A 21-year-old Black student named Demartravion “Trey” Reed was found hanged from a tree near the university’s pickleball courts. The body was discovered on Wednesday morning, and an autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of death. So far, investigators have found no signs of foul play, but they are reviewing visual evidence in the case.
Reed’s family has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump to pursue transparency and answers about his death. Delta State President Dan Ennis has asked for calm as the investigation continues, acknowledging that the circumstances of Reed’s death raise disturbing questions about racial violence and lynching history in Mississippi.
The university is taking increased law enforcement measures to ensure student safety after social media threats were reported. The Cleveland Police Department is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. A member of Congress has called for a federal investigation into Reed’s death, citing Mississippi’s painful history of racial violence against African Americans.
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Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/17/us/mississippi-hanging-delta-state-university-black-student-hnk