The family of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X marked on Tuesday the anniversary of his 1965 assassination by announcing plans to sue agencies including the CIA, FBI, the NYPD and others for $100 million, accusing them of playing a role in his death.
Two of his daughters, Ilyasah Shabazz and Qubilah Shabazz, were joined by attorney Ben Crump at a news conference at the site of the former Audubon Ballroom in Washington Heights, where Malcolm X was fatally shot as a crowd gathered to hear him speak on Feb. 21, 1965. The influential figure was shot 21 times.
For decades questions have circulated over who was responsible for his death.
Three men were convicted, but two were exonerated in 2021 after a renewed investigation into the cases against them showed the evidence used to gain convictions was shaky and that authorities had held back some information.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
New York State and city have already paid out $26 million for the wrongful conviction of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, who were falsely accused of aiding triggerman Mujaheed Halim.
Ilyasah Shabazz, the co-administrator of her father's estate, filed notices of claim, which is the first step in the process, saying that the agencies “conspired with each other and with other individuals and acted, and failed to act, in such a way as to bring about the wrongful death of Malcolm X."
“For years our family has fought for the truth to come to light," she said at the news conference. “We want justice served for our father.”
Emails seeking comment were sent to the CIA, FBI, Department of Justice and New York City's legal department. The DOJ and NYPD declined to comment.
Crump noted the anniversary date and said that ever since then, "there has been speculation as to who was involved in the assassination of Malcolm X.”
He cited the 2021 exonerations and said that government agencies including the Manhattan district attorney, the NYPD and the FBI “had factual evidence, exculpatory evidence that they fraudulently concealed from the men who were wrongfully convicted for the assassination of Malcolm X.”
Crump says he wants to subpoena Halim, now in his 80s, hoping Malcolm X’s murderer will finally tell all he knows about the real co-conspirators. The lawyer said there’s also a written deathbed confession from a former NYPD cop who claimed he was part of a plan to weaken Malcolm X’s security detail.
Asked if he believes government agencies conspired to assassinate Malcolm, Crump said, “That is what we are alleging, yes. They infiltrated many civil rights organizations.” He also claimed that "J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI said, 'Do something about Malcolm X.' In less than a year he was assassinated."
NBC New York's Chris Glorioso contributed to this report.
