Edward Poindexter, an ex-Black Panther who was serving a life sentence for his alleged involvement in a house bombing that killed a White police officer died in prison after serving 50 years, USA Today He was 79.

The Nebraska Department of Corrections confirmed Poindexter’s passing in an official statement on Thursday (Dec 7).

"While the cause of death has not yet been determined, Poindexter was being treated for a medical condition," the department said in a news release.

Under Nebraska law, a grand jury will investigate Poindexter's death.

In 1970, Poindexter and David Rice were convicted of murder for a booby-trap bombing that killed Omaha police officer Larry Minard during a time of tumultuous racial tensions in the state.

Many believed that Poindexter and Rice, who died in 2016, were framed for the crime because of their political affiliation. Years later, it was revealed that Poindexter and Rice were targets of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, which sought to discredit Black activists from growing their influence.  

Supporters of Poindexter and Rice believed that Duane Peak, who planted the suitcase bomb, lied while testifying on the stand to “avoid prison time.”

RELATED-

Preston Love Jr., a friend of Poindexter's family and a professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha argued that because of the racial implications of the cases, it was nearly impossible for Poindexter and Rice to receive a fair trial.

 "The relationships between the police and the community, and I guess FBI as well, was fragile at the nicest," Love Jr. told USA Today on Friday. "There was a movement by some group that set up that situation. The crime did happen but there was no substantial evidence to say that David Rice and Ed Poindexter committed the crime, but they were easy prey."

"There wasn't much of what I call full investigative work that was done to prove it," he continued. "It was that they had found them and they were the ones who fit a profile. They were with the 'violent Black Panther Party' with that, that's not necessarily the case."

After years of appeals that were denied, the “Freedom For Ed” movement began to gain momentum, and last year, the Midwest Innocence Project agreed to take up his case. Because he was recovering from a leg amputation due to diabetes, the legal organization was not able to meet with him.

During his time in hospice, Poindexter was visited by his friends and family including Ericka Payne, his niece. She said he could not see or speak but his last message was that he should remain in prison.

"He said the prison was taking good care of him," Payne said. 'He said, 'don't make any demands.'"

Payne also said that the uncle expressed a fear of coming home last November because of the way the community might have treated him.

"One thing he said in the last visit was the police are going to harass you if I come home," Payne said. "I said, 'Uncle, it's a different time.'"