CIA Files Reveal New Details in Robert F. Kennedy Assassination, Reigniting Decades-Old Questions
Newly released CIA records include never-before-seen assessments, handwritten notes, and psychological profiles tied to Sirhan Sirhan—and provide fresh insight into Robert F. Kennedy’s early links with U.S. intelligence.
The 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy remains one of the most debated and emotionally charged moments in American political history. More than five decades after the tragedy, newly released documents from the Central Intelligence Agency—totaling more than 1,000 pages—have reopened long-standing questions about the events surrounding the shooting and the motives of the gunman, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan.
The documents, released earlier this year, consist of previously classified assessments, internal CIA notes, psychological analyses, and handwritten statements attributed to Sirhan. Together, they offer a deeper look at Sirhan’s background, his mindset, and the evolving interpretations of the assassination that continues to shape political and historical discourse.
A Fresh Look at Sirhan Sirhan’s Profile
Among the most notable materials is a CIA personality assessment dated July 8, 1968—just weeks after Kennedy was fatally shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5. One line stands out sharply: “Under no circumstances would we have predicted that he was capable of doing what he did.”
Investigators at the time emphasized that they found no evidence placing Sirhan at the center of any organized conspiracy. However, they conceded the possibility that he may have been used as an instrument—much like historical accomplices in previous political plots. The records compare Sirhan’s impulsive tendencies to those of the assassins who killed Presidents Garfield and McKinley, contrasting them with the calculated nature of assassins like John Wilkes Booth and the killers of President John F. Kennedy.
The new materials reinforce what many investigators believed at the time: that Sirhan acted alone, but that his actions—and his writings—may reflect deeper political resentments and psychological turmoil than the public previously understood.
Handwritten Notes Reveal Troubling Intentions
Among the most chilling elements of the newly released archive are pages of Sirhan’s handwritten notes. The repetition and intensity of the language suggest an obsessive fixation rather than a meticulously planned political plot.
One striking entry reads:
“Kennedy must fall Kennedy must fall. Please pay to the order of Sirhan Sirhan.”
Another describes a twisted justification for violence:
“We believe that Robert F. Kennedy must be sacrificed for the cause of the poor exploited people.”
Perhaps most disturbing is a line predicting Kennedy’s death:
“He will eventually be felled … by an assassin’s bullet … tonight tonight tonight.”
The obsessive tone, combined with the repetition and fragmented logic, aligns closely with what psychologists later described as an unstable but highly charged emotional state.
Sirhan himself, in a 1989 interview with television journalist David Frost, stated that Kennedy’s support for Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War felt like a “betrayal” to him. Sirhan, a Palestinian-born Jordanian, also expressed remorse decades later, saying he carried “nothing but regret” for the death he caused.
Psychological Analyses Paint a Complex Portrait
The documents also include a psychological evaluation from June 12, 1968, highlighting Sirhan’s “high intellectual potential,” “strong intuition,” and a belief that communism might serve as an “ideal solution” to global conflict.
The assessment underscores a critical point often raised by historians: Sirhan was not merely a political actor but an individual whose internal conflicts, ideological inconsistencies, and emotional volatility may have influenced his decision more than any coherent political doctrine.
Yet despite the extensive documentation, many within the Kennedy family—including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now serving as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services—have long questioned whether Sirhan was truly responsible for the fatal shot.
RFK Jr. Challenges the Official Narrative
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly expressed doubts about Sirhan’s role in the assassination of his father. After reviewing key police files, ballistic reports, and the autopsy records, Kennedy has stated publicly that he is “disturbed that the wrong person might have been convicted.”
In 2018, Kennedy visited Sirhan Sirhan in prison—an extraordinary moment that generated national conversation. He later wrote in a 2021 op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle that he believed Sirhan was not the individual who fired the fatal shot. Instead, he has pointed to Thane Eugene Cesar, a part-time security guard who was behind RFK when the shots were fired.
Cesar consistently denied any involvement and passed away in 2019. Yet Kennedy Jr.’s position has added fuel to debates that continue to divide historians, political analysts, and members of the public who lived through the era.
New Insight Into RFK’s Early Cooperation with the CIA
Beyond the assassination itself, the newly released documents shine light on a previously lesser-known chapter of Robert F. Kennedy’s early life.
In 1955—years before he entered politics—Kennedy traveled to the Soviet Union with Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. According to the CIA files, Kennedy served as a “voluntary informant” during this trip. He provided the agency with a 129-page diary and more than 1,000 photographs and video recordings.
One CIA official described the young Kennedy’s contributions as evidence of his “deep patriotism and commitment to serving his country.”
This revelation adds nuance to Kennedy’s later advocacy for government transparency and intelligence oversight, revealing a more complex relationship between him and the intelligence community than has previously been publicly acknowledged.
A Tragedy That Still Echoes
More than 55 years after Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination, the newly released CIA records add to a complex narrative already filled with political intrigue, personal tragedy, and lingering doubt.
For some, the documents reaffirm the official version of events: Sirhan acted alone, driven by personal resentment and political disillusionment. For others, these papers deepen questions about motive, opportunity, and whether a broader conspiracy might still be hidden in shadows.
What is undeniable is that the assassination forever changed American politics—and the new revelations ensure the debate surrounding RFK’s death will continue for years to come.
