When he was arrested after the #RFK assassination, one of #Sirhan Sirhan’s appellate lawyers says there was a newspaper clipping in Sirhan’s pocket that discussed the incongruity of Sen. Robert Kennedy’s advocacy for the oppressed while also supporting #Israel over #Palestine. Sirhan’s friend and appellate attorney says he cannot be certain there was not some sort of conspiracy, but has little doubt Sirhan shot Kennedy. “Sirhan never said there was somebody else,” Abdeen Jabara insists. The official motive for Sirhan’s murder of #RFK was “anti-#Zionism.” After he was captured by Kennedy’s bodyguards, witnesses in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen heard Sirhan say: “I can explain. I did it for my country. I love my country." On Episode 20 of the "Kennedy Americans" podcast, we take a deep dive into the debate over RFK's convicted killer Sirhan's innocence or guilt. Was he a mind-controlled patsy, or a Palestinian terrorist? Whether Sirhan's motives were political or not, he has been heralded as a hero in the Palestinian Liberation Movement for assassinating Robert F. Kennedy (an act Sirhan claims he has no memory of). Shortly after the RFK assassination, Al Fatah, the Arab Commando organization, distributed thousands of posters with pictures of Sirhan over the words, “I did it for my country! “ In 1973, when the Black September group burst into the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Khartoum and took 10 hostages, their demands included the release of Sirhan Sirhan from prison. Sirhan told David Frost in a 1989 interview: "I wanted to show that the Palestinian problem didn't just erupt with the assassination of #Kennedy," a reference to the displacement of Palestinians after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. "If I had shot Bobby Kennedy in an Arab country, I doubt any Arab court would have convicted me," he said with a smile. By killing RFK Sirhan advanced the cause of the Palestinians, a cause which promoted the return of Arab land from the state of Israel. He told Robert Kaiser in 1969, "They (the Palestinians) want action. They want results. Hey! I produced action for them. I'm a big hero over there." Sirhan’s guilty plea, conviction, and strong anti-Israel motives do not necessarily exclude the possibility of other gunmen present who may have delivered the fatal shots to Kennedy, as some historians suggest. However, the fact remains that Sirhan did fire and hit 5 other people that night -- even if his shots did not strike Kennedy. In this episode we will explore the theories of mind control and blanks fired from Sirhan's gun advanced by case researcher Lisa Pease. We'll discuss my late friend Paul Schrade's efforts to get the case re-opened, and how he finally convinced #RFKJr that Sirhan could not have acted alone. We will also dive into the dispute between the RFK family members over parole for Sirhan, which was denied for the 17th time in 2023. Sirhan Sirhan is now 79. If he is ever released on parole he will most likely be deported immediately back to Palestine or Jordan because he is not a U.S. citizen. Will he receive a hero's welcome in the Arab world? We can only wonder. Finally, we address concerns over #RFKJr's safety as he now finds himself treading the same dangerous waters that inflamed his father's convicted killer: campaigning for president on an antiwar platform while staunchly supporting Israel's war against #Hamas, attracting death threats from mentally ill stalkers and pro-Palestine fanatics while left unprotected by the U.S. Secret Service. Don't miss this in-depth investigation Thursday, January 4 at 9 P.M. Eastern. Sign the petition asking President Biden to provide #RFKJr with Secret Service protection: http://Security.Kennedy24.com Also watch my report, "The Curious Case of RFK Stalker Adrian Paul Aispuro" here https://youtu.be/iwSrrbiqDKM On Episode 21, we will profile yet another violent individual obsessed with #Kennedy; Jonathan Macht, who was charged last week by the Los Angeles District Attorney with three criminal harassment misdemeanors. Macht wrote over 400 threatening emails to Mr. Kennedy, attempted to break into #RFK's house twice, and has said he will "put a bullet in (Kennedy's) brain." I've been covering Macht's court case in Los Angeles and will have an update for you next week on the "Kennedy Americans" podcast.

