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A Black man found hanging from a tree in Prince George’s County, Maryland, died by suicide, according to the state medical examiner, The Washington Post reported.
The man was found Sunday morning (September 20) in the 9300 block of D’Arcy Road in Upper Marlboro. Police said there was no evidence of foul play, NBC Washington reported. His identity has not been released at his family’s request.
The circumstances of a Black Man being found hanging from a tree sparked concern among residents, with officials holding a community briefing Monday (September 21) to address questions and rumors surrounding the case.
County Executive Aisha Braveboy said investigators initially treated the death as a homicide investigation before following the evidence.
“As information, as witnesses became available, as information about the individual became available, then the investigation had to follow where the evidence led,” Braveboy said, according to The Washington Post.
Prince George’s County Police Chief George Nader told reporters Monday that surveillance video showed the man carrying rope and pulling what appeared to be a dolly cart Saturday afternoon (September 19). Nader said the man was last seen alone around 8 p.m. that night.
Braveboy also acknowledged the impact on people who witnessed the scene.
“Unfortunately, it is a busy road, and so people did see this horrible tragedy,” she said. “And we know it’s triggering. We know it’s terrible.”
Prince George’s County police Maj. Paul Gambardella said investigators worked to ensure their findings were based on evidence.
“We put an enormous amount of effort towards this investigation to make sure that when we give a statement and we talk about what’s going on, that we know we’re right,” he said.
The investigation remains active, with detectives continuing to review evidence and speak with people who knew the man.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained volunteer Crisis Counselor through Crisis Text Line.
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