By Cres Vellucci
Vanguard Sacramento Bureau Chief
SACRAMENTO, CA – California Gov. Gavin Newsom Thursday announced 24 pardons – but denied parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the convicted murderer of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968 after the U.S. Senator had won the California Democratic Primary and seemingly was well on his way to becoming the next U.S. President.
Sirhan, who has denied he killed Kennedy and was recommended by the Board of Parole Hearings for parole in 2021, has been described by some critics and criminologists for decades as a “patsy” who was framed by any one of dark culprits, from corporate and/or pro-military U.S. forces to Howard Hughes and cohorts.
None of this has been proven beyond a doubt, and Sirhan has languished in prison – his death sentence commuted in 1972.
Two of RFK’s children — Robert (RFK Jr.) and Douglas — supported parole for Sirhan, although other children and Robert Kennedy’s window opposed parole. 
Most historians surmise that if Kennedy – whose brother John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 when he was U.S. President – had become president that the Vietnam War may have ended, and 50,000 Americans may not have died in the Southeast Asian conflict. Kennedy’s death virtually guaranteed millions of Americans would go off to die or be injured, many with long lasting illnesses even today.
Gov. Newsom, who said he completed an “extensive” review of the Sirhan case, overturned the parole board because Sirhan wouldn’t accept guilt, and failed to disclaim violence committed in his name, among other reasons
“Mr. Sirhan’s assassination of Senator Kennedy is among the most notorious crimes in American history,” said the governor, adding, “After decades in prison, he has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy. Mr. Sirhan lacks the insight that would prevent him from making the same types of dangerous decisions he made in the past.
“Mr. Sirhan’s assassination of Senator Kennedy is among the most notorious crimes in American history. Senator Kennedy’s murder caused his family immeasurable suffering, including his pregnant wife, their ten children, and the extended Kennedy family,” said Newsom.
He added, “Mr. Sirhan’s crimes also caused great harm to the American people. Senator Kennedy’s assassination upended the 1968 presidential election, leaving millions in the United States and beyond mourning the promise of his candidacy.”
Newsom noted particularly that “I have concluded that he is unsuitable for parole because he poses a current threat to public safety. After decades in prison, Mr. Sirhan has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy. Mr. Sirhan lacks the insight that would prevent him from making the same types of dangerous decisions he made in the past.”
The governor, in his statement denying Sirhan parole, said Sirhan wouldn’t “accept responsibility” for the crime and that he had confessed to police.
Newsom said evidence against Sirhan was “irrefutable,” and claims from authors, investigators and others were “conclusively disproved.”
Those claims that Sirhan did not kill Kennedy included theories ranging from “evidence” that many more bullets were fired than could have come from Sirhan’s gun, that RFK was shot from behind and Sirhan was in front of him, that the CIA didn’t want CIA-critic RFK to become President, among others.
Newsom noted that Sirhan repeatedly changed his story over the decades, from denial of the murder to claiming he was drunk or couldn’t remember the killing because of Kennedy’s support for military aid for Israel in the Middle East war.
The governor said it is “Mr. Sirhan’s implausible and unsupported denials of responsibility and lack of credibility elevate his current risk level. They indicate that Mr. Sirhan, despite decades of incarceration and purported efforts in rehabilitation, has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy.
“The record further demonstrates that Mr. Sirhan has not meaningfully disclaimed political violence—committed by him or in his name—nor shown that he appreciates the unique risks created by his commission of a political
assassination. These gaps in Mr. Sirhan’s insight have a close nexus to his current risk of inciting further political violence,” added Gov. Newsom.
The governor counteracted the parole board, which he said found Sirhan’s “professed intention not to be ‘a rebel or a troublemaker’ sufficient to mitigate this risk factor. I disagree. Not only has Mr. Sirhan failed to meaningfully disclaim political violence, he lacks the skills required to control his response to external triggers, which are critical for mitigating the public safety risk he poses.”
Newsom also criticized the parole board – not known to go easy on incarcerated individuals – for finding “Mr. Sirhan’s anger management skills are sufficient to manage the public safety challenges he would face on parole.
Here, too, I disagree.”
The governor did appear to admit “Mr. Sirhan has made some efforts to improve himself in prison through self-help programming and other prosocial efforts. While Mr. Sirhan has undoubtedly matured in some ways over the last 53 years, the record evidence shows that he has not internalized his rehabilitation programming sufficiently to reduce his risk for future dangerousness.”
But the governor concluded, “When considered as a whole, I find the evidence in the record demonstrates that Mr. Sirhan currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison. Despite his 53 years of incarceration, Mr. Sirhan has failed to develop the insight necessary to mitigate his current dangerousness and is unsuitable for parole.”
“Most historians surmise that if Kennedy – whose brother John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 when he was U.S. President – had become president that the Vietnam War may have ended, and 50,000 Americans may not have died in the Southeast Asian conflict. Kennedy’s death virtually guaranteed millions of Americans would go off to die or be injured, many with long lasting illnesses even today.”
That is wrong. By the end of 1968, the U.S had already lost 37,000 Americans in Vietnam. Twenty thousand more Americans would die before Jerry Ford finally got out.
I vividly remember the morning after Bobby Kennedy was murdered riding the school bus and talking about it on my way to Junior High. I’m glad Gavin pulled the plug on releasing Sirhan.
Yeah, I noticed that glaring error as well. I remember watching the Democratic Convention as a kid when this happened. Pretty intense year with MLK as well. People get all freaky about bringing kids into this ‘horrible world today’ with Donald Trump, climate change and all. Amazing how wonderful things were back in the times in which one did not live.
Yes, and most forget that Jack Kennedy was a big supporter of the Diem regime… both were Catholic, had ‘french connections’ (note Jackie’s last name, Bouvier), and both were assassinated in November 1963… twenty days apart… Vietnam was often judged as “Johnson’s mess”, but the seeds were sown and cultivated during the Kennedy administration.
John Kennedy was an amazingly good president, but he had definite ‘feet of clay’… I remember vividly when both Kennedy’s were shot. Like Alan M, Dad and I were watching the news of the CA primary, so saw Bobby killed in real time. It was surreal to both of us. Robert Kennedy, like his brother, were good men, had great ideas, effective, but neither were ‘saints’.
But in his mid-70’s, is Sirhan Sirhan a ‘clear and present danger’? I think not… the “guv'” is pandering yet again… just wetting his finger and acting as if his political life and aspirations depended on it… he is correct in his assessment, but he has never shown true principles or morals…
If it came down to a vote for president between Newsom and Trump, I’d demand the right to vote “NO!”
And, Alan M, it did not happen @ the Democratic convention… it happened at the victory party for the CA primary, at an LA Hotel… not in CHI where the convention was held…
Probably pretty hard to pardon someone after getting a call from members of the Kennedy family.