Convicted assassin of Robert F. Kennedy denied parole in California

Convicted assassin of Robert F. Kennedy denied parole in California

2011-03-04 06:12:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

COALINGA, CALIFORNIA (BNO NEWS) -- Sirhan Sirhan, convicted assassin of Robert F. Kennedy, on Thursday was denied parole in California, Los Angeles Times reported.

Sirhan B. Sirhan, 66, the confessed murderer of late politician Robert F. Kennedy, has been imprisoned for the last 42 years, since 1968. He was initially sentenced to death penalty but commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole when the death penalty was outlawed in California in 1972.

A California parole board in Coalinga rejected the request from Sirhan after determining that the convicted assassin has not shown an understanding of the magnitude of his crimes.

Sirhan will be eligible fro parole in five years. The parole board considered that the Palestinian-born and Jordanian citizen failed to meet the state's criteria for suitability for parole by blaming others for his problems, behaving immaturely and not seeking enough self-help programs.

The 66-year-old murdered claimed to have no memory of shooting Kennedy or five other victims in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in 1968. No members of the Kennedy family attended the hearing.

Robert F. Kennedy, who was a younger brother of also assassinated President John F. Kennedy, was a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968, competing against Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

On June 5, Senator Kennedy claimed victory in the California presidential primary. Moments later, Sirhan shot Kennedy at the kitchen pantry of the hotel where the politician was celebrating.

Sirhan also wounded five other people. The assassin later said that he killed Kennedy because of statements the New York senator made about the United States sending fighter jets to aid Israel.

In April 1969, Sirhan was convicted and sentenced to death penalty. During trial, he admitted the killing and added that he did it "premeditatedly with 20 years of malice aforethought."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-04