Mutulu Shakur, the stepfather of 2Pac, reportedly lost his battle with rare and incurable blood cancer.
Actor Kamau Franklin, aged 72, confirmed Mutulu Shakur death on Twitter, stating that it occurred late in the evening on Thursday, July 6.
Franklin wrote, “Mutulu Shakur passed away last night. He was a veteran of the New Afrikan movement, a member of the Black Liberation Army, and a stepfather to Tupac Shakur. As a political prisoner, he spent 36 years behind bars. Power to the people. Release everyone.”
Mutulu Shakur Cause of Death | Obituary
Mutulu Shakur, who had been incarcerated for over 36 years, was set to be released on parole from the Federal Medical Centre near Lexington next month. He had been battling bone cancer.
Mutulu Shakur, an esteemed figure in the Black liberation movement and the stepfather of the late rapper and actor Tupac Shakur, passed away on July 7, 2023, at the age of 72. Suffering from terminal cancer, he had been released from prison the previous year after serving over 36 years for his alleged involvement in the Brinks armored truck robbery.
Mutulu Shakur was a dedicated member of the Revolutionary Action Movement, the Republic of New Africa, and the Black Liberation Army. He leaves behind his family and a community of supporters who deeply admired his unwavering commitment to the fight for freedom and justice.
The U.S. Parole Commission made a ruling on Thursday night, stating that Shakur’s medical condition “renders you so infirm of mind and body that you are no longer physically capable of committing any Federal, State, or local crime.”
He had planned to spend his remaining years with his family in Southern California.
Mutulu Shakur was first diagnosed with blood cancer in July 2022 while still in prison. At the time, doctors gave the 71-year-old Black Liberation Army veteran and American activist six months to live. Campaigners fought for his release so that he could bid farewell to his family.
Regarding his charges:
In 1981, Shakur was found guilty of conspiracy charges related to criminal activity for his involvement in the Brink’s armored truck heist, which resulted in the deaths of a guard and two police officers.
He admitted guilt and expressed remorse for aiding his sister, Assata Shakur, who is the godmother of 2Pac, in her escape from jail in 1979.
As Shakur’s imprisonment fell under the “old law,” a set of federal sentencing standards applicable to crimes committed prior to 1987, the U.S. Parole Commission was responsible for determining his eligibility for parole. This commission was supposed to have been abolished long ago.
In 2020, the court denied Shakur’s request for compassionate release but informed him that he could reapply when he was at “the point of approaching death.” The same judge who sentenced him over 30 years ago, now 90 years old, delivered this decision.
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