the ballistics findings
Kennedy was shot 4 times (3 bullets hit him and one went through his jacket) and 5 other victims were struck by bullets for a total of 9 confirmed shots. Sirhan’s gun only held 8 bullets. Other evidence that at least 13 shots were fired was found by the FBI and LAPD in door frames and ceiling panels. An audiotape later analyzed by an expert sound engineer confirmed at least 13 shots with 5 coming from the opposite direction of Sirhan’s. Further, multiple witnesses confirmed hearing at least 12 shots but their statements were ignored by police.
RFK's Wounds:
RFK was shot at close range from behind 4 times. Three hit him. One passed through his jacket.
Two entered from behind and close together, entering under his right arm from back to front and at a steep upward angle. One entering behind his right ear and entering his brain. This was the fatal shot.
Coroner Thomas Noguchi, who did what is referred to as the most perfect autopsy in American history, determined that the muzzle of the gun was no more than 3inches away from and behind RFK. Sirhan, by all witness accounts, was several feet in front of RFK.
The official autopsy report was performed immediately upon RFK’s death, but was withheld for nearly six months. It was not provided to the defense until after Sirhan’s trial had commenced
See Autopsy PageVictim Shots:
RFK was shot 4 times (3 bullets hit him and one went through his jacket) and 5 other victims were struck by bullets, Ira Goldstein, Irwin Stroll, Elizabeth Evans, William Weisel and Paul Schrade.
The total victim count was 9 (4 at RFK, 5 other victims) for a total of 9 confirmed shots. Sirhan’s gun only held 8 bullets.
More Shots:
Police officers and FBI agents identified apparent bullet holes in two door frames of the pantry, indicating more than eight shots were fired. But no evidence of those holes was presented at trial, and the Los Angeles police destroyed the door frames shortly after the trial. They stated there was not enough storage room for the evidence to remain.
[1] O’ Sullivan, Shane, Who Killed Bobby,2008 Sterling Publishing Co., p.352
Thomas Noguchi (LA Coroner) pointing at two holes found in a center doorframe. Note the holes are one on top of the other and the height is different from the holes the police are viewing in above image.
An FBI photograph shows the same bullet holes, circled
Another two holes were found in the left door frame. Note the holes are slightly diagonal to each other, not like the holes in images above.
An audiotape later analyzed by an expert sound engineer confirmed at least 13shots with 5 coming from the opposite direction of Sirhan’s. The expert found that there were at least 13 shots fired, some were so close in time that they“ over lapped”. The expert concluded that the shots were fired from opposite directions, meaning some were pointed towards the front of RFK, and some were pointed to the back of RFK.
Audio Recording PageFurther, multiple witnesses confirmed hearing at more than 8 shots butt heir statements were ignored by police. Witnesses Assemblyman Jesse Unruh, Estelyn Duffy, Joe La Hive, Freddy Plimption and Nina Rhodes all stated they heard multiple shots, some saying at least 10-12 shots. Some stated there were too many shots, too close together to be only one gun.
Forensic Testing of the bullets:
The forensic evidence used to convict Sirhan was almost non-existent. Researchers and legal historians, including trial lawyers, have called it the worst trial in history. Many say it was shoddy police work, and others believe it was worse– a purposeful attempt to manufacture false evidence to convict Sirhan. As you will read below, the lead Criminalist DeWayne Wolfer used bullets from another gun to convict Sirhan, lied about it when it was discovered and the District Attorney Joseph Busch perpetuated the lie in the re-investigation in October1971. The lies were only uncovered due to the release of records decades later and the diligent work of historians.
