Muhammad Abdul Aziz
Biography
Muhammad Abdul Aziz, formerly known as Norman 3X Butler, was wrongfully convicted of participating in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X. He maintained his innocence throughout his imprisonment. Aziz was paroled on June 24, 1985 after more than twenty years in custody. On November 18, 2021, a New York judge vacated the convictions of Aziz and Khalil Islam after a reinvestigation found serious failures in the prosecution.
The joint November 18, 2021 motion describes a reinvestigation begun in January 2020 that uncovered previously undisclosed FBI and NYPD evidence. It argues that the withheld material deprived Aziz and Islam of a fair trial and seeks vacatur and dismissal.. The motion dates the joint indictment to March 10, 1965. It identifies Charles Marks as the original trial judge.
