make such findings and conclusions and stated that the unusual ballistics examination had always been considered to be only a preliminary investigation.

RFK Declassified Files

56-la-156_sec_017_ser_3216-3231-part_4_of_7.pdf

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