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In reply to the discussion: RFK assassination witness tells CNN: There was a second shooter [View all]leveymg
(36,418 posts)16. It's referenced at the Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Kennedy_assassination_conspiracy_theories
Another conspiracy theory relates to a Manchurian candidate hypothesis that Sirhan was psychologically programmed by persons unknown to commit the murder and that he was not aware of his actions at the time and that his mind was "wiped" in the aftermath by the conspirators so he would have no memory of the event nor of the persons who "programmed" him.[15] This theory was supported by psychologist and hypnosis expert Dr. Eduard Simson-Kallas after 35 hours of work with Sirhan in San Quentin prison in 1969 after his conviction which Sirhan claim then, and to this day, to have no memory of the assassination or aftermath.[16]
The woman in the polka-dot dress
Kennedy campaign worker Sandy Serrano reported seeing a girl in a polka dot dress running from the scene with a man accompanying her, and claimed that the girl exclaimed, "We shot him! We shot him!". When asked to whom the girl was referring, Serrano reported that the girl said, "We shot Senator Kennedy!"[17][18] Another witness, Evan Freed, also saw the girl in the polka dot dress [19]. This report was connected by alternative theorists such as with another report of a girl wearing a polka dot dress who was supposedly seen with Sirhan at various times during the evening, including in the kitchen where the assassination took place.[20][21] Serrano stated that preceding her supposed encounter with the polka-dot dress girl, she heard a series of shots that sounded like a car backfiring.[17] However, following this claim, LAPD criminologist DeWayne Wolfer conducted tests to determine if Serrano could have heard the shots from her location. He found that there would have been a change in sound level of 1/2 decibel at Serrano's location resulting from a shot being fired in the kitchen of the hotel, and concluded that she could therefore not have heard the shots as she claimed.[22] Additionally, Kranz commented in his report that Serrano admitted to fabricating the story following further interviews with investigating officers and that he was unable to find evidence to corroborate any aspect of the original account[22] However, in the documentary RFK Must Die, Serrano was adamant that what she saw and heard was true. Serrano stated that LAPD SGT Hank Hernandez bullied her into recanting her account; and audio of the 38-minute interview between Hernandez and Serrano furthered her assertion that she was bullied into withdrawing her account.
Main Wiki Article - Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy
As with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's brother, in 1963, the senator's death has been the subject of widespread analysis. Some individuals involved in the original investigation and some researchers have suggested alternative scenarios for the crime, or have argued that there are serious problems with the official case.[48]
CIA involvement theory
In November 2006, the BBC's Newsnight program presented research by filmmaker Shane O'Sullivan alleging that several CIA officers were present on the night of the assassination.[49] Three men who appear in films and photographs from the night of the assassination were positively identified by former colleagues and associates as former senior CIA officers who had worked together in 1963 at JMWAVE, the CIA's main anti-Castro station based in Miami. They were JMWAVE Chief of Operations David Morales, Chief of Maritime Operations Gordon Campbell and Chief of Psychological Warfare Operations George Joannides.[49]
The program featured an interview with Morales's former attorney Robert Walton, who quoted him as having said, "I was in Dallas when we got the son of a bitch and I was in Los Angeles when we got the little bastard".[49] O'Sullivan reported that the CIA declined to comment on the officers in question. It was also alleged that Morales was known for his deep anger toward the Kennedys for what he saw as their betrayal during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.[50]
After further investigation, O'Sullivan produced the feature documentary, RFK Must Die. The film casts doubt on the earlier identifications and ultimately reveals that the man previously identified as Gordon Campbell may, in fact, have been Michael D. Roman, a now-deceased Bulova Watch Company employee, who was at the Ambassador Hotel for a company convention.[51]
Second gunman theory
The location of Kennedy's wounds suggested that his assailant had stood behind him, but some witnesses said that Sirhan faced west as Kennedy moved through the pantry facing east.[52] This has led to the suggestion that a second gunman actually fired the fatal shot, a possibility supported by coroner Thomas Noguchi who stated that the fatal shot was behind Kennedy's right ear and had been fired at a distance of approximately one inch.[53] Other witnesses, though, said that as Sirhan approached, Kennedy was turning to his left shaking hands, facing north and so exposing his right side.[54] As recently as 2008, eyewitness John Pilger asserted his belief that there must have been a second gunman.[55] During a re-examination of the case in 1975, the Los Angeles Superior Court ordered expert examination of the possibility of a second gun having been used, and the conclusion of the experts was that there was little or no evidence to support this theory.[54]
In 2007, analysis of an audio tape recording of the shooting made by freelance reporter Stanislaw Pruszynski appeared to indicate, according to forensic expert Philip Van Praag, that thirteen shots were fired, even though Sirhan's gun held only eight rounds.[52][56] Van Praag states that the recording also reveals at least two cases where the timing between shots was shorter than physically possible. The presence of more than eight shots on the tape was corroborated by forensic audio specialists Wes Dooley and Paul Pegas of Audio Engineering Associates in Pasadena, California, forensic audio and ballistics expert Eddy B. Brixen in Copenhagen, Denmark,[57][58] and audio specialist Phil Spencer Whitehead of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.[59] Some other acoustic experts, however, have stated that no more than eight shots were recorded on the audio tape.[60]
