Black Woman Found Hanging From A Tree In Jackson, Mississippi

The body of a Black woman has been found hanging from a tree in Jackson, Mississippi, which, for Black people across the nation, will likely trigger thoughts about Trey Reed, the Black man found hanging in the same state last year, and countless other cases involving Black people mysteriously dying by hanging, which have all-too-swiftly been ruled suicides, to the dismay of family and community members, who fear these deaths are being swept under the rug.

In this case, however, the identity of the hanging victim, who was discovered Monday night, has not been revealed yet, and the investigation into her death is still underway. According to the Clarion Ledger, Hinds County Coroner Jeremiah Howard confirmed Tuesday that the woman’s body was found hanging from a tree behind a vacant home, and that the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

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Neither the coroner’s office nor the Jackson Police Department has said whether foul play is suspected. The JPD said in a statement on Monday evening that officers “located the body of an unidentified Black female” at the 500 block of Road of Remembrance at 9:05 p.m., and that “crime scene investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the death.” The department urged anyone with information on the hanging to contact it at 601-960-1800, or to contact CRIME STOPPERS at 601-355-TIPS (8477).

So, now we wait for that shoe to drop. Surely, the victim’s identity will be revealed soon enough, but how long will it be before authorities determine there are no signs of foul play and that the victim took their own life? Perhaps this case will be different, but, again, we have covered dozens of these cases in just the last few years alone, and they all turn out the same way.

Mind you, the state of Mississippi is currently grappling with the death of Nolan Wells, the Black student-athlete from Ocean Springs, who traveled to Horn Island on the Fourth of July with an otherwise all-white friends group, and was the only one who didn’t return with the group.

As for the most recent case in Jackson, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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