A VERY REAL CONSPIRACY
Malcolm X's family releases letter alleging FBI, police role in his death
FILE PHOTO: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
FILE PHOTO: Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X
wait for a press conference to begin in an unknown location
By Mana Rabiee
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Members of Malcolm X's family have made public what they described as a letter written by a deceased police officer stating that the New York Police Department and FBI were behind the 1965 killing of the famed Black activist and civil rights advocate.
Malcolm X was a powerful orator who rose to prominence as the national spokesman of the Nation of Islam, an African-American Muslim group that espoused Black separatism. He spent more than a decade with the group before becoming disillusioned and publicly breaking with it in 1964. He moderated some of his earlier views on the benefits of racial separation.
He was killed at New York's Audubon Ballroom while preparing to deliver a speech. Three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted in the shooting.
The letter released at a news conference on Saturday was attributed to a former undercover NYPD officer named Raymond Wood. His cousin Reggie Wood joined some of Malcolm X's daughters at the news conference at the site where the Audubon Ballroom once stood to make the letter public.
Raymond Wood's letter stated that he had been pressured by his NYPD supervisors to lure two members of Malcolm X's security detail into committing crimes that resulted in their arrest just days before the fatal shooting. Those arrests kept the two men from managing door security at the ballroom and was part of conspiracy between the NYPD and FBI to have Malcolm killed, according to the letter.
"Under the direction of my handlers, I was told to encourage leaders and members of the civil rights groups to commit felonious acts," Wood's letter stated.
Some historians and scholars have contended that the wrong men were convicted. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance last year said it would review the convictions in the case.
Following Saturday's news conference, Vance's office released a statement saying its "review of this matter is active and ongoing." The NYPD said in a separate statement it has "provided all available records relevant to that case to the District Attorney" and "remains committed to assist with that review in any way."
The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz said she had always lived with uncertainty around the circumstances of her father's death.
"Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated," she told the news conference.
(Reporting by Mana Rabiee; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Will Dunham)
By Mana Rabiee
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Members of Malcolm X's family have made public what they described as a letter written by a deceased police officer stating that the New York Police Department and FBI were behind the 1965 killing of the famed Black activist and civil rights advocate.
Malcolm X was a powerful orator who rose to prominence as the national spokesman of the Nation of Islam, an African-American Muslim group that espoused Black separatism. He spent more than a decade with the group before becoming disillusioned and publicly breaking with it in 1964. He moderated some of his earlier views on the benefits of racial separation.
He was killed at New York's Audubon Ballroom while preparing to deliver a speech. Three members of the Nation of Islam were convicted in the shooting.
The letter released at a news conference on Saturday was attributed to a former undercover NYPD officer named Raymond Wood. His cousin Reggie Wood joined some of Malcolm X's daughters at the news conference at the site where the Audubon Ballroom once stood to make the letter public.
Raymond Wood's letter stated that he had been pressured by his NYPD supervisors to lure two members of Malcolm X's security detail into committing crimes that resulted in their arrest just days before the fatal shooting. Those arrests kept the two men from managing door security at the ballroom and was part of conspiracy between the NYPD and FBI to have Malcolm killed, according to the letter.
"Under the direction of my handlers, I was told to encourage leaders and members of the civil rights groups to commit felonious acts," Wood's letter stated.
Some historians and scholars have contended that the wrong men were convicted. The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance last year said it would review the convictions in the case.
Following Saturday's news conference, Vance's office released a statement saying its "review of this matter is active and ongoing." The NYPD said in a separate statement it has "provided all available records relevant to that case to the District Attorney" and "remains committed to assist with that review in any way."
The FBI declined to comment on the matter.
Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz said she had always lived with uncertainty around the circumstances of her father's death.
"Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated," she told the news conference.
(Reporting by Mana Rabiee; Additional reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Will Dunham)
Sun, February 21, 2021,
Malcolm X was 39 when he was gunned down
The daughters of assassinated US black civil rights leader Malcolm X have requested that the murder investigation be reopened in light of new evidence.
They cite a deathbed letter from a man who was a policeman at the time of the 1965 killing, alleging New York police and the FBI conspired in the murder.
Raymond Wood wrote his responsibility was to ensure Malcolm X's security team were arrested days before he was shot dead in Manhattan, his family says.
Three men were convicted of the murder.
The men - all members of the Nation of Islam political and religious movement - were each sentenced to life in prison. One of them has since died, while the other two have been paroled.
By the time he was gunned down, Malcolm X - who was at one time seen as a public face of the Nation of Islam but then left the movement - had moderated his militant message of black separatism.
However, he remained a passionate advocate of black unity, self-respect and self-reliance.
In 2020, the Manhattan district attorney launched a review of the convictions after meeting representatives of the Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group campaigning for justice for individuals it says have been wrongly convicted.
