Police: Black man found hanging from tree in Greene County

[n2doc]

Source: MyFoxAtlanta

Authorities say they found a black man hanging from a tree in Greene County, Ga. Monday morning.

A spokesperson for the Greensboro Police Department tells News Radio 106.7's Nathalie Pozo that a 43-year-old man was found hanging from the tree just after 11 a.m. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation say Roosevelt Champion III was found dead in a brushy area behind a home in the 600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Investigators say a witness spotted the man and called authorities. Authorities say the man does not live at the house where it happened.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Greensboro Police in the death investigation. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of death.

Read more: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/29033480/police-black-man-found-hanging-from-tree-in-greene-county

[madamvlb]

1. unbelievable

[randys1]

2. Another one, didnt we have one a few months ago?

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. Wasn't that a suicide?

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. Otis Byrd, Jr. His family still isn't sure it was suicide.

But the feds appear to have closed their investigation.

[TBF]

12. We were told it was a suicide

just keep smiling. You wouldn't want to be called "bitter" ...

[randys1]

14. OH yeah, sure. I remember now. Uh huh

[Recursion]

42. The sheriff in that case is President of the county NAACP chapter (nt)

[TBF]

49. Well that clearly stops

Last edited Mon May 11, 2015, 09:34 PM - Edit history (1)

any conversation. How convenient.

[PersonNumber503602]

62. If there was foul play and a cover up, it might not be race based

since he did murder a woman. I don't find it hard to imagine that a sheriff of any race would botch or turn a blind eye to a murder of a murderer who killed a personal friend or a family member of a friend. I have no idea if that is the case or what evidence people have that make them suspect it wasn't a suicide. I am just saying there could be other reasons not based on racism.

[npk]

63. The Georgia case has similar circumstances also

The man found hanging in Georgia was also a suspect in murder case but had not yet been arrested.

[ltheghost]

3. Horrible

This is just sick.

[malthaussen]

5. My poor country. n/t

[Coventina]

6. I know this sounds horrible, but I hope it was suicide.

That way, at least it was his own decision.

Lynching is far more disturbing, IMO.






In his memory and condolences to his family, whatever the circumstances turn out to be....

[Journeyman]

8. Won't matter. Paul Simon had it right in "The Boxer". . .

People hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141044783

[Enrique]

57. that's very true

and I would add that if one finds themselves wanting this to be a lynching they should stop and rethink themselves.

[FLPanhandle]

11. The odds are it is a suicide

Hanging is a common suicide method for men.

[OnlinePoker]

29. Seems strange that it would be somewhere he doesn't live.

I believe the one a couple of months ago happened in the person's back yard.

[FLPanhandle]

48. Not unusual though

If and, I repeat, IF it's a suicide. Many suicides are done away from home on purpose.

It's not strange.

[Journeyman]

60. Yes. Some would rather their loved ones not be the people who find them . . .

[jtuck004]

23. Another? Must be going around, like a virus. n/t

[totodeinhere]

7. Lets wait for more information before jumping to any conclusions. n/t

[7962]

9. Not around here.

Remember just a week ago when the story of the "black female mayor" blocked from entering the courthouse? Everyone instantly screamed about racism, without realizing the people keeping her out were also black.

[totodeinhere]

13. However, considering all of the legitimate racism that does exist in our society, maybe

it's understandable that people would jump to the conclusion that it's racism.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

27. NO no no, what is more important is to point out the RARE RARE case as that poster does

NOT the thousands of examples where it is RACISM

IT IS CALLED WHITE PRIVILEGE WHEN YOU DO THAT

[7962]

51. Yes, we're all familiar with your "white privilege" obsession. Cute red face, too.

EVERYTHING that occurs is called "white privilege".
In reality, MOST cases are not racism. Certainly those that ARE should garner the attention needed to expose whoever is responsible and bring them to punishment.
But instantly screaming it with zero information does no good. This particular man may have been murdered; we dont know anything yet.
But you can certainly continue with your bitterness. I have no doubt that you will. Peace to you & yours.

[blackspade]

10. And the South will rise......Assholes

So domestic terrorists are at it again.

for this poor man. Horrible.

[npk]

64. Try reading a little better

The man was a suspect in a murder investigation and police don't suspect foul play. There were also no physical marks on the victim, so he didn't appear to be in a scuffle with anyone. Someone hung against their will would have fought for their life.

“Mr. Champion’s feet were touching the ground. His knees were slightly buckled,” Wooten said, adding that the body had no other overt wounds.

“From our crime scene specialist’s perspective … there’s nothing that showed any type of immediate struggle or anything of that nature,” Wooten said, though he added that an autopsy, scheduled for Tuesday, would probably be much more telling.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-hanging-death-georgia-20150511-story.html

[blackspade]

71. And that information was in the OP?

[951-Riverside]

15. Black men rarely commit suicide by hanging.

This is without a doubt a white racist attack meant to send a message to black men.

RIP

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. "This is without a doubt a white racist attack meant to send a message to black men."

Do you have any actual evidence to back that up? Or are you so certain that you don't need actual evidence?

