A parole board in San Diego on Friday granted a release for the man convicted of assassinating U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
Sirhan Sirhan, 77, faced his 16th parole hearing in connection with the fatal shooting Kennedy, a U.S. Senator from New York and U.S. Attorney General in the administration of his brother, President John F. Kennedy, shortly after delivering a speech at L.A.’s Ambassador Hotel. Kennedy had just won the California primary for the 1968 Democratic nomination for president.
Two of Kennedy's sons said they supported Sirhan's release.
Sirhan was convicted in Los Angeles County.
In an unusual move, L.A. District Attorney George Gascón’s office did not participate in the parole hearing. The decision stemmed from a reform initiated by Gascón last year, which overturned a long-standing D.A.’s office policy that prosecutors would attend parole hearings to argue against releasing prisoners early.
In a statement, the D.A.’s office said it was foregoing involvement in the Sirhan hearing to focus instead on “ensuring that victims are provided trauma informed services.”
“The role of the prosecutor and their access to information ends at sentencing,” Gascón said.
Sirhan was a Palestinian refugee from Israel who arrived in the U.S. in 1956. He admitted to killing Kennedy in his 1969 trial, citing the senator’s political support for Israel.
In previous parole hearings, the assassin expressed remorse for the killing. “I have feelings of shame and inward guilt,” he said in 1989. “It is really a haunting experience and I honestly feel the pain that [the Kennedys] may have gone through.”
Sirhan’s attorney argued for his release on the basis of his status as a youthful offender under state law. He was 24 at the time he assassinated Kennedy, which could have been a mitigating factor in his sentencing.
Post-release, Sirhan may be permitted live with his brother in Pasadena. There is also a possibility of deportation to Jordan, as he does not hold U.S. citizenship.