Robert Kennedy Jr., who spent nearly 60 years incarcerated for his father’s death, has long maintained that Sirhan Sirhan is not guilty of the assassination and that another gunman played a role in Senator Robert Kennedy’s assassination in 1968.
This belief has caused a rift between him and most of his siblings as well as his late mother, Ethel. The tension is likely to resurface with Sirhan, now 81, set for another parole hearing next year.
“I think Cesar killed my father,” Kennedy Jr. claimed in a 2021 Op-Ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, referencing Thane Eugene Cesar, the security guard who died in 2019 and was never accused. “Silhan,” Kennedy Jr. wrote, “is not my father’s murderer.”
Recently revealed documents show that in 2012, Kennedy Jr., who now heads the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urged then-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to explore a new investigation into his father’s death and the theory of multiple gunmen. This correspondence, revealed in the assassination files and classified by the Trump administration, indicates his long-standing concerns.
When Kennedy Jr. suggested that the California parole board grant Sirhan parole in 2021—his 16th consideration—six of his siblings, led by Ethel, fiercely opposed the idea.
“Our family and our country have suffered unspeakable losses due to the inhumanity of one man,” Ethel stated in a post from September 7, 2021. Ethel passed away on October 10, 2024, at 96.
Her other children—Joe, Courtney, Kelly, Chris, Max, and Rory—are against Sirhan’s release, while her son Douglas supports Kennedy Jr.’s position.
Kennedy Jr.’s sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, previously mentioned in 2018 that his claims about Sirhan’s role were compelling but has not commented further.
In the letter from 2012, Kennedy Jr. attached a summary of evidence advocating for a new investigation, a document prepared by Paul Schrade. Schrade, a former labor leader and an acquaintance of RFK, was one of five injured during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, where Kennedy was assassinated after his victory in California’s primary.
Schrade argued for years that there were two gunmen involved in the assassination. He emphasized this belief in his letter, which called for a fresh examination of evidence, including a forensic re-evaluation of audiotapes related to the crime.
Acoustic specialists had previously concluded that 13 shots were fired that night, noting that Sirhan only discharged eight rounds from his firearm without reloading. Schrade also highlighted an autopsy finding that Robert Kennedy was shot from behind, contradicting the positioning of Sirhan, who was reportedly in front of him.
“I have strongly supported Sirhan’s release since learning of evidence not presented in his trial,” Kennedy Jr. asserted in a letter for a parole hearing on August 27, 2021. “After years of investigation, I am convinced that the narrative surrounding my father’s murder is more complex than what was presented at trial.”
Sirhan has continuously claimed a lack of memory regarding the assassination events.
Additionally, the recently released files contain unsettling handwritten notes found in Sirhan’s home, expressing an obsession with removing Robert F. Kennedy.
The family discussions surrounding Sirhan’s potential release reached a boiling point in 2021, leading to rumors of betrayal among family members.
Kennedy Jr. created quite a stir by supporting Sirhan’s release just hours before the parole hearing, despite the family’s divided stance.
“The parole hearing started at 8:30 AM, and Robert’s letter arrived at 10:30 AM,” Sirhan’s lawyer, Angela Berry, recalled in 2021. “I want to assure you that this letter does not represent the views of the entire Kennedy family.” This assertion marked a pivotal moment in the hearing.
