Attorney Ben Crump is calling for answers in the death of De’Martravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Delta State University student whose body was found hanging from a tree near the school’s pickleball courts on September 9.
Local officials, including the Bolivar County coroner, said Reed’s body showed no signs of trauma such as fractures or lacerations. Campus police reported no evidence of foul play. Despite these findings, Reed’s family and community remain unconvinced, demanding a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Ben Crump Leads Trey Reed’s Death Investigation
On September 16, Crump announced that he had been retained by Reed’s family, pledging to lead a team of civil rights advocates in pressing for transparency and accountability.
“We’ve been retained by the family of De’Martravion ‘Trey’ Reed — the 21-year-old Delta State University student whose body was found hanging from a tree,” Crump wrote in a statement on X. “Trey was a young man full of promise and warmth, deeply loved and respected by all who knew him. His family and the campus community deserve a full, independent investigation to uncover the truth about what happened. We cannot accept vague conclusions when so many questions remain.”
Crump, one of the nation’s most prominent civil rights attorneys, has become known for representing families in high-profile cases involving racial injustice and unexplained deaths. His involvement places Reed’s death under a brighter national spotlight and raises pressure on local authorities to provide answers.
The case strikes a particularly painful chord in Mississippi, a state with a long and troubled history of racial violence. For many, the image of a young Black student found hanging in 2025 is fraught with historical weight. This fueled the calls for deeper scrutiny.
By representing Reed’s family, Crump is positioning the case within a broader fight for civil rights and justice. For Reed’s loved ones, the battle is not only about uncovering the truth. It’s also about ensuring his life is honored with dignity and his death investigated with the seriousness it demands.
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