Forensic evidence proves RFK's assassin is innocent - lawyers

Robert Kennedy, moments before he was assassinated in 1968. File photo / AP

New forensic evidence shows Robert F Kennedy's assassin is innocent, his lawyers claim.

Sirhan Sirhan was convicted of the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy in 1969.

His lawyers now claim that a bullet was switched in evidence at his trial and new forensic details show he is innocent, according to the Huffington Post.

Sirhan's lawyers argue that before his trial, someone switched a bullet before it was placed in evidence because the bullet taken from Kennedy's neck did not match Sirhan's gun.

The lawyers suggest a second gun was involved in the assassination, but they do not know who fired it.

In the newly filed court documents, Sirhan's lawyers also repeated a previous assertion and presented reports from experts who said Sirhan was programmed through hypnosis to fire shots as a diversion for the real killer.

They added that sophisticated audio tests recently conducted on recordings from the assassination night show 13 shots from multiple guns were fired - five more than Sirhan could have fired from his small pistol.

Authorities have claimed eight bullets were fired, with three hitting Kennedy and the rest flying wildly around the kitchen and striking five other victims who survived.

Sirhan, now 67, a Palestinian immigrant, was denied parole after a hearing last March where he denied any memory of shooting Kennedy on June 5, 1968, moments after he claimed victory in the California presidential primary.

Parole officials said he doesn't understand the enormity of his crime that changed US history.

- HERALD ONLINE