Vance and the Innocence Project, which represents the two men, confirmed to NBC News that they would “move to vacate the wrongful convictions of two individuals for the murder of Malcolm X” on Thursday afternoon.
Islam died in 2009, but Aziz, who is in his 80s, continued to fight to clear his record, according to the Innocence Project.
The development follows a 22-month investigation into the case and decades of speculation that it was mishandled from the start.
Malcolm X was assassinated Feb. 21, 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City, where hundreds had gathered to hear him speak. Inside the ballroom, three men opened fire, striking him onstage.
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Three members of the political and religious group Nation of Islam were arrested: Mujahid Abdul Halim, then known as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan; Aziz, then known as Norman 3X Butler; and Islam, then known as Thomas 15X Johnson.
They were convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1966. Following the 2020 release of the Netflix documentary series — “Who Killed Malcolm X?” — Vance announced he would take up the case.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
