By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A Black college student was found dead hanging from a tree on a university campus in Mississippi this week, prompting calls from civil rights advocates for a thorough investigation, as authorities say there was no evidence of foul play.
Demartravion “Trey” Reed, 21, was found dead early on Monday near the pickleball courts on Delta State University’s campus in Cleveland, Mississippi, according to campus police.
Campus police chief Michael Peeler called the death an “isolated incident” and said there was no active threat to students or faculty.
The university said multiple law enforcement agencies were assisting in the probe into the death. The FBI said in a statement that it was prepared to investigate, “if, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation.”
The local coroner’s office said there was no evidence to suggest that Reed was physically attacked or assaulted before his death and that further information would be shared “once the autopsy results are finalized.”
Reed’s body was sent to the Mississippi State Crime Lab for an official autopsy report.
While investigators have said they found no evidence of foul play, Reed’s death prompted calls for transparency among advocates, who noted Mississippi’s history of lynching and racially motivated violence in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Mississippi Democratic U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson called for a federal probe into Reed’s death.
“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 lawmaker said in a statement.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has handled some of the highest profile police killings of Black Americans, has been retained by Reed’s family. Crump said on X the family “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,” Crump said. The family is seeking an independent autopsy.
Delta State University’s enrollment last year stood at over 2,600 students, more than 40% of whom were Black.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Kat Stafford and Neil Fullick)
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