Hand-delivered to the activist’s daughters, former undercover cop says assassination was a NYPD/FBI collaboration
A deathbed confession written by former NYPD Officer Ray Wood — a Black man, details his hand in the assassination of Malcolm X as the activist’s daughters demand answers and financial restitution.
Amidst the release of “Judas and the Black Messiah” new dialogue has emerged around the idea of Black people turning on their own. The idea of responsibility to one’s race, and whether it is a requirement, or obligation is as storied as the epic beefs between differing Black ideologists — DuBois, vs. Washington, Malcolm vs. King Jr.
The day Malcolm X was assassinated, Wood was assigned to work undercover. In his letter, he admits to “participating in actions that in hindsight were deplorable and detrimental to the advancement of my own Black people.”
In ‘Judas…” Black Panther Fred Hampton’s betrayer is played by Lakeith Stansfield. The film juxtaposes real-life footage of an interview with William O’Neal (real life Judas and FBI Informant) from an interview in the 80s. He killed himself shortly after that interview aired.
Officer Wood entrusted the letter to his cousin, who acts as executor of his estate. The confession was written in 2011 but wasn’t to be delivered to Malcolm X’s daughters until after his death. That letter was delivered by hand just a day before the anniversary of his assassination.
Wood was hired in 1964 by the NYPD with the main crux of his job being to infiltrate Black organizations with the hopes of finding illegal activity to then leverage and try to discredit such organizations.
Of the Black leaders from the 60s and 70s, which included Martin, Medgar, later Ali and any of the Black Panthers; none had more enemies on both sides (Black and white) Than Malcolm X — that’s what made the activist as unique a figure in the movement as he was.
The Black Panthers and Fred Hampton most noticeably in recent cinema all had informants. But the level to which Malcolm was marked, differentiated him.
Last year, new interest shed light on the assassination of Malcolm X due to the popularity of the Netflix original docu-series, ‘Who Killed Malcolm X.’
According to Wood’s letter, just days before the assassination two of Malcolm X’s most trusted security guards were to be arrested for allegedly attempting to bomb the statue of liberty.
“It was my assignment to draw the two men into a felonious federal crime, so that they could be arrested by the FBI and kept away from managing Malcolm X’s door security on February 21, 1965,” Wood’s letter detailed. “At that time, I was not aware that Malcolm X was the target.”
On Feb. 21, 1965 at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, while giving a speech, Malcolm X was shot and killed. His assassination was initially blamed on three members of the Nation of Islam: Mujahid Abdul Halim (also known as Thomas Hagan), Muhammad Abdul Aziz (also known as Norman 3X Butler) and Khalil Islam (also known as Thomas 15X Johnson). Johnson, according to Wood, was blamed for his actions despite his maintaining his innocence until his death in April 2010.
Wood entrusted his confession to his cousin Reginald Wood who hand-delivered the letter to Malcolm X’s daughters just a few days ago. According to Wood his cousin was coerced into committing such acts against Malcolm X, and other Black organizations for fear of being framed himself. In his confession, Wood claims when trying to resign, he was threatened.
In the confession, Wood says the assassination was a collaboration between the NYPD and the FBI. Last year, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office re-opened the case. After the release of this letter, it is initially being reported that Malcolm’s estate which makes up his daughters survived by the activist’s wife Betty Shabazz, will be seeking financial retribution.