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Friends and family of a deceased Delta State University student gather outside to pray after a law enforcement briefing, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Cleveland, Miss. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)

CLEVELAND – Mississippi police on Wednesday awaited autopsy results for a Black student found hanging from a tree at Delta State University, in a case that has ignited strong emotions in a state with a history of racist violence .

The 21-year-old student was found near the campus pickleball courts early Monday. While police have said they saw no evidence of foul play, his family is demanding answers and has hired prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Campus police Chief Michael Peeler released little new information about the investigation at a news conference, calling the death an

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