This disturbing political documentary was begun in late 1968 as an exploration of the philosophy of the newly-formed Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party. The filmmakers spent over a year filming its chairman, Fred Hampton, as he interacted with the black community. Then, on December 4, 1969, Fred Hampton was killed in an early-morning raid ordered by the State's Attorney's office, and the film became his epitaph. From its shots of the bloody mattresses in Hampton's apartment to the compelling, still unresolved questions it offers regarding his murder, The Murder of Fred Hampton is one of the most devastating indictments of police violence, racism and official deceit ever filmed.