On Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, 21-year-old African American male Dematravion ‘Trey’ Reed was found hanging from a tree in his Delta State University. The university initially said “no foul play” had occurred, but after the request for an independent autopsy by Reed’s family, rumors of broken limbs and civil rights attorneys’ involvement added skepticism to the case.
‘The Argus’ reached out to Illinois Wesleyan students and staff for their thoughts.
Political science professor Greg Shaw said it did not surprise him the family would seek a civil rights lawyer. Because the independent autopsy has not officially been shared with the public, “we fill in the gaps based on what we know of the past,” he said. He added that it was reasonable to feel skeptical and bluntly concluded, “People of color don’t go around hanging themselves.”
“If there is any truth to him having broken limbs, then climbing up on a tree and hanging himself doesn’t sound feasible,” sophomore Naiyara Dixon said. “Black Lives Matter didn’t end after George Floyd. If there was foul play–which I believe there was–I don’t think we should take this as a warning but rather as an act of violence and adjust accordingly,” Dixon said.
Meanwhile, while first-year student Sam Bahargava has not ruled out the possibility of it being racially motivated, because of the lack of information, they believe that more “[Mental health] systems should be put in place for everyone.”
Additionally, two of the three people interviewed have mentioned that the case has been significantly overshadowed by other events, including Charlie Kirk’s death (despite happening a week prior.)
While information continues to be released regarding Reed’s death, many questions remain. What role did Reed’s mental health play in his apparent suicide, and why haven’t details been released? Why has the Reed family’s independent autopsy taken so long to release results? Was Reed’s death an incident of political violence?
Only time and the results of the independent autopsy can answer these questions.
