Black Man Found Hanging From Tree In Maryland Community

Residents in Marlboro, Maryland, are expressing deep concern after a Black man was found hanging from a tree on Sunday morning 

NBC Washington reports that the man was found hanging from a tree outside of a Crane Service Company building in Upper Marlboro. His body was seen by several passersby before Prince George’s County police arrived on the scene. 

While the victim has yet to be publicly identified, Patch reports that investigators concluded his death was a suicide after talking to people who knew the man and his background. “We understand this incident is both disturbing and painful to residents — who may have driven by the scene — or learned about this incident throughout the day,” the police department said in a statement. 

On Sunday evening, the police department held a virtual meeting with the community to answer questions and hear concerns about the hanging. Several local officials and residents have already called for a thorough investigation, according to the Washington Informer. 

“I also recognize the fear and pain this incident has caused, particularly given the painful history associated with the image of a Black man hanging from a tree,” Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Blegay (D-At-Large) wrote in a statement. “Our community deserves answers, compassion, and support during this difficult time.”

J. Wyndal Gordon, a Maryland lawyer, has called for a search warrant to be issued for the Crane Service Company. “A search warrant for the Crane Service Company building should be sought immediately. The location reportedly has limited or no surveillance coverage, contains valuable equipment, and is operated by a company currently facing a federal race-discrimination lawsuit alleging extreme, pervasive, and deeply entrenched discriminatory conduct,” Gordon said in a social media statement.

Unsurprisingly, the police have immediately labeled the death as a suicide. I just feel like, considering the ongoing history of lynching in this country, that the police should be a bit more incredulous anytime a Black person is hanging from a tree. 

Especially since this has been a disturbing trend over the past several years. We’ve seen multiple hangings in North Carolina and Mississippi. This should be an issue that the feds are paying attention to, but unfortunately, FBI Director Kash Patel is too busy defending bestiality to launch an investigation.

Each time it happens, we’re told there were no signs of foul play and that it was likely a suicide. Black people aren’t a monolith, but I feel like we’re not terribly prone to hanging ourselves from trees. I’ve said this before, but suicide is a horrific but intimate act. It’s usually only done in public if someone is trying to make a statement, or is genuinely going through a severe mental crisis.

If a Black person is found hanging in their home, I’d likely believe that’s a suicide. But from a tree? Out in the open? It’s a hard circle to square simply because lynchings have been used to terrorize Black people almost as soon as the first boat went through the Middle Passage. 

Are some of these hangings suicide? Perhaps, but it’s hard to look at the number of hangings that have occurred and not see a trend.

SEE ALSO:

Another Black Man Found Hanging In North Carolina [Op-Ed]

Black People Found Hanging In 2026: The Deaths Raising Questions Across The Country