[951-Riverside]

18. A black man found hanging in the a rural white area in the deep south is all the evidence I need n/t

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

28. If our institutions says otherwise, that is all that will be needed officially.

We have a history of using institutional racism to effect the outcome we white folk want.

[ms liberty]

32. Is this a rural white area , though...t

The article does not say, but as a southerner I can tell you that in pretty much any town in the south, if the road is named after Dr King, it's a good bet that it is a black neighborhood. If this is a black neighborhood then it is far less likely to be a racially motivated murder, IMO. I will await more information.

[arely staircase]

45. that is what i was thinking

MLK street doesn't sound like KKK territory. Doesn't mean it wasn't racial, just seems less likely.

[7962]

53. Greene Co does have some affluence because of the lake

Lake Oconee is where a lot of Atlanta's rich & famous folks have homes; also folks like Ben Rothlesburger, Britney Spears, several other music and sports stars as well have or had homes there. It is also home of a large national park, which would be remote, rural and wooded. So its a mix of land types with rural and developed. Its about 60/40% white/black.
Dont know what the income is, but most of the richer wouldnt be considered Greene co residents since they're part time.
Greensboro is just outside the national park and the county seat. Anything away from the lake would be more middle income.

[Recursion]

44. They don'the name roads through white parts of town "MLK Drive" (nt)

[CreekDog]

47. Nice try though

[bvar22]

19. Do you know something?

You seem to have intimate knowledge of this horrible event.
Were you in on the plan,
or just making stuff up before we know the facts?

[jtuck004]

24. Uh, in this racist country, most white people are in on the plan. Just sayin' n/t

[FLPanhandle]

20. Why are black men different than most men worldwide?

Hanging is a very common method for men to commit suicide. I could go look at the government suicide stats which breaks down rates by age, gender, race, method, etc.

Do you know for sure, or are you speaking emotionally?

[Helen Borg]

25. Here, for all the lazy bums :)

Very common for men AND women, apparently.

http://lostallhope.com/suicide-statistics/us-methods-suicide

[BumRushDaShow]

33. But there is no racial breakdown, where the significant difference lies. nt

[caraher]

37. That category "suffocation/hanging" includes a lot more than hanging

I'd imagine outdoor hanging suicides, at someone else's home, under a tree, are awfully rare. A suicide by hanging is far more likely to happen in a basement or bedroom or some other private location, where one is unlikely to be noticed/interrupted during the act.

I don't think we know enough to draw a definitive conclusion about this case. But there's plenty of reason to investigate whether this was an act of racial hatred.

[Helen Borg]

66. They specify it's mostly hanging...

We don't know if it's from trees...

[BumRushDaShow]

30. Here it is by race

Suicide Rates by Race/Ethnicity

White males accounted for 70% of all suicides in 2013.


In 2013, the highest U.S. suicide rate (14.2) was among Whites and the second highest rate (11.7) was among American Indians and Alaska Natives (Figure 5). Much lower and roughly similar rates were found among Asians and Pacific Islanders (5.8), Blacks (5.4) and Hispanics (5.7).

Note that the CDC records Hispanic origin separately from the primary racial or ethnic groups of White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander, since individuals in all of these groups may also be Hispanic.

Chart - https://s3.amazonaws.com/AFSPNationalContent/highcharts/suicideRatesByEthnicity.html

https://www.afsp.org/understanding-suicide/facts-and-figures

CDC



More: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/statistics/rates01.html

I.e., this does not mean that it doesn't happen but blacks have the lowest suicide rate of any racial group.

[Helen Borg]

67. But it's not broken down by suicide type...

Which is the critical issue.

[BumRushDaShow]

68. No

because the argument is whether "suicide" should even be the first "assumption" when it comes to blacks.

Again, am not saying that suicides don't happen in the black community - particularly among the younger demographic like this victim, as it is become more prevalent. But it is exceedingly rare compared to other groups.

[Helen Borg]

69. Looks like one would need to dust off

Good old Bayes' theorem in order to calculate the probability that a death by hanging of a black man could be suicide, P(S|B) = P(B|S) P(S)/P(B)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayes%27_theorem

[BumRushDaShow]

70. Sorry but that does not factor in the sociology/cultural habits of groups

which would introduce a variable that is apparently not only not being considered but is actually being dismissed in your argument.

[Jamastiene]

40. And how many decide to commit suicide by hanging themselves

from trees as opposed to man made structures?

It is suspicious. Doesn't mean he was DEFINITELY murdered, but we don't know he DEFINITELY committed suicide either. We don't know yet either way.

[FLPanhandle]

50. I agree.

We don't know anything yet.

If forced to bet my house, I'd bet on suicide just because of statistics and the odds.

I'm from a family with a history of depression and suicide, so I'm not so quick to say it's unusual or strange.

I, myself, will one day commit suicide away from home (don't worry, not until I'm much older though).

[7962]

54. Why on earth would you say that?

You could stay healthy into old age. Many folks do these days. Dont commit to killing yourself in the future. Of course, I know nothing about you and what problems you may have, but if you have a family they sure wouldnt want you to do it.