On February 22, 2012, Sirhan's lawyers, William Pepper and Laurie Dusek, filed a court brief in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles claiming that a second gunman fired the shots that killed Kennedy. It was the fourth and final in a series of federal briefs filed under the Writ of Habeas Corpus by Pepper and Dusek beginning in October 2010. A ruling is now pending in the Sirhan federal case.[61]
CIA involvement theory
In November 2006, the BBC's Newsnight program presented research by filmmaker Shane O'Sullivan alleging that several CIA officers were present on the night of the assassination.[49] Three men who appear in films and photographs from the night of the assassination were positively identified by former colleagues and associates as former senior CIA officers who had worked together in 1963 at JMWAVE, the CIA's main anti-Castro station based in Miami. They were JMWAVE Chief of Operations David Morales, Chief of Maritime Operations Gordon Campbell and Chief of Psychological Warfare Operations George Joannides.[49]
The program featured an interview with Morales's former attorney Robert Walton, who quoted him as having said, "I was in Dallas when we got the son of a bitch and I was in Los Angeles when we got the little bastard".[49] O'Sullivan reported that the CIA declined to comment on the officers in question. It was also alleged that Morales was known for his deep anger toward the Kennedys for what he saw as their betrayal during the Bay of Pigs Invasion.[50]
After further investigation, O'Sullivan produced the feature documentary, RFK Must Die. The film casts doubt on the earlier identifications and ultimately reveals that the man previously identified as Gordon Campbell may, in fact, have been Michael D. Roman, a now-deceased Bulova Watch Company employee, who was at the Ambassador Hotel for a company convention.[51]
Second gunman theory
The location of Kennedy's wounds suggested that his assailant had stood behind him, but some witnesses said that Sirhan faced west as Kennedy moved through the pantry facing east.[52] This has led to the suggestion that a second gunman actually fired the fatal shot, a possibility supported by coroner Thomas Noguchi who stated that the fatal shot was behind Kennedy's right ear and had been fired at a distance of approximately one inch.[53] Other witnesses, though, said that as Sirhan approached, Kennedy was turning to his left shaking hands, facing north and so exposing his right side.[54] As recently as 2008, eyewitness John Pilger asserted his belief that there must have been a second gunman.[55] During a re-examination of the case in 1975, the Los Angeles Superior Court ordered expert examination of the possibility of a second gun having been used, and the conclusion of the experts was that there was little or no evidence to support this theory.[54]
In 2007, analysis of an audio tape recording of the shooting made by freelance reporter Stanislaw Pruszynski appeared to indicate, according to forensic expert Philip Van Praag, that thirteen shots were fired, even though Sirhan's gun held only eight rounds.[52][56] Van Praag states that the recording also reveals at least two cases where the timing between shots was shorter than physically possible. The presence of more than eight shots on the tape was corroborated by forensic audio specialists Wes Dooley and Paul Pegas of Audio Engineering Associates in Pasadena, California, forensic audio and ballistics expert Eddy B. Brixen in Copenhagen, Denmark,[57][58] and audio specialist Phil Spencer Whitehead of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.[59] Some other acoustic experts, however, have stated that no more than eight shots were recorded on the audio tape.[60]
On February 22, 2012, Sirhan's lawyers, William Pepper and Laurie Dusek, filed a court brief in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles claiming that a second gunman fired the shots that killed Kennedy. It was the fourth and final in a series of federal briefs filed under the Writ of Habeas Corpus by Pepper and Dusek beginning in October 2010. A ruling is now pending in the Sirhan federal case.[61]
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No, the woman in the polka dot dress was to relax him before the murder was to happen
snooper2
Apr 2012
#51
You might be right. Either way, it is not a point I feel it is useful to argue.
OrwellwasRight
Apr 2012
#17
I'm with you - it's so depressing and often seems hopeless. These words help:
polichick
Apr 2012
#13
That is one among many of his uplifting words. Thanks for bringing it here. He said that in the face
freshwest
Apr 2012
#42
Whereas the Koches, Kissingers, Cheneys toddle on forever. But that's international. And many young
freshwest
Apr 2012
#52
"If a gun only holds 8 bullets and 14 were found..." Except that is not what is alleged.
yellowcanine
Apr 2012
#26
There were more bullet holes found in the kitchen than shots in Sirhan's gun.
former9thward
Apr 2012
#29
One has to go through the pantry area to get to the press briefing room. Diagram>
leveymg
Apr 2012
#46
No his aides testified that he was going to go through the Ballroom to the Colonial room.
former9thward
Apr 2012
#56
He didn't. He went where the crowd was. He got "lucky". There is a certain amount of "luck" in
yellowcanine
Apr 2012
#49
Well there was a crowd there all right - or at least near by. JFK "route change" is a myth.
yellowcanine
Apr 2012
#59
Actually not that tortured. First of all, we don't know when Oswald decided to kill Kennedy.
yellowcanine
May 2012
#81
Additional shots detected by modern audio analysis software - not available 40 yrs ago
leveymg
Apr 2012
#39
Are you a professional sound analyst? These guys are - do you think they don't know that?
leveymg
May 2012
#72
We often rely on second-hand, anecdotal evidence to better validate our opinions
LanternWaste
Apr 2012
#30
Actually it is fairly difficult to assassinate a political figure. See my other post.
yellowcanine
Apr 2012
#50
No, not at the time. He later claimed to have sold his .22 before the shooting, but investigators
leveymg
Apr 2012
#48
I have seen pictures that show a tie laying next to Robert after he is shot
AnotherDreamWeaver
Apr 2012
#54
My heart tighens remembering that day. I remember Rosey Grier remarks at the time, but can only find
freshwest
Apr 2012
#44