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Gregory Freeman Stone collection on the Robert F. Kennedy assassination
0241
0241
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Title: Gregory Freeman Stone collection on the Robert F. Kennedy assassination
Collection number: 0241
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
92.0 Linear feet
99 boxes
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1968-1991
Date (inclusive): 1944-1991
Abstract: The collection includes files accumulated by Gregory Freemen Stone during his investigation into the assassination of Robert
F. Kennedy.
creator:
Stone, Gregory , 1949-
[Box/folder# or item name], Gregory Freeman Stone collection on the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, Collection no. 0241,
Regional History Collections, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
The collection includes the materials that were accumulated and studied by Gregory Freeman Stone over the course of his investigation
into Senator Robert F. Kennedy's assassination. Included are excerpts from the FBI and LAPD's investigative files regarding
the Kennedy case, full transcripts of the Sirhan trial and subsequent appeal, VHS recordings of evidence and media coverage
of the case, correspondence exchanged between Stone and other
second-gunman theorists, transcripts of interviews conducted with witnesses in the case, photographs and diagrams of the crime scene, Stone's
personal notes and conclusions, and indexes and lists providing direction for further research. The collection also includes
a comprehensive survey of media coverage of the Kennedy case, including newspaper and periodical clippings, journal articles,
excerpts from books, and news and video broadcasts.
On June 5, 1968, United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los
Angeles, California. Kennedy had just won the California primary election for the Democratic nomination for President earlier
that night. While Kennedy was passing through the hotel's kitchen, Sirhan Bishara Sirhan, a 24-year old Palestinian immigrant,
shot and killed the presidential hopeful. Sirhan subsequently confessed to the crime, was convicted of first-degree murder
on April 17, 1969, and is currently serving a life sentence for Kennedy's assassination.
Despite Sirhan's confession and conviction, many believed that Kennedy's assassination was not so cut and dry. Gregory Freeman
Stone, a former political science doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin, was one such individual. From his research,
Stone came to believe that Sirhan did not act alone but was assisted by a second gunman, who was responsible for firing the
bullet that ultimately killed the Senator. Stone devoted his life to searching for evidence to support this theory.
In 1985, Stone dropped out of his doctoral studies program in order to spend more time on the case. He subsequently moved
to Los Angeles to continue his research and the small duplex in which he lived served as the main location for his collection
of materials related to the assassination. In 1988, the Los Angeles Police Department released their files regarding the investigation
and credit Stone as being instrumental in making this happen. These files are currently housed in the California State Archives.
Stone and his colleagues were confident that their research would finally launch a reinvestigation into the murder. On May
13, 1990, the
Washington Post published an article by Dan Moldea in which the author stated that more bullets were fired than could be accounted for in
Sirhan's revolver, nine to twelve in total. Stone's research was vital to Moldea's conclusion. The following week Stone and
his colleagues held a press conference to present their findings on the second gunman. The findings received national attention
but did not lead to the reinvestigation into the murder the group hoped for. Stone was deeply upset by the outcome and developed
depression. In 1991, he committed suicide.
The collection was given to the University of Southern California by Philip H. Melanson on August 25, 1991.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Inventory of the Los Angeles Police Department Records of the Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Investigation, circa 1968-1978
at the California State Archives.
The Robert F. Kennedy Assassination Archive Collection. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Archives and Special Collections
University Library. MC 1/RFKAA.
The collection is organized in four series: 1. Trial Transcripts and Legal Documents; 2. LAPD and FBI Investigative Files;
3. Subject Files; 4. Media Coverage. For the most part, the collection was kept in original order and original folder titles
were used to describe the folder contents.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ambassador Hotel. -- Archives
Bradley, Tom, 1917-1998 -- Archives
Houghton, Robert A. -- Archives
Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968 -- Assassination
Los Angeles (Calif.). Police Dept. -- Archives
Lowenstein, Allard K. -- Archives
Melanson, Philip H. -- Archives
Moldea, Dan E., 1950- -- Archives
Sirhan, Sirhan Bishara, 1944- -- Archives
Stone, Gregory , 1949- -- Archives
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Webster, William H. -- Archives
Wolfer, DeWayne -- Archives
Younger, Evelle J. -- Archives
Assassination--Investigation--United States--20th century--Archival resources
Assassination--Political aspects--United States--History--20th century--Archival resources
Assassins--United States--Archival resources
Audiocassettes
Brainwashing--History--20th century--Archival resources
Clippings
Conspiracies--California--Los Angeles--Archival resources
Correspondence
Firearms--Social aspects--United States--History--Archival resources
Forensic ballistics--California--Los Angeles--Archival resources
Freedom of information--United States--Cases--Archival resources
Hypnosis--History--20th century--Archival resources
Interviews--United States--20th century--Archival resources
Los Angeles (Calif.)--History--20th century--Archival resources
Magazines (periodicals)
Memorandums
Murder--California--Los Angeles--Case studies--Archival resources
Notes
Periodicals
Police--California--Los Angeles--History--20th century--Archival resources
Press releases
Reports
Transcripts
Trials--United States--Archival resources
United States--History--Archival resources
VHS (TM)
Videotapes