A black man was reportedly discovered hanging from a tree in Claiborne, Miss. on Thursday, sparking a local and federal investigation into the death.
Port Gibson Sheriff Marvin Lucas told local station WJTV that authorities discovered the man hanging on Old Rodney Road. Both Mississippi law enforcement and the FBI have opened investigations.
The man was identified as African-American by CBS News.
CNN’s justice correspondent Evan Perez reported on Thursday that the man was “found hanging from a tree in some woods in property behind the residence where he was living.”
“They found him this morning about 10 this morning,” Perez said on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” “They were looking for him because he had been missing since early this month.”
The Claiborne County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was asking the Department of Justice to launch a probe, WJTV reported.
According to the local station, there was not yet information to determine whether the death was a homicide or a suicide.
