Questions and controversy continue to swirl in Mississippi following the recent deaths of two men—21-year-old Demartravion "Trey" Reed, a student at Delta State University, and 35-year-old Cory Zukatis, a homeless man—both found hanging from trees in separate locations. The incidents, which occurred on September 15, 2025, have ignited intense public scrutiny, calls for federal investigations, and reignited painful memories of Mississippi’s troubled racial history.
According to ABC News, faculty at Delta State University discovered Reed’s body around 7 a.m. near the campus pickleball courts in Cleveland, Mississippi. Initial reports from the Bolivar County Coroner’s Office stated there was “no evidence of foul play,” and the preliminary examination found no signs of physical assault, such as lacerations, contusions, or broken bones. The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s autopsy, completed on September 18, 2025, ruled Reed’s cause of death as hanging and the manner of death as suicide. However, final toxicology results are still pending and could take several weeks to complete, as noted by the Cleveland Police Department.
Despite the official findings, Reed’s family and civil rights advocates remain unconvinced. Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, who now represents the Reed family, announced that an independent autopsy would be commissioned in Mississippi to “verify the findings of the state medical examiner and ensure no question goes unanswered.” Crump underscored the family's determination, stating, “We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain. I stand with this family, and I will lead a team of civil rights leaders and organizations in pursuing transparency and answers.”
The circumstances of how Reed’s family learned of his death have only deepened the sense of mistrust. According to the Milwaukee Courier, Delta State University initially informed the family that Reed had been found dead in his dorm room. It was only through social media that the family discovered he had been found hanging from a tree. This discrepancy has fueled speculation and concern, particularly given Mississippi’s fraught racial past.
Delta State University President Dan Ennis addressed the campus community, acknowledging the emotional impact of the incident. “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,” Ennis said during a news conference. He also noted that the campus had received threats following Reed’s death, prompting increased law enforcement presence. “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.”
The investigation into Reed’s death remains active, with all materials forwarded to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for further review. The FBI’s Jackson field office confirmed it is “in regular contact with local authorities” and is prepared to investigate if evidence of a federal violation emerges. Delta State Police Chief Michael Peeler emphasized during a press briefing that “at this time, there’s no evidence of foul play,” but also stated that video footage related to Reed’s death exists and is in the hands of investigators. Crump and the Reed family have called for this footage to be released, insisting, “Trey’s family deserves answers they can trust. We cannot accept rushed conclusions when the stakes are this high.”
Meanwhile, in Vicksburg, about 100 miles south of Cleveland, the body of Cory Zukatis was discovered hanging from a tree in a wooded area known to be frequented by drug users. The Warren County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Zukatis was homeless and had struggled with drug use since the age of 14. As of September 18, 2025, the medical examiner had not completed an autopsy on Zukatis. Authorities have not indicated any evidence connecting the two deaths or suggested foul play in Zukatis’ case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is not involved in the Zukatis investigation, according to ABC News.
The deaths have prompted outcry from civil rights groups and political leaders. Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, has called for a full federal investigation into the hanging deaths. Brian Fair, Interim President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), echoed these demands, stating, “The tremendous outcry from the local community over concerns surrounding the loss of these two should not go unaddressed. The optics of these two deaths immediately evokes the collective consciousness of those who are deeply aware of Mississippi’s troubled past. These events remind us how inequity continues to endanger lives.”
Mississippi’s long and painful history of racial violence is never far from the minds of many in the state. The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has documented more than 4,400 racial terror lynchings in the United States between Reconstruction and World War II, including 4,075 in 12 Southern states between 1877 and 1950. The proximity of Delta State University to the Tallahatchie River—where in 1955, the mutilated body of 14-year-old Emmett Till was found after his lynching—only intensifies the emotional resonance of Reed’s death. As President Ennis admitted, “I am not adequate to speak to the imagery that this incident raises. I acknowledge my weakness in that regard.”
On March 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act into law, making it a federal crime to conspire to commit a hate crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury. The law carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison plus fines. Whether this law will be invoked in the current cases remains an open question, as the investigations continue. According to the Milwaukee Courier, there is uncertainty about whether the Trump administration would recognize or utilize this law should a lynching conviction occur.
Skepticism over the official findings is widespread, particularly within the Black community and among advocacy organizations. The NAACP released a statement expressing doubt about the preliminary reports, noting, “While initial reports offered no evidence of ‘foul play,’ you’d have to excuse our skepticism amidst growing racially motivated violence targeted at our communities across this nation. 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…”
As the investigations proceed, the families of both Reed and Zukatis, along with the broader Mississippi community, are left searching for answers and justice. The deaths have exposed deep wounds, historical trauma, and ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in cases that echo the darkest chapters of the state’s past. For now, all eyes remain on the outcome of the autopsies, the release of video evidence, and the next steps from federal authorities.
The road to clarity and healing will be long, but the demand for truth grows louder with each passing day in Mississippi.