55 years ago this month, the trial of Sirhan Sirhan got underway for the murder of 1968 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. #Kennedy. The trial lasted three months. Eventually the jury found him guilty of first degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to commit murder (five counts; one for each of the other people Sirhan shot). The official motive for Sirhan’s murder of #RFK was “anti-#Zionism.” After he was captured by Kennedy’s bodyguards, witnesses in the Ambassador Hotel kitchen heard Sirhan say: “I can explain. I did it for my country. I love my country." On Episode 20 of the "Kennedy Americans" podcast, we took a deep dive into the evidence for both the prosecution and the defense. Was Sirhan a mind-controlled patsy, or a Palestinian terrorist? Whether Sirhan fired the fatal shots that killed #RFK or not -- a topic that is still debated among historians of the case today -- there is no doubt that Sirhan is heralded as a hero in the Palestinian Liberation Movement for assassinating Senator Kennedy (an act Sirhan claims he has no memory of). Shortly after the RFK assassination, Al #Fatah, the Arab Commando organization, distributed thousands of posters with pictures of Sirhan over the words, “I did it for my country!" In September 1970 the Popular Front for the Liberation of #Palestine (PFLP) hijacked three passenger planes and demanded the release of Sirhan Sirhan from prison. After releasing the hostages, the Palestinian hijackers blew up one of the planes on a Cairo runway "in retaliation for the United States' support of #Israel." Three Arabs hijacked a West German jumbo jet in February 1972 on which RFK's eldest son Joseph P. Kennedy (then 19 years old) was a passenger. The plane, on a flight from New Delhi to Athens, landed safely eight hours later at Aden, Southern #Yemen. That specific flight was targeted because the terrorists knew Kennedy would be on board. In 1973, when the Black September group burst into the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Khartoum and took 10 hostages, their demands included the release of Sirhan Sirhan from prison. Sirhan told David Frost in a 1989 interview: "I wanted to show that the Palestinian problem didn't just erupt with the assassination of #Kennedy," a reference to the displacement of Palestinians after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. "If I had shot Bobby Kennedy in an Arab country, I doubt any Arab court would have convicted me," he said with a smile. By killing RFK Sirhan advanced the cause of the Palestinians, a cause which promoted the return of Arab land from the state of Israel. He told Robert Kaiser in 1969, "They (the Palestinians) want action. They want results. Hey! I produced action for them. I'm a big hero over there." Sirhan Sirhan is now 79. If he is ever released on parole he will most likely be deported immediately back to Palestine or Jordan because he is not a U.S. citizen. Will he receive a hero's welcome in the Arab world? We can only wonder. In this highlight from Episode 24 of "Strange Bedfellows" I discuss with guest Caleb Maupin growing concerns over #RFKJr's safety as he now finds himself treading the same dangerous waters that inflamed his father's convicted killer: campaigning for president on an antiwar platform while staunchly supporting Israel's war against #Hamas, attracting death threats from mentally ill stalkers and political fanatics while left unprotected by the U.S. Secret Service. Watch the premiere tonight at 9 P.M. Eastern. Support my independent journalism with a donation or monthly membership at http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com I've endorsed #RFKJr for president in 2024. Join me! http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

The trial of Sirhan Sirhan for the murder of Robert F. #Kennedy concluded 55 years ago this week after four months of courtroom drama. The jury found Sirhan guilty of first degree murder for the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and attempted murder of five other innocent bystanders wounded by his barrage of bullets at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The seven men and five women, who deliberated 16 hours and 42 minutes before reaching their verdict, found the young Palestinian was mentally capable of mature premeditation before shooting down the senator on June 5, 1968. As the verdict was announced Sirhan, who had been nervously chewing at his fingers, stared straight ahead and showed no emotion. After a one-day recess, the same jurors heard arguments as to whether Sirhan's fate should be life in prison or a sentence to the gas chamber at San Quentin. The penalty phase lasted only a few days in contrast to the 15-week trial. