Trey Reed's death mystery: Family of Black student found dead at Delta State University raises alarming concern

The death of a Black student whose body was found hanging from a tree on a university campus in Mississippi last week has been ruled a 'suicide' after an autopsy, police said in a statement. The 21-year-old student Demartravion “Trey” Reed was found dead Monday near the pickleball courts on Delta State University’s campus in Cleveland, Mississippi, sparking massive outrage with many on social media claiming his arms and legs were broken.

The findings of the autopsy was conducted on September 17 and according to the Cleveland Police Department, they were consistent with the initial investigation and preliminary examination by the local coroner's office. The state medical examiner's office determined that Demartravion "Trey" Reed's cause of death was hanging, and the manner of death was suicide.

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Trey Reed's cause of death revealed

Civil rights advocates had called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the death while noting Mississippi’s history of lynching and racially motivated violence in the 19th and 20th centuries. Officials say Reed’s death has been ruled a suicide.

A coroner with the Bolivar County Coroner’s Office said on Monday that based on their preliminary examination, Reed was not suffering from any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with assault, according to KBTX. During a press conference at Delta State on Wednesday, authorities said there is video of the incident that took place on the university’s campus.

“This is an isolated incident,” said Delta State’s Director of Public Safety Mike Peeler, adding that there were no current active threats on campus. Authorities and investigators had previously said there was no evidence of foul play. The local coroner’s office said earlier this week there was no evidence to suggest Reed was physically attacked or assaulted before his death.

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All files and evidence gathered during the investigation have been handed over to the FBI and the U.S. attorney’s office for review, the Cleveland Police Department confirmed, noting that they remained in contact with federal authorities throughout the probe.

Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Reed’s family, said on Tuesday that the family “cannot accept vague conclusions” regarding the case. The university earlier stated that multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation. On Wednesday, the FBI added that it was ready to step in “if, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation.”

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Colin Kaepernick to pay for Trey Reed's autopsy

In a significant development, Ben Crump has recently announced that former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick's "Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative” will be covering the cost for a second independent autopsy for a student of Delta State University. Even though authorities have stressed that Reed died by suicide, but Reed's family raised concerns about the incident, owing to conflicting accounts from different sources. And now, Colin Kaepernick will be covering the cost for a second autopsy for the deceased student to find out if there was any foul play involved.

“Trey’s death evoked the collective memory of a community that has suffered a historic wound over many, many years and many, many deaths. Peace will come only by getting to the truth. We thank Colin Kaepernick for supporting this grieving family and the cause of justice and truth.”