After fifteen consecutive denials, the California Parole Board finally gave its approval on Friday. , Was found guilty April 17, 1969 Assassination of a senator from New York. He was sentenced to death, but was commuted to life imprisonment in 1972, following the brief abolition of the death penalty in California.
An offender was badly instructed by his lawyer
After a 90-day review period, the Board’s parole decision will be submitted to the Governor of California, who has the power to deny or change it. Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan assassinated “Bobby” Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, a senator campaigning for the Democratic nominee for the presidency. Five more were injured. The assassin justified his gesture by supporting Robert Kennedy to sell military aircraft to Israel.
During his previous parole application in 2016Sirhan Sirhan said he was drunk the night of the crime and wished “nothing happened”. The confession was made by a lawyer during his trial, who advised him wrongly and convinced him that he was guilty.
More gray areas
Sirhan Sirhan was arrested in the ambassador’s kitchen. 22 caliber in hand. During his interrogation, notebooks were produced in which he wrote “RFK must die”. But some, including one of Bobby Kennedy’s sons, are not sure if Sirhan was actually a murderer or if he acted alone.
In confusing details, the former Justice Minister and former New York senator was bombed at close range behind the right ear, with Sirhan facing him. And according to one acoustic expert, 13 shots were fired during the night of the play, but Sirhan’s weapon had only eight rounds.
Bobby Kennedy’s son supports parole
In 2018, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed that he met Sirhan Sirhan in prison. He told the Washington Post, “I went there and was intrigued and disturbed by the evidence I saw.” “I was worried that the wrong person might have been convicted of my father’s murder.”
Her sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, joined in her call to reopen the criminal investigation. Bobby Jr. had sent a letter to the commission in support of Sirhan’s parole, and his younger brother, Douglas Kennedy, also spoke in his favor during Friday’s hearing.
A friend of the Kennedy family was shot in the head, and Paul Shred has long campaigned for Sirhan’s release. “It’s a good decision,” he told AFP on Friday. “I am very grateful to the commission for giving Sirhan the opportunity to return home,” the 96-year-old added.