Sirhan Sirhan denied parole for 13th time, lawyer vows to keep fighting for RFK assassin

(CBS/AP) COALINGA, Calif. - Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy more that 40 years ago, has been denied parole for the 13th time, with the parole board citing an apparent lack of remorse for his crime, as well Sirhan not seeming to understand the impact his actions that day in 1968 have had on U.S. history.

Following the parole hearing Sirhan's lawyer, William F. Pepper, told reporters outside the prison that he was planning further legal actions on Sirhan's behalf.

"This is an ongoing story" he said. "We're not going to let him rot in here for a crime he didn't commit."

Sirhan spoke more during Wednesday's hearing than he had in the previous 12 hearings, greeting the panel with a cheerful "good afternoon," but tension rose as the hearing went on.

During four intense hours, Sirhan told board officials of his regret but also said he could not remember the events of June 5, 1968.

"I don't remember pulling a gun from my body. I don't remember aiming it at any human being. Everything was always hazy in my head," Sirhan said. "I don't remember anything very clearly....I'm not trying to evade anything."

But the panel was unconvinced. The panel chairman, Mike Prizmich, and the deputy commissioner, Randy Kevorkian, told Sirhan he must seek further self-help courses, come to terms with the shooting and show evidence of his improvement by his next parole hearing, which would be in five years.

"The magnitude of this crime is one that a nation mourned over, and from that day on, politicians changed the way they interacted with people," Prizmich said, also pointing out the impact the killing had on the Kennedy family who was still recovering from the loss of President John F. Kennedy four years earlier.

At that point, Sirhan interjected, "That's not my responsibility."

The commissioner cut him off, "in this way, interrupting me indicates a lack of control of yourself," he said.

Pepper told the panel he took on Sirhan's case after his former lawyer died because he became convinced that Sirhan did not fire the fatal shot . He has said he believes a second gunman was involved and Sirhan may have been brainwashed.

Pepper said both a Harvard psychologist and the prison psychologist agreed that Sirhan has a low risk of violent behavior in the future.

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Dahle disagreed, saying "we believe Sirhan Sirhan released would still pose a substantial danger to the public."

Dahle said the killing of a presidential candidate during a primary was one of the darkest chapters of Los Angeles County history.

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