New allegations in Malcolm X assassination
Wood is the cousin of undercover officer Raymond Wood. He said during a news conference that his late cousin confessed to him that he had been pressured by his NYPD supervisors to lure two members of Malcolm X's security detail into committing crimes that resulted in their arrest, just days before the assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.
The arrest had kept the members from managing door security, he said.
Reggie Wood brought with him a letter that he says was composed by Raymond in 2011, written as a "deathbed" confession when Raymond thought he might die of cancer. While Raymond Wood continued to live another ten years, he requested his confession only be made public after his death.
Reggie Wood spoke to reporters at the site of the former ballroom, which was later turned into a memorial and is now a cultural center. Crump, the attorney, said he would submit the confession to law enforcement agencies including the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's office told Reuters that its "review of this matter is active and ongoing."
In February 2020 the office said it would review the convictions of two Nation of Islam members who were held responsible for the killing.
