New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently expressed his sorrow on Twitter/X over the death of a career criminal who passed away at Rikers Island while awaiting trial for a 2024 laundromat murder. This has sparked criticism, with some questioning why Mamdani seems to side with criminals rather than showing sympathy for victims.
For the victim’s family, seeing the mayor lament the death of the accused has been difficult.
The New York Post reports:
Mamdani posts emotional message mourning accused knife-wielding killer —and is slammed by victim’s family
Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly mourned the death of an accused career criminal at Rikers Island this week. The family of the victim from the 2024 unprovoked attack is now outraged, according to The Post.
In a statement on X, Mamdani expressed that he was “deeply saddened” by the inmate’s death — the seventh at the troubled facility this year — and extended his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased.
The inmate, 41-year-old Clarence Woodward, had a history of nearly 30 arrests and was found unresponsive in his cell while awaiting trial for the murder at a Bronx laundromat.
Jose Miranda’s family, the victim in this case, described Mamdani’s statement as “a slap in the face.”
“It’s terrible,” said Marisol Miranda, the victim’s grieving mother, on Thursday. “That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all.”
Below is Mamdani’s tweet in full:
I am deeply saddened by the death of a New Yorker in City custody at a jail on Rikers Island early this morning. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss.
We do not yet know the cause of death, but we do know that too many New Yorkers have died on Rikers Island. The Department of Correction and its oversight partners will investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Our administration is fully committed to the critical work of creating better conditions in our city’s jail system and closing Rikers Island as quickly as possible.
I am deeply saddened by the death of a New Yorker in City custody at a jail on Rikers Island early this morning. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss.
We do not yet know the cause of death, but we do know that too many New Yorkers have died on…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) August 25, 2026
In response to Mamdani’s message, several Twitter users expressed disbelief and frustration.
A father of two was hacked to death with a meat cleaver after his killer was repeatedly paroled.
And you think the real villain is the jail?
— Mehek Cooke
(@MehekCooke) August 27, 2026
The mayor is in deep mourning of a man that murdered a laundromat employee with a meat clever and had 28 prior arrests. Talk about priorities. https://t.co/IhUSOgEXg9
— Lee Kuan Yimby (@LeeKuanYimby) August 26, 2026
Unreal. The guy he’s mourning was charged with murdering a shop owner with a meat cleaver in an unprovoked attack. https://t.co/Kc8223CQMZ
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) August 26, 2026
The post Zohran Mamdani Posts Heartfelt Message About Career Criminal and Killer Who Died in Custody at Rikers Island: ‘Deeply Saddened’ appeared first on .
