On Monday, September 15, 2025, a Black student was found hanging from a tree at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. The Cleveland Police Department said on Thursday that the state medical examiner determined that the student, 21-year-old Demartravion “Trey” Reed, died by suicide. Although police have said there was no evidence of foul play, Reed’s family remains concerned after “receiving conflicting accounts and incomplete information about the circumstances of his death,” according to their attorney, Ben Crump.
In a press release shared on Friday, September 19, Crump announced that civil rights activist and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick will cover the cost of a second autopsy through his “Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative.”
Colin and his partner Nessa started Know Your Rights Camp in 2016 to “advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders,” per the organization’s website.
Crump’s press release states, “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.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Crump said that in addition to an independent autopsy, Reed’s family would like access to all video footage from the investigation. “Trey’s family deserves answers they can trust. We cannot accept rushed conclusions when the stakes are this high,” Crump said in the statement, per NBC. “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.”
Across social media, people have raised concerns about the cause of Reed’s death. In a statement, the Bolivar County Coroner’s Office previously said “there is no evidence to suggest the individual was physically attacked before his death.” According to the statement, Reed “did not suffer any lacerations, contusions, compound fractures, broken bones, or injuries consistent with an assault.”