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty but told the jurors either sentence would be just. The jury's ultimate unanimous verdict was death in the gas chamber for Sirhan. (The sentence was commuted to life in prison a few years later when California abolished the death penalty.) As part of my ongoing investigative series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" marking the 55th anniversary of Sirhan's trial, I recently spoke to #JFK/#RFK assassination historian James DiEugenio about the evidence in the case, which Jim believes points to a #conspiracy. In this highlight from our interview, we dive into the autopsy and ballistics evidence presented at trial. In Sirhan's defense, DiEugenio argues that it was impossible for Sirhan's bullets to have hit and killed Senator Kennedy. Jim DiEugenio is editor in chief at KennedysAndKing.com, author of numerous books on the assassinations of the 1960s,and wrote the screenplay for Oliver Stone's "JFK Revisited" documentary series. Don't miss this important discussion! Premiers tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Support my independent journalism with a donation or monthly membership at http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com I've endorsed #RFKJr for president in 2024. Join me! http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

56 years ago this week, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on the campaign trail in Los Angeles, just after winning the California Democratic presidential primary. The latest episode in my ongoing series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" explores the murder trial of Sirhan Sirhan, and evidence possibly pointing to a second gun. In April 1969, a jury found Sirhan guilty of first degree murder for the assassination of RFK, and attempted murder of five other innocent bystanders wounded by his barrage of bullets at the Ambassador Hotel. The seven men and five women, who deliberated 16 hours and 42 minutes before reaching their verdict, found the young Palestinian was mentally capable of mature premeditation before shooting down the senator on June 5, 1968. At trial, Sirhan confessed to the crime, saying "I killed Robert Kennedy with 20 years of malice aforethought," a reference to the suffering of his family during the 1948 Israeli/Arab war. Sirhan explained that he targeted Sen. #Kennedy because of his support for #Zionist #Israel. As the verdict was announced Sirhan, who had been nervously chewing at his fingers, stared straight ahead and showed no emotion. After a one-day recess, the same jurors heard arguments as to whether Sirhan’s fate should be life in prison or a sentence to the gas chamber at San Quentin. The penalty phase lasted only a few days in contrast to the 15-week trial. The prosecution did not seek the death penalty but told the jurors either sentence would be just. The jury’s ultimate unanimous verdict was death in the gas chamber for #Sirhan. (The sentence was commuted to life in prison a few years later when California abolished the death penalty.) As part of my ongoing investigative series “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?” marking the 55th anniversary of Sirhan’s trial, I recently spoke to #JFK/RFK assassination historian James DiEugenio about the evidence in the case, which Jim believes points to a #conspiracy. In this episode -- "A Second Gun?" --DiEugenio argues that it was impossible for Sirhan’s bullets to have hit and killed Senator Kennedy, and says that RFK's real killer (a security guard named Thane Eugene Cesar) escaped justice. Jim DiEugenio is editor in chief atKennedysAndKing.com, author of numerous books on the assassinations of the 1960s,and wrote the screenplay for Oliver Stone’s “JFK Revisited” documentary series. Catch the premiere tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Support my independent journalism with a donation or monthly membership at http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com I've endorsed #RFKJr for president in 2024. Join me! http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

As part of our ongoing investigative series marking the 55th anniversary of Sirhan Sirhan's 1969 trial for the murder of Senator Robert F. #Kennedy, I've recently conducted a re-review of all available materials and evidence in the case. In Part 1 of the "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy" series, I presented original documents, trial testimony, Sirhan's own words in press interviews and in court for the prosecution, and arguments from conspiracy researcher Lisa Pease (author of the book "A Lie Too Big To Fail") for the defense, as well as #RFKJr, who also advocates for Sirhan's parole. In Part 2 I explained why Sirhan is considered a hero in #Palestine to this day for killing #RFK over the Senator's support for #Israel. As Sirhan himself told reporters: "If I had been tried in an Arab country, no Arab court ever would have convicted me." Sirhan's act of political violence inspired many later acts of #terrorism, aircraft hijackings, bombings, kidnappings, hostage-taking, and murders. His release from prison was demanded on numerous occasions by Palestinian terrorists over the past 50 years. Part 3 contains our 2.5 hour in-depth interview with #JFK/RFK historian and expert James DiEugenio, author of "The Assassinations" (with Lisa Pease) and screenwriter for Oliver Stone's "JFK Revisited" documentary film series. DeEugenio makes a compelling case for conspiracy, and argues that Sirhan could not have fired the shots that killed Kennedy. This week on Maverick News, my co-host Rick Walker asked me why I have recently changed my mind after 25 years of believing Sirhan was innocent to now being convinced of his guilt. Over the course of researching this case for more than 35 years I've revised my views more than once, based upon where the facts and evidence lead. I'll explain my own conclusions in Part 4 tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Don't miss this one! Support my independent journalism with a donation or monthly membership at http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com I've endorsed #RFKJr for president in 2024. Join me! http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

