An African American man was found hanging from a tree in Claiborne County, Mississippi, Thursday the FBI said in a statement.
The Huffington Post reported that the body was found with a bed sheet around the neck and wearing a skull cap, authorities said at a press conference later held by the FBI and the Claiborne County Sheriff’s Office.
CNN reported that FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack said that it’s unclear how the man died, and “it is too early to say what happened and speculate.”
“We don’t know what happened out there, if it is a suicide, a homicide, that is why we investigate these types of cases to determine exactly what happened,” he told CNN affiliate WAPT.
The FBI and Mississppi Bureau of Investigations have not released the man’s name, but a law enforcement official said he’s believed to be 54-year-old Otis Byrd, and both the Claiborne County chapter of the NAACP and family members have confirmed his identity.
The state NAACP is calling for a full investigation into the death.
“Considering Mr. Byrd’s body was found hanging from a tree, we are calling on federal authorities to immediately investigate to determine whether his death is a result of a racial hate crime,” stated Derrick Johnson, state president Mississippi NAACP.
