Chief says investigators have videos of Black student hanging from tree at Delta State University

CLEVELAND — Videos of a Black student found hanging in a tree at Delta State University early this week have been turned over to investigators, the campus police chief said Wednesday, but the chief did not say what the videos show.

Chief Michael Peeler said he could not answer several questions about the investigation into the death of 21-year-old Demartravion “Trey” Reed of Grenada, Mississippi. The tragedy swiftly captured the scrutiny of the state and the nation, with some speculating that this was another example of Mississippi’s racist history of lynching of Black people.

However, the chief stood by his earlier statements that there appeared to be no foul play. Peeler said he was the second officer from the Delta State Police Department on the scene after Reed was found, and he saw