Trey Reed: State Medical Examiner Rules Hanging Death A Suicide

The death of Demartravion “Trey” Reed, the 21-year-old  Delta State University student whose body was found hanging from a tree on campus this week, has officially been ruled a suicide by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s office.

According to ABC 7,  the Cleveland Police Department said in a press release on Thursday that the 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 department also noted that the toxicology report is still pending and could take two to four weeks to complete.

“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.

As we previously reported, Reed’s family had been dissatisfied with what they and their attorneys, including Ben Crump, said was a lack of transparency on the part of the police department, and a rush to declare that “there is no evidence of foul play” regarding Reed’s death.

“The family does not know exactly what happened on September the 15th of 2025,” attorney Vanessa Jones said. “We are seeking answers.”

The family has called for an independent investigation and autopsy, and Crump’s office put out a press release, announcing that the famed civil attorney will be working with “a number of civil rights organizations to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.”

Meanwhile, Jones noted in a press conference on Tuesday that if Reed died on campus, there should be video surveillance showing what happened. Delta State Director of Public Safety Mike Peeler was asked about that video evidence on Wednesday. He indicated there are videos, and they are in the hands of the investigative team, but he was unable to confirm if those videos showed what happened to Reed.

ABC noted that, according to police, the case is still officially an “active investigation” and all materials and evidence have been given to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for further review.

On Wednesday, Delta State President Dan Ennis, who was previously in lockstep with the police department’s message that “there is no evidence of foul play” and “no evidence of a threat to campus,” appeared to acknowledge during a press conference that when Black people are found hanging from trees, it’s natural that people will suspect that a lynching happened, not a suicide.

“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,” he said, adding that, due to the controversy, Delta State has received threats recently.

“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.

“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,” he went on to say. “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.”

So, Ennis acknowledged that because he’s a white man, he’s not in a position to “speak to the imagery.” In truth, his being white might explain his tone deaf language in saying the controversy is not just “about facts, it’s about emotions,” which could be read as dismissive, especially considering the fact that Reed’s case is far from the only recent case involving Black people hanging from trees and their deaths swiftly being ruled a suicide.

Meanwhile, Crump has maintained that he will launch an independent investigation into Reed’s death, which will include 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.”

SEE ALSO:

Black Student Found Hanging At Mississippi’s Delta State University

Trey Reed: Video Evidence Is Being Reviewed In Black Student’s Hanging