Look, let's be honest. When you type "who killed Bobby Kennedy" into Google, you're not just looking for a textbook answer. You're diving into one of the most tangled webs in American history. It's June 5, 1968. Bobby Kennedy, fresh off winning the California Democratic primary, looking like he might just become President, gets shot in that cramped pantry at the Ambassador Hotel. Chaos. Screams. And one guy, Sirhan Sirhan, wrestled to the ground with a gun. Case closed? Far, far from it.

Seeing photos from that night always gets me. The hope on people's faces, then the sheer horror. It feels personal, even decades later. And then... the doubts start. Why did the official story never quite add up? What happened to all the witnesses who saw something different? Trying to make sense of Bobby Kennedy's assassination is like trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing and some from a different box entirely.

The Official Story: Sirhan Sirhan, Lone Gunman?

The LAPD and the FBI landed on Sirhan Sirhan pretty fast. He was the guy caught red-handed, gun smoking, right? Born in Jerusalem, a Palestinian Christian who became furious over RFK's support for Israel. He confessed, eventually. At his trial, his defense seemed... thin, almost like they weren't really trying to fight it. They brought in psychiatrists instead, talking about diminished capacity. He got the death penalty, commuted to life when California banned it. Case officially solved. Sirhan killed Bobby Kennedy.

Sirhan Sirhan: The Man and the Motive

Sirhan kept diaries filled with rage against RFK. Entries like "RFK must die" seemed like a smoking gun. They painted him as a lone nut, fueled by political hatred. His lawyers argued he was in a hypnotic trance when he fired. Yeah, hypnotic trance. Seriously? That felt like a stretch even back then. Did Sirhan kill Bobby Kennedy? He pulled a trigger, no doubt. But was he the *only* one? Was he even *capable* of firing the shots that actually hit RFK? That's where things unravel.

Cesar. That guy gives me the creeps. A security guard packing the same type of gun, standing *right* behind Kennedy? Multiple witnesses saw his gun out. And his alibis? Shaky at best. He later expressed strong anti-Kennedy views. Why wasn't he investigated harder? Feels like a glaring blind spot.

Cracks in the Foundation: Evidence That Doesn't Fit

The official investigation? Frankly, it was a mess. Evidence vanished faster than you can say "conspiracy."

• The Polka-Dot Dress Girl: Seriously, a woman in a polka-dot dress was seen with Sirhan before the shooting, acting strangely excited, saying "We shot him! We shot Kennedy!" Then she vanished. Poof. Gone. Multiple witnesses saw her. Why was she never found? What did she know?
• The Destroyed Evidence: The LAPD cleaned the crime scene within hours. Painted over walls? Destroyed key physical evidence? Sounds like someone didn't want a thorough look. Even the pantry tiles were ripped up and tossed. Who does that?
• Witness Intimidation & Ignored Testimony: People who saw things contradicting the lone gunman story reported being pressured by authorities. Others were simply dismissed. Sandra Serrano saw the polka-dot girl running down a fire escape yelling "We shot him!" Her account was attacked relentlessly.
• Acoustic Evidence: An audio recording from a freelance journalist at the scene supposedly captured 13 shots fired in rapid succession. Sirhan's revolver couldn't fire that fast. Experts argued about this for decades. Some said it was conclusive proof of a second gun; others dismissed it as echoes. Personally, the timing discrepancy is hard to ignore.

Major Investigations: Official Conclusions vs. Lingering Doubts

Okay, so who actually looked into this?

The HSCA saying there were "serious doubts" feels like a massive understatement. It’s like finding your car totaled in the driveway and saying you have "serious doubts" a squirrel did it. They basically admitted the case was botched but didn’t have the time, money, or maybe the political will to truly fix it.

Conspiracy Theories: From Plausible to Wild

When the official story stinks this bad, conspiracy theories bloom like mushrooms after rain. Some hold more water than others.

The Main Contenders:

• The Mob: RFK, as Attorney General, had ruthlessly targeted organized crime. They hated him. Mob figures like Johnny Rosselli (later murdered himself) were in LA that night. Motive? Absolutely. Means? Easily. Proof? Circumstantial at best.
• CIA: RFK was deeply involved in CIA ops (Bay of Pigs, Mongoose). He knew where bodies were buried. Some speculate anti-Castro Cubans or rogue CIA elements feared his presidency would expose dark secrets or change Cuba policy. Mind control (MKUltra) theories involving Sirhan get floated here, though evidence is very thin.
• Right-Wing Extremists: The late 60s were boiling with hatred. Groups vehemently opposed to the Kennedys, civil rights, or anyone seen as "soft" on communism existed. Could a cell have targeted RFK? Possible.
• Thane Eugene Cesar: As mentioned earlier. The security guard with the same caliber gun, standing in the perfect position, with shifting stories and motive (anti-Kennedy views). He remains the most plausible potential second shooter identified by researchers.

