Black Student Found Hanging From Tree at Delta State

"The Bolivar County Coroner's Office said on Monday that a preliminary examination of Reed's body showed no evidence of foul play, including "any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault.""

""From the beginning, the family has been seeking transparency in this investigation," Vanessa J. Jones, an attorney representing the family, told Inside Higher Ed. "Especially after a tragic incident like this occurs, and you're dealing with a state that has a past history which includes a painful history of racial violence ... transparency is paramount.""

"Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump has taken on the family's case and said in a post on X that he will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizers in "pursuing transparency for Trey's family." "We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain," he wrote."

Demartravion 'Trey' Reed, a 21-year-old Black student at Delta State University, was found hanging from a tree on campus on Monday. The Bolivar County Coroner's Office said a preliminary examination showed no evidence of foul play, including "any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones or injuries consistent with an assault." Reed's family demanded an independent autopsy and access to campus video footage. The family reported being allowed to view only the head and received conflicting statements from officers about where he was found. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is leading efforts to pursue transparency. The death has prompted national grief and anger amid a long history of lynchings.

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