{"id":150949,"date":"2025-09-17T18:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T18:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/150949\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T18:27:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T18:27:09","slug":"outrage-grows-after-body-of-black-student-found-hanging-from-tree-in-mississippi-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/150949\/","title":{"rendered":"Outrage grows after body of Black student found hanging from tree in Mississippi – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p>\n

Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler said the body was identified as Demartravion \u201cTrey\u201d 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\u2019s deputies.<\/p>\n

Social media users began asking for justice for Reed and his family after authorities claimed that there was no initial evidence of a crime.<\/p>\n

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U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson called for the FBI to investigate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is always a tragedy when a life is cut short,\u201d Thompson said in a statement. \u201cWe must leave no stone unturned in the search for answers. While the details of this case are still emerging, we cannot ignore Mississippi\u2019s painful history of lynching and racial violence against African Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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\u2019s family, and they, along with the community, deserve nothing less than a complete and transparent investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The heartbreaking loss of Trey Reed, a native of Grenada, MS, has left his family and community searching for answers. I\u2019ve spoken with his family and am calling on federal authorites to ensure a full transparent investigation.<\/p>\n

Please read my statement below. pic.twitter.com\/nheCyT88hx<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) September 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The NAACP<\/a> released a statement on Instagram, attached to a post with a picture that read, \u201cA man was lynched yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhile initial reports offered no evidence of \u2018foul play,\u2019 you\u2019d have to excuse our skepticism amidst growing racially motivated violence targeted at our communities across the nation,\u201d the civil rights organization said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo 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\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump announced Tuesday that he has been retained by the student\u2019s family and will undertake an independent investigation into the death.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrey 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,\u201d Crump said in a statement.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe 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\u2019s family.\u201d<\/p>\n

We’ve been retained by the family of Demartravion “Trey” Reed \u2014 the 21-year-old Delta State University student whose body was found hanging from a tree. <\/p>\n

Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/aaE88MRy0G<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 16, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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Classes were cancelled Monday at Delta State University but in a video posted Tuesday<\/a> 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\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that we can never fully heal this wound,\u201d Ennis said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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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 \u201cdid not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death,\u201d Seals added.<\/p>\n

He also asked the community to \u201cremain patient with the coroner\u2019s office and other investigating agencies as we work to gather all of the pertinent facts surrounding this investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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According to Seals, Reed\u2019s body will be transported to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for an autopsy.<\/p>\n

Bolivar County deputy coroner Murray Roark told the Mississippi Free Press<\/a> that he \u201csaw no broken limbs\u201d on Reed but declined to elaborate due to the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I should probably discuss this any further than that, my opinion is that it was self-done, and I have reasons for that,\u201d Roark said.<\/p>\n

Delta State University held a news conference<\/a> Wednesday with state and local law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the preliminary report of the Bolivar County coroner\u2019s office indicates no evidence of foul play, we recognize that this is not only about facts. It\u2019s about emotions and it\u2019s about feelings and the way this loss and how it was discovered affects people\u2019s lives,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n

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Delta State Police Chief Peeler said following the discovery of Reed\u2019s body, it has been transported to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner\u2019s office and the chief medical examiner began conducting a full autopsy Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreliminary results are expected to be available within the next 24 to 48 hours. This joint investigation remains active and the Delta State University Police is in full cooperation with all agencies involved,\u201d Peeler added.<\/p>\n

Delta State Police in conjunction with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Bolivar County Sheriff\u2019s Office and Cleveland Police Department plans to provide another update once the preliminary findings are released, according to Peeler.<\/p>\n

\u2014 With files from The Associated Press<\/p>\n

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