Sirhan Sirhan claims to not remember murdering Robert F. Kennedy, and his lawyer argues he was brainwashed into committing the crime. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Sirhan Sirhan, the man who was convicted for the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, claims that he does not remember killing Kennedy. Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, claims not to remember shooting Kennedy, though he was apprehended at the scene while firing a pistol. His attorney claims he was brainwashed into committing the crime.

Attorney says Sirhan was victim of brainwashing

At an upcoming parole hearing, the lawyer representing convicted murderer Sirhan Sirhan will argue that Sirhan was the victim of  brainwashing, which led his client to assassinate Robert F. Kennedy, according to MSNBC. Sirhan was convicted of the 1968 assassination of Kennedy, younger brother to President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General during the JFK administration. Sirhan’s attorney, William F. Pepper, maintains that his client was the subject of a brainwashing scheme, similar to the plot of “The Manchurian Candidate,” a film about a man brainwashed into assassinating a politician. Pepper maintains that the conditioning Sirhan received resulted in Sirhan shooting Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in June of 1968.

No memory of shooting Kennedy

For some time, Sirhan has maintained that he has no recollection of shooting Robert Kennedy. However, according to the Daily Mail, Sirhan said during his trial that he had committed the crime “with 20 years of malice aforethought,” and that he had committed the crime “for my country,” referencing Kennedy’s support of Israel during the Six Days War of 1967. He was initially sentenced to death, but the Kennedy family opposed the use of the death penalty. His sentence was changed to life in prison after Supreme Court case Furman vs. Georgia led to a national moratorium on the death penalty from 1972 to 1976.

Lax pursuit of parole

Sirhan Sirhan has not been very proactive in pursuing parole. He rarely attends hearings, mostly sending an attorney, and he has declined to send counsel on several occasions. However, his apprehension at the scene makes establishing his innocence or securing his release unlikely. Sirhan was wrestled to the ground by hotel staff and several Kennedy supporters, including journalist George Plimpton and Olympic athlete Rafer Johnson, while still firing his revolver.

Sources

MSNBC

Daily Mail

It has been 37 years since the JFK assassination. Image from Wikmedia Commons.

The JFK assassination was one of the most shocking moments to occur in modern America. The shooting of a young and incredibly charismatic president in broad daylight stunned the world. It has been 47 years since John F. Kennedy was gunned down in Dallas.

47th anniversary of JFK assassination

On November 22, 1963, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy had a scheduled presidential visit in Dallas, Texas. As the motorcade traveled through Dealey Plaza, in downtown Dallas, several shots rang out in quick succession. The president, and the Governor of Texas, John Connally, were struck. The president’s car raced to the hospital, but his wounds were too grave. At the age of 46, the second youngest president in history was dead. As police investigated, it was discovered that one employee of the Texas Schoolbook Depository Building was missing, and a rifle was discovered on the sixth floor. The missing employee, Lee Harvey Oswald, was also the owner of the rifle. The rifle, a 6.5X52 mm Carcano, was matched to a bullet recovered from John Connally’s gurney. Oswald was arrested the next day, but was shot and killed by Jack Ruby before he could be tried.

Kennedy assassination shocked the world

What made the assassination of John F. Kennedy so shocking was that he was a very captivating figure. He was young; in fact the second youngest President ever elected. Kennedy also had an infectious enthusiasm and vision. He make some great strides in the civil rights struggle, and set the goal for the moon landing. He also had a huge hand in keeping the Cuban Missile Crisis from resulting in a nuclear war. His death was unexpected; assassinations were something that didn’t happen in America.

47 years have gone by

Since the JFK assassination, there have been plenty of conspiracy theories regarding the events of that day. The Kennedy assassination was one of the most infamous moments in American history, and many people that were alive then will still be able to recall exactly what they were doing when the news was announced.

Sources

Wikipedia on JFK Assassination