Washington, D.C. | October 5, 2023 – Earlier this week ADC was notified that Robert Manning, one of the primary suspects in the assassination of Alex Odeh, has been granted parole by the U.S. Parole Commission. Manning is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of Patricia Wilkerson in 1980. This recent development comes with complete shock and disappointment. Robert Manning poses a great threat to safety of the Arab Americans and Palestinian community in California and across the U.S.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub says, “This is a failure by the Biden Administration, and shows a complete disregard for the lives and safety of Arab Americans. This action is a serious and direct threat to the safety of our community here in the U.S. The decision will embolden others like Manning who have been given a signal by the U.S. that they can kill American citizens, on American soil, and not be held responsible. The fact that no one has been held responsible for the assassination of Alex Odeh, and the granting of parole to the primary suspect is a failure of the U.S. Government as a whole.”
The most recent parole hearing was held in May of this year, ADC and the Odeh family were represented by Ayoub. Although charges against Manning in the Odeh case have not been officially brought, ADC and the Odeh family are recognized as victims of Manning and have participated at past parole hearings as interested parties. Ayoub questioned Manning extensively about his role in the Odeh assassination, and ties to the Jewish Defense League (JDL). At the end of the hearing the parole office recommended against parole.
The attorneys for Manning appealed the decision to the U.S. Parole Commission, which overturned the parole officer’s recommendation. During the May parole hearing Manning was questioned on how he can afford legal representation, and he stated that the Embassy of Israel assists in legal fees – if this is true it raises serious concerns with the role the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. has played in covering up the assassination of Odeh, and protecting the killers.
While we are not privy to the arguments made by Manning’s attorneys on appeal, we can assume that the members of the U.S. Parole Commission had no information related to the assassination of Odeh, and the role Manning played. This is a failure of the Commission to take into account all factors to ensure members of the public and our community are protected.
Manning, who self-identifies as an “Ex-Member” of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), was found guilty in 1993 for the 1980 murder of Patricia Wilkerson. He was charged after being extradited from Israel to the U.S. Although federal agents have named him a primary suspect in the assassination of Alex Odeh, he has yet to be charged for the crime. Reports have indicated that under the Wilkerson case extradition agreement between Israel and the US, Manning cannot be charged with the assassination of Alex Odeh – this has not been confirmed nor denied by U.S. Government officials.
The decision comes only days before the Anniversary of Odeh’s assassination on October 11. ADC will honor the life and legacy of Alex Odeh at the Alex Odeh Memorial Conference and Banquet this weekend in Anaheim, CA.