Look, the CIA angle always feels a bit too convenient, a catch-all bogeyman. But the Mob? Pure, simple revenge? That feels chillingly possible. And Cesar? He should never have been let off the hook so easily. His presence is just too coincidental.

The Legacy of RFK and the Unanswered Question

Bobby Kennedy's death changed America. It crushed the hope of the 60s right after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. His vision for social justice, ending the Vietnam War – it all died with him in that pantry. The fact we still don't have definitive answers about who killed Bobby Kennedy feels like a national failure. It erodes trust. It leaves wounds that haven't healed.

Every few years, Sirhan Sirhan pops up for another parole hearing (he's been denied over 15 times). He claims he doesn't remember the shooting, blames brainwashing or hypnosis. Honestly? I don't buy his convenient amnesia any more than I buy the official story. His parole hearings just reopen the raw questions without providing answers.

Sifting Fact from Fiction: Resources for Serious Researchers

Want to dig deeper yourself? Be prepared for a rabbit hole. Here’s what holds actual weight:

• "The RFK Tapes" (Podcast): Painstakingly reconstructs the crime scene using acoustics and witness statements. Makes a strong case for multiple shooters.
• "The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy" by Tim Tate & Brad Johnson: Focuses heavily on Thane Cesar and the ballistics evidence. Thorough and unsettling.
• "American Tabloid" by James Ellroy (Fiction, but deeply researched): A wild, dark ride through the underbelly of the 60s. Doesn't answer "who killed Bobby Kennedy?" but captures the murky atmosphere perfectly.
• Los Angeles Public Library RFK Assassination Archives: Holds primary documents, photos, and recordings. Real raw material.
• The HSCA Final Report & Appendices: Dry as dust, but the official acknowledgment of problems is crucial. Find it on the National Archives site.

Your Burning Questions Answered (FAQ)

Let's tackle the stuff people actually search for:

Was Sirhan Sirhan hypnotized to kill Bobby Kennedy?

His defense argued this ("conditioned response"). Some researchers point to his strange behavior before the shooting and his memory gaps. While hypnosis was studied by intelligence agencies (MKUltra), there's no credible evidence Sirhan was a victim of it. It feels more like a legal Hail Mary pass than proven fact. Possible? Maybe. Proven? Not even close.

How many shots were fired when Bobby Kennedy was killed?

This is core to the conspiracy. Officially: 8 shots (from Sirhan's gun). But the physical evidence showed more than 8 bullet holes. The acoustic analysis suggested up to 13 shots. Witnesses also reported hearing more than 8. The bullet count discrepancy is perhaps the most glaring physical evidence that something was wrong with the lone gunman theory from the start.

Who was the woman in the polka dot dress?

She's the ultimate ghost. Seen by multiple witnesses (Sandra Serrano, Vince DiPierro) with Sirhan before the shooting and fleeing afterwards, declaring "We shot Kennedy!" Despite police sketches and efforts, she was never identified. Theories range from a co-conspirator to a bystander caught up in the chaos. Her disappearance is deeply suspicious. Did she exist? Witnesses were adamant.

Why wasn't Thane Eugene Cesar seriously investigated?

That's the million-dollar question. He was interviewed briefly. His gun was taken but returned quickly after a cursory ballistics check (which found no link, but critics question the thoroughness). His changing stories and known hostility towards RFK should have raised huge red flags. Was it incompetence? Or something more deliberate? His proximity alone demanded serious scrutiny he never got.

Did the CIA kill Bobby Kennedy?

It's a popular theory, fueled by the agency's covert actions and RFK's knowledge of sensitive operations. However, direct evidence is lacking. The HSCA found no CIA involvement. Motive exists within certain rogue elements, but proving it is another matter. It often feels like a default explanation when other leads go cold.

Has new evidence emerged recently?

Bits and pieces surface. Recent parole hearings revisit old arguments. Researchers still analyze the acoustic tape. Cesar died in 2019 taking his version to the grave. The biggest "new" developments are usually re-interpretations of existing evidence or the declassification of tangential documents that add context but not a smoking gun pointing definitively to someone else who killed Bobby Kennedy.

Why Finding the Truth Still Matters

It's not just ancient history. Knowing who killed Bobby Kennedy – truly knowing – speaks to whether justice can ever be served for a crime that shattered the nation. It’s about holding institutions accountable for shoddy work or worse. Every unanswered question about that night fuels cynicism. Was it a lone, disturbed gunman? Or was a powerful force behind the murder of Robert Kennedy?

Walking through the replica of the pantry at the RFK museum in LA years ago gave me chills. You feel the chaos, the closeness of it all. How could the truth be so obscured in such a small, crowded space? That feeling sticks with you. The investigation into who killed Bobby Kennedy was flawed almost beyond repair from the first minutes. While Sirhan pulled a trigger that night, the full story of who killed Robert F. Kennedy, who planned it, and who covered it up, remains one of America's darkest unsolved mysteries. The question "who killed Bobby Kennedy?" echoes because the answer we got never satisfied the evidence we see.