EXCLUSIVE: 'I Know You Didn't Kill My Father’ — Why Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thinks Sirhan Sirhan Did Not Act Alone in Assassination of RFK
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does not believe Sirhan Sirhan fired the fatal shots at his father.
June 4 2026, Published 1:32 p.m. ET
Decades after his father was tragically killed, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. still doesn't believe Sirhan Sirhan acted alone in the assassination.
As the 58th anniversary of Robert F. Kennedy Sr.'s tragic death approaches on Saturday, June 6, RadarOnline.com exclusively revisits RFK Jr.'s theories on who may have actually fired the fatal shots.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Prison Visit With Sirhan Sirhan
Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of first-degree murder in 1969.
Sirhan was arrested on June 5, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles shortly after the infamous shooting.
On April 17, 1969, he was convicted of first-degree murder and subsequently sentenced to death. However, three years later, his sentence was commuted to life behind bars.
Despite the evidence against him, Kennedy Jr. remained unconvinced that the now 82-year-old was the only person to blame. In fact, he even went to see him in prison as he wrestled with worries "the wrong person might have been convicted of killing my father."
According to Laurie Dusek, one of Sirhan's attorneys, "Bobby and Sirhan shook hands, and Sirhan told him about the shame he felt for being associated with his father’s assassination," she explained.
At one point, Kennedy Jr. allegedly told him, "I KNOW you didn’t kill my father," the lawyer claimed.
'It Took a Lot of Courage'
Attorney Laurie Dusek commended Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for visiting Sirhan Sirhan.
“It took a lot of courage for him to go there,” Dusek continued of Kennedy Jr.'s visit. “At first there was nervousness, but as they got used to each other, Bobby expressed genuine interest in Sirhan’s welfare and daily life."
“Sirhan kept mentioning his shame and Bobby kept emphasizing: ‘I KNOW you didn’t do it,’” she noted.
'You Can't Fire 13 Shots Out of an 8-Shot Gun'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes there were two gunmen.
At the time, Kennedy Jr. worked alongside one of his late father's top aides, Paul Schrade, who also believed there was a second gunman involved.
Schrade himself had been caught in the crossfire that fateful day, but unlike Kennedy Sr., the aide survived the gunshot wound to the head. Among other evidence, Schrade claimed that the politician had been shot from behind him, but Sirhan had been standing in front of RFK Sr.
Perhaps more confusing was that investigators reportedly alleged around 13 shots were fired, but Sirhan's weapon could only hold eight rounds.
"You can’t fire 13 shots out of an eight-shot gun," Kennedy Jr. said.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Theory Explained
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes Thane Eugene Cesar was involved in his father's death.
As for who RFK Jr. believes killed his father, he thinks that Thane Eugene Cesar teamed up with Sirhan for the attack.
"Compelling evidence suggests that Cesar murdered my father," Kennedy Jr., who is now the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, wrote via Instagram in 2019. "Police have never seriously investigated Cesar’s role in my father’s killing."
"Cesar waited in the pantry as my father spoke in the ballroom, then grabbed my father by the elbow and guided him toward Sirhan," he continued. "Sirhan fired two shots toward my father before he was tackled."
However, RFK Jr. pointed out, "Cesar was directly behind my dad. Holding his right elbow with his own gun drawn when my dad fell backwards on top of him. Cesar repeatedly changed his story about when he exactly drew his weapon."
Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht agreed with Kennedy Jr.'s conclusion.
"Yes, I do believe he did it. Cesar killed Bobby Kennedy," Wecht said. "It looks to me it was a setup."
