</s>1 enclosures to. Bursen to go with Los Angeles report, letter dated. described as Re: KENSALT Los Angeles file number: 5/4-156 Direction file number. (4A-58.7. ENCLOSURE 62-5/1/1278 2025 RELEASE ONDERE E.O. 14176

Summary  
This document is a report by Joseph P. Busch, District Attorney of Los Angeles, dated October 18, 1971, addressing allegations made by attorney Barbara Warner Blehr against LAPD criminalist DeWayne Wolfer regarding improper procedures in the Sirhan Bishara Sirhan trial for the murder of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Blehr accused Wolfer of violating four "precepts" of criminalistics during ballistic tests and testimony. Busch's office initiated an independent investigation, which concluded that Blehr’s charges were untrue. The findings revealed a clerical error in labeling an envelope containing test bullets fired from Sirhan’s weapon (Serial No. H53725), but no procedural violations occurred. The investigation also uncovered issues with the handling of trial exhibits by the Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office, leading to a Grand Jury inquiry. The report reaffirms Sirhan’s guilt in Kennedy’s murder and notes that the case remains on appeal before the California Supreme Court.  

Key People  
- **Joseph P. Busch**: District Attorney of Los Angeles, led the investigation into Blehr’s allegations.  
- **Barbara Warner Blehr**: Attorney who accused Wolfer of misconduct in the Sirhan trial.  
- **DeWayne Wolfer**: LAPD criminalist subjected to scrutiny over ballistic procedures.  
- **Sirhan Bishara Sirhan**: Defendant convicted of Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s murder.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Central to the investigation and trial proceedings.  
- **San Gabriel, California**: Site of the Lock, Stock & Barrel Gun Shop where Sirhan allegedly purchased ammunition.  
- **California Supreme Court (San Francisco)**: Current custodian of exhibits from the Sirhan case.  

Key Events  
- **May 28, 1971**: Blehr submitted a letter to the Los Angeles City Civil Service Commission alleging misconduct by Wolfer.  
- **June 4, 1971**: Busch’s office initiated an independent investigation into the allegations.  
- **August 25, 1971**: Grand Jury criticized the County Clerk’s Office for mishandling trial exhibits.  
- **October 18, 1971**: Final report concluded Blehr’s charges were false and highlighted Wolfer’s clerical error.  
- **April 17, 1969**: Sirhan was convicted of Kennedy’s murder following a six-month investigation.  

Key Organizations  
- **Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office**: Responsible for exhibit handling, which faced scrutiny for procedural lapses.  
- **California Supreme Court**: Current custodian of exhibits from the Sirhan case and overseeing the appeal.  
- **Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)**: Involved in the investigation and handling of ballistic evidence.

RFK Declassified Files

62-hq-587_sec_046_ser_1251-1278-part_5_of_5.pdf

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