Malcolm X's daughter indicted in alleged plot to kill Louis Farrakhan

Jet, Jan 30, 1995

A daughter of slain leader Malcolm X was recently indicted and charged with trying to hire a hit man to kill Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

Qubilah Shabazz, 34, was with her father when he was murdered nearly 30 years ago.

She faces charges of using the telephone and crossing state lines in the course of trying to hire the hit man to kill Farrakhan, U.S. Attorney David Lillehaug said.

The nine-count indictment against her follows a sevenmonth FBI investigation. If convicted, she could be sentenced to 90 years in prison and fined $2.25 million.

Because Ms. Shabazz has been cooperating with authorities, prosecutors had no plans to insist that she be held until trial.

"We have been in contact with her and her attorneys this week," Lillehaug said at press time. "She has voluntarily checked into the courthouse each day. She surrendered voluntarily today."

Ms. Shabazz's lawyer says she was lured into a plot to kill Louis Farrakhan by a childhood friend, reportedly living under the witness protection program.

The alleged hit man who worked with federal authorities to make the case against Ms. Shabazz was a childhood friend, said Scott Tilsen, her court-appointed lawyer.

"This case is about enticing, luring and seducing her into the plot," Tilsen said. "Her friendship and trust in him was used."

Tilsen would not identify the man other than to say he is White, in his 30s and a government employee.

Shabazz, formerly of New York City, has lived in Minneapolis since September.

The indictment said eight phone conversations occurred in July and August, and that Shabazz traveled from New York to Minnesota. After arriving, she made a partial payment to the person she hired to kill the 61-year-old Farrakhan, the indictment said. The indictment also said the killing was to occur in Illinois, where Farrakhan lives.

At a news conference, U.S. Attorney Lillehaug said the would-be hitman was not believed to be a member of the Nation of Islam. He said the person is cooperating and is expected to be a trial witness. Lillehaug said other information, including Shabazz's alleged motive, would not be released before the trial.

Malcolm X was shot to death on Feb. 21, 1965, as he gave a speech to followers at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City's Harlem section. Ms. Shabazz and her mother, Betty Shabazz, who was pregnant with twins, were in the crowd. Qubilah was about five at the time.

Malcolm X, who had been the voice of the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad, was exiled from the group in 1963. He subsequently came under verbal attack from other members.

Farrakhan has said attempts to link him to Malcolm X's assassination are part of a continual conspiracy to discredit Black leaders.

A year after Malcolm X's slaying, two Nation of Islam members and another man were convicted in the murder. Two of them, Muhammed Abdul Aziz and Kalil Islam, were paroled in 1985 and 1987, respectively, after serving their minimum 20-year sentences.

The third man, Thomas Hagan, testified that Aziz and Islam hadn't participated in the assassination. Hagan, who was sentenced to 20 years to life, has been denied parole four times. But since the late 1980s, he has been in a prison work-release program that allows him to spend most of his time outside prison and live with his family. He has worked as a youth counselor and manager of a homeless shelter.

Upon hearing of the recent charge against Ms. Shabazz, a spokesman for Farrakhan issued a statement saying Farrakhan's "heart goes out to the Shabazz family." Farrakhan's chief of staff Leonard Farrakhan Muhammad added, "We're waiting for the full story to come out. We hope the government will release the full details."