A Delta State University Police Department vehicle is pictured on campus in Cleveland, Mississippi on Sept. 17.

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JACKSON, MS — An autopsy by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office concluded that a Black student, whose body was found hanging from a tree at Delta State University, had died by suicide, police announced on Sept. 18.

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

"Final toxicology results are pending and may take two to four weeks to complete," police said in a news release, noting that all files and materials tied to the investigation have been turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Attorney's Office for review.

Reed, 21, from Grenada, Mississippi, was found hanging from a tree in the middle of Delta State University's campus behind pickleball courts at around 7:05 a.m. local time on Sept. 15, according to university police. At the time, authorities said there was no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.

The incident reignited conversations over Mississippi's long history of racial violence. Reed's death immediately sparked anger and skepticism on social media, prompting civil rights leaders and organizations to call for transparency and justice in the investigation.

Delta State University's enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year stood at over 2,600 students, more than 40% Black. The campus is located in Cleveland, Mississippi, which is just west of the county and sites associated with the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till.

School police chief: No evidence of foul play

Delta State University President Dan Ennis and university police chief Michael Peeler both said during a news conference on Sept. 15 that there was no evidence of foul play in the incident.

Peeler called the death an "isolated incident" and said there was no active threat to students or faculty. The university said multiple law enforcement agencies were assisting in the probe into the death.

Reed's body was discovered on the day of the university's scheduled centennial celebrations, forcing classes and events to be canceled for the day. In a video posted Sept. 16 to the university's Facebook page, Ennis said the university was resuming operations while students, faculty, and staff continued to mourn.

Ennis did not have a comment on the state's autopsy report on Sept. 18, according to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Cleveland police said on Sept. 18 that the investigation remains ongoing and no further details will be released at this time. The FBI previously said it was prepared to investigate, "if, during the course of the local investigation, information comes to light of a potential federal violation."

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with Reed's family and friends during this very difficult time. We want to encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out for help," Cleveland Police Chief Travis Tribble said in a statement.

Local coroner disputes claims over death

Following the incident, rumors spread on social media alleging that Reed had two broken legs and other injuries that would have prevented him from hanging himself. Those speculations were later disputed in a statement late on Sept. 15 by Bolivar County Coroner Randolph Seals Jr.

According to the statement, the county coroner's office was notified by the Cleveland Police Department at 7:32 a.m. local time about an "unresponsive individual" at Delta State University. The coroner's office responded to the scene at 8:08 a.m. and found the "subject hanging from a tree," the statement added.

"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," the statement continued. "At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death."

In a statement on Sept. 18, Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell shared his condolences to the Reed family and condemned the rumors circulating about the incident.

'I could tell he was real upset'

Jy'Quon Wallace, president of the African American Student Council, said he saw Reed on Sept. 14, just hours before the tragedy having a heated discussion on the phone.

"I woke up that morning and heard that they found someone hanging from a fruit tree near Blansett Hall. You wonder who could it be," said Wallace, a 20-year-old from Baldwyn. "They said it was a Black person with red hair. I was thinking I just saw this guy with a red hair accessory on. Then, more description came out, and it was a red hair accessory and not red hair. I had just seen this guy the previous night."

Wallace said he and his roommate were heading out for food when he saw Reed sitting in front of Blansett Hall by himself on the phone. "I asked him if he was OK," Wallace recalled, adding: "He looked up at me and then just looked down at his phone and didn't say anything. I didn't really press him, if he didn't want to talk."

When they returned, Wallace said he and his roommate saw Reed again at a distance.

"I could tell he was real upset," Wallace remembered. "He was making gestures and was acting like he was throwing stuff. He would kick the wall and then he stormed off toward Blansett Hall. He was just out of it."

Advocates call for transparency, thorough investigation

While authorities have said they found no evidence of foul play, Reed's death prompted calls for transparency among advocates, who noted Mississippi's history of lynching and racially motivated violence in the 19th and 20th centuries.

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, called for a federal probe into Reed's death.

"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 said in a statement.

The NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the United States, also issued a response.

"You’d have to excuse our skepticism amidst growing racially motivated violence targeted at our communities across this nation," the NAACP said in a social media post on Sept. 16, with a picture that read, "A man was lynched yesterday."

"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," the post further stated.

Prominent civil rights attorney demands release of video evidence

During a news conference on Sept. 16, attorney Vanessa J. Jones said her firm is representing Reed's family and is initiating its own investigation into his death, beginning with an independent autopsy.

"We will seek answers independently from Delta State University and from the coroner's office and, if need be, independent from the state coroner's office because we need answers as to what happened to Trey Reed," Jones said. "Were there cameras? There should have been cameras at the university that could easily enlighten us to what happened in the early morning of Sept. 15, 2025."

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has handled high-profile cases involving police killings of Black Americans, has also been retained by Reed's family. Crump said on X that the family "cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain."

On Sept. 17, Crump demanded the release of video footage in the case. The university previously acknowledged videos associated with the investigation, which have yet to be released.

"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," Crump said in a statement. "Every student deserves to feel safe where they live and learn. That is why it is so important to get to the bottom of this tragedy.”

Crump and Jones did not immediately respond to the Clarion Ledger's requests for comment on Sept. 18.

Contributing: Pam Dankins, Mississippi Clarion Ledger; Reuters

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi releases autopsy of 'Trey' Reed, Delta State student found hanging from tree

Reporting by Ross Reily and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY NETWORK / Mississippi Clarion Ledger

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect