警方周四称，一名21岁的黑人学生被发现吊死在密西西比州德尔塔州立大学的一棵树上，已被裁定为自杀。
根据校园警察局的说法，这名学生的尸体被确认为Demartravion“Trey”Reed，于周一早上7点左右被一名教员发现，悬挂在密西西比州克利夫兰校园pickleball courts附近的一棵树上。
克利夫兰警察局周四在一份新闻稿中说，密西西比州法医的尸检结果“与最初的调查一致，确定死亡原因为上吊，死亡方式为自杀”。
警方说，最终的毒理学结果尚未出来，可能需要两到四周才能完成。
克利夫兰警察局长特拉维斯·特里布尔在一份声明中说:“在这个非常艰难的时刻，我们的思念和祈祷与里德的家人和朋友同在。”
警方表示，此案仍在“积极调查”中，所有材料都已提交给美国联邦调查局和美国检察官办公室进行进一步审查。
该校校长本周承认，这一事件加剧了校园紧张局势，并激起了人们对该州吉姆·克劳时代历史上种族暴力的回忆。
三角洲州总统丹·恩尼斯在周三的新闻发布会上说:“我想首先承认，发现特雷的方式激起了这个社区以及整个州和整个国家的许多情绪。”
这所学校距离塔拉哈奇河大约50英里，1955年，当局在那里发现了14岁黑人儿童埃米特·蒂尔(Emmett Till)残缺不全的尸体，他被指控向一名白人妇女吹口哨，随后被两名白人男子绑架。
恩尼斯说，学校在周一取消了课程，并在里德死亡后收到了威胁。
“在这方面，我们非常感谢我们在这个校园里增加了执法人员，不幸的是，这是因为这个校园受到了威胁，我对此的看法是，我们有学生在这里，”恩尼斯说。“他们来这里接受教育，那些威胁学校的人正在伤害学生，我们不希望这样。我们应该是一个让学生感到安全和学习的地方。这是我们的使命，也是我们将继续做的事情。”
恩尼斯指出，本周早些时候玻利瓦尔县验尸官办公室发布的初步报告“没有证据表明有谋杀行为。”
但身为白人的恩尼斯补充道，“我们认识到这不仅关乎事实，还关乎情感，关乎感受，以及这种损失和它被发现的方式对人们生活的影响。我会进一步说，我承认我不足以对这一事件引发的意象发表意见。我承认我在这方面的弱点。”
与此同时，官员向美国广播公司新闻证实，第二名男子，被确认为35岁的白人科里·祖卡蒂斯，也于周一被发现，没有生命，挂在密西西比州克利夫兰以南约100英里的维克斯堡的一棵树上。
调查人员没有说是否发现了任何与这两起死亡有关的证据。
密西西比州杰克森市的美国联邦调查局现场办公室周三发表声明称，它知道德尔塔州发生的事件，并“定期与地方当局联系”
“如果在当地调查过程中，有信息显示可能违反联邦法律，美国联邦调查局准备进行调查，”美国联邦调查局在声明中表示。
在周三的新闻发布会上，三角洲州警察局长迈克尔·皮勒表示，对里德死因的调查仍在进行中。星期一，皮勒说在新闻发布会上说“目前，没有证据表明这是谋杀。”
“再说一次，声明是我们不相信也没有证据证明这是谋杀，”皮勒周三说，并补充说他是第二个在接到第一个学生吊死在树上的报告后到达现场的警察。
皮勒补充说，调查人员正在梳理与里德之死有关的视频，但他不会透露视频内容。
“有录像，它们在调查小组手中，”皮勒说。
玻利瓦尔县验尸官办公室周一发表声明称，“根据初步检查，我们可以确认死者没有遭受任何撕裂伤、挫伤、复合骨折、骨折或与袭击相符的伤害。”
玻利瓦尔县验尸官办公室在声明中说，“目前，没有证据表明此人死前受到过人身攻击。”
警方称，里德的尸体被送往密西西比州法医办公室，周三进行了全面的尸检。
皮勒说，他已经要求密西西比州调查局协助调查里德的死因。
“密西西比州调查局只是在协助发生在德尔塔州立大学的死亡调查。与此事件相关的任何信息都需要由主要调查机构发布，”该机构的一名发言人周三告诉美国广播公司新闻。
沃伦县验尸官办公室的一名代表说，祖卡蒂斯的尸体是在该市一个众所周知的吸毒者经常光顾的林区被发现的。验尸官办公室代表告诉美国广播公司新闻，祖卡蒂斯无家可归，据称自14岁起就开始吸毒。
据该代表称，法医尚未完成对Zukatis的尸检。
密西西比州调查局发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，该机构没有参与对祖卡蒂斯死亡的调查。
在三角洲州立大学周三的新闻发布会上，当局没有提到祖卡蒂斯的死亡。
皮勒在周一被特别问到他的声明，他说没有发现里德的死亡是谋杀。
皮勒说，他去了现场，看到里德挂在树上，但引用正在进行的调查不愿详细说明。
里德的家人已经聘请了国家民权律师本杰明·克伦普代表他们。
克伦普说，他将对里德的死因进行独立调查，包括委托进行独立的尸检，“以核实州法医的调查结果，并确保没有任何问题得不到解答。”
Crump在一份声明中说:“当如此多的问题仍然存在时，我们不能接受模糊的结论。”“我与这个家庭站在一起，我将领导一个由民权领袖和组织组成的团队，追求透明和答案。”
周三下午，克伦普发布了一份新的声明，呼吁警方和大学官员向里德家人公布皮勒在新闻发布会上提到的与里德之死有关的视频片段。
“特雷的家人应该得到他们可以信任的答案。当风险如此之高时，我们不能接受仓促的结论，”克伦普说。“通过要求允许家属观看任何视频并委托进行独立的尸检，我们正在采取一切措施来揭开发生在特雷身上的事情的真相。”
