The mysterious death of a 54-year-old black man who was found hanging from a tree in the woods near where he lived in rural Mississippi is still under investigation, according to the FBI, which is assisting local authorities.
Otis Byrd, of Port Gibson, had been missing since March 2, and his family said he was last seen going to a visit a casino in the area with a family member. Byrd returned home with another person who was not identified by?Claiborne County Sheriff Marvin Lucas.
Sheriff Lucas also gave more details on what police found when they located Byrd’s body. Lucas said a bedsheet had been wrapped around Mr. Byrd’s neck, his hands and feet were not bound, he was not gagged, and there was no sign of other injuries on the body.
The “Los Angeles Times” is reporting today that law enforcement official are saying the death appears to be from suicide and not foul play. Other news organizations have not yet confirmed the validity of that report.
Lucas said he could not remember a similar case to this in Claiborne County in his lifetime:
“I’m 57 years old and that’s the first time I’ve seen anything like that. I’ve never heard of a lynching in Claiborne County.?In the South, we do have a history of whites lynching blacks. But this is 2015.”
However, the state chapter of the NAACP said they want to make sure a thorough investigation is done to rule out all possibilities. The NAACP’s Derrick Johnson said:
?We want to make sure it was not a racial hate crime. We cannot stand by in 2015 and watch a lynching, if in fact that’s what happened.?
It has also come to light today that Byrd was convicted in 1980 for the robbery and?murder of Lucille Trimm. Byrd served 25 years in prison for the crime and was paroled in 2006.
But those who knew Mr. Byrd described him as a kind man.?Earl Jackson, who said he was a friend, recalled that he had never heard Byrd say a harsh word to anyone:
“Him and my nephew were good friends. I met him about four or five years ago. He was a real humble person, and you would have never known he was in any trouble. All I’ve been hearing is that it’s retaliation for the killing years ago, but he always treated me nice.”
The FBI says some 30 law enforcement officials are part of the ongoing investigation.
