Was Sandra Bland already dead by the time police in Waller County, Texas, took her mugshot? Speculation surrounding the grim possibility is currently sweeping across social media , according to BuzzFeed . These disturbing developments come on the heels of reports revealing that the woman’s death has been declared a suicide — a revelation that has already triggered fury among those who believe she was murdered.
Speculation on Twitter is focusing heavily on apparent inconsistencies surrounding this case. The Independent reports that social media users across the globe are pointing out that the woman’s mugshot differs from others taken at the same facility. Some are even going as far to say that Bland was laying on the ground when her mugshot was taken, judging by the color of the background in the images that have been released. Others have speculated that the woman was dead before she was even put in her cell.
The fact that #SandraBland could possibly be dead in her mugshot makes me sick to my stomach.
— Bidi Bidi (@cocolashay) July 23, 2015
How do you take a mugshot of a dead person and think people won’t notice? #SandraBland —..::: Menzi :::.. (@MrMenziN) July 23, 2015
More inconsistencies in #SandraBland jail documents #WhatHappenedToSandraBland pic.twitter.com/7polTG83Nj
— Bree Newsome (@BreeNewsome) July 23, 2015
These are conspiracy theories, of course, surrounding the death of Sandra Bland. Authorities in Waller County have not responded to the speculation after it was released that the woman supposedly took her own life. Meanwhile, reports have been published that indicate Sandra Bland was under the influence of drugs.
If you’re white, marijuana is the new key to prosperity. If you’re black, it’s casus belli for injustice, or a death sentence #SandraBland — burn hard (@BernardHayman) July 23, 2015
Reporter at #SandraBland ‘s autopsy presser seriously asked whether marijuana withdrawal leads to suicide. This isn’t even about weed, people
— Andy Campbell (@AndyBCampbell) July 23, 2015
The Huffington Post reports that Bland allegedly “swallowed or smoked” a large amount of marijuana in her cell before she supposedly took her own life. This news is also being met with anger by the black community, who believe that this is a frequent tactic used to smear blacks who have been murdered or who have died under suspicious circumstances.
Does it look like Sandra Bland was already dead when her mugshot was taken, or is this another conspiracy theory gripping social media like in so many other cases? If police in Waller County, Texas, did stage her mugshot postmortem, they will certainly have a lot of explaining to do.
[Photo: Waller County Sheriff mugshot/Sandra Bland]
