Thomas Hagan
Thomas Hagan (* 16th March 1941 ) is a former member of the Nation of Islam and one of the assassins of Malcolm X . He also called himself Talmadge Hayer at times and his adopted Islamic name is Mujahid Abdul Halim .
Assassination of Malcolm X
When Malcolm X was shot dead by three assassins on February 21, 1965 while performing at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights , the police arrested Hagan right on the scene. Hagan confessed, but denied that his two defendants, Thomas Johnson (Khalil Islam) and Norman Butler (Muhammad Abd Al-Aziz), who were later arrested, were involved in the crime.
In a 1977 affidavit , Hagan stated that he planned the murder of Malcolm X with four accomplices, not including his co-defendants, in retaliation for their criticism of Elijah Muhammad . As for the crime, he testified that one of his accomplices initially started an argument as a diversionary to get the attention of Malcolm X's bodyguards. Then a man approached Malcolm X with a sawed-off shotgun and fired him in the chest, after which Hagan himself and another accomplice shot the dying Malcolm X several times with handguns.
Next life
Hagan, like his two co-defendants, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in 1966 for his involvement in the murder of Malcolm X. During his imprisonment, he completed a bachelor's and later a master's degree. During his 45-year prison term, he made a total of 16 unsuccessful applications for parole, but Butler and Johnson were released on parole in 1985 and 1987, respectively. However, Hagan has been able to participate in a "work release" program since 1988, which enabled him to do normal work outside of prison and only had to spend two days a week in prison. The rest of the week he was allowed to live with his wife and children. During this time he worked for the Crown Heights Youth Collective , as a counselor for a homeless asylum on Wards Island and in a fast food restaurant. A new application for parole was finally granted on March 3, 2010, and as a result, Hagan was released from custody in late April. Hagan is still a practicing Muslim, but he has left the Nation of Islam and today rejects its ideology. Today he also regrets his involvement in the murder of Malcolm X.
Representation in art
In Spike Lee's 1992 film Malcolm X , Hagan is portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito .
literature
- Peter Louis Goldman: The Death and Life of Malcolm X . University of Illinois Press 1979, ISBN 0252007743 , pp. 273-274 ( excerpt (Google) )
Web links
- After 45 years - Malcolm X's killer returned to freedom on Spiegel Online on April 28, 2010
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Andy Newmann, John Eligon: Killer of Malcolm X Is Granted Parole . New York Times, March 20, 2010
- ↑ David J. Garrow: Does Anyone Care Who Killed Malcolm X? . New York Times, February 21, 1993
- ↑ James Fanelli: Quiet Life on an X Assassin . New York Post, May 18, 2008
- ↑ Associated Press: Assassin of Malcolm X Seeks Parole from New York State High Court . Jet, volume 113, no.22, June 9, 2008, ISSN 0021-5996
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hagan, Thomas |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Talmadge Hayer, Mujahid Abdul Halim (adopted Islamic name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American assassin, a murderer of Malcolm X |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 16, 1941 |