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Malcolm X Killers Were Never Served Justice

By Marcella Glenn

Malcolm X was gunned down in New York 46 years ago, but mystery surrounded the details of his death. "And his killers were never served justice," Zaheer Ali, Marable's chief researcher.

"Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention," the new book by Columbia University professor Manning Marable, explains why the investigation should be reopened.

On Feb. 21, 1965, Malcolm X was speaking to several hundred people at the Audubon Ballroom in upper Manhattan when three men stood up in the front rows and opened fire.

"As Marable's quite powerful book details, four of the actual assassins never were pursued and at least one of them still lives openly in the metro New York area," David Garrow, historian and author.

The book asserts that the New York Police Department knew Malcolm X's life was in danger but looked away.

By most standards, the investigation at the Audubon Ballroom was poorly done. Four hours after Malcolm X was shot, the Audubon was reopened for a church dance. The crime scene was cleaned up before a full forensic analysis could be performed per sources.

Police denied a cover-up.

Marable died last week, just before publication.

Marcella Glenn is a freelance writer, blogger, novelist, and former business editor. She looks forward to hearing from you. Scribble a note to her through NewsBlaze, or her blog at critiqueandwrite.blogspot.com