Robert F. Kennedy (left) and Sirhan Sirhan.Photo: getty (2)
Sirhan Bushara Sirhan, the convicted murderer of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, has been granted parole 53 years after the assassination.
The decision, which is subject to the governor’s review before it takes effect, was made during Sirhan’s 16th parole hearing on Friday after two of Kennedy’s sons spoke in favor of his release, theAssociated Pressreports.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote in favor of parole, while Paul Schrade — a friend of the late senator who was wounded in the shooting — also spoke in favor of his release, the AP reports.
“I would never put myself in jeopardy again,” Sirhan said, according to the AP, during the parole hearing. “You have my pledge. I will always look to safety and peace and non-violence.”
The California Parole Board now has 90 days to review the ruling before it is passed on to the governor for consideration.
A spokesperson for the parole board and an attorney for Sirhan did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Prosecutors did not attend the parole hearing or argue against Sirhan’s release under a new policy from Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, who implemented criminal justice reforms when he took office in December,TheNew York Timesreports.
“The role of a prosecutor and their access to information ends at sentencing,” Alex Bastian, special advisor to Gascón, told AP in a statement on Thursday.
Six of Kennedy’s children went on torelease a statementon Friday, sharing that they are “devastated that the man who murdered our father has been recommended for parole.”
“We urge the Parole Board staff, the full Board, and ultimately, Governor Newsom, to reverse this initial recommendation. It is a recommendation we intent to challenge every step of the way, and we hope that those who also hold the memory of our late father in their hearts will stand with us,” the statement continued.
RFK Portrait Session.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
Sen. Kennedy, who had served as the 64th attorney general before being elected, was mortally wounded in a shooting while leaving a campaign event for his presidency at the ballroom at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
According to anEvening Journalreport from the time, he died at age 42 at “1:44 a.m., PDT, little more than 25 hours after the assault at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.”
Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder in 1969 and was sentenced to death. However, his sentence was commuted to life in prison three years later when the California Supreme Court outlawed capital punishment.
“We can’t change the past, but he was not sentenced to life without the possibility of parole,” Sirhan’s attorney, Angela Berry, told the AP on Thursday. “To justify denying it based on the gravity of the crime and the fact that it disenfranchised millions of Americans is ignoring the rehabilitation that has occurred and that rehabilitation is a more relevant indicator of whether or not a person is still a risk to society.”
source: people.com
