HENDERSON, N.C. - Javion Magee, 21, found dead leaning against a tree with a rope around his neck

[Fabled Automatic]

Javion Magee, a 21-year-old truck driver from the Chicago area, was found dead in a rural area off Vanco Mill Road on Wednesday. Investigators said he was not far from his truck, leaning with his back up against a tree and a rope around his neck. Magee was in Henderson making a delivery to the Walmart distribution center.

Magee's family, who lives in Chicago, is upset and demanding answers. They are calling for transparency and more answers from the Vance County Sheriff's Office about what happened.

Magee's body was sent to the medical examiner for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death. The preliminary autopsy results were not able to determine a cause of death, the sheriff said Friday night, and they are now waiting on a toxicology report.

Source

 

[Fabled Automatic]

Investigators discovered evidence at the scene, including a ripped paper wrapping from Walmart.com that matched the brand of the rope around Magee’s neck, as well as unopened smoking materials. A review of Walmart surveillance footage revealed that Magee had purchased the rope for $4.20 at 6:20 p.m. on September 10. He was seen leaving the store alone, wearing the same clothes he had on when he was found.

Further investigation tracked Magee’s movements, including stops at a Hampton Inn and a local smoke shop. Surveillance footage from a Shell gas station later showed Magee’s truck traveling on Vance Mill Road and turning toward the area where his body was found. However, the footage did not show Magee returning to his truck.

Source

 

[CocoChanel]

Here are some further substantiating links for this troubling story.

Black man found dead against tree with rope around his neck in NC: 'Not a lynching,' sheriff says

The family of Javion Magee and people in Vance County want answers and transparency in his death investigation.

abc11.com

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article292426884.html

This News Observer article requires a free 48 hour account to read I think.
Here is a summary from officials

Officials are continuing to investigate the death and plan to review information on Magee’s cell phone and search his truck, said Mike Waters, district attorney for Vance and surrounding counties. A North Carolina medical examiner will also determine the cause of Magee’s death, said Mike Waters, district attorney for Vance and surrounding counties, Waters said.

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article292426884.html#storylink=cpy

However, Javion’s family have many questions, and that is understandable in light of this tragedy. Social media has spread rumors that have made it difficult for everyone affected by this young man’s death.

The woman also says that law enforcement officials will not allow Magee’s mother to identify her son and refused to send a photograph. Social media users responded to the call, with dozens of people making their own videos in which they allege that Magee was murdered, while criticizing Henderson officials.

Read more at: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article292426884.html#storylink=cpy

This News Observer article has much more information regarding the investigation.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

Here are some further substantiating links for this troubling story.

Black man found dead against tree with rope around his neck in NC: 'Not a lynching,' sheriff says

The family of Javion Magee and people in Vance County want answers and transparency in his death investigation.

abc11.com

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article292426884.html

The News Observer article requires a free 48 hour account to read I think.
Here is a summary from officials

However, Javion’s family have many questions, and that is understandable in light of this tragedy. Social media has spread rumors that have made it difficult for everyone affected by this young man’s death.

This News Observer article has much more information regarding the investigation.

Thank you for sharing. I had come across the part about them not allowing the family to identify the body on SM but didn't want to share it because I couldn't find a MSM source.

It may be extremely telling, or it may not be. Hopefully answers start coming to light.

 

[LadyL]

Source

I understand the family's grief but he's on video buying the rope. So maybe it malfunctioned (not tied tightly enough) after his death and his body dropped down to sit against the tree. It's strange but it's not a mystery IMO.

 

[bombardier]

theres also a misconception due to pop culture that hanging suicide involve someone inducing a drop or free-hanging from a ceiling. when in reality, many people hang themselves from a kneeling or standing position (also called partial hanging). it does not take much pressure to occlude the carotids and jugulars, and once blood flow is initially obstructed, youre too out of it to get back on your feet or knees.
*edit* want to mention that imo the best way to rule out foul play by strangulation etc here is examining the ligature furrows; a single furrow would be indicative of suicide. theres also the ol' tried and true hyoid bone. even if all this comes back clean, some families will just never accept a suicide conclusion

 

[CSI1005]

theres also a misconception due to pop culture that hanging suicide involve someone inducing a drop or free-hanging from a ceiling. when in reality, many people hang themselves from a kneeling or standing position (also called partial hanging). it does not take much pressure to occlude the carotids and jugulars, and once blood flow is initially obstructed, youre too out of it to get back on your feet or knees.
*edit* want to mention that imo the best way to rule out foul play by strangulation etc here is examining the ligature furrows; a single furrow would be indicative of suicide. theres also the ol' tried and true hyoid bone. even if all this comes back clean, some families will just never accept a suicide conclusion

