</s>At this time Sirhan was able to identify an absent officer to Sergeant Jordan by the officer's badge number, 3949. Sergeant Jordan formed the opinion at this time that Sirhan not under the influence of intoxication and no reason to administer such a test. intoxication test because Jordan concluded there were no objective symptoms of intoxication and no reasons to administer sirhan the officer to drink after Sirhan a cup and the officer said to ask for security reasons. Sirhan is transported to police headquarters at Parker Center, arriving at the homicide squad room around, and the police was responsible for the incident. request, Sergeant Jordan tasted before passing the cup to him. Shortly before 2:00 a.m ., a Doctor Lanz examined Sirhan in those areas where Sirhan complained of pain. Sirhran refused to tell the that Sirhan had not not in need of any immediate medical treatment but that Sirhran should keep as much weight as possible off his left ankle Sirhan should keep in mind. At this Time Chief Deputy District Attorney Lynn Compton and Deputy Attorney John Howard arrived, as did members of the District Attorney's investigative staff. In an interrogation room, time Sirhan has advised by Howard of his constitutional rights, time Sirhran was advised by Sirhan as a member of the Sirhan nodded in the direction of Sergeant Jordan and stated "I will stood by the original decision of his resignation silent. cliding the four of five hours he spent with Sirhan at the arrangement and immediately prior to subsequent thereto, Sirhan arrivalment of the origin, Sirhran engaged in banter with Sergeant by name appropriate of origin. Sirahan engaged in a very quick Jordan. Jordan formed the opium that Sirhran had a "very quick mind," and that Sirahan experienced the most alert and intelligent gate during his 15 years experience on the police force. about the same time sirhan was being taken to the hospital, station, Senator Kennedy was performed, Senator Kennedy died at 1:44 a.M ., June 6, 1968. Dr. Thomas Noguchi, Coroner and Chief Medical Examiner of Los Angeles County and two Kennedy said that Siran was informed, but two body between 3:00 am. and 9:15 a. m ., on June 6. It was disclosed that the gunshot wound was a head, in the right mastod, had pen- traged the brain and was the cause of death. The bullet had Dr. Nogugi, powder burns on the right ear indicated that the muzzle distance between the weapon and the ear at the time of the firing was 1-1/2 inches. The only right gun was the wound of the three wounds. shots were fired at very close range. The location, alignment, and direction of three wounds, in conjunction with the clothing worn,<loc_118><loc_834><loc_118><loc_834>L.A.P.D. Criminal Justice Wolfe tested in trial (and previously before the Grand Jury in 1968) that a bullet taken from the Bureau of the President's Office in the bullets taken from the President of the Weisel, People's exhibit

The investigation into the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the trial of Sirhan Sirhan, who was convicted of the crime, involved over 5,000 witnesses and multiple agencies.

DeWayne Wolfer, a criminalist with the LAPD, conducted ballistic tests on bullets removed from Senator Kennedy's body and compared them to test bullets fired from Sirhan's gun. However, some witnesses testified that Sirhan was not in front of Senator Kennedy at the time of the shooting, contradicting the prosecution's theory.

Eyewitness testimony varied, with some witnesses placing Sirhan behind or beside Senator Kennedy, while others described him as being in front of the senator. The autopsy report indicated that gunshot wound #1 entered Senator Kennedy in the right mastoid region, while gunshot wound #3 entered the right armpit region and traveled back to the level of the sixth cervical vertebrae.

Theodore Charach filed a complaint alleging that prosecutors David Fitts and Lynn Compton had falsely informed the Sirhan jury about witness Karl Uecker's testimony. Frank Burns testified that he was right behind Senator Kennedy at the time of the shooting and saw Sirhan's arm extend with a gun.

Valerie Schulze testified that she was approximately two people behind Senator Kennedy and followed him into the kitchen area. Boris Yaro testified that he was three feet behind and to the right of Senator Kennedy when he was shot. Karl Uecker testified that he was leading Senator Kennedy to the pantry and saw Sirhan's arm extend with a gun.

