Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash After Mourning Rikers Inmate Accused in Bronx Killing
Marisol and Angel Miranda, the mother and brother of Jose Miranda, in their West Haverstraw, NY home on Aug. 27, 2026.Matthew McDermott for NY Post
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from the family of a Bronx homicide victim after publicly expressing sorrow over the death of Clarence Woodward, a 41-year-old Rikers Island detainee who had been awaiting trial in connection with the 2024 killing of Jose Miranda.
Woodward died in city custody on Aug. 25, becoming the seventh person to die in New York City Department of Correction custody this year. His cause of death has not yet been released, and officials say the circumstances remain under investigation.
In a public statement, Mamdani said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of a New Yorker in city custody and offered condolences to Woodward’s family and loved ones. He also pointed to the number of deaths at Rikers Island and reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving conditions in the city’s jail system.
But the message drew an angry response from Miranda’s family, who said the mayor’s statement failed to acknowledge the man Woodward had been accused of killing.
Victim’s family calls statement a ‘slap in the face’
Jose Miranda, 45, was a father of two and a barber who was known in his Bronx neighborhood. His mother, Marisol Miranda, said she was upset that the mayor publicly expressed sympathy following Woodward’s death without mentioning her son.
“That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all,” she said, adding that she wanted the mayor to speak about Jose as well.
Miranda’s younger brother, Angel Miranda, expressed similar frustration. He said Mamdani could have acknowledged Woodward’s death while also recognizing what their family had endured.
For Angel, the omission amounted to “a slap in the face.”
Marisol, however, said she did not want to speak badly about the man accused of killing her son. Citing her Christian faith, she said she would leave judgment to God.
The 2024 laundromat case
Woodward had been awaiting trial over an Aug. 8, 2024 attack at a 24-hour laundromat in the Claremont section of the Bronx.
Police responding at approximately 2:42 a.m. found two wounded men inside the business. Miranda was transported to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced dead. Another man, then 47, survived.
Woodward, who was 39 at the time, was arrested later that day. Authorities charged him with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and two counts of second-degree assault. Those charges remained accusations, and Woodward had not been convicted before his death.
According to the source article, Woodward was also facing attempted murder and weapons charges related to the case and would have faced the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted. He had been held without bail.
The article reports that Woodward had an extensive criminal record stretching back more than two decades, including arrests involving robbery, assault, weapons, drugs and larceny. He had also served five years in state prison for attempted robbery and assault and was released on parole on July 3, 2024, roughly a month before the laundromat attack.
Jose Miranda remembered by those who knew him
Miranda’s story extended beyond the circumstances of his death.
Born in Chicago and raised in Haverstraw, New York, he graduated from North Rockland High School in 1995. He worked as a barber and was described by his brother as having a strong artistic side.
In later years, Miranda experienced housing instability and struggled with addiction. Before his death, he had reached an arrangement that allowed him to sleep inside the laundromat.
His brother said Miranda effectively became a caretaker for the business, sweeping and mopping the premises and helping keep the location clean.
People in the neighborhood described him as someone who generally stayed out of trouble. Alfredo Avila, a local barber, recalled Miranda as a “nice guy,” while supermarket manager Herman Gonzalez said Miranda — nicknamed “El Bori” — was well liked in the area.
Other reporting from the period also documented the family’s grief. Miranda’s mother previously described holding out hope that her son was still alive until police arrived at her home following the attack.
Woodward dies at Rikers Island
Murder victim Jose Miranda was known as a friendly and well known presence in his Claremont neighborhood.Obtained by the NY Post
Woodward remained in custody for more than two years as the criminal case proceeded. His most recent court appearance was July 28, 2026, and he was scheduled to return to court on Sept. 29, according to the source article.
At approximately 5 a.m. on Aug. 25, a correction officer conducting a tour at the Robert N. Davoren Center called for medical assistance for Woodward. Officers attempted to help him before medical personnel and EMS arrived.
He was pronounced dead at 5:40 a.m., according to the New York City Department of Correction.
Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards called the death a “tragedy” and said it would be thoroughly investigated. Multiple oversight and law-enforcement bodies were notified, including the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Board of Correction, the Department of Investigation, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner and the Bronx District Attorney.
Officials have not publicly announced Woodward’s cause of death.
His death marked the seventh in Department of Correction custody during 2026.
Mamdani’s statement becomes the focus of controversy
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was “deeply saddened” by accused killer Clarence Woodward’s death.Brigitte Stelzer for NY Post
Against that backdrop, Mamdani addressed Woodward’s death as part of the broader issue of conditions at Rikers.
“We do not yet know the cause of death, but we do know that too many New Yorkers have died on Rikers Island,” the mayor said, according to the source article.
Mamdani said the Department of Correction and its oversight partners would investigate and reiterated that his administration remained committed to improving jail conditions and closing Rikers Island as quickly as possible.
The mayor has issued similar statements following other deaths in city custody this year. The source article also notes that it was unclear whether Mamdani knew the charges Woodward faced when he issued his message; City Hall did not answer the outlet’s questions on that point. Woodward’s defense attorney and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office also declined to comment.
That uncertainty has not diminished the Miranda family’s frustration.
For them, the controversy is not simply about whether city officials should acknowledge the death of someone in government custody. Their objection centers on what they believe was missing from the mayor’s message: recognition of Jose Miranda and the family that has been living with his death since August 2024.
Jose Miranda was considered the “caretaker” of the Bronx laundromat where he was murdered.Matthew McDermott for NY Post
Woodward died before the allegations against him could be resolved at trial. Miranda’s family, meanwhile, was left without the courtroom reckoning they had been preparing to face — and now finds itself at the center of a new public debate over how elected officials balance concern for people who die in custody with recognition of the victims connected to the cases that put them there.