NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Mourns Accused Killer Who Died in Jail, Victim’s Family Condemns Politician

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s message about an inmate who died on Rikers Island is upsetting some people.

On Tuesday, August 25, accused murderer Clarence Woodward died on Rikers Island while awaiting trial for stabbing Jose Miranda to death at a laundromat in the Bronx in 2024, according to the New York Post. Woodward, 41, was found unresponsive in his cell around 5:00 a.m.

The mayor, 34, took to X on Tuesday, writing that he was “deeply saddened by the death of a New Yorker in City custody at a jail on Rikers Island.”

“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,” Mamdani wrote. “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.”

Jose’s family condemned the politician for paying tribute to Woodward and not acknowledging their deceased son.

“It’s terrible. That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all,” Jose’s mom, Marisol Miranda, told the New York Post on Thursday. “I’m not happy with what [Mamdani] did and I need him talking about my son. He was killed.”

Jose’s brother Angel Miranda agreed: “That’s not right. He could have paid his regards but acknowledged us too. He should have mentioned us first and then, ‘Sorry the person that did it also has passed away too.'”

“At least give us a little heads up and a little gratuity towards us,” he continued. “We lost a family member. You can never replace that. I’m still going through it. It was a slap in the face.”

Woodward’s death is the seventh on Rikers Island in 2026. The city is working to close the violent complex and replace it with a borough-based jail system.