You are correct that many hangings are in a kneeling or even a seated position. At least that has been my experience. The presence or absence of a broken hyoid isn’t necessarily indicative of foul play, either. I have seen it present in hanging suicides due to ligature positioning as well as in homicidal strangulations so it’s merely a piece of the puzzle to be considered. You are correct in that many times a family cannot accept suicide as a cause of death for their loved one and that is completely understandable but doesn’t change the way that a death investigation is conducted. I have been part of cases where the deceased is on video buying the same rope that they used just hours later to hang themselves with, in addition to leaving a detailed note and the family still insisted it was a homicide in spite of there being no evidence to support that. People grieve differently and you just try to be sensitive to that while still doing your job and letting the evidence speak for itself.

 

[bombardier]

You are correct that many hangings are in a kneeling or even a seated position. At least that has been my experience. The presence or absence of a broken hyoid isn’t necessarily indicative of foul play, either. I have seen it present in hanging suicides due to ligature positioning as well as in homicidal strangulations so it’s merely a piece of the puzzle to be considered. You are correct in that many times a family cannot accept suicide as a cause of death for their loved one and that is completely understandable but doesn’t change the way that a death investigation is conducted. I have been part of cases where the deceased is on video buying the same rope that they used just hours later to hang themselves with, in addition to leaving a detailed note and the family still insisted it was a homicide in spite of there being no evidence to support that. People grieve differently and you just try to be sensitive to that while still doing your job and letting the evidence speak for itself.

great to have your perspective as a (i assume?) medical professional or death investigator :^)

 

[Fabled Automatic]

I understand the family's grief but he's on video buying the rope. So maybe it malfunctioned (not tied tightly enough) after his death and his body dropped down to sit against the tree. It's strange but it's not a mystery IMO.

Buying a rope doesn't innately imply he used it to commit suicide. I have been seen on camera buying knives, I've never once used them to hurt myself or anyone else. People buy guns every day and never use them to injure themselves or another.

I get what you're saying, but I think it's important to make the distinction that having bought the rope doesn't innately mean he's the one who put it around his neck, despite it being a possibility.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

theres also a misconception due to pop culture that hanging suicide involve someone inducing a drop or free-hanging from a ceiling. when in reality, many people hang themselves from a kneeling or standing position (also called partial hanging). it does not take much pressure to occlude the carotids and jugulars, and once blood flow is initially obstructed, youre too out of it to get back on your feet or knees.
*edit* want to mention that imo the best way to rule out foul play by strangulation etc here is examining the ligature furrows; a single furrow would be indicative of suicide. theres also the ol' tried and true hyoid bone. even if all this comes back clean, some families will just never accept a suicide conclusion

Just wanted to point out that, unless I missed an update, according to the sheriff local LE do not yet consider this a suicide.

In a Friday interview, (Sheriff) Brame denied that, saying, “at no point in time have we said this was a suicide.”

Source

However, the family has stated they were told Javion's death was a suicide.

Matthews shared the latest thoughts of Javion's closest loved ones, saying their world is in turmoil after they said the Vance County Sheriff's office called them and said he died by suicide.

Source

 

[NervousNellie]

Thanks for starting this thread @Fabled Automatic . I look forward to updates on this matter.

 

[CSI1005]

Just wanted to point out that, unless I missed an update, according to the sheriff local LE do not yet consider this a suicide.


Source

However, the family has stated they were told Javion's death was a suicide.

Source

Generally, only a medical examiner (sometimes a Justice of the Peace depending on the jurisdiction) can rule the cause of death. It’s not uncommon though for someone inside of the LE agency to give information to a family member to let them know the direction that the case is going and that later gets attributed as “the sheriff’s office said it was a (homicide, suicide, natural, etc.) death”.

 

[CSI1005]

Buying a rope doesn't innately imply he used it to commit suicide. I have been seen on camera buying knives, I've never once used them to hurt myself or anyone else. People buy guns every day and never use them to injure themselves or another.

I get what you're saying, but I think it's important to make the distinction that having bought the rope doesn't innately mean he's the one who put it around his neck, despite it being a possibility.

Very true and it was always hard to get the new guys to not get tunnel vision and get attached to a theory. Always let the evidence speak for the victim is how I used to train. However, we would also say that his being on camera purchasing the rope is “what the FBI would call “a clue”” . The next questions to ask would be “What would be the reason for buying the rope? Did he have something he was moving and needed to tie down? Does he own horses and needed a lead? Was he building anything at home that required that rope? Did he have a history of depression? Suicide attempts? Was there some kind of major event that occurred in his life recently? Was there contact with family members via call or text leading up to this?” All sorts of things to be sorted out that would run parallel with an ME’s investigation. This is why it takes weeks and sometimes months for a cause and manner of death determination. The worst are the “undetermined” because sometimes there just isn’t an answer and it’s frustrating for everyone involved.

