A Cry for Justice: The Tragic Death of Trey Reed

 I’m sitting here, heart heavy, fingers trembling as I type this. The news about Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Black student found hanging from a tree at Delta State University in Mississippi, has shaken me to my core. This isn’t just another headline. This is a young man’s life, a family’s loss, and a community’s pain. And yet, the silence from mainstream media is deafening. Why aren’t we hearing about this on every channel, every platform, every front page? A young Black man found hanging in 2025, and we’re supposed to believe it’s just a coincidence? I can’t accept that, and neither should you.

Trey Reed was found on Monday morning, September 15, 2025, near the pickleball courts in the heart of Delta State’s campus in Cleveland, Mississippi. The image alone is chilling—a young man, full of promise, discovered in such a horrific way. The university police chief, Michael Peeler, was quick to label it a probable suicide, stating there’s “no evidence of foul play at this time.” Bolivar County Deputy Coroner Murray Roark echoed this, saying, “My opinion is that it was self-done, and I have reasons for that.” But when pressed for those reasons, he clammed up, refusing to elaborate. Why the secrecy? If there’s truly no foul play, why not be transparent? The lack of clarity only fuels suspicion, especially in a state like Mississippi, where the ghosts of a violent, racist past still linger.

Let’s talk about that history for a moment. Mississippi has a dark legacy when it comes to lynchings. From 1877 to 1950, the state led the nation with 581 documented lynchings—more than any other. It wasn’t just the numbers; it was the brutality, the public support for vigilantism, the lack of accountability for those responsible. Women were lynched. People were taken from police custody and murdered. And since 2000, at least eight Black men have been lynched in Mississippi. This isn’t ancient history; it’s a wound that’s never fully healed. So when a Black student is found hanging from a tree in 2025, just days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk—a prominent right-wing activist known for stirring division on college campuses—it’s impossible not to question the official narrative.

Social media is ablaze with outrage, and rightfully so. A post on X by @ItsMicahB captures the raw pain and disbelief: “Demartravion ‘Trey’ Reed was lynched & cops say ‘no foul play.’ A Black man hanging in 2025 isn’t an accident. Days after white men marched to ‘fight back’ for Charlie Kirk, Black folks are hunted again. America is rotting. Don’t let them gaslight us!” I feel that anger in my bones. The timing, the context, the history—it all screams for a deeper investigation. Rumors are swirling that Trey’s body showed signs of being beaten, with broken arms and legs, though Deputy Coroner Roark has denied this, claiming he “saw no broken limbs.” But without a full autopsy report, how can we trust these early statements? Why should we take their word at face value when the stakes are this high?

Trey’s family is grieving, and their pain is unimaginable. His mother shared a heartbreaking plea on Facebook: “On behalf of my family, I ask that you please not share the very graphic video of Trey. For some of you, it’s information, entertainment even, but for us it’s a living nightmare.” Those words hit me hard. This isn’t just a story; it’s a human tragedy. Trey was a quiet, kind soul from Grenada, Mississippi, with dreams of a future in public service. His friends described him as hardworking and full of promise. He wasn’t just a statistic—he was someone’s son, someone’s friend, someone who mattered. And yet, the system seems all too ready to sweep his death under the rug.

I can’t help but feel that this administration’s rhetoric has poisoned the air we breathe. The divisive language, the dog whistles, the refusal to condemn hate in all its forms—it’s created a climate where tragedies like this feel inevitable. Just days before Trey’s death, Charlie Kirk was killed, and we saw marches and calls to “fight back” from his supporters. Is it really a stretch to wonder if this emboldened someone to target a young Black man? I’m not saying that’s what happened, but I’m saying we need answers. We need the FBI to step in and conduct a thorough, transparent investigation. But under an administration that’s shown little regard for marginalized communities, I’m not holding my breath. It feels like they’d rather cheer this kind of tragedy than seek justice for it.

I keep thinking about Trey’s family, about the students at Delta State who are now afraid to walk across campus, about the Black communities in Mississippi who are reliving the trauma of a history that never seems to stay in the past. This isn’t just about one young man’s death; it’s about a system that allows these questions to go unanswered, that lets pain fester without accountability. We can’t let this be another case brushed aside, another life reduced to a footnote. We need to demand a full investigation, not just from local authorities but from federal ones. We need to say Trey’s name and keep saying it until the truth comes to light.

I’m angry, I’m heartbroken, and I’m tired of seeing the same stories play out again and again. But I’m also determined. We can’t let them silence us or convince us this is “just a suicide” without proof. We owe it to Trey, to his family, to ourselves, to fight for the truth. Say his name. Demand justice. Don’t let them gaslight us into forgetting.

Santiago DC Maria - NewsFlash Facebook Movement

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