全美有色人种协进会也发表声明，对警方调查的初步结果表示“怀疑”。
“21岁的特雷·里德的尸体被发现悬挂在德尔塔州立大学校园的一棵树上。全美有色人种协进会周三表示:“虽然最初的报告没有提供‘谋杀’的证据，但在全国各地针对我们社区的种族动机暴力日益增长的情况下，你不得不原谅我们的怀疑。”。“因此，在我们等待更正式的尸检报告和信息时，我们提供这段历史一定程度的确定性:我们的人民历史上没有在树上上吊自杀……”
Death of Black Delta State student found hanging in tree ruled suicide following autopsy
The death of a 21-year-old Black student discovered hanging from a tree at Delta State University in Mississippi has been ruled a suicide, police said Thursday.
The body of the student, identified as Demartravion "Trey" Reed, was discovered by a faculty member around 7 a.m. on Monday hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on the Cleveland, Mississippi, campus, according to the campus police department.
The Mississippi State Medical Examiner's autopsy findings are "consistent with the initial investigation, determining the cause of death to be hanging and the manner of death as suicide," the Cleveland Police Department said in a press release on Thursday.
Final toxicology results are pending and may take two to four weeks to complete, police said.
"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Reed's family and friends during this very difficult time," Cleveland Police Chief Travis Tribble said in a statement.
The case remains an "active investigation" and all materials have been given to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for further review, police said.
The school's president acknowledged this week that the incident has stoked tensions on campus and stirred up memories of the racist violence of the state's Jim Crow-era history.
"I want to begin by acknowledging that the manner how Trey was discovered has stirred many emotions in this community and many emotions around the state and the nation," Delta State President Dan Ennis said at Wednesday's news conference.
The school is about 50 miles from the Tallahatchie River, where in 1955, authorities discovered the mutilated body of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black child, who was abducted by two white men after he was accused of whistling at a white woman.
Ennis said the school, which canceled classes on Monday, has received threats in the wake of Reed's death.