 

[CSI1005]

great to have your perspective as a (i assume?) medical professional or death investigator :^)

Crime Scene Investigator with a background in Firearms Examinations and Digital Forensics. No, they don’t really let them drive black hummers and wear black Ray Bans. I asked every budget year but they always declined .

 

[Fabled Automatic]

Crime Scene Investigator with a background in Firearms Examinations and Digital Forensics. No, they don’t really let them drive black hummers and wear black Ray Bans. I asked every budget year but they always declined .

Very cool to have your perspective. I'm sure that was fascinating work.

 

[LadyL]

Buying a rope doesn't innately imply he used it to commit suicide. I have been seen on camera buying knives, I've never once used them to hurt myself or anyone else. People buy guns every day and never use them to injure themselves or another.

I get what you're saying, but I think it's important to make the distinction that having bought the rope doesn't innately mean he's the one who put it around his neck, despite it being a possibility.

yes but the odds are that he used it himself

 

[CSI1005]

“Based on the information provided, the family still suspects foul play due to there (being) nothing under his fingernails or hands.... He did have a broken neck with blood around the neck which came from the hanging.... They also feel that this entire investigation is in no way transparent."

That’s a quote from the media article from “Dr.” Candice Matthews who is associated with The New Black Panther Party in the Houston Texas area. The fact that there is nothing under his fingernails or hands is precisely a reason to suspect that there was NOT foul play involved here. Someone who was intentionally assaulted and hung against their will would most definitely have defensive wounds to their hands, arms, rest of their body and most probably have dirt, debris, and skin/tissue from their attackers under their fingernails and quite possibly broken fingernails if they were long enough. I would venture a guess that the “blood around the neck” that she is referring to is either contusions from the rope or possibly lividity depending on the position of the body. The article doesn’t say WHY the family feels that the “entire investigation is in no way transparent” and from what they’re putting out there from the condition of the body it certainly sounds like someone has at least briefed them on preliminary findings. Having seen what Ms. Matthews likes to involve herself in, I would recommend that the family find another spokesperson.

 

[Tower]

“Based on the information provided, the family still suspects foul play due to there (being) nothing under his fingernails or hands.... He did have a broken neck with blood around the neck which came from the hanging.... They also feel that this entire investigation is in no way transparent."

That’s a quote from the media article from “Dr.” Candice Matthews who is associated with The New Black Panther Party in the Houston Texas area. The fact that there is nothing under his fingernails or hands is precisely a reason to suspect that there was NOT foul play involved here. Someone who was intentionally assaulted and hung against their will would most definitely have defensive wounds to their hands, arms, rest of their body and most probably have dirt, debris, and skin/tissue from their attackers under their fingernails and quite possibly broken fingernails if they were long enough. I would venture a guess that the “blood around the neck” that she is referring to is either contusions from the rope or possibly lividity depending on the position of the body. The article doesn’t say WHY the family feels that the “entire investigation is in no way transparent” and from what they’re putting out there from the condition of the body it certainly sounds like someone has at least briefed them on preliminary findings. Having seen what Ms. Matthews likes to involve herself in, I would recommend that the family find another spokesperson.

Interesting that a person who has an honorary doctorate would represent herself as a doctor. That implies, when discussing a death investigation, that she has medical qualifications when she had never actually studied or completed the education for a doctorate. She’s vastly over-stating her qualifications in the case, in my opinion. Odd choice by the family, moo.

Home | Dr. Candice Matthews

drcandicematthews.wixsite.com

 

[CSI1005]

Interesting that a person who has an honorary doctorate would represent herself as a doctor. That implies, when discussing a death investigation, that she has medical qualifications when she had never actually studied or completed the education for a doctorate. She’s vastly over-stating her qualifications in the case, in my opinion. Odd choice by the family, moo.

Home | Dr. Candice Matthews

drcandicematthews.wixsite.com

According to the other article, she has already determined it to be a hate crime so no matter what the evidence shows she won’t be convinced. Really disgusting that she and the “minister” involved are so focused on getting in front of cameras and pre-judging the case rather than showing concern for the grieving family and allowing the police and others to do their jobs. So far, the evidence (at least what is being publicized by LE right now) shows: no defensive wounds, no “noose” or other knot consistent with a lynching, no evidence of foul play so it MUST be a cover-up, right? Sorry, I’ll turn off my sarcasm switch now. This kind of stuff aggravates me to no end because people like her could care less about the people working to make sure that the truth is found because when that truth doesn’t fit the narrative that she’s spewing she will call them racist and scream coverup.