Robert F. Kennedy assassin faces parole board

LOS ANGELES – The assassin who killed US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 faced a parole board on Wednesday, his 14th such hearing since he was convicted, officials said.

Sirhan Sirhan was initially sentenced to death, but the sentence was changed in 1972 to life in prison after the death penalty as it existed at the time was ruled unconstitutional by the California Supreme Court.

His last parole hearing was in 2006, when he opted not to attend and did not send anyone to represent him. This time he was represented by lawyer Bill Pepper, the lawyer’s office said.

The Palestinian immigrant shot Kennedy after he won the California presidential primary. Sirhan reportedly killed the New York senator because he backed selling warplanes to Israel.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations said an announcement would be made after the parole hearing, held at the Pleasant Valley prison in Coalinga, half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Robert Kennedy’s brother, president John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963.