THE Trump administration has initiated the public release of long-sealed files relating to the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, making thousands of pages of documents available online for the first time.
CBS News cited, the release, which includes FBI memos, handwritten notes from Sirhan Sirhan, autopsy photographs, and witness statements, was part of a broader transparency initiative ordered by former President Donald Trump shortly after taking office.
The move, supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the slain senator’s son, is expected to reignite longstanding suspicions surrounding the killing, particularly as Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned Sirhan's guilt.
“This is about maximum transparency,” said Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who oversaw the release alongside the National Archives and other federal agencies.
“Nearly 60 years after the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the American people will, for the first time, have the opportunity to review the federal government's investigation thanks to the leadership of President Trump.”
The initial tranche of over 10,000 documents is already available online, with limited redactions to protect personal data, such as Social Security numbers. An additional 50,000 pages were recently uncovered during reviews of FBI and CIA archives and are currently being prepared for release.
Among the more revealing contents are scans of Sirhan Sirhan’s (pic, below) handwritten notes, some of which include chilling lines such as “RFK must be disposed of like his brother was” and “My determination to eliminate RFK is becoming more and more of an unshakeable obsession.”
While these notes have been referenced in court and public records for years, their full publication lends weight to the psychological portrait used by prosecutors at Sirhan’s trial.
Other documents include a 1968 FBI memo that outlines Sirhan’s background and notes a head injury he sustained in 1966 after falling from a horse — an event his family claim led to noticeable behavioural changes.
One newly released memo describes the aftermath of the shooting in raw detail. According to a June 12, 1968 FBI report, Kennedy’s widow Ethel Kennedy became visibly distraught, allegedly pushing away medical workers and confronting journalists. One ambulance worker recalled her shouting “keep your hands off him,” while another described her knocking over a television camera and striking a reporter.
Several documents also delve into interviews with eyewitnesses, some of which touch on conspiracy theories that have endured for decades. These include references to an unidentified woman in a polka-dot dress and reports of someone shouting “we shot him” in the moments following the shooting — claims long disputed and unsupported by other witnesses.
Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June 1968, shortly after delivering a victory speech following his win in the California Democratic primary. Sirhan Sirhan, a 24-year-old Palestinian, was quickly arrested at the scene and later convicted of murder. He has offered shifting accounts over the years, at times admitting to the killing, while at other times claiming no recollection of the event.
Though Sirhan’s parole requests have been repeatedly denied, a 2021 bid was controversially approved by California’s parole board — only to be overturned by Governor Gavin Newsom.
The case remains a point of contention within the Kennedy family itself. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now a prominent public figure and US health secretary, has maintained that Sirhan may not have fired the fatal shots, citing ballistic evidence and witness inconsistencies. He even met with Sirhan in prison and supported his most recent parole request, breaking with many of his siblings who believe the conviction was just.
“I’m very grateful for the release,” Kennedy Jr. said, praising the Trump administration’s efforts. “This is about getting to the truth — and we can’t do that unless the public has access to all the facts.”
The RFK files form part of a broader presidential directive issued in early 2024 by Donald Trump to declassify materials related to several high-profile political assassinations, including those of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. Files relating to Dr. King’s death are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
While much of the RFK case was handled by local authorities in Los Angeles, the newly surfaced documents could potentially shed light on the extent of federal involvement — or lack thereof — in the investigation.
Still, experts remain cautious. “A lot of these materials have been publicly available in some form for years,” said one historian consulted by CBS News. “But there’s always the possibility that something long buried might surface, especially now that these files are easier to access.”
Whether the newly released pages will substantiate alternative theories or reaffirm the official account remains to be seen. But for a country still haunted by the political violence of the 1960s, the declassification may offer a long-awaited step toward historical clarity — or deeper questions. - April 19, 2025