What does Wood's letter allege?
The letter says the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) covered up details of the assassination on 21 February 1965 in Harlem's Audubon Ballroom, Upper Manhattan, according to Wood's family and their lawyer.
Wood alleges that he was tasked with making sure that Malcolm X would have no door security in the building where he was due to speak in public.
At a press briefing on Saturday, Wood's family members provided no details about how and when Raymond Wood died.
But they said he did not want to make the letter public until after his death, fearing repercussions from the authorities.
"Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated," said Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcolm X's daughters.
How have the NYPD and the FBI responded?
In a statement, the NYPD said: "Several 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 all available records relevant to that case to the district attorney. The department remains committed to assist with that review in any way."
The FBI has so far made no public comment on the issue.
Malcolm X family says letter shows NYPD and FBI conspired in his murder
Oliver Laughland
Sun, February 21, 2021,
Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Almost 56 years since the day Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City, lawyers and family members of the late civil rights and Black nationalist leader released new evidence they claim shows the NYPD and FBI conspired in his murder.
Related: 'The humanity of black characters is often forgotten': behind Oscar-tipped One Night in Miami
It comes in the form of a deathbed letter attributed to a former undercover NYPD officer who claimed he was pressured by supervisors to lure two of Malcolm X’s security men into committing crimes, a few days before the assassination on 21 February 1965.
The arrests kept the two men from managing door security at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights on the day of the shooting, according to the letter.
The letter, written by Raymond Wood, was authorised for posthumous release by a cousin. It was read on Saturday at a press conference attended by three of X’s daughters and members of Wood’s family. No details about the circumstances and timing of Wood’s death were provided.
“Under the direction of my handlers,” the letter states, “I was told to encourage leaders and members of the civil rights groups to commit felonious acts.”
Last year, the assassination was the subject of a six-part Netflix documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X?, which revisited longstanding questions over whether two of three men convicted in the shooting were innocent. In 2011, an NYPD detective involved wrote: “The investigation was botched.”
The documentary prompted the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr, to review convictions in the case. Following Saturday’s news conference, Vance’s office said the review was “active and ongoing”. In a separate statement, the NYPD said it had “provided all available records relevant to that case” to Vance and “remains committed to assist with that review in any way”.
The FBI did not comment.
Malcolm X was shot seconds after stepping to a lectern to speak. Days earlier, he told an interviewer he believed members of the Nation of Islam were seeking to kill him. He was being surveilled by the FBI at the time. His home in Queens was firebombed the week before he was killed.
One of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz, told the press conference on Saturday she had lived with decades of uncertainty.
“Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated,” she said.
Oliver Laughland
Sun, February 21, 2021,
Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Almost 56 years since the day Malcolm X was assassinated in New York City, lawyers and family members of the late civil rights and Black nationalist leader released new evidence they claim shows the NYPD and FBI conspired in his murder.
Related: 'The humanity of black characters is often forgotten': behind Oscar-tipped One Night in Miami
It comes in the form of a deathbed letter attributed to a former undercover NYPD officer who claimed he was pressured by supervisors to lure two of Malcolm X’s security men into committing crimes, a few days before the assassination on 21 February 1965.
The arrests kept the two men from managing door security at the Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights on the day of the shooting, according to the letter.
The letter, written by Raymond Wood, was authorised for posthumous release by a cousin. It was read on Saturday at a press conference attended by three of X’s daughters and members of Wood’s family. No details about the circumstances and timing of Wood’s death were provided.
“Under the direction of my handlers,” the letter states, “I was told to encourage leaders and members of the civil rights groups to commit felonious acts.”
Last year, the assassination was the subject of a six-part Netflix documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X?, which revisited longstanding questions over whether two of three men convicted in the shooting were innocent. In 2011, an NYPD detective involved wrote: “The investigation was botched.”
The documentary prompted the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr, to review convictions in the case. Following Saturday’s news conference, Vance’s office said the review was “active and ongoing”. In a separate statement, the NYPD said it had “provided all available records relevant to that case” to Vance and “remains committed to assist with that review in any way”.
The FBI did not comment.
Malcolm X was shot seconds after stepping to a lectern to speak. Days earlier, he told an interviewer he believed members of the Nation of Islam were seeking to kill him. He was being surveilled by the FBI at the time. His home in Queens was firebombed the week before he was killed.
One of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz, told the press conference on Saturday she had lived with decades of uncertainty.
“Any evidence that provides greater insight into the truth behind that terrible tragedy should be thoroughly investigated,” she said.
New allegations in Malcolm X assassination
Sun, February 21, 2021
Wood is the cousin of undercover officer Raymond Wood. He said during a news conference that his late cousin confessed to him that he had been pressured by his NYPD supervisors to lure two members of Malcolm X's security detail into committing crimes that resulted in their arrest, just days before the assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.