As part of my ongoing investigative series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" marking the 55th anniversary of Sirhan's murder trial, I recently spoke to #JFK/#RFK assassination historian James DiEugenio about the evidence in the case, which Jim believes points to a #conspiracy. I disagree with my friend Jim on this case, arguing that the jury reached the correct verdict in April 1969 when they unanimously decided that Sirhan Sirhan was guilty of first degree murder for the killing of Senator Robert F. #Kennedy and the attempted murder of five other innocent bystanders at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968. Sirhan's lead defense attorney Grant Cooper said in his final argument at the trial that he felt #Sirhan should spend the rest of his days in the penitentiary, asserting that "American public opinion will see to it that the assassin is never released." Sirhan's lawyer said the only circumstances in which he could foresee Sirhan's release would be if the United States were to "trade" him for some American in captivity in an Arab state. In this friendly debate between two longtime historians of the case with differing views, Jim DiEugenio brings the case for Sirhan's defense. I argue for the prosecution. We also discussed how the first degree murder verdict was in a bizarre way a victory for Sirhan. The former racetrack exercise boy has denied all along that he was seriously ill mentally and told psychiatrists he wanted to be a hero in the eyes of the Arab world, a martyr for #Palestine. The official motive for Sirhan's killing of RFK was "anti-#Zionism." Sirhan was angered by Kennedy's support for #Israel, and his Senate vote to send military aid to the country. Jim DiEugenio is editor in chief at KennedysAndKing.com, author of numerous books on the assassinations of the 1960s,and wrote the screenplay for Oliver Stone's "JFK Revisited" documentary series. Catch the premiere tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Support my independent journalism with a donation or monthly membership at http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com I've endorsed #RFKJr for president in 2024. Join me! http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

56 years ago this month, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was gunned down in a kitchen pantry of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. My ongoing investigative series on the RFK assassination continues on Episode 38 of "Strange Bedfellows" with tonight's guest, historian Mel Ayton (author of "Sirhan Sirhan: The Forgotten Terrorist") -- who will tell us what motivated Kennedy's killer. Researchers have spent the past 56 years bogged down in ballistics and bullet trajectories, all the while overlooking the most important aspect of the crime: motive. We are all guilty of focusing too much on the HOW, and not enough on the WHY. So, why did he do it? Sirhan told us why. Many times. Minutes after shooting Sen. Kennedy, Sirhan told arresting officers: "I can explain! I did it for my country! I love my country." After being convicted of Kennedy's murder, Sirhan told his jailer: “It’s not very many people my age who is considered a martyr by his people. Just think, I’ll go down in history as a martyr and will always be remembered, at least by my countrymen.” He told us, over and over again, why he killed Kennedy. He did it for his country; for Palestine. Sirhan envisioned himself as a revolutionary, committing a revolutionary act. And it's true that he did put the Palestinian liberation movement on the front pages of newspapers for the very first time. Assassinating RFK brought attention to the plight of Palestinians -- and that's exactly what Sirhan intended to do. In addition, Sirhan's anti-Zionism was the primary motivating emotion that drove him to target high-profile political leaders for assassination. More than a year before he shot RFK, Sirhan was already naming the pro-Israel politicians he wanted to kill in his notebook, starting at the top: President Lyndon Baines Johnson. (See this thread for more details.) https://twitter.com/RealLoriSpencer/status/1799558104834560147 Sirhan also wanted to murder U.N. Ambassador Arthur Goldberg. (More info on Sirhan';s notebook entries about killing Goldberg below) https://twitter.com/RealLoriSpencer/status/1799561907415711884 Even after he was locked up awaiting trial for killing RFK, Sirhan was wishing death upon Vice President Hubert Humphrey. (See this thread for more) https://twitter.com/RealLoriSpencer/status/1800377657546379541 After his arrest, Sirhan was asked if he felt any shame. "Hell no!" He said. Clearly, Sirhan had no remorse