The death of a 21-year-old Black college student found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University in Mississippi has sparked outrage after authorities said there was no initial evidence of a crime.
The campus police chief said there were no signs of foul play in the death of the student, whose body was discovered by a staff member early Monday near the campus pickleball courts in Cleveland, Miss.
Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler said the body was identified as Demartravion “Trey” Reed and said there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to students and faculty. He told reporters Monday that the death investigation was being assisted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation as well as local police and sheriff’s deputies.
Social media users began asking for justice for Reed and his family after authorities claimed that there was no initial evidence of a crime.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson called for the FBI to investigate.
“It is always a tragedy when a life is cut short,” Thompson said in a statement. “We must leave no stone unturned in the search for answers. While the details of this case are still emerging, we cannot ignore Mississippi’s painful history of lynching and racial violence against African Americans.”
“The FBI has the tools and experience necessary to conduct a thorough, unbiased inquiry, and time is of the essence. I have also spoken directly with Trey’s family, and they, along with the community, deserve nothing less than a complete and transparent investigation.”
The NAACP released a statement on Instagram, attached to a post with a picture that read, “A man was lynched yesterday.”
“While initial reports offered no evidence of ‘foul play,’ you’d have to excuse our skepticism amidst growing racially motivated violence targeted at our communities across the nation,” the civil rights organization said.
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“So while we await more formal autopsy reports and information, we offer this piece of history with a level of certainty: Our people have not historically hung ourselves from trees…”
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump announced Tuesday that he has been retained by the student’s family and will undertake an independent investigation into the death.
“Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus community deserve a full, independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened,” Crump said in a statement.
“We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain. I stand with this family, and I will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizations in pursuing transparency and answers for Trey’s family.”
Classes were cancelled Monday at Delta State University but in a video posted Tuesday to its Facebook page, university president Dan Ennis said the campus was resuming operations while continuing to mourn. He said campus officials were staying in touch with the student’s family.
“We know that we can never fully heal this wound,” Ennis said. “We continue to co-operate with investigators. We continue to make sure that all the information necessary is given to authorities. And we continue to hope for answers.”
Delta State University said it planned a news conference Wednesday with state and local law enforcement agencies.
Online rumours that the student was found with broken limbs were disputed by Bolivar County coroner Randolph Seals Jr. In a statement posted to Facebook, Seals said his office conducted a preliminary examination and concluded the student “did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault.”
“At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death,” Seals added.
He also asked the community to “remain patient with the coroner’s office and other investigating agencies as we work to gather all of the pertinent facts surrounding this investigation.”
According to Seals, Reed’s body will be transported to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Bolivar County deputy coroner Murray Roark told the Mississippi Free Press that he “saw no broken limbs” on Reed but declined to elaborate due to the ongoing investigation.
“I don’t think I should probably discuss this any further than that, my opinion is that it was self-done, and I have reasons for that,” Roark said.
— With files from The Associated Press
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