The arrest had kept the members from managing door security, he said.
Reggie Wood brought with him a letter that he says was composed by Raymond in 2011, written as a "deathbed" confession when Raymond thought he might die of cancer. While Raymond Wood continued to live another ten years, he requested his confession only be made public after his death.
Reggie Wood spoke to reporters at the site of the former ballroom, which was later turned into a memorial and is now a cultural center. Crump, the attorney, said he would submit the confession to law enforcement agencies including the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office told Reuters that its "review of this matter is active and ongoing."
In February 2020 the office said it would review the convictions of two Nation of Islam members who were held responsible for the killing.
Sun, February 21, 2021
Wood is the cousin of undercover officer Raymond Wood. He said during a news conference that his late cousin confessed to him that he had been pressured by his NYPD supervisors to lure two members of Malcolm X's security detail into committing crimes that resulted in their arrest, just days before the assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.
The arrest had kept the members from managing door security, he said.
Reggie Wood brought with him a letter that he says was composed by Raymond in 2011, written as a "deathbed" confession when Raymond thought he might die of cancer. While Raymond Wood continued to live another ten years, he requested his confession only be made public after his death.
Reggie Wood spoke to reporters at the site of the former ballroom, which was later turned into a memorial and is now a cultural center. Crump, the attorney, said he would submit the confession to law enforcement agencies including the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office told Reuters that its "review of this matter is active and ongoing."
In February 2020 the office said it would review the convictions of two Nation of Islam members who were held responsible for the killing.
Video Transcript
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
- This is about restorative justice to try to have those Black leaders, those civil rights activists who were wrongfully convicted over 50 years ago, to have them exonerated.
REGGIE WOOD: After Ray's passing, I found a confession letter that Ray had written and mailed to my father back in 2011. This letter details his, the FBI, and the NYPD's involvement in the assassination of Malcolm X, and how he was forced to betray his people.
This letter helps me to understand the pain and guilt that Ray felt for the last 55 years. He conspired to help the NYPD assassinate Malcolm X. On behalf of Ray, he wanted the world to know that he is deeply sorry. I hope that this information helps the Shabazz family-- [SNIFFLES] excuse me-- to more clearly understand what happened to their father on that horrible day.
As a Black man, I am disgusted to know that what happened 60 years ago is still going on today. We are living under J. Edgar Hoover's Jim Crow system of policing our Black and brown people. He is the architect of these constant injustices and tactics against our people.
I am now going to give a copy of this letter to the Shabazz family. I intend to give a copy of this letter to Khalil Sayed's family, Walter [? Beau's ?] family, Thomas Johnson's family, Herb [? Colander's ?] family, and Afeni Shakur's family. These are the families of the individuals that I'm aware of who have been falsely convicted due to Ray's actions.
New evidence points to NYPD, FBI conspiracy in Malcolm X assassination, lawyers say
Matthew Allen
Sun, February 21, 2021,
‘So, what we’re trying to do is talk about restorative justice as lawyers — try to pursue relentless justice,’ Attorney Ray Hamlin says
Lawyers representing Malcolm X‘s estate are requesting his case be reopened in light of new evidence that may reveal that the New York Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conspired to have him killed.
According to ABC News, the family and attorney of former undercover NYPD officer Ray Wood disclosed that they recovered a death bed confession letter in November 2020. The letter allegedly states that the NYPD and the FBI conspired to insure the killing of Minister X, who was gunned down in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom during a speech in 1965.
READ MORE: New book tells stories of mothers of MLK, Malcolm X and James Baldwin
Wood’s family stated that in the letter, he wrote that it was his responsibility to have X’s security detail arrested in the days prior to his scheduled appearance at the Audubon. This would ensure that security would not be sufficient to stop the gunmen from killing Malcolm X.
Despite three men from the Nation of Islam being convicted of killing the civil rights icon, attorney Ben Crump, three of Malcolm X’s daughters and Wood’s family are hoping the case will be re-opened in light of the discovery of this letter.
Portrait of American political activist and radical civil rights leader Malcolm X as he holds an 8mm movie camera in London Airport, London, England, July 9, 1964. (Photo by Express Newspapers/Getty Images)
“So, what we’re trying to do is talk about restorative justice as lawyers — try to pursue relentless justice,” said Attorney Ray Hamlin.
Last February, Netflix released the docuseries Who Killed Malcolm X, which chronicled historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad’s years-long research to unravel inconsistencies in the Malcolm X murder case. In the series, Muhammad worked to reveal evidence that two of the three men convicted for Malcolm X’s death were in fact not present at the Audubon on the day of this murder.
In an interview with PBS, Muhammad stated that his documentary even indicates that the person who fired the gun that delivered the fatal blow to Malcolm X was not one of the three men convicted.
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