Police in North Carolina are investigating the death of 38-year-old Demetrius Fleming after he was found hanging from a tree last Friday morning.
The circumstances surrounding Fleming’s death remain unclear. Authorities have not yet established an official cause of death. The investigation is ongoing as police work to determine what happened before he was found.
The discovery has raised serious questions in the community. Fleming’s family and those who knew him are now waiting for answers. At this stage, authorities have not publicly confirmed whether the death was accidental, a suicide, or the result of criminal activity.
Black Man Found Hanging In Roanoke Rapids- Police Say "Anything Is On The Table."
Roanoke Rapids, N.C.-Police are investigating the death of a 38 year old Black Man who was found hanging Friday Morning in Roanoke Rapids.
The man has been identified as Demetrius Eugene Fleming.… pic.twitter.com/k5b7NosAu8
— ҒβΔ GΩDDΣSS✨ΔΠDRΣΔ (@FBAGoddess444) August 22, 2026
The deceased man has been identified as Demetrius Eugene Fleming. Police Chief Lawrence Wiggins reported that police received a call just a little past 6:45 a.m. about a possible suicide case in the 1900 block of Roanoke Avenue. Fleming was discovered tied with a rope and declared dead at the scene.
According to Wiggins, Fleming was found dead when emergency personnel arrived at the house. Halifax County EMS and the Roanoke Rapids Fire Department were part of the effort. No information has been provided on the type of ligature used.
“We’re treating this as an open, equivocal death investigation,” Wiggins reported. This means that the cause of death is being investigated without making assumptions about whether it was a suicide, homicide, or accident. Wiggins stated that it would be premature to conclude and that the evidence would determine the cause of death.
For now, officials have not provided enough information to draw conclusions but that has not stopped people from asking questions.
At the afternoon press conference, Wiggins said that “anything is on the table” and detectives are exploring all angles of the case. When asked whether another person may be involved, he said everything is under consideration.
An autopsy is being carried out. According to Wiggins, the autopsy will provide the possibility to establish any other injuries on Fleming. Information should be available by Monday; however, it was not available by Tuesday.
According to Wiggins, police are aware of the case’s history. He expressed his condolences to the family of Demetrius Fleming and added that they are cooperating with investigators since Friday.
For his loved ones, the waiting may be the hardest part.
They are left grieving while hoping the investigation provides clarity. Whatever the final findings show, the truth should come from evidence and an official investigation.
Documented 2026 cases involving hanging from a tree or similar public setting
These are the cases most frequently grouped together in reporting:
- Kyle Bassinga, 21, Fair Oaks Park, Marietta/Cobb County, Georgia (February 18). Found hanging from a tree after being reported missing. Surveillance showed him walking into the wooded area alone. Police and officials stated there were no indicators of another person involved and treated it as suicide. The investigation remained active pending final medical examiner results, but foul play was not indicated.
- Juliana Umba Nzita, 16 (Congolese immigrant), church grounds in Charlotte, North Carolina (May 8). Found hanging from a tree after being reported missing days earlier. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police classified it as suicide within days; the medical examiner also ruled suicide. Reports noted no defensive wounds or signs of assault. Family and advocates obtained or sought an independent autopsy and raised questions about the speed of the ruling and lack of a full public autopsy in some accounts.
- Tonea Nicole Miller (To’Nea), 27, near Gwen Cherry Park, Miami, Florida (June 18, around Juneteenth). Reports described her as found hanging from a tree or in the park area. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and the medical examiner found the circumstances consistent with suicide and no evidence of foul play; the case was closed. Her sister publicly rejected the finding; an aunt who spoke with investigators and the medical examiner accepted it as suicide.
- Jerard “Jay” Jackson, 28, wooded area near Rothbury, Michigan (June 30), after leaving the Electric Forest festival. Found hanging from a tree near his rental vehicle. Michigan State Police said it appeared to be suicide with no indication of foul play. Family members disputed this and questioned why friends left the area without him and other details. Autopsy results were pending in early reports.
- Tasia Fortune, 29, behind a vacant home in Jackson, Mississippi (August 3). Found hanging from a tree. The case was classified as a death pending investigation. An autopsy was performed around August 12 by the state medical examiner; results had not been publicly released as of late August. A person of interest was arrested on an unrelated firearms charge. Family members stated she would not have taken her own life; some local officials requested federal attention. No homicide ruling had been issued.
- Unidentified 32-year-old Black man, downtown Raleigh, North Carolina parking lot (August 15), near a Caribbean festival. Found hanging from a tree. Police reviewed surveillance video showing him approaching the tree alone carrying an electrical cord and stated there was no evidence anyone else was involved. The mother told police he had mental health struggles. Police confirmed it as suicide; the medical examiner has the final official determination. NAACP chapters and others asked to view the video.
Additional hanging deaths sometimes grouped with these include Justice Kai James, 21, found hanging outside a cafeteria at Turner Job Corps in Albany, Georgia (June 21). It was initially called suspicious, then ruled suicide in July. It was not consistently described as from a tree. Demetrius Fleming, 38, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina (August 21) was found hanging from a ligature inside a home, not a tree; police called it an open, equivocal investigation.
