Over five decades after the tragic assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the mystery surrounding his death continues to haunt America.
Now, a newly released batch of CIA documents — over 1,500 pages long — has reopened the conversation.
These files shed fresh light on the mind of his killer, Sirhan Sirhan, and even reveal Robert Kennedy’s early contact with the CIA, raising even more questions than they answer.
CIA Releases Long-Hidden Files from 1968 Assassination
On Thursday, the CIA made public more than 1,500 pages of documents that had never before been seen by the public. Among them: psychological evaluations, personal notes written by Sirhan Sirhan, and internal memos about fears of conspiracy theories. While some pages remain heavily redacted, the release offers a rare glimpse into what intelligence officials were working with in the aftermath of one of the country’s most shocking political murders.
Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, was convicted of assassinating Kennedy in Los Angeles shortly after the senator had won the California Democratic primary in 1968.
At the time, Sirhan claimed his motive was Kennedy’s support for Israel.
Sirhan Described as a Troubled But Intelligent Lone Actor
One of the documents includes a psychological profile of Sirhan, painting a complex picture.
He was described as someone with “high intellectual potential,” though it had not been well developed or directed.
While he lacked any formal expertise or specialized training, the profile noted that he could have still been manipulated — possibly even used by a broader network.
“We can’t conclude that he was part of a conspiracy,” the memo reads, “but he may have been a tool of one.”
That said, analysts doubted that Sirhan had the capability to follow detailed orders, calling him more of an “impulsive assassin” than a calculating one.
Handwritten Notes Reveal Sirhan’s Obsession With Kennedy
Also included in the release were Sirhan’s personal notes, some of which are chilling.
Repeatedly, he scrawled “Kennedy must fall,” along with angry references to what he called “American traitors.”
In one excerpt, he even wrote:
“Please pay to the order of Sirhan Sirhan.”
Another line claims Kennedy needed to be “sacrificed” for the cause of the “poor exploited people.”
The notes hint at a deep sense of ideological rage, though whether it was part of a larger agenda remains unanswered.
Robert Kennedy’s Secret Meeting With the CIA Revealed
One of the more surprising revelations in the files was that a young Robert F. Kennedy had voluntarily debriefed with the CIA after a trip to the Soviet Union in 1955.
At the time, he was working as a Senate staffer.
Kennedy gave detailed feedback to intelligence officers, describing visits to collective farms, factories, courts, and even a mosque.
According to the CIA, this reflected his “patriotic commitment” to informing U.S. authorities about what he had seen behind the Iron Curtain.
Agencies Worried They’d Be Blamed for RFK’s Death
Another layer of intrigue came from internal documents showing that both the FBI and CIA were nervous that conspiracy theories would target them.
There were concerns inside both agencies that they’d be accused of orchestrating Kennedy’s assassination as part of what some believed was a string of political killings — especially following the murder of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, in 1963.
RFK Jr. Thanks Trump and Others for Transparency Push
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late senator, welcomed the release of the documents.
He publicly thanked former President Donald Trump for pushing the transparency initiative forward and expressed appreciation to former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former CIA Director John Ratcliffe for their roles in helping to get the files declassified.
“Lifting the veil on the RFK papers is a necessary step toward restoring trust in American government,” Kennedy Jr. said.
Tulsi Gabbard: The Documents Raise Even More Questions
Gabbard, who’s been deeply involved in calling for the full release of Kennedy-related documents, previously said that the materials offer troubling clues.
In an April appearance on Fox News, she pointed out that the documents “support the questions that Secretary Kennedy has been asking for decades” about the true circumstances of his father’s death.
“In my view, these documents provide the background to more questions than answers,” she added, hinting that over 50,000 more pages are still waiting to be declassified.
A Long Shadow Still Casts Doubt Over RFK’s Assassination
The release of these documents has rekindled national attention on a dark moment in American history.
While they do shed new light on Sirhan’s mindset and Kennedy’s ties to the CIA, they don’t close the case — if anything, they fuel further suspicion.
With thousands more files still under wraps, the push for complete transparency isn’t over.
The Kennedy family — and the American public — continue to wait for the full truth to emerge.