New York DA re-opens investigation into the assassination of Malcolm X

(BlackmansStreet.Today) — Cyrus Vance Jr., the Manhattan District Attorney, has agreed to review the conviction of Muhammad Abdul Aziz, who was arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Malcolm X although no physical evidence linked Aziz to the assassination.

The Innocence Project, which is based in New York City, is working with the district attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit and Civil Rights Attorney David B. Shanies to re-investigate Aziz’s 1966 conviction.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office decided to re-investigate the assassination following the broadcast of the seven-part Netflix documentary “Who Killed Malcolm X” by historian Abdur-Rahman Muhammad and others.

The documentary opens with Malcolm X’s very public assassination in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom before a large audience of supporters.

New York City police quickly arrested Aziz (then known as Norman 3X Butler), Mujahid Abul Halim (then known as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan) and Khalil Islam(then known as Thomas 15X Johnson) for the murder.

Halim admitted to participating in the assassination. Malcolm X’s bodyguards shot him in the leg, captured and beat him in the Audubon until police rescued him.

He has always said Aziz and Islam had nothing to do with the killing. Islam died in 2009. Aziz who is 81 is still trying to clear his name. A former member of the U.S. Navy, he was paroled in 1985.

“I just want to testify that Butler [Aziz] and Johnson [Islam] had nothing to do with it … I was there, I know what happened and I know the people who were there,” Halim said.

At the time of Malcolm X’s murder, Aziz was a patient in a nursing home where he was being treated for recent leg injuries. A physician who treated testified in Aziz’s defense.

“We are grateful that District Attorney Vance quickly agreed to conduct a review of the conviction of Muhammad Aziz. 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,” Innocence Project and David B. Shanies Law Office, said in a joint statement.

This article originally published in the February 24, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.