On Sept. 19, national civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump announced that the Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative will cover the cost of a second independent autopsy for slain Delta State student Demartravion “Trey” Reed.
Reed was found dead on Sept. 15, his body hung from a tree.
Despite the historical parallels, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Reed had hung himself and committed suicide. In addition, the Cleveland Police Department noted in a press release that toxicology reports are ongoing and could take several weeks to be processed.
The independent autopsy, however, is on hold until Reed’s body has been released by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office.
In a statement addressing both the hanging deaths of Reed and a white homeless man, Cory Zukatis, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the Southern Poverty Law Center urged for a thorough investigation into both deaths by law enforcement.
“The tremendous outcry from the local community over concerns surrounding the loss of these two should not go unaddressed,” Bryan Fair, the interim president and CEO of the SPLC, said in the press release.
“The imagery of these two deaths immediately evokes the collective consciousness of those who are deeply aware of
Mississippi’s troubled past,” Fair added. “These events remind us how inequity continues to endanger lives. By committing to a thorough investigation and providing transparency around these tragedies, local leaders and law enforcement can bring a deeper sense of peace and comfort during a time of tragedy. Our state office will be monitoring their efforts closely.”In addition to the SPLC, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) called for a federal investigation into the death of Reed.
“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,” Thompson noted.
According to NBC News, Reed’s former peers at Delta State also noted that they want to know exactly what happened to him. “I just want justice. I don’t know what it is, but I want the truth to come out. I just want to know what the real answer is,” student Kolby Horace told the outlet.
In a separate statement released on Sept. 17, Crump noted that the family deserves to receive a real answer to their call for justice.
“Trey’s family deserves answers they can trust. We cannot accept rushed conclusions when
the stakes are this high,” Crump said. “By demanding the family be allowed to view any video and commissioning an independent autopsy, we are taking every step to uncover the truth about what happened to Trey.”RELATED CONTENT: Black Student Found Hanging From Tree At Delta University In Mississippi