Delta State University is on edge as investigators await autopsy results in the death of Demartravion ‘Trey’ Reed, a 21-year-old Black student found hanging from a tree near the campus pickleball courts in Cleveland, Mississippi. The case has jolted a community already sensitive to the state’s racial history and has drawn national scrutiny, pressure for transparency, and calls for federal oversight.
Campus Police Chief Michael Peeler says the investigation is active and being assisted by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Officials have emphasized that early findings show no signs of foul play and that there is no ongoing threat to campus, though they stress that final conclusions hinge on the autopsy.
Body found hanging at Delta State University Delta State University police chief Michael L. Peeler said during a press conference that 21-year-old student Demartravion “Trey” Reed was found hanging from a tree on the Cleveland campus Mon, Sept. 15th pic.twitter.com/NJL5e6onmc
— BGR HEADQUARTERS (@bgrheadquarters) September 15, 2025
Delta State President Dan Ennis canceled classes on Monday and acknowledged the raw imagery of a Black student found hanging from a tree in Mississippi. He added that the university has received threats since Reed’s death and increased law-enforcement presence accordingly, pleading with the public to remember that “we have students here” who came to learn and feel safe.
The campus tragedy is unfolding less than an hour’s drive from the Tallahatchie River, where the body of 14-year-old Emmett Till was recovered in 1955, an association that has amplified grief, anger, and fear for many.
Reed’s death quickly became a national story. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has joined the family, who are demanding full transparency, the release of available surveillance footage, and an independent autopsy. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson has urged the FBI to step in; the Bureau has said it stands ready if potential federal violations emerge.
We’ve been retained by the family of Demartravion “Trey” Reed — the 21-year-old Delta State University student whose body was found hanging from a tree.
Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus… pic.twitter.com/aaE88MRy0G
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 16, 2025
Authorities have confronted swirling online rumors about injuries inconsistent with suicide. The Bolivar County Coroner’s Office has pushed back, saying preliminary observations show no evidence of assault or trauma such as broken limbs, and that a state medical examiner is conducting the full autopsy with preliminary results expected soon.
Even as investigators work, the stakes are larger than one campus. Delta State enrolls a sizable Black student population, and Reed’s death has revived painful questions about safety and trust in institutions. University leaders insist they’re “fully forthcoming,” but students and lawmakers want receipts, timeline details, video, and clarity about why initial information given to relatives reportedly differed from what was later disclosed.
For now, the timeline is simple and agonizing: Reed was found Sunday morning, the campus went into mourning, and the autopsy clock started ticking. If the medical examiner’s report aligns with early statements, officials will face a new round of questions about communication and campus support; if it diverges, the investigation could widen dramatically, including the very outside assistance activists are demanding. Either way, the family is bracing for answers, and the community is watching every official update.
As President Ennis put it, Delta State’s mission is to be a place where students “come to feel safe and to learn.” The university will be judged on whether it delivers that in the days ahead, by protecting its students, releasing credible information, and ensuring a thorough, independent accounting of what happened to Trey Reed.
