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Sirhan Sirhan and RFK

Was Robert Kennedy’s killer hypnotized?

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The strongest version of this theory
What the record shows

The strongest version of this theory

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A Manchurian Candidate in Los Angeles.

Sirhan has said he cannot remember the shooting. [1] The CIA spent years studying whether drugs and hypnosis could make a person act and then forget. [2][3] Supporters argue that the combination, plus questions about the number of shots, points to a programmed killer.

The sources

Governor Gavin Newsom: parole decision reversal, Sirhan Sirhan (13 January 2022) ↗
Reverses the 2021 parole grant and summarizes the record of the case.
CIA — Materials and Methods Under Research and Development, May 5, 1955 ↗
Contemporary federal record. It documents the author’s statements and institutional actions; objectives and reported results must still be evaluated separately.
CIA — Report of narco-hypnotic ARTICHOKE interrogation, July 14, 1952 ↗
Contemporary federal record. It documents the author’s statements and institutional actions; objectives and reported results must still be evaluated separately.

What the record shows

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Shifting accounts and a large 2025 release.

Newsom’s 2022 decision says Sirhan “claimed shifting memory lapses”, told police he did it, testified that he was drunk and could not remember, and later denied guilt. It calls the innocence claims “investigated and conclusively disproved.” [1]

The National Archives released 10,185 pages on 18 April 2025, 64,686 on 7 May and 9,653 on 12 June. [2] The CIA separately released 54 documents. CBS reported that Sirhan said he killed Kennedy over his support for Israel in the 1967 war. [3] This file found nothing in those releases tying Sirhan to MKULTRA or to hypnosis.

What we can’t tell you. The releases are large and not fully indexed. A future find could change this.

The sources

Governor Gavin Newsom: parole decision reversal, Sirhan Sirhan (13 January 2022) ↗
Reverses the 2021 parole grant and summarizes the record of the case.
National Archives: Records Related to the Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy ↗
Lists the 2025 releases under Executive Order 14176: 10,185 pages on 18 April, 64,686 on 7 May and 9,653 on 12 June 2025.
CBS News: CIA releases 54 declassified documents related to RFK assassination (2025) ↗
Describes the CIA’s own June 2025 release.

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