Robert Kennedy killer Sirhan denied parole as RFK confidant claims Sirhan didn't do it
At a three hour hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Sirhan Sirhan was denied parole again for killing Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, just after Kennedy won the pivotal California Democratic presidential primary. Sirhan, 71, maintained that he did not remember the shooting, though he clearly recalled going to a shooting range, getting drunk, and drinking coffee at a hotel in the hours before the assassination. The commissioners, in denying his parole request, said that Sirhan neither showed sufficient remorse nor seemed to understand the gravity of his crime.
Most of the drama at the hearing, Sirhan's 15th bid for parole, was provided by Paul Schrade, a 91-year-old former labor leader and RFK confidante who was shot in the head during Robert Kennedy's assassination. Schrade said that he believes Sirhan was the gunman who shot him but that Kennedy was slain by a second gunman, a theory he has espoused before. "I should have been here long ago and that's why I feel guilty for not being here to help you and to help me," Schrade told Sirhan, whom he was facing for the first time since Sirhan's 1969 trial. "Sirhan, I'm so sorry this is happening to you," he called out as Sirhan was leaving the room. "It's my fault."
The commissioners were not swayed by Schrade's theories, nor by Sirhan's protestation that he didn't remember the shooting. "This crime impacted the nation, and I daresay it impacted the world," said commissioner Brian Roberts. "It was a political assassination of a viable Democratic presidential candidate." Sirhan can petition for parole again in five years.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published