Two communities are reeling after two men, one Black, one white, were found dead hanging from trees in Mississippi just hours apart from one another. Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Black student, was found Monday morning on his campus of Delta State University. Hours later, Corey Zukatis, 36, was found in Vicksburg. Zukatis was homeless.
Local police are reporting Reed’s death as a suicide, while they are still investigating Zukatis’s.
“At this current time, we are conducting a thorough death investigation,” read a statement from the coroner’s office on Reed’s death. “Based on the preliminary examination, we can confirm that the deceased did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with an assault. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death.”
Still, the timing and imagery of the hangings has caused rampant speculation, with many recalling the racist lynchings of mostly Black people—something Mississippi, and the greater American South, has dealt with for centuries.
The Delta State community has been especially disturbed, as Reed’s body was found on campus during the week of the school’s centennial celebration.
“Our community is deeply saddened by their loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends impacted,” the university said in a statement earlier in the day.
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