Otis Byrd was the guy found in Mississippi hanging from a tree. The media machine was initially thrilled at the thought of a black victim hanged in Mississippi…. Oh the stories they were ready to sell. Alas, the initial DOJ investigation showed he committed suicide – rats!
(Via Clarion Ledger) The Byrd family’s attorney has enlisted Dr. Michael Baden, who conducted an autopsy on Michael Brown, to do an independent investigation into Otis Byrd’s hanging death.
The family of a man found hanging from a tree in March does not believe he committed suicide, they announced through their legal counsel Wednesday afternoon.
Otis Byrd, 54, was found March 19 hanging by a bed sheet from a tree not far from his residence in Claiborne County after having been missing for over two weeks. Local authorities called in the FBI after finding his body.
Authorities have said evidence doesn’t suggest foul play, but the results of an autopsy have not been made public. The FBI says it has discussed the autopsy results with the family but the family’s attorneys, Sweet and Associates, disagrees.
“We don’t have the result of the autopsy and that’s the reason they retained counsel,” Dennis Sweet III said Wednesday.
But authorities said they’ve briefed the family multiple times. Sheriff Marvin Lucas said the first briefing was in Claiborne County on March 21. Then they met with them again in Jackson on March 24.
“We presented them some evidence because we’re obligated to keep them updated on how the investigation is going,” said Lucas, adding that further evidence was given to them at the second meeting. “We’re obligated to share that information with the family, but we’re not obligated to share it with anyone else.”
Lucas asked the public not to enter into any judgment until all the facts are in.
“Some folks want to make a race issue out of this, and they say, ‘Well, the white folks hung him,'” Lucas said. “But nothing has proven that. We need to see what the evidence says. The government has sent almost 30 agents here, and they’re the finest agents in the USA, so let’s allow them to do their job.” (read more with video interview of Sheriff)
