CORCORAN, Calif. – Robert F. Kennedy assassin Sirhan Sirhan was denied parole Thursday for the 12th time since the 1968 slaying.

Sirhan is serving a life sentence for killing Kennedy just moments after the Democratic senator declared victory in the California presidential primary.

“If he were to be released into the community, his risk appears to be significant,” said parole board chairwoman Carol Daly. “Until progress is made, the prisoner continues to be unpredictable and a threat to others.”

Sirhan claims he was hypnotized at the time and that a second gunman might have actually killed Kennedy at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, Sirhan’s attorney, Lawrence Teeter, repeated his argument that Sirhan could not have fired the fatal shot.

“He was not in position and was out of range and could not have shot Robert Kennedy,” Teeter said.

Sirhan was not present at his parole hearing at Corcoran State Prison.

In January, Teeter lost a Supreme Court appeal of Sirhan’s conviction. The justices refused to consider claims that Sirhan’s original defense lawyer secretly worked with the government to win his conviction.

Teeter said petitions are still pending in the California Supreme Court and in Los Angeles federal court seeking a new trial.