The FBI on Friday renewed its call for the public’s help to solve the case of a 40-year-old assassination of a prominent Arab American activist and organizer in Orange County.
Alexander Michel Odeh was killed in a “targeted bombing” on Oct. 11, 1985, involving a booby-trapped explosive device that detonated when he unlocked the door to his Santa Ana office.
Odeh was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was 41 years old at the time and was survived by his wife and three daughters. Several other people near the explosion were injured and the building on East 17th street sustained “massive damage,” the FBI said.
At the time of his killing, the Palestine-born Odeh was the western regional director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a grassroots civil rights organization comprised of Arab Americans.
“After joining the [ADC] in 1982, Alex quickly rose to the forefront of combatting stereotyping of Arabs and biased reporting,” the organization wrote on the 36th anniversary of his killing. “He fought tirelessly to build unity between Jews, Muslims and Christians in Southern California.”
Investigators believe that Odeh was likely targeted for his activism and views, which he discussed publicly. He had made several television appearances in the days leading up to his killing, and was scheduled to speak at a synagogue in Fountain Valley on the day of his death.
According to the ADC, Odeh had been a regular target of death threats, and his killing came during a period of targeted attacks on its offices, including in Boston and Washington D.C. The group alleges that the attacks were perpetrated by Israeli terrorist organizations, potentially the Jewish Defense League, a far-right political organization responsible for several domestic terror attacks in North America.
The FBI says there are “working theories” related to a motive for the killing, but no person of interest has been named, nor have any charges been filed.
In 1996, the U.S. Department of Justice offered a reward of up to $1 million for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. That reward, FBI officials said, remains in place to this day.
“The investigation into the murder of Alex Odeh has spanned generations, but the FBI has never given up and will continue to investigate new leads on this case until it is solved,” said Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s field office in L.A. “I’m confident that we will find the answers to solve this case for Alex Odeh’s family, including his widow and his daughters.”
Robert Rodriguez, chief of the Santa Ana Police Department, said his department continues to investigate alongside its federal partners and remains committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
“This case represents a reminder that acts of violence motivated by hate have no place in our society, and we stand ready to assist in any way necessary to bring accountability to those responsible,” Rodriguez said.
The FBI urges anyone with information to contact their nearest FBI office, U.S. embassy or consulate around the world. In the U.S., the FBI can be reached at any time of day by calling 1-800-225-5324.
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