Full Breakdown
Mayor’s Tribute to In-Custody Killer Sparks Outrage from Victim’s Family
8/29/2026, 6:03:11 AM
Mayor’s Mourning and Victim Family Outcry
Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X that he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Clarence Woodward, the accused killer who died in his Rikers Island cell this week. He added that the city is investigating the death and reiterated his administration’s goal of closing Rikers Island. The family of Jose Miranda, the man Woodward was charged with murdering in 2024, called the mayor’s statement “a slap in the face.” Her brother Angel echoed the sentiment, insisting the mayor should have focused on their son, a 45-year-old barber.
2024 Bronx Laundromat Stabbing
In August 2024, Woodward attacked patrons inside the 303 Laundomot in the Claremont section of the Bronx. He stabbed Jose Miranda multiple times, killing him, and also wounded a 47-year-old homeless man. Woodward, a 41-year-old with nearly 30 prior arrests, had been released from Collins Correctional Facility on July 3, 2024, just a month before the attack. He was held without bail and last appeared in court on July 28, 2024, with a return date set for September.
Rikers Island Deaths and City Response
Woodward was found unresponsive in his cell shortly after 5 a.m. on Tuesday. His death marks the seventh inmate fatality at Rikers Island in 2026, according to the advocacy group Vera, which also notes 15 people died in city Department of Corrections custody in 2025. Department of Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards called the death a “tragedy” and pledged a thorough investigation.
Key Figures
- Zohran Mamdani — Mayor of New York City, issued the condolence tweet.
- Clarence Woodward — 41-year-old accused killer, died in Rikers Island custody.
- Jose Miranda — 45-year-old barber, murder victim, known locally as “El Bori.”
- Alfredo Avila — Local barber, described Woodward as “kind of crazy.”
- Stanley Richards — Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction, labeled Woodward’s death a tragedy.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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,” — Zohran Mamdani, mayor
- “A lot of people would talk bad about him,” — Alfredo Avila
