Assassin of Robert Kennedy denied parole

“It says Sirhan couldn’t have shot Robert Kennedy and didn’t”.

FILE – This June 1968 file photo shows Sirhan Sirhan, right, accused assassin of Sen.

He was last denied parole in March 2011. Roberts at one point asked Schrade to wrap up his presentation, saying “quite frankly, youre losing us.”“I think you have been lost for a long time, ” Schrade shot back.

Parole officials found that Sirhan, 71, did not show adequate remorse or understand the enormity of the crime.

Sirhan, 71, stuck to his previous account that he did not remember the shooting in 1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

A bystander and Kennedy confidante who was injured by a bullet from Sirhan during the RFK shooting is convinced a second gunman actually shot Kennedy.

On Wednesday, Sirhan nodded politely each time Schrade sought his forgiveness. Sirhan initially was sentenced to death, but that sentence was commuted to life in prison. Robert F. Kennedy, after hearing Wednesday from another person who was shot that night and called for Sirhan’s release.

Sirhan recalled events before the shooting in some detail – going to a shooting range that day, visiting the hotel in search of a party and returning after realizing he drank too many Tom Collins’ to drive.

Palestinian-born Sirhan is serving a life sentence for gunning down Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, shortly after he won the California Democratic presidential primary. He said he became interested in a female and they drank coffee in a hotel pantry.“Its all vague now, ” Sirhan told the parole panel. CBS News reported that his lawyer had to beg him to agree to come to the upcoming parole hearing. “Legally speaking, Im not guilty of anything….

Sirhan’s lack of memory of the attack makes expressions of remorse and accepting responsibility hard.

Sirhan was transferred to Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa from a Kings County penitentiary on November 22, 2013 – the 50th anniversary of the murder of the Democratic senator’s older brother, President John F. Kennedy.

Author Dan Moldea said Schrade was instrumental in arranging 14 hours of interviews with Sirhan for Moldea’s 1995 book, “The Killing of Robert F. Kennedy”, which concluded Sirhan acted alone.

Schrade says that justice has not been served. He contends there was more than one gunman at the RFK killing – and forgives Sirhan.

As Sirhan left the hearing, Schrade shouted, “Sirhan, I’m so sorry this is happening to you”. He angrily ignored the commissioner’s admonishment to avoid directly addressing Sirhan and chastised the prosecution for a “venomous” statement advocating that Sirhan stay in prison.