The family of Black political activist Malcolm X intends to sue the New York City Police Department, the FBI and the CIA over how they investigated his 1965 assassination.
X’s family, in a press conference Tuesday on the 58th anniversary of his death, said new evidence shows a conspiracy to cloud the case. The family accuses those agencies of planning X’s death and seek $100 million in damages.
In 2021, X’s family revealed a letter claimed to be written by deceased undercover NYPD Officer Raymond Wood in which the police department and FBI are accused of orchestrating X’s death.
In November 2021, two of the three men initially convicted in 1966 of killing X, Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, were exonerated after it was found that exculpatory evidence in their case was never turned over and presented in court.
The pair, who had been released in the 1980s, were awarded $36 million in total damages from the city and state of New York.
“For years, our family has fought for the truth to come to light concerning his murder and we’d like our father to receive the justice that he deserves. The truth about the circumstances leading to the death of our father is important — not only to his family, but to many followers,” said one of X’s daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz, at the press conference.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the family, said “It’s not just about the trigger men. It’s also about those who conspired with the triggermen to do this dastardly deed.”
Mr. Crump directly mentioned the compensation of Mr. Aziz and Islam, who died in 2009, as a reason for pushing for $100 million in compensation for X’s family.
“The rhetorical question is this. If the government compensated the two gentlemen wrongfully convicted for the assassination of Malcolm X with tens of millions of dollars, then what is to be the compensation for the daughters who suffered the most?” Mr. Crump said.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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