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Who was arrested and convicted for the assassination of Malcolm X?

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Malcolm X in 1965, wearing glasses and a suit, with his hand raised to his face as he speaks. — Malcolm X Prominent figure in the Nation of Islam Malcolm X, 1965.

Three men were originally arrested and convicted for the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X: Talmadge Hayer (later known as Mujahid Abdul Halim), Norman 3X Butler (Muhammad Aziz), and Thomas 15X Johnson (Khalil Islam). All three were members of the Nation of Islam.12

During the 1966 trial, Hayer confessed to the shooting but maintained that Butler and Johnson were innocent. Despite his testimony and the presence of alibis, all three were convicted and sentenced to life in prison.12

In November 2021, following a reinvestigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office and the Innocence Project, the convictions of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam were vacated. The investigation determined that law enforcement had intentionally withheld critical evidence that likely would have led to their acquittals. While Aziz was present in court to hear his name cleared, the exoneration came posthumously for Islam, who died in 2009. The failure to provide these men with a fair trial represents a profound miscarriage of justice that underscores the ethical imperative for transparency and integrity in the legal system.12