In commenting on the new records release initiative – JFK/MLK/RFK – I did promise to offer some comments on what would be needed to make a broader range of RFK related documents and materials available to the public.

One of the major challenges with the RFK assassination investigation was that it was strictly local in nature, there was no official Federal investigation of the crime – even though the FBI did take leads and conducted some rather fragmentary interviews.

Still, some of the leads which were sent to the FBI, and some of the individuals interviewed, may have been potentially more far more significant than appreciated at the time – including potential connections between Sirhan, his family memebers, and foreign actors. Yet because the FBI was only marginally involved, interviews based on the leads were limited and there was also very limited background work done.

At best FBI interview leads and reports were sent to the LAPD and its Special Unit Senator, ending up in the files, but certainly not becoming of any major consideration to the unit’s investigation. Any serious release of new files would need to expand on that FBI work and include CIA and State Department documents related to the names that were generated to the FBI as potential suspects.

There is little doubt that SUS itself did only minimal investigation of potential foreign connections, and indeed had little in the way of resources to pursue leads of that nature. It is also clear that after its failure to locate the ‘Polka Dot Dress’ girl, it came under increasing pressure from the LA District Attorneys Office to close down the investigation and allow the prosecution of Sirhan Sirhan as the lone actor to move forward.

While we have seen LAPD files on the investigation, another area of interest – assuming anything was retained – would be the internal District Attorney’s own files on the crime and its prosecution, including any internal memos related to pressuring LAPD or even the Coroner’s office (as anecdotally reported by the Coroner himself during the trial.

I discuss these document related thoughts as well as my views on the overall criminal investigation in a recent interview which you might find interesting https://open.spotify.com/episode/3dgby6SSqEXTprh5gWAKWg?si=1N80Bj2_Sd6L_tTWRzln1w&nd=1&dlsi=679c41c0d2aa454c

In addition, for background, you might want to check out my extended monograph of the RFK assassination on the Mary Ferrell website https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/Featured_Incomplete_Justice_Series_Complete.html