for what he did. He was quite proud of himself. While behind bars, Sirhan constantly asked for newspapers from the Arab world, eager to read what was being written about his "heroic act" by those who -- unlike Americans -- fully understood his motives. Indeed, Sirhan was hailed a hero in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and back home in Palestine. Even the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin Al-Husseini instructed his fellow Arabs to give Sirhan all possible aid after his arrest. The Grand Mufti's call was answered by Arab lawyers who came to assist Sirhan, and Arab Americans who held fundraisers for his legal defense fund and provided financial support for the Sirhan family. In 1968, Sirhan's motives were lost on most Americans, who rationalized the assassination of Robert Kennedy as the senseless act of a madman. We, as a nation, did not yet understand the complexities or history of the Middle East conflict. This was before the era of Palestinian skyjackings, hostage-takings, the Munich Olympics massacre, terrorist attacks, and 9/11. In 2003, The Los Angeles Times wrote that Sirhan "fired the first shot in the War on Terror." Indeed, he did. Sirhan's name will be recorded in the history books as the first Palestinian terrorist to strike at the heart of America, on American soil. Tonight on Episode 38 of "Strange Bedfellows" British author and historian Mel Ayton will give us a sneak preview of his upcoming biography of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan (his second book about Sirhan). Ayton's previous book "The Forgotten Terrorist: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy" is recommended reading for anyone seeking to understand Sirhan's Arab nationalism, his antisemitism, his past in Palestine, his deep-rooted hatred of Israel, and his motives for the crime. The 2019 edition features a Foreword by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz. Mel Ayton says that Kennedy's son RFK Jr. (currently running for president as an Independent) is wrong about a conspiracy in his father's murder, and tonight he will explain why. Sirhan is as guilty as sin, Ayton argues -- and he makes a very compelling case. Don't miss this interview tonight at 9 PM Eastern on "Strange Bedfellows!" Buy Mel Ayton's book "The Forgotten Terrorist" about Sirhan here: https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Terrorist-Sirhan-Assassination-Kennedy/dp/1597970808 If you enjoyed this interview, please help support the show with a donation at: http://StrangeBedfellowsPodcast.com Many thanks to the Maverick News Channel for hosting this program. http://MaverickNews.ca

“Tuesday night, I was in ecstasy with joy,” a young man — his name lost to history — who’d been at RFK’s Los Angeles victory party told an ABC TV special on June 6, 1968. “Wednesday morning, sorrow. And this morning, utter despair — because now I’m lost, I’m desperate, and I don’t know where we’re going from here.” ____________________________________________________ This month marks 56 years since the assassination of Robert F. #Kennedy on the presidential campaign trail in Los Angeles. Throughout June, I'll be premiering new episodes in my ongoing investigative series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" -- exploring the case evidence, witness testimony, and the repeated confessions of #RFK's convicted assassin Sirhan Bishara #Sirhan. Tonight my guest is Craig Colgan, an award-winning journalist who has studied and written about the RFK assassination for 25 years. He has contributed to The Washington Post, The Washington Examiner, Quillette, National Journal, The Miami Herald, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Charlotte Observer, The Columbia State, among many other respected publications. His reporting is referenced in two books of note: Thurston Clarke’s The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America,and in Freedom Riders,by Raymond Arsenault. In Part 1 of our conversation we discuss events leading up to the murder of Senator Kennedy, and Sirhan's plans -- detailed at length in his notebooks -- to murder pro-Israel politicians, premeditated a year before the murder of RFK. His targets included U.N. Ambassador Goldberg, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and President Lyndon Johnson. Craig explains why Sirhan ultimately chose Sen. Kennedy as his target, describes his motives for the murder, and addresses questions about a #conspiracy and possible second gunman -- a security guard named Thane Eugene Cesar. 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says he believes that Gene Cesar was the one who actually shot and killed his father, not Sirhan. More on Cesar and #RFKJr.'s thwarted attempts to meet him can be found in the thread below. https://twitter.com/RealLoriSpencer/status/1803545422603923759 Don't miss Part 1 of this incredible conversation tonight at 9 PM Eastern. It will change everything you think you know about the RFK assassination. Part 2 closes out the month next Sunday night, June 30th. DISCLOSURE: I am a volunteer on the RFK Jr. presidential campaign. Join the RFK Army and help us reclaim what Sirhan took from us in 1968 here. http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

