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Robert F Kennedy Assassination — Part 03
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and William Harper..
Harper had alleged that there had been two
different firing positions on the evening in question.
The
L.A.P.D. report stated that the slug that penetrated the ceiling
where Sirhan was observed firing. It was argued that the steep
upward trajectory of the shot that penetrated the ceiling tile was
the result of the struggle during Sirhan's apprehension.
However, in testimony before the Los Angeles City Council in
August 1975, Assistant Chief of Police Daryl Gates, stated that
these ceiling panels had been destroyed in i969 immediately fol-
lowing the trial. The destruction of the ceiling panels and other
non-introduced court evidence was unexplained but an important dis-
crepancy arose.
The 197i inter-departmental correspondence to
Chief Davis apparently made reference to ceiling tiles. Whether
were used to verify the 1971 departmental correspondence is not
certain at this time..
One other area concerning bullets that became an issue, par-
ticularly to william Harper, was the photograph of People's 48, the
Kennedy death bullet. The photograph itself, People's 49, was an
enlarged magnification of People's 48. The purpose of the enlarged
photograph was to show the small gold areas on the fragmented death
bullet so the potential witness, particularly, Dewayne Wolfer at
trial, could testify as to the mini mag ammunition content. It was
expected that .these indications of mini mag fragments would show
that the fragments themselves had been fired from a weapon bearing
the same rifling specification as the Sirhan weapon. Additionally.
this Sirhan weapon was also shown to have already fired the other
bullets in question and the more identifiable bullets, People's 47,
52, and 54.
Therefore, the photograph, People's 49, was to be
illustrative of Wolfer's testimony. Interestingly though, Defense
Counsel Grant Cooper objected to the presentation of People's 49 on
the ground that an illustration of the nature of the Kennedy death
bullet would prejudice the jury. Prosecutor Dave Fitts argued that
feg eo deed deeeeaeae deeg heeeead oe peeeeeee deee aedene aae
prosecution's case. It was Cooper who stipulated at trial that the
to testify it was held."
Cooper's intent upon stipulation of
muzzle distance was to keep any inflamatory testimony concerning
the actual firing of the weapon by Sirhan away from the jury.
Additionally, Defense Counsel Grant Cooper stipulated that
People's 55 (mismarked envelope) could be received into evidence
after prosecutor Fitts had asked Wolfer that the envelope had.
Before Wolfer could answer, the stipulation was made, and the
mismarked envelope was received into evidence.
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