Malcolm X’s assassination being reinvestigated after new info shown in Netflix series
Malcolm X’s assassination will be reinvestigated in the wake of new information uncovered in a new Netflix documentary series, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office announced it will revisit the 1965 assassination of the civil rights icon.
The review will focus on the case of 81-year-old Muhammad Aziz, a convicted accomplice who has long maintained his innocence in the murder, according to the criminal justice group the Innocence Project.
“We are grateful that District Attorney Vance quickly agreed to conduct a review of the conviction of Muhammad Aziz.” Barry Scheck, co-founder of the Innocence Project, in a statement.
The announcement comes after the release Friday of the Netflix series “Who Killed Malcolm X?” — which follows historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad’s quest for answers about the civil rights leader’s death.
Malcolm X was shot to death on Feb. 21, 1965, when he appeared on stage at the Audobon Ballroom in Washington Heights.
Three men, including Aziz, were later convicted in his shooting death. Aziz along with Mujahid Abdul Halim and Khalil Islam were all sentenced to life in prison.
Aziz and Islam have denied they were responsible for the assassination — with Halim vouching for both of them, testifying in 1966 that the men had “nothing to do with it,” according to the Innocence Project. Islam died in 2009.
The group, which represents Aziz, said he still hopes to prove his innocence after being released in 1985 on parole.
No physical evidence links Aziz to the scene, the group said. He also has an alibi for the time of the murder, claiming that he was at home healing from leg injuries.
The Manhattan DA’s office said it will work alongside representatives from the Innocence Project to revisit the case.
“[Vance] has determined that the district attorney’s office will begin a preliminary review of the matter, which will inform the office regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken,” Manhattan DA spokesman Danny Frost said in a statement.
Vance has tapped prosecutors Charles King and Peter Casolaro, who was a member of the team that investigated and cleared the Central Park Five.
“Given the historical importance of this case and the fact that our client is 81 years old, we are especially encouraged that Mr. Vance has assigned two highly respected prosecutors, Peter Casolaro and Charles King, to work on this re-investigation,” Scheck said in a statement.