SIRHAN SIRHAN INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02330400
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: December 13, 2021
• Case Number: F-2021-01622
• Publication Date: November 4, 1975

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INF
4 NOV 1975
4EIORANDUM FOR: Deputy rector for Administration
SUBJECT Sirhan Sirhan Investigation
1. oference is made to the questions concerning Agency
involvement with Sirhan Sirhan by 4r, Dan Rather of CBS during
a recent Interview with Mr. Colby. Specifically, the Office
of Security was asked if there was any record of the Agency
working with Sgt. Enrique (Hank) Hernandez or Lt. Manuel Pena
of the Los Angeles Police Department concerning the assassina-
tion of Robert Kennedy. This Office previously responded that
we had no record of Hernandez or Pena and no indication that
either of these individuals had ever been connected with the
Agency in any way. Additionally, this Office also responded
that Office of Security records provided no indication that
the Agency had ever had any association or interest in Sirhan
Sirhan prior to the assassination of Robert Kennedy.
2. A complete review of the Sirhan Sirhan file has dis-
closed that the Agency did cooperate at the direction of the
Director of Central Intelligence with the Los Angeles Police
Department in their investigation of Sirhan Sirhan following
the assassination. Attached hereto is a blind memorandum
giving the details of this cooperation as reflected in Sirhan
Sirhan's security file.
Att
bert W.Garnbino
Director of Security
Distribution:
Orig n 1 - Addressee
1 - D/Security
1 -.OS Registry
1 - DD/PSI
1 - SAG
1 - Subject File.
OS/PSI/SAG/RMReardon:jan (310CT75)
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� 31 October 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Sirhan Sirhan Investigation
1. Sirhan Sirhan's security file reflects that he had
never been of interest to the Agency prior to the assassination
of Robert Kennedy. On 5 June 1968 when Sirhan was identified
as the probable assassin, the Director of Central Intelligence
met with the Deputy Chief of the CI Staff, the Assistant Deputy
Director for Plans, and the Director of Security and directed
that the CI Staff would be the focal point for action in the
Sirhan case. The CI Staff was to collect all available infor-
mation on Sirhan and to provide appropriate portions of this
material to the Office of Security for release to the Los
Angeles Police Department (LAPD). This material was to be
released to the LAPD through the Office of Security's Los
Angeles Field Office.
2�. Mr. William Curtin, the Special Agent in Charge of the
Los Angeles Field Office, contacted Inspector Yarnell ,of the
LAPD on 5 June 1968 and advised him that the Agency was prepared
to cooperate with the LAPD in its investigation of Sirhan.
Curtin advised Yarnell that any information which the Agency
passed to the LAPD would be on a confidential basis and could
not be attributed to the Agency or made public -in any way.
Inspector Yarnell agreed to these conditions stating that thp
LAPD felt that it already had an airtight case against Sirhan.
3. On 11 June 1968 Chief Thomas Reddin of the LAPD
established a squad of twenty-three experts to conduct the
investigation of Sirhan. A Captain Hugh Brown was placed in
charge of this squad and Curtin met with Brown on 18 June.
Curtin again expressed the Agency's willingness to cooperate
with the LAPD with appropriate caveats concerning the use of
any information the Agency might pass to the LAPD. From this
date forward, all liaison between the LAPD and the Los Angeles
Field Office regarding the Sirhan investigation was conducted
between Curtin and Brown.
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SEC.,ET
4. During the course of the investigation, the Agency
passed to the LAPD background information on Sirhan and his
family\
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
The Agency was able to inform
the LAPD that there was no indication that Sirhan had ever
been connected with any terrorist organizations. Additionally,
the Agency conducted traces on various associates of Sirhan
whose names were povidediDes_were
basically negative Finally,
when Sirhan's attorneys indicated they would plead "diminished
responsibility" due to the traumatic dangers suffered by Sirhan
as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflicts, which were particu-
larly violent in the area where Sirhan spent his youth, the (W(1)
Agency provided various overt materials which provided a (b)(3)
picture of the conditions existing in the area where Sirhan
was brought up.
5. Sirhan's security file does not reflect that the
Agency cooperation with the Los Angeles Police Department
during its investigation was surfaced in any way.
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