Post-mortem examination findings awaited in the demise of a student from Black Delta State, discovered suspended from a tree.
In a shocking turn of events, Demartravion 'Trey' Reed, a 21-year-old Black student, was found dead at Delta State University in Mississippi on Monday morning. The discovery of his body occurred around 7 a.m. near the pickleball courts on the Cleveland, Mississippi, campus.
According to Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler, Reed's body has been taken to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office for a full autopsy, with results expected in 24 to 48 hours. The preliminary report from the Bolivar County Coroner's Office indicates no evidence of foul play in Reed's death.
The school, located about 50 miles from the Tallahatchie River, where Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black child, was found mutilated in 1955, cancelled classes on Monday due to the incident. The investigation into Reed's death remains an 'active investigation' according to Peeler.
In a statement, Delta State University President Dan Ennis acknowledged that the incident has caused tension on campus. Ennis also stated that the school has received threats in the wake of Reed's death.
National civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been retained by Reed's family to represent them and will undertake an independent investigation into Reed's death. Crump calls on police and university officials to release the video footage related to Reed's death that Peeler mentioned in the news conference. Crump also plans to commission an independent autopsy to verify the findings of the state medical examiner and ensure no question goes unanswered.
Meanwhile, another tragic incident occurred in Vicksburg, about 100 miles south of Cleveland, Mississippi, on Monday. A second man, identified as 35-year-old Cory Zukatis, was also found dead and hanging from a tree. Zukatis' body was discovered in a drug-frequented area, and he was homeless and allegedly using drugs since the age of 14. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is not involved in the investigation of Zukatis' death.
The FBI field office in Jackson, Mississippi, is in regular contact with local authorities regarding the incident at Delta State University. The Bolivar County Coroner's Office has reiterated that there is no evidence of physical attack in Reed's death.
Crump has released a new statement demanding the Reed family be allowed to view any video related to Reed's death. As the investigation continues, the community awaits the autopsy results and the findings of both the independent investigation and the official probe.
