The daughters of African-American activist Malcolm X have called for the investigation into the latter’s murder to be reopened in light of new testimony, which implicates the New York police and the FBI. Contacted Sunday February 21 by Agence France-Presse (AFP), a spokesman for the Manhattan prosecutor said that “Examination” of the file was ” In progress “.
During a press briefing was presented a letter written by a former New York police officer, now deceased, who accuses the police – New York police and FBI – of complicity in the murder.
According to his cousin, the police officer Ray Wood, who was black and operated undercover, claims to have approached at the request of his hierarchy of the entourage of Malcolm X and to have trapped two of his bodyguards, arrested only a few days before murder.
On February 21, 1965, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, whose real name was, was therefore deprived of the presence of these two men when he appeared for an address in the Audubon Ballroom, a performance hall in the north. of Manhattan, before falling under the bullets of three shooters.
Secret aspects of the case
More generally, the former police officer, who wanted his testimony to become public only after his death, maintains that the New York Police (NYPD) and the FBI have kept certain aspects of the case secret.
In February 2020, after the broadcast of a documentary on Netflix (Who Killed Malcolm X?), Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance Jr had asked his teams to review the case to determine whether or not the investigation should be reopened.
Asked Sunday by AFP, the New York police said they communicated to the prosecutor’s office “All the archives related to this affair”. NYPD “Remain ready to contribute to this review in any way”. Contacted by AFP, the FBI office in New York did not respond.
“Anything that makes it possible to better understand the truth about this terrible tragedy should be carefully examined”, said Ilyasah Shabazz, one of Malcolm X’s three daughters (of the six he had with his wife Betty) present at the press briefing.
