NAACP Pushes Federal Investigation of Greenwood Hanging

Ward Schaefer

Brenda Carter-Evans wants a federal investigation into the Dec. 2 hanging death of her son.

by Ward Schaefer
March 31, 2011

Brenda Carter-Evans said an inconclusive state autopsy on her son, Frederick Jermaine Carter, raised sufficient doubt about his death to require the involvement of federal law enforcement. Speaking at Mississippi NAACP offices, the dead man's family and NAACP representatives called today for a federal investigation into the Greenwood man's hanging death Dec. 2.

"Not knowing what happened is a torment," Carter-Evans said. "I need to know what happened to my son."

The NAACP originally contested Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks' assessment that Carter hung himself, which Banks shared with media no more than a day after two workers found Carter's body on Dec. 3. The State Medical Examiner's office performed an autopsy Dec. 5 and shared results with Leflore County Coroner Debra Sanders, who also ruled Carter's death a suicide.

Mississippi NAACP President Derrick Johnson said today, however, that his organization "has lost all confidence in the ability of local law enforcement to investigate (Carter's) case" and called for a "credible investigation" by the U.S. Department of Justice. Johnson pointed to State Medical Examiner Adel Shaker's report from Carter's autopsy, which Shaker did not sign and release until March 21. Shaker ruled that Carter died by hanging but declined to stipulate the manner of his death, citing "[p]ending investigation."

Valerie Hicks-Powe, attorney for Carter's family, said that the family believed there was "insufficient evidence" to rule out the possibility that Carter was the victim of a hate crime, just as there was insufficient evidence for Banks to initially declare Carter's death a suicide.

State Sen. David Jordan, D-Greenwood, went further, alleging that local law enforcement engaged in a "cover-up" by not securing the scene of Carter's death ,allowing contamination of evidence.

Two workers found 26-year-old Frederick Jermaine Carter's body Dec. 3 hanging from a tree limb in predominantly white north Greenwood. Carter, who was African American, worked with his stepfather on a painting job in the area the previous day. He wandered off the site after his stepfather left to pick up more supplies.

Greenwood police responded to the scene first and contacted the FBI. Because Carter's body was found outside Greenwood's city limits, the Leflore County Sheriff's Department took over the investigation.

The sheriff told the Jackson Free Press today that the FBI assisted sheriff's deputies in their investigation of Carter's death, but the federal agency has not launched its own investigation.

Banks also said that he still believes Carter's death was a suicide, based on his department's investigation that found no evidence of foul play. Sheriff's deputies found a portion of the hanging rope in Carter's pocket. In addition, the only DNA found on the rope was Carter's. Deputies found no footprints other than Carter's around the scene of the hanging. Carter suffered from schizophrenia, and family members said he had attempted suicide on two prior occasions, Banks said.

Hicks-Powe contended that Banks was unaware of Carter's mental history when he first described the hanging as a suicide.

"We don't deny Mr. Carter had mental challenges," Hicks-Powe said. "What we're saying is they didn't investigate this to determine whether those had anything to do with his death."

COMMENTS

Page 1 of 1 pages

100 recent comments »