This month marks 56 years since the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on the presidential campaign trail in Los Angeles. Throughout June, I'll be premiering new episodes in my ongoing investigative series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" -- exploring the case evidence, witness testimony, and the repeated confessions of RFK's convicted assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan. Tonight my guest is Craig Colgan, an award-winning journalist who has studied and written about the RFK assassination for 25 years. He has contributed to The Washington Post, The Washington Examiner, Quillette, National Journal, The Miami Herald, Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, Charlotte Observer, The Columbia State, among many other respected publications. His reporting is referenced in two books of note: Thurston Clarke’s The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America,and in Freedom Riders,by Raymond Arsenault. In Part 1 of our conversation we discuseds events leading up to the murder of Senator Kennedy, and Sirhan's plans -- detailed at length in his notebooks -- to murder pro-Israel politicians, premeditated a year before the murder of RFK. His targets included U.N. Ambassador Goldberg, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and President Lyndon Johnson. Craig explains why Sirhan ultimately chose Sen. Kennedy as his target, describes his motives for the murder, and addresses questions about a possible second gunman -- a security guard named Thane Eugene Cesar. 2024 Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says he believes that Gene Cesar was the one who actually shot and killed his father, not Sirhan. More info in this thread below: https://twitter.com/RealLoriSpencer/status/1803545422603923759 Don't miss Part 2 of this incredible conversation tonight at 8 PM Eastern. It will change everything you think you know about the RFK assassination. Craig also takes questions from the audience in the Q&A portion of the broadcast. Check out all episodes of the "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy" podcast series in this playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXBcSYiYQxldlHGAjTPLcdyXmDNa2Ny0W&si=_jsbmhILuHICKg4P DISCLOSURE: I am a volunteer on the RFK Jr. presidential campaign. Join the RFK Army and help us reclaim what Sirhan took from us in 1968 here. http://Kennedy24.com/LoriSpencer

Our series "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" concludes tonight with an in-depth interview of Sirhan Sirhan's biographer Mel Ayton. British author and historian Mel Ayton has penned two books on Sirhan's life. Tonight he will give us a sneak preview of his upcoming biography of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan "The Making of an Assassin: Why Sirhan Shot Robert F. Kennedy." Ayton’s previous book“The Forgotten Terrorist: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy”is highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to understand Sirhan’s Arab nationalism, his antisemitism, his past in Palestine, his deep-rooted hatred of Israel, and his motives for the crime. The2019 editionfeatures a Foreword by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz. Of all the many journalists, researchers, authors, and historians who have tackled the RFK case over the past half-century, I believe that Mel Ayton's work stands heads-and-shoulders above the rest. No one understands the mind of Kennedy's killer the way Ayton does. In this episode Mel and I take you through the story of Sirhan's life, from his birth in Jerusalem in 1944. Mel will describe Sirhan's early memories, education, family, religion, and tragic upbringing during the 1948 Israeli war of independence (known as the Nakba to Palestinians). We will learn about Sirhan's indoctrination into communism and the cause of Palestinian liberation -- factors which led directly to his murder of Senator Kennedy on June 5, 1968. Numerous hijackings and hostage-takings have been committed over the past 56 years in Sirhan's name -- including the 1972 hijacking of a Lufthansa flight with RFK's eldest son Joseph Kennedy as one of the hostages. On more than one occasion terrorists have demanded the release of Sirhan Sirhan in exchange for hostages -- and in a 1973 incident at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, they tortured and killed those hostages after President Nixon refused to negotiate. I will also ask Mel Ayton what he thinks of the movement in recent years to Free Sirhan spearheaded by Lisa Pease, author of "A Lie Too Big To Fail" about RFK's murder. Pease argues that Sirhan was a mind-controlled patsy of the CIA and that he was shooting blanks, not actual bullets that night. (We will explore the theory that Sirhan was an MK-ULTRA victim with Mel.) In 2021, it seemed the Free Sirhan movement's efforts may have succeeded, when the California Parole Board recommended him for parole. After a thorough review of the case evidence, Gov. Gavin Newsom did not grant Sirhan release. We will discuss why. At age 81, should Sirhan be freed? Mel Ayton's answer just might surprise you. If Sirhan is released, he will be deported