Edward Minasian testified that he was within five feet of Robert Kennedy and saw someone running in the direction they were talking, which was later identified as Sirhan. The paths of three bullets, which entered Senator Kennedy's body are consistent with the Sirhan testimony of eye-witnesses.

Dr. Noguchi's trial testimony revealed gunshot wound #1 to have a path angle of 10 to 15 degrees upward, and gunshot wound #2 was inflicted when Senator Kennedy's arm was raised 90º. In August 1971, the Los Angeles County Grand Jury commenced a formal hearing relative to the internal procedures and security control in connection with the Sirhan case.

The Chief Administrative Officer, County of Los Angeles Report Regarding the Department of the County Clerk; Analysis of the Department Findings relative to the Sirhan Case concluded that there was no real evidence developed during the 1971 Grand Jury investigation that any tampering with exhibits actually occurred.

In May 1974, Supervisor Baxter Ward conducted a hearing on the possibility of a second gunman in the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy. Dr. Noguchi testified regarding the proximity of the murder weapon to the three gunshot wounds in Senator Kennedy's body. He stated that the muzzle distance was very close, nearly a contact wound.

District Attorney Joseph Busch responded to Ward's hearing in a letter to Supervisor Peter Schabarum, stating that he thoroughly deplored Supervisor Ward's entire conduct in his May 1974 hearing. Busch felt that Ward's hearing was a skillfully drafted scenario designed to establish the possibility of a second gunman.

In July 1975, the Select Committee of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences reported that legitimate forensic evidence was lacking in the Sirhan case and that there was more than a reasonable possibility that these questions could be answered if there was a new re-examination of the physical evidence in the case.

John F. Kennedy's assassination still stirred questions in 1975, with Joseph Busch's sudden death complicating the investigation. Howard S. Howe took over as Chief Deputy District Attorney and assumed the role of protagonist in demanding to reopen the investigation.

The California Supreme Court appointed a Special Master to review ballistic and firearms evidence in the Sirhan case. Paul Schrade filed a civil lawsuit for personal injuries suffered on the night of the assassination, naming Sirhan and ten John Does as defendants.

CBS applied for an order to inspect and examine the various exhibits, which were identical to those petitioned by Schrade. The court was informed that CBS relied on specifying the procedure and substance for scientific examination of the exhibits.

Lowell Bradford declared that he had observed differences in bullets, cannelures, and rifle pitch, but his conclusions were based on photographs and not direct observation. He stated that there is a less than 20% identification rate among firearms examiners, and failure to test bullets could lead to inconclusive results.

The District Attorney's Office argued that any eventual testing would be of little or no value and would only perpetuate speculation about a second gunman. Bozanich proposed that each bullet should be cross-checked and compared with all individual bullets by experts.

The court order granted the examination and re-testing of the Sirhan exhibit, which was the result of several weeks of negotiations between attorneys. Seven firearms experts were chosen to work independently from each other and submit individual and joint exhibitions.

DeWayne Wolfer was subjected to questioning about his tests performed on the bullets and exhibits. The admission by L.A.P.D. of ceiling panel destruction prior to Wolfer's examination in September 1975 raised serious doubts as to the substance and credibility of the ballistics evidence presented in the original Sirhan trial.

The destroyed ceiling panels contained three bullet holes that had been taken from the Ambassador Hotel kitchen pantry. Wolfer's testimony at the cross-examination hearing in September 1975 raised serious doubts as to the substance and credibility of the ballistics evidence presented in the original Sirhan trial.

The trajectory analysis conducted by Wolfer on July 8, 1968, was never introduced as evidence at trial. The analysis indicated that eight shots were fired from the Ivor-Johnson cadet model, 22 caliber revolver used in the case.

RFK Declassified Files

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