[FLPanhandle]

56. Sorry.

This isn't about about me, but I can relate.

I only said it because trying to apply message board logic to someone who wants to commit suicide doesn't work.

There is a great appeal to doing ending your life away from home, especially if family is currently living there.

[imthevicar]

21. I thought we got past this, I guess not.

[Igel]

58. Depends what "this" actually is.

A racially motivated murder or a racially motivated rush to judgment.

Hard to know at this point. Mostly we have biases and suspicions masquerading as facts and knowledge. So much so that if actual facts pop up they're likely to be called "lies" by at least somebody.

[npk]

65. According to police the man's feet were found touching the ground

The man knees were buckled which is how he was able to suffocate. That almost 99% indicates this was a suicide. Otherwise the man would have just stood up. Threads like this really bring out the worse in some people I'm afraid.

[imthevicar]

72. With everthing going on,

You believe the police!? sounds to me as several someones held him high enough to strangle while they watched then just walked away. But then again, I'm a suspicious bastard and trust no one any more.

[iandhr]

22. How Awful

[NRaleighLiberal]

26. republicans are succeeding in returning us to a time only they miss.

[Judi Lynn]

31. How many nooses have been found in colleges, or high schools,

deliberately meant to intimdate young black people going to school there?

One was discussed here several years ago, I think in Louisiana, put up in the only large tree around the school, where students like to stand after lunch to get cooler in its shade.

It provoked anger from some of the black students, who were then harassed and bullied by the local white cops.

It's not as if the idea of hanging black men and women from trees is exactly unknown in the south.

[center]

"Strange Fruit" is a song performed most famously by Billie Holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Written by teacher Abel Meeropol as a poem and published in 1937, it protested American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. Such lynchings had reached a peak in the South at the turn of the century, but continued there and in other regions of the United States.[2][3] Meeropol set it to music and, with his wife and the singer Laura Duncan, performed it as a protest song in New York venues in the late 1930s, including Madison Square Garden.

The song continues to be covered by numerous artists, as well as inspiring novels, other poems and other creative works. In 1978, Holiday's version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[4] It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit[/center]

[Psephos]

59. There have been quite a few noose/racist graffiti/social media hoaxes in the news.

You seem unaware of them. These hoaxes have diluted the credibility of real victims. For example, the recent incident at Duke was quickly hushed up after an initial furor, and simply disappeared. Duke learned who did it, and refused further information. My guess it was a fervent, but misguided student who thought it would advance the cause of racial indignation.

If you need links I can provide them. My view is that working knowledge of both real events and hoaxes makes us more effective agents against racism.

Nice to see Billie, btw, even if it is such a somber song. She was the best.

[luvspeas]

34. all these apologist replies make me very unhappy...n/t

[Judi Lynn]

35. Odd, isn't it? n/t

[Comrade Grumpy]

39. It's good to have actual evidence in this case. Until then, it's all speculation.

[7962]

55. I'm afraid you're fighting a losing battle, CG.

Obviously this case is CLOSED. You and I just dont know it.

[KamaAina]

36. Strange fruit.

[Jamastiene]

38. I would guess the cause of death is going to be

hanging?

Very suspicious though. Very suspicious.

[Nye Bevan]

41. How hard would it be to murder someone by hanging them from a tree?

Presumably the guy would be struggling like hell. I can certainly see how lynch mobs were able to do this but it's hard to believe that a racist mob would be able to pull something like this off today without anyone betraying the secret. Also, there would be all kinds of bruises and marks where the guy had struggled against his captors. If the guy was shot or beaten to death and then hanged from the tree a racist murder would be much more probable. But if it's the hanging that killed him then suicide seems more likely.

[Thespian2]

43. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The GBI said while there appears to be no signs of foul play in the death of a black Greene County man found hanging from a tree Monday morning they are ruling nothing out.

The victim, Roosevelt Champion III, 43, was last seen Sunday evening by family members. He was questioned twice last week by Greensboro police investigating the murder of a local white woman but had not been charged, said GBI Special Agent in Charge Joe Wooten.

Due to current tensions nationwide between law enforcement and the black community, Wooten promised greater transparency with the media. The autopsy has been expedited, he said, with results expected Tuesday morning.

[951-Riverside]

46. This is another lynching IMO

This line says it all:

He was questioned twice last week by Greensboro police investigating the murder of a local white woman

Just like Otis Byrd who was convicted of murdering a white woman in 1980



These lynchers seem to be targeting black men accused of or convicted of murdering white women. If I had to guess its probably multiple people within law enforcement working in coordination with each other. I'd start looking into anyone who was looking up these men names in Federal or State law enforcement databases prior to them being found but we all know that isnt going to happen.

[FLPanhandle]

52. Or he is a murderer and didn't want to go back to prison

All this speculation and people so sure of what happened without any information.

So interesting to see....

[bobjacksonk2832]

61. Just sickening.

And some people in this country have the audacity to say that racism is dead here. How wrong they are.