Family Demands Transparency and Answers in Wake of Javion Magee’s Death
Photo of Jevion Magees. Care of Bridget Salada
Bridget Salada and Ken Butigan at DePaul University in Chicago posted the following article based on a growing number of articles and news reports.
On September 11, Javion Magee, a 21-year-old Black man from the Chicago area, was found dead in Henderson, North Carolina, with -- as an attorney representing the young man’s parents said during a press conference one week later -- “a rope tied around his neck and that rope was tied to a tree."
Javion Magee had recently gotten his Commercial Driver’s License and began working as a truck driver since June 2024. He had plans to visit his family while being in the South.
Magee’s family gathered with their attorneys and supporters on Wednesday, September 18 to call for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. As reporter Madeline Holly-Carothers wrote, “Magee had been in North Carolina to make a delivery to a Walmart in Henderson on Sept. 10. Some hours after making the delivery, he was found dead, a rope tied around his neck and connected to a tree branch, in a wooded area of Vance County where Henderson is located.”
At the news conference, attorneys Harry Daniels, Jason Keith, and Lee Merritt assisted the family. Merritt said he was hired to investigate the possibility of a lynching or a hate crime. "What we discovered was that Mr. Magee came into the county on Sept. 11, and he died by hanging from his neck. I don’t know too many 21-year-old, gainfully employed, happy individuals that travel into North Carolina, buy a rope and kill themselves," he said.
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, “North Carolina is home to as many as 50 hate and antigovernment groups including the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the Proud Boys whose Raleigh chapter is roughly an hour away from Henderson” (Attorney Lee Merritt’s Statement).
The sheriff’s office has said that there was no foul play in this case and that it was not a lynching because “there was no knot in the rope.”
Authorities released a video of Javion buying rope from Walmart. Magee’s advocates, however, remain skeptical about the possibility of suicide. “As a truck driver, this is part of the equipment used for loads,” Civil rights activist Candice Matthews said in an interview with The TRiiBE. “This is part of his job and part of the equipment that’s used to tie down loads.”
"Nobody can say what exactly happened at that particular time," Daniels said. "I wasn’t there. The sheriff [and] whoever else does the investigation, wasn’t there.
"We don’t have a video of that. But we do know, like I stated before, that Javion had a rope tied around his neck and that rope was tied to a tree."
Greensboro-based lawyer Jason Keith also spoke during Wednesday’s news conference. "You might ask, 'why are we here?'" Keith said. "Accountability [and] transparency. The community needs answers and we’re here to apply pressure." Keith said he and other attorneys traveled to Henderson on Wednesday to meet with the sheriff’s office. "We’re here for answers, and we’re not leaving until we get them," Keith said. "The family deserves them, and we’ve seen the videos, we’ve seen the photographs and this investigation is not complete. "This investigation is too premature for any determination to be made [about] what happened. What we want is answers. We want them now. We want them as soon as possible."
There are many unknowns in this story. But it is important that the visibility of this case be raised so that a thorough and comprehensive investigation takes place. People across the country are increasingly demanding the answers that his family deserves, and now it appears that the state attorney general’s office has begun an investigation of the case. It is likely that such an investigation was prompted by the growing public concerns about the mysterious elements of Magee’s death.
Please do what you can to help with this effort.
According to those who knew him, Javion was a kind-hearted, bright soul, who had a great sense of humor. He loved his family. Say Javion Magee’s name and help his family and friends see accountability and transparency prevail.
Below are a series of recent news articles about this case.
To learn how you can support this investigation, contact Lee Merritt, one of the attorneys representing Javion Magee’s family: https://leemerrittesq.com/
News Articles
Full Press Conference of Family and Attorneys (on You Tube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNBym7DQ984&t=6s
Timeline revealed in Javion Magee’s death in North Carolina: What we know
Cassidy Johncox, WBTV Charlotte (NC), September 21, 2024
Family mourns young Black man found dead after traveling through rural North Carolina
Madeline Holly-Carothers, Q City Metro, September 20, 2024
https://qcitymetro.com/2024/09/20/javion-magee-death-parents-family-henderson-nc/
Javion Magee: Police release video showing Chicago area man buying rope in North Carolina before his death
Fox 32 News, September 16, 2024
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/javion-magee-surveillance-video
‘Grossly premature’ to call Javion Magee’s death a suicide, civil rights attorneys say
Josh Shaffer, Raleigh News Observer, September 19, 2024
Javion Magee was found dead at the base of a tree in North Carolina
His family demands answers
Amari Apple, Rolling Out, September 16, 2024
https://rollingout.com/2024/09/16/the-mysterious-death-of-javion-magee/
Family of Aurora man found dead near tree with rope around neck demand thorough investigation
Video showing Javion Magee appearing to purchase rope, 911 call released
Family demands transparency in investigation of man found dead under tree in Vance County
Attorney Lee Merritt said he doesn't believe Javion Magee died by suicide. Magee's family plans to conduct an independent autopsy. The medical examiner concluded Magee did not have defensive wounds and there were no signs of assault.
WRAL News (Raleigh, NC) – September 19, 2024
https://www.wral.com/story/death-investigation-video-shows-javion-magee-purchasing-rope-at-walmart-night-before-his-death/21628093/
Family of Black man found dead with rope around neck demands answers
Body of Javion Magee, 21, discovered under tree in North Carolina last week as authorities say no sign of foul play
Associated Press/The Guardian, Wednesday, September 18, 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/18/javion-magee-death
Timeline shows what led up to Javion Magee's death
Law enforcement said Magee was delivering items in Henderson, N.C. when they were notified of his sudden death.
WFMY - Jah'I Selassie, Giselle Thomas, September 18, 2024
Javion Magee of Aurora, found dead against tree with rope around neck, not lynched, NC sheriff says
ABC Eyewitness News, Chicago, September 14, 2024
Social Media
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