back to the West Bank or Jordan, because he is not a U.S. citizen. Will he receive a hero's welcome? I'll ask Mel Ayton his thoughts. Finally, we will talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s support for Sirhan's release. Kennedy has visited Sirhan in prison once and written letters to the parole board twice over the past decade expressing his belief that Sirhan should be let out of prison. (With the exception of his brother Douglas, RFK Jr. is the only member of the Kennedy family who has taken this puzzling position.) As Kennedy Jr. himself now campaigns for president as a staunch supporter of Israel, like his father did in 1968, does Mel believe Kennedy is in physical danger from pro-Palestine extremists, or Arab terrorists? Could there be another Sirhan out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike him down? Don't miss Part 1this incredible conversation on the final episode of "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?" Set a reminder below and join us for the premiere tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Catch all 12 episodes of "Who Killed Bobby Kennedy" in this series playlist. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXBcSYiYQxldlHGAjTPLcdyXmDNa2Ny0W&si=H3MCh-s5A5GySEqI

Our series “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?” — which has been ongoing for the past 8 months — concludes tonight with Part 2 of my interview with Sirhan Sirhan’s biographer Mel Ayton. Of all the many journalists, researchers, authors, and historians who have tackled the RFK case over the past half-century, I believe that Mel Ayton’s work stands heads-and-shoulders above the rest. No one understands the mind of Kennedy’s killer the way Ayton does. That’s why I’m giving Mel Ayton the closing argument in this 2-part “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy” series conclusion. British author and historian Mel Ayton has penned two books on Sirhan’s life. Tonight he will give us a sneak preview of his upcoming biography of Sirhan Bishara Sirhan “The Making of an Assassin: Why Sirhan Shot Robert F. Kennedy.” Ayton’s previous book “The Forgotten Terrorist: Sirhan Sirhan and the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy” is highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to understand Sirhan’s Arab nationalism, his antisemitism, his past in Palestine, his deep-rooted hatred of Israel, and his motives for the crime. The 2019 edition features a Foreword by Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz. In this episode Mel and I take you through the jaw-dropping history of Palestinian terrorist acts that were inspired by Sirhan’s murder of RFK, starting only one month after Kennedy’s June 1968 assassination. Numerous hijackings and hostage-takings have been committed over the past 56 years in Sirhan’s name — including the 1972 hijacking of a Lufthansa flight with RFK’s eldest son Joseph Kennedy as one of the hostages. On more than one occasion terrorists have demanded the release of Sirhan Sirhan in exchange for hostages — and in a 1973 incident at the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, they tortured and killed those hostages after President Nixon refused to negotiate. I will also ask Mel Ayton what he thinks of the movement in recent years to Free Sirhan spearheaded by Lisa Pease, author of “A Lie Too Big To Fail” about RFK’s murder. Pease argues that Sirhan was a mind-controlled patsy of the CIA and that he was shooting blanks, not actual bullets that night. We will explore the theory that Sirhan was an MK-ULTRA victim with Mel, and hear a thorough debunking of Lisa Pease’s book from him. In 2021, it seemed the Free Sirhan movement’s efforts may have succeeded, when the California Parole Board recommended him for parole. After a thorough review of the case evidence, Gov. Gavin Newsom did not grant Sirhan release. We will discuss why. At age 81, should Sirhan be freed? Mel Ayton’s answer just might surprise you. If Sirhan is released, he will be deported back to the West Bank or Jordan, because he is not a U.S. citizen. Will he receive a hero’s welcome? I’ll ask Mel Ayton his thoughts. Finally, we will talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s support for Sirhan’s release. Kennedy has visited Sirhan in prison once and written letters to the parole board twice over the past decade expressing his belief that Sirhan should be let out of prison. (With the exception of his brother Douglas, RFK Jr. is the only member of the Kennedy family who has taken this puzzling position.) As Kennedy Jr. himself now campaigns for president as a staunch supporter of Israel, like his father did in 1968, does Mel believe Kennedy is in physical danger from pro-Palestine extremists, or Arab terrorists? Could there be another Sirhan out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike him down? Don’t miss this incredible conversation on the final episode of “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy?“ Set a reminder below and join us for the premiere tonight at 9 PM Eastern. Catch all 12 episodes of “Who Killed Bobby Kennedy” in this series playlist. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE0M1qzXbdpv7buk6njq1UFEl6O_waI7r