September 21, 2025
Reed’s family, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Benjamin Crump, and others have noted that the investigation into the death of Reed is of concern to them.
On Sept. 19, national civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump announced that the Colin Kaepernick Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative will cover the cost of a second independent autopsy for slain Delta State student Demartravion “Trey” Reed.
According to USA Today, on Sept. 15, Reed was found deceased as his body hung from a tree, and despite the historical parallels of the lynching of Black people, particularly Black men in the South, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Reed had hung himself and committed suicide. In addition, the Cleveland Police Department noted in a press release that toxicology reports are ongoing and could take several weeks to be processed.
Reed’s family, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Crump, and others have all noted that the investigation into the death of Reed is of concern to them, and the family, through a press release from Crump’s office, thanked Kaepernick for helping to address at least one of their concerns. The independent autopsy, however, is on hold until Reed’s body has been released by the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Trey’s death evoked the collective memory of a community that has suffered a historic wound over many, many years and many, many deaths. Peace will come only by getting to the truth. We thank Colin Kaepernick for supporting this grieving family and the cause of justice and truth,” the press release stated.
In their own statement addressing both the hanging deaths of Reed and a white homeless man, Cory Zukatis, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, the SPLC urged for a thorough investigation into both deaths by law enforcement.
“We are deeply saddened by the recent tragedies where individuals were found hanging in Mississippi. One took the life of a young, Black man and the other of a man experiencing homelessness. Although one death has been ruled a suicide and another is undetermined, the tremendous outcry from the local community over concerns surrounding the loss of these two should not go unaddressed,” Bryan Fair, the interim president and CEO of the SPLC, said in the press release.
He continued, “The imagery 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. By committing to a thorough investigation and providing transparency around these tragedies, local leaders and law enforcement can bring a deeper sense of peace and comfort during a time of tragedy. Our state office will be monitoring their efforts closely.”
In addition to the SPLC, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) also called for a federal investigation into the death of Reed, his statement also noted how the history of Mississippi cannot be overlooked while an investigation into his death is conducted by the authorities.
“We must leave no stone unturned in the search for answers. While the details of this case are still emerging, we cannot ignore Mississippi’s painful history of lynching and racial violence against African Americans,” Thompson noted.
According to NBC News, Reed’s former peers at Delta State also noted that they want to know exactly what happened to him. One student, a senior studying sports management, Kolby Horace, said that he just wants somebody to get to the truth of what happened.
“I just want justice. I don’t know what it is, but I want the truth to come out. I just want to know what the real answer is,” Horace told the outlet.
In a separate statement released on Sept. 17, Crump noted that the family deserves to receive a real answer to their call for justice.
“Trey’s family deserves answers they can trust. We cannot accept rushed conclusions when the stakes are this high,” Crump said. “By demanding the family be allowed to view any video and commissioning an independent autopsy, we are taking every step to uncover the truth about what happened to Trey.”
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