◆ SpookStack

WL _—, Critic Lillian Castellano, always a believer that the tullets found in the glove compartment of Sirhan's automobile near the Ambassador Hotel had been removed from wood paneling inside the pantry and placed in Sirhan'ts car, was interested in pursuing the fact that People's Exhibit 38 (the bullets found in the Sirhan car) had been found to have some wood samplings on the bullets. These bullets were also examined by the examiners, and found to have Similar characteristics as all other bullets... The wood samplings were not identified as to their origin. The bullet found in the pocket of Sirhan at the time of his arrest was identified as being a federal manufactured bullet with one cannelure, a bullet of different manufacture from the bullets found in the Ambassador Hotel. Journalist John Newhall had asked that a question concerning People's 48 be resolved, the fact that several of the experts had only been able to identify three of four cannelures on the bullet that actually murdered the Senator. However, upon closer inves- tigation, it was determined that all examined bullets had feur cannelures, two knurled, and two grooved cannelures. Since this bullet, Pecple's 48, had been heavily fragmented on contact within the brain, it was enly possible to identify three cannelures. Upon careful microscopic examination, the other experts agreed that there had been four cannelures, but that only three were visible on People's 43 due to the fragmentation. Cross Examination of the Experts Aside from the remaining skeptics and critics, most of the cther parties and counsel involved in the petitions before the court seemed willing to let the matter rest, and were indifferent, if not actually opposed, to any further court hearings and re- examinaticns of the ballistics experts. However, as provided in the original court order signed by Judge Wenke, and as constantly stressed by the District Attorney's Office as a mandatory part of any fair and judicious court hearing, cross examination of the experts was necessary. District Attorney Van de Kamp instructed Special Counsel Kranz to petition the court so that the seven experts could be recalled for thorough cross examination. Van de Kamp stated that he cculd understand why many felt the matter was closed since the experts had agreed in essence that only one gun fired the ballets, and since many of the parties to the case and other concerned people had presumably lost interest in pursuing the issue. Van de Kamp stated that before the matter was closed, "I think it's important that those witnesses are tested in a traditional adversarial setting. The pursuit of the truth is the goal of the court. And it is the goal of the District Attorney's ‘Office also." The District Attorney's Office became the petitioner before the court and requested that the seven experts be recalled for thorough cross examination. Additionally, the District Attorney's Office requested the postponement of any cross examination of the experts until petitioner Paul Schrade was able to obtain new counsel, namely Allard Lowenstein and Vincent Bugliosi. - 71 =