Ray Wood was a covert police officer at the time; his family and lawyer claim Wood wrote a letter on his deathbed confessing to the NYPD and the FBI conspired to kill the Civil Rights activist.
Malcolm X was assassinated in February 1965 in Harlem during an oral engagement. Wood’s family says in the letter that Wood Wrote stated that his responsibility was to ensure that Malcolm X’s security details were arrested days before the murder.
The letter further states that this move would ensure that Malcolm X did not have security at the door in the Audubon ballroom where he was murdered.
Today, Malcolm X’s three daughters, along with Wood’s family and civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, are calling for the murder investigation to be reopened in light of new evidence.
“So what we’re trying to do is talk about restorative justice as lawyers: try to pursue relentless justice,” said attorney Ray Hamlin, on behalf of the legacy of Malcolm X, Dr. Betty Shabazz, on behalf of his family his lineage that is here “.
The three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted of the assassination of Malcolm X. Last year, the DA of Manhattan began a review of those convictions after meeting with representatives of the Innocence Project.
Now, with the new evidence, the Department of America office says “the review of this matter is active and ongoing.”
The NYPD released a statement on Saturday saying:
A few months ago, the Manhattan District Attorney initiated a review of the investigation and prosecution that resulted in two convictions for the murder of Malcolm X. The NYPD has provided the District Attorney with all available records relevant to this case. The Department is committed to assisting in any way with this review.
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