Robert F. Kennedy Assassin Sirhan Sirhan Granted Parole
California Department of Corrections
Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy, was granted parole on Friday.
Kennedy was fatally shot by Sirhan in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel the night he won California’s Democratic presidential primary.
Sirhan was previously denied parole in 2016, but on Friday a California parole board panel voted in favor of it. One key factor in this parole hearing was two of Kennedy’s sons speaking in favor of his release.
Douglas Kennedy, who was a toddler when his father was gunned down in 1968, said he was moved to tears by Sirhan’s remorse and he should be released if he’s not a threat to others.
“I’m overwhelmed just by being able to view Mr. Sirhan face to face,” he said. “I think I’ve lived my life both in fear of him and his name in one way or another. And I am grateful today to see him as a human being worthy of compassion and love.”
Prosecutors did not speak in opposition to granting parole. An adviser for LA County District Attorney George Gascon said, “If someone is the same person that committed an atrocious crime, that person will correctly not be found suitable for release. However, if someone is no longer a threat to public safety after having served more than 50 years in prison, then the parole board may recommend release based on an objective determination… Our office policies take these principles into account and as such, our prosecutors stay out of the parole board hearing process.”
The ruling is not final, and will be reviewed by the California Parole Board and the governor.
