The assassin who killed Robert F. Kennedy could get parole and be released from prison if the California parole board goes through with the recommendation last month for Sirhan Sirhan after two of the victim's sons supported the suspect's release.
Ethel Kennedy, the widow of the victim, clearly expressed her belief that the killer should remain in prison despite her sons supporting his parole. "Our family and our country suffered an unspeakable loss due to the inhumanity of one man. We believe in the gentleness that spared his life, but in taming his act of violence, he should not have the opportunity to terrorize again," she said.
Kennedy Assassin's Parole
Last month, a California parole board recommended Sirhan to be released. The suspect shot RFK to death in1968 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The gunman was imprisoned for 53 years and California Gov. Gavin Newsom will have the final say in whether or not Sirhan gets his parole.
Six of RFK's sons expressed their support of their mother's stances on Sirhan's parole while two others have voiced out their support of their father's killer. In a statement, Douglas Kennedy, one of the two who supported Sirhan's parole, said that despite living in fear, he saw a man who was worthy of compassion and love, Business Insider reported.
Kennedys' six children who opposed Sirhan's release said in a statement that they wanted to make their stance clear that they did not want the suspect to get parole. They said that the board's ruling ignored the standards for parole of a confessed, first-degree murderer in the state of California.
However, Sirhan's attorney, Angela Berry, gave out sentencing memorandums that focused on the suspect's youth at the time of the murder. Sirhan was only 24 years old when he fatally shot Kennedy during the latter's run for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States, CNN reported.
Committing The Same Crime
Berry said her client was a Palestinian who became a refugee at the young age of four and witnessed brutalities that most people could not even dream about before he immigrated to the U.S. In a hearing last month, Sirhan said he was not angry despite being locked for years because he was grateful that his life was spared despite the crime he committed. "I disagree with them outright. I'm grateful for having my life spared from the gas chamber. I value my life so much. I would never put myself in jeopardy again," he said.
Sirhan said he did not remember shooting Kennedy in 1968 but recalled that he vehemently opposed the latter's support for Israel. The gunman's parole caused widespread criticism for Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon for not sending a prosecutor to oppose Sirhan's parole.
Ethel's statement said her family was urging the Parole Board staff, the full Board, and Gov. Newsom, to reverse the initial decision. She said that they planned to challenge the process at every single step. Kennedy's widow asked for support from her late husband's supporters who continued to remember the politician in their memory and hearts, Fox News reported.
Related Article : Prominent South Carolina Attorney Resigns From Firm To Seek Rehab After Being Shot 3 Months Following His Wife, Son's Death
