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Robert F Kennedy Assassination — Part 2
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Schrade then testified that he again started to walk and then all
hell broke loose. "I heard a cracking like electricity and I saw
some flashes and then all I remember I- was shaking quite violently
as though we were all being elecrocuted." And in response to the
question of how far was he, Schrade, behind Senator Kennedy,
Schrade replied "all I remember I know I was behind him maybe a few
feet, and that I was conscious of the flashes coming from the
direction I was facing. I was facing toward the Senator." Grant
Cooper, Sirhan defense counsel, stipulated at that time that the
witness, Schrade, indicated the flashes were coming from the east.
(Reporter's transcript page 3710.)
In this testimony by Schrade, he indicated that Kennedy turned
when he was greeting some people and that he, Schrade, nodded to
Kennedy about this time. This indicates that Kennedy was facing
somewhat back toward Schrade who was initially walking west to east.
about four feet behind Kennedy. Schrade indicated that he was
facing east, toward Kennedy when the flashes came. And the flashes
came from the east. All of Schrade's testimony appears consistent
with that of the other eyewitnesses who put Kennedy in a position
facing northwest at the time of the shooting.
DeWayne Wolfer had concluded in his diagram of bullet
trajectory that the bullet which hit Schrade's forehead first
passed through the right shoulder pad of Kennedy's coat. At this
time, according to Dr. Noguchi'ts autopsy, Kennedy's arm was
upraised. This upraising lifted the shoulder padding up. And by
this time (Shot #4) Kennedy was turning counterclockwise. This
would account for the line of fire to Schrade's forehead, through
the back to front of Kennedy's shoulder -pad.
Other eyewitness testimony offered at trial reveals that of
the several witnesses who observed Sirhan shooting, none carefully
observed the sequence of events from the beginning of the firing by
Sirhan to the actual finish.
Nevertheless, all of the witnesses were consistent with
Schrade's observation concerning Kennedy's position vis-a-vis
Sirhan.
Eyewitness Testimony
Consider the most percipient eyewitnesses’ trial testimony:
FRANK BURNS: "seeing Kennedy shaking hands with busboys,
turning to his left,"; .
VALERIE SCHULTE: "Kennedy turned to the left @nd back to
shake hands with the kitchen help, turned more than 90° angle,";
BORIS YARO: “heard two explosions that sounded like
firecrackers and saw Kennedy backing up and putting both of his
hands and arms in from of him, while Sirhan appeared to be lunging
at the Senator,";
KARL UECKER: "I felt something moving between the steam table
and my stomacn ... . I heard something like a shot and Kennedy was
falling out of my hand, and I put my hand on Sirhan'ts wrist and he
fired four to six more shots.";
QO
oO
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