Fact Check: "His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison."
What We Know
Sirhan Sirhan is a Palestinian-Jordanian man who assassinated Senator Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Following the assassination, Sirhan was arrested and subsequently convicted of first-degree murder on April 17, 1969. He was initially sentenced to death, but this was commuted to a life sentence in 1972 after the California Supreme Court ruled against capital punishment in the state (source-1, source-2). Sirhan has been serving his life sentence at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in California (source-2).
Analysis
The claim that Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison is supported by multiple credible sources. His conviction was widely reported and confirmed by various news outlets at the time, including the New York Times, which noted that Sirhan was found guilty of murder and five counts of assault (source-3). Furthermore, the California Supreme Court's decision to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment is well-documented (source-4).
The reliability of these sources is high, as they include official court rulings and reputable news organizations. The historical context surrounding Sirhan's actions and the subsequent legal proceedings have been the subject of extensive documentation and analysis, reinforcing the accuracy of the claim.
Conclusion
The claim that "His assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, was convicted of first-degree murder and is serving life in prison" is True. Sirhan was indeed convicted of first-degree murder in 1969 and is currently serving a life sentence following the commutation of his death penalty.
Sources
- Indeterminate Sentence Parole Release Review
- Sirhan Sirhan - Wikipedia
- Sirhan's Sentence Is Reduced to Life By California Court - New York Times
- Sirhan Sirhan, Convicted Of Killing Robert F. Kennedy - NPR
- Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy - Wikipedia
- Sirhan Sirhan | EBSCO Research Starters
- 1st degree verdict for RFK's killer - UPI Archives
- Robert Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan, inmate at Donovan prison rejected for parole - NBC San Diego