"In that regard, we have been very grateful that we have had increased law enforcement presence on this campus, and, unfortunately, that's because this campus has received threats, and my message to that regard would be, we have students here," Ennis said. "They came here to get an education, and folks who threaten the institution are hurting students, and we don't want that. We are supposed to be a place where students come to feel safe and to learn. That's our mission, and that's what we'll continue to do."
Ennis noted that a preliminary report released earlier this week by the Bolivar County Coroner's Office "indicates no evidence of foul play."
But Ennis, who is white, added, "We recognize that this is not only about facts, it's about emotions, and it's about feelings and the way this loss and how it was discovered affects people's lives. And I'll further say that I admit that I am not adequate to speak to the imagery that this incident raises. I acknowledge my weakness in that regard."
Meanwhile, officials confirmed to ABC News that a second man, identified as 35-year-old Cory Zukatis, who is white, was also discovered on Monday, lifeless and hanging from a tree in Vicksburg, about 100 miles south of Cleveland, Mississippi.
Investigators have not said if any evidence has been uncovered connecting the two deaths.
The FBI field office in Jackson, Mississippi, released a statement on Wednesday, saying it is aware of the incident at Delta State and is "in regular contact with local authorities."
"If, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation, the FBI is prepared to investigate," the FBI said in its statement.
During Wednesday's news conference, Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler said the investigation of Reed's death remains an "active investigation." On Monday,Peeler saidat a news conference that "at this time, there's no evidence of foul play."
"Again, the statement was we didn't believe or have evidence of foul play," Peeler said on Wednesday, adding that he was the second officer to arrive on scene after getting the first report of a student hanging from a tree.
Peeler added that investigators are combing over video related to Reed's death, but he would not divulge what the footage contained.
"There are videos and they're in the hands of the investigation team," said Peeler.
The Bolivar County Coroner's Office released a statement on Monday, saying, "Based on the preliminary examination, we can confirm that the deceased did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with an assault."
"At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death," the Bolivar County Coroner's Office said in its statement.
Reed's body was taken to the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office and a full autopsy was conducted on Wednesday, police said.
Peeler said he has asked the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to assist in the probe of Reed's death.
"The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is only assisting in the death investigation that occurred at Delta State University. Any information related to this incident will need to be released by the lead investigating agency," a spokesperson for the agency told ABC News on Wednesday.
Zukatis' body was discovered in a wooded area of the city known to be frequented by drug users, a representative with the Warren County Coroner's Office said. The coroner's office representative told ABC News that Zukatis was homeless and had allegedly been using drugs since the age of 14.
The medical examiner has yet to complete an autopsy on Zukatis, according to the representative.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesperson told ABC News that the agency is not involved in the investigation of Zukatis' death.
During Wednesday's news conference at Delta State University, authorities made no mention of Zukatis' death.
Peeler was asked specifically about his statement on Monday, saying no foul play had been discovered in Reed's death.
Peeler said that he went to the scene and observed Reed hanging from the tree, but citing the ongoing investigation would not elaborate.
Reed's family has retained national civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump to represent them.
Crump said he will undertake an independent investigation into Reed's death, including commissioning an independent autopsy "to verify the findings of the state medical examiner and ensure no question goes unanswered."
"We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain," Crump said in a statement. "I stand with this family, and I will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizations in pursuing transparency and answers."
On Wednesday afternoon, Crump released a new statement, calling on police and university officials to release to the Reed family the video footage related to Reed's death that Peeler mentioned in the news conference.
"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."
The NAACP also released a statement, expressing "skepticism" in the preliminary findings of the police investigation.
"The body of 21-year-old Trey Reed was found hanging from a tree on the campus of Delta State University. While initial reports offered no evidence of 'foul play,' you’d have to excuse our skepticism amidst growing racially motivated violence targeted at our communities across this nation," the NAACP said on Wednesday. "So while we await more formal autopsy reports and information, we offer this piece of history with a level of certainty: Our people have not historically hung ourselves from trees…"
