Student says Trey Reed was on tense phone call hours before he died on campus at Delta State University

Authorities say suicide, but conflicting reports and community concern leave many questioning what really happened at Delta State University.

The questions surrounding the death of 21-year-old Delta State University student De’Martravion “Trey” Reed continue, days after he was reportedly found hanging from a tree near pickleball courts on the Cleveland, Miss., campus. 

According to the Clarion Ledger, one Delta State student, Jy’Quon Wallace, who is the president of the school’s African American Student Council, said he saw Reed the night before his death having a heated discussion on the phone with somebody. 

“That previous night, my roommate and I were about to go get some food, and I saw Trey sitting out there (in front of Blansett Hall) by himself on the phone. I asked him if he was OK. 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,” said Wallace. 

He continued, “When my roommate and I came back, we saw him again at a distance, and he didn’t see us. I could tell he was real upset. 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. He was real upset, and I had never seen him like that before. He had on that red durag that night. It was easy to describe him. Yeah, that was him. This was a student just like us that may have been crying out for help, but we didn’t know how to start.” 

As students on campus grapple with the tragedy on their quiet, diverse college campus of Delta State University, students have come together to prepare vigils and discuss the incident as they try to move forward, while wondering what happened and why. 

The Bolivar County coroner’s initial investigation findings stated that Reed died by suicide, stating there was nothing in the preliminary findings to indicate foul play or an assault that might have led to his hanging. The family of Trey Reed has enlisted the help of civil rights attorney Ben Crump to assist in the death investigation, especially as alleged conflicting reports from the school were provided to the family. 

According to the family, they were initially told that Reed was found dead in his dorm room, not hanging from a tree on campus. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is on the case, and students have been briefed by officials on any information they have.