◆ SpookStack

Lie e S Nevertheless, due to the magnitude of the crime of the murder of Senator Kennedy, and the consuming public interest in the case, it was necessary that a thorough and complete ballistics examination be held. This was particularly evident after Assistant Police Chief Gates told of the destruction of ceiling panels and x- ray analysis reports. Additionally, the woeful lack of evidence reports and documentation concerning previous ballistics examination and trajectory studies, which had become evident during the examination of Dewayne Wolfer, made the forthcoming ballistics examination of the exhibits by the seven experts an event of crucial importance. Robert,Kennedy had been a major political figure, and his political assassination had worldwide impact. There were growing fears that the unexplaned destruction of potential evidence, and the lack of documentation, were part' of massive coverups and conspiracies that could concievably involve the highest level of government officials. This was despite the fact that several people had actually seen Sirhan shoot Senator Kennedy and had so testified at trial. Additionally, no other witness had come forward and stated conclusively and substantially that a second person within the pantry had actually fired a gun. Tenlqgigl
xaminatigq, and Testionigef ,B><,hi}zitS Amidst the accusations that the Los Angeles Police Department and the Les Angeles District Attorney&#39;s Office had deliberately, intentionally, and knowingly suppressed facts and evidence relating to the assassination of Senator Kennedy, inherent in- this accusation was the charge that a security guard, Thane Cesar, had fired his weapon, injuring or killing Senator Kennedy, the act being witnessed by KNXT news runner Donald Schulman and covered up by a monumental conspiracy involving the destruction of evidence, including ceiling panels, door frames, etc.!, in this atmosphere seven independent, carefully selected ballistics experts assembled in late September, 1975, to begin their testing and examination of the exhibits and to respond to the court order of September 18th. Due to all the varying circumstances surrounding ballistics examination, and the nature and integrity of the exhibits to be examined, there was strong probability that the seven experts would reach inconclusive findings concerning a positive matchup and identification of the evidence bullets and test fired bullets to the Sirhan weapon. But such a finding of inconclusiveness, or inability to positively link the fired bullets with the Sirhan weapon, would not in itself have meant or indicated more than one gun had fired the bullets. That was the reason why the court order had been phrased to ask the significant question, "Do the exhibits in any way support a conclusion that a second weapon was fired at the time of the assassination?" This one particular question was perhaps the central point to the entire court order, the wording of the order having been negotiated for five weeks by the more than 13 lawyers representing the various parties involved!. _ 63 -