Because his Defense lawyers were just trying to save Sirhan from getting the Death Penalty, Sirhan’s defense did not challenge the bullet evidence at trial, or point out all the discrepancies between the witness statements and the bullet evidence. Examples:
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Autopsy determines the RFK bullets are shot from behind and three times hit
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All witnesses placed Sirhan in front of RFK
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Autopsy determines the muzzle of the gun was at most 1-3 inches from behind RFK
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All witnesses place Sirhan several feet in front of RFK. Per witnesses, the closest the muzzle got was 1 ½ feet in front of RFK
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Second Gun Eye-Witnesses ignored. Police ignored three eye-witnesses who each separately reported they saw a Security Guard, who was standing behind RFK and holding his elbow, pull his gun. (Witnesses Richard Lubic, Donald Schulman, Karl Uecker). One standing very close stated he saw him fire shots. The Guard was interviewed by the authorities and he lied to them. He stated he had sold his own .22 Caliber gun prior to the killing. In fact, it was later discovered he sold it after the killing, and he told the buyer the gun had been usedi n a shooting. (Witness statements of CA State Assemblyman Jesse Unruh, Estelyn Duffy, Joe La Hive, Freddy Plimpton, Nina Rhodes)
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LAPD Wolfer lies in trial. LAPD Criminalist testified that the “fatal bullet” matched perfectly to the test bullets from Sirhan’s gun (Exh. 55). In fact, the truth was very different – the fatal bullet was never matched to any other bullet as it was in fragments, and therefore could not be tested. Further, the test bullets he was referencing were from a gun wholly unrelated to the crime, taken from the LAPD evidence locker, gun serial number H18602. (Trial Transcripts, Mary Ferrell Foundation, Vol. 15, Feb. 24, 1969)
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Wolfer testifies the victims’ bullets match each other, but they do not. The only bullet taken from RFK that was intact enough to be matched (Exh. #47), was later found to NOT match other victim’s bullets, thus the fact of two guns shooting that night. (Harper, William2)
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LAPD Criminalist Wolfer switches bullets. LAPD DeWayne Wolfer test fired Sirhan’s gun on 6-5-1968 (H53725) and he test fired another gun on 6-6-1968, a gun similar to Sirhan’s (H18602). It is unclear, due to a dismal (or purposeful) chain-of-custody record of the evidence, which set of test bullets were presented to the Grand Jury on6-7-1968. See photo of Crime Lab Test Shot slip dated “6-6-86”, below. The photo below shows H18602 was taken from the LAPD evidence locker before the Grand Jury hearing on 6-7-1968 and while Wolfer still had Sirhan’s gun in his possession. Why did he need H18602 instead of Sirhan’s gun, which he had? He had already tested Sirhan’s gun on 6-5-1968. Presumably, the bullets from Sirhan’s gun should have sufficed to prove the crime.
Instead, he pulled H18602, test fired it and presented those bullets“ as bullets from Sirhan’s gun [Exh. 6]” at the trial. When asked to clear it up later, he lied about it. He claimed to have needed the similar gun, H81602,because Sirhan’s was with the Grand Jury and unavailable to him. Clearly, this is a lie as shown by the Crime Lab slip below. He took H18602 when he still hadH53725/Sirhan’s gun. See his false Testimony below stating he needed H18602because Sirhan’s gun was not available:
Further, he repeatedly lied in later investigations stating that he didn’t have H18602, the similar gun, until June 10th or 11th(two different dates given in two different inquiries). We know he had H18602as early as 6-6-1968 by this Crime Lab slip and also because his Daily Logs show he test fired a gun on 6-8-1968, a day after Sirhan’s gun (H53725) really was no longer available because it was with the Grand Jury.
Later, when historians tried to obtain H18602 for investigation, theLAPD lied and said it was destroyed.
Crime Lab Test Shot Slip for H18602 on 6-6-1968:
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The District Attorney later lied to the public in 1971 (DA Joseph Busch, October 18, 1971, stating that “Mr. Wolfer conducted two series of ballistic tests. The first on June 6, 1968, with the gun seized from Sirhan B. Sirhan and the bullets of this test were used to identify the bullets removed from the victims of the crime. The second tests were conduced on June 11, 1968 …from a weapon obtained from the Property Division of LAPD. …The second tests were conducted to determine the sound characteristics and to verify muzzle distance by examining gun powder patterns. This gun was destroyed in July 1969 in accordance with State law.”
This was untrue, as we know from Wolfer’s Daily Logs and from the Crime Lab slip that he had H18602 as early as 6-6-1968, the day before the Grand Jury Hearing. Not only did Wolfer for some unknown reason create bullets from H18602 and present them at trial as Sirhan’s, and a match for the victims’ but he lied about it, as did DA Joseph Busch in 1971.