The death of Demartravion "Trey" Reed has left a heavy cloud over Cleveland, Mississippi. Honestly, it’s one of those cases where the official paperwork and the community’s gut feeling are miles apart. When a 21-year-old Black student is found hanging from a tree on a college campus in the South, the shadows of history are impossible to ignore. It's heavy. It's visceral.
The trey reed autopsy update most people are looking for isn't just about a single document. It’s about the clashing results between the state's findings and the independent investigation funded by Colin Kaepernick’s "Know Your Rights Camp."
The Official Word from the State
Let’s start with the facts on the table from the Mississippi State Medical Examiner. On September 18, 2025, the Cleveland Police Department went public with the results. Their conclusion was blunt: the cause of death was hanging, and the manner of death was suicide.
Bolivar County Coroner Randolph Seals Jr. backed this up early on. He reported that the preliminary examination showed no lacerations, no broken bones, and no signs of a struggle. Basically, the state’s position is that Trey walked to the area near the pickleball courts on the Delta State University campus and took his own life.
Many people find this "no foul play" narrative hard to swallow. Mississippi has the highest recorded number of lynchings in U.S. history, so when the state says "nothing to see here" within 72 hours, it tends to spark a lot of skepticism.
Why the Independent Autopsy Changed the Conversation
Because Trey’s family didn't buy the official story, they brought in the big guns. Attorney Ben Crump and the Know Your Rights Camp commissioned a second, private autopsy. This was handled by Dr. Matthias Okoye, a pathologist based in Nebraska.
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This is where things get complicated.
While the full report hasn't been blasted across every news station yet, activists and sources close to the family have dropped some bombshells. They claim the independent autopsy found evidence of blunt force trauma to the back of Trey’s head. If that’s true, it changes everything.
- The state said: No injuries consistent with an assault.
- The family's source says: Significant trauma to the skull.
- The state said: Ligature marks consistent with suicide.
- The independent side says: There wasn't enough bruising around the neck to prove he was alive when he was hanged.
This discrepancy is why the trey reed autopsy update remains such a massive talking point. We aren't just waiting for a piece of paper; we're waiting to see if these two completely different stories can ever be reconciled.
The Mystery of the Campus Video
One of the biggest frustrations for the Reed family—specifically his mother, Sophia—is the surveillance footage. Delta State has cameras. We know that. But the area where Trey was found, near the pickleball courts, has been described by some as a "blind spot."
The Cleveland Police say they have video of Trey. They haven't shown it to the family. Attorney Vanessa Jones has been vocal about this, demanding that the university release every second of footage from the moment Trey left his dorm.
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Why the secrecy? Law enforcement usually says it's because the investigation is "active." But for a family grieving a son who was supposedly "joyful and obedient" (in the words of his uncle, Rev. Jerry L. Reed), that "active investigation" excuse feels like a stone wall.
Federal Involvement and the FBI
Because of the racial overtones and the intense public pressure, the case hasn't stayed local. The Cleveland Police Department confirmed they turned over all their files to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson has been pushing for a full federal civil rights investigation. He basically said we can't ignore the context of where this happened. Even if the state is certain, the history of Mississippi demands a second and third pair of eyes from the federal level.
Addressing the Social Media Rumors
You've probably seen the TikToks. There are videos with hundreds of thousands of likes claiming Trey was beaten or that his limbs were broken.
It's important to be careful here. While the independent autopsy allegedly found head trauma, the "broken limbs" theory hasn't been supported by any medical professional yet. The Bolivar County Coroner explicitly denied those specific injuries.
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However, the fact that these rumors spread so fast shows how little trust there is in the local system. When people don't get transparent answers, they fill in the gaps themselves.
What Happens Next?
Right now, we are in a holding pattern. The toxicology reports from the state were expected to be finalized by late 2025, and those results have reportedly been shared with the family, though not the public.
The biggest "next step" is the release of the final, written report from Dr. Okoye. Once that independent autopsy is fully public and peer-reviewed, it will either force the state to reopen the case as a homicide or provide the family with the definitive answers they’ve been searching for.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Monitor the FBI’s Civil Rights Division: Since the files were handed over, any update on a federal "Notice of Investigation" will be the next major legal hurdle.
- Watch for Ben Crump’s Press Briefings: The family’s legal team usually coordinates the release of independent findings through formal press conferences rather than social media leaks.
- Check Delta State’s Safety Updates: The university has already started installing more cameras in previously unmonitored areas following the outcry over this case.
The truth about Trey Reed is still being fought for. Whether it was a tragic mental health crisis or something much more sinister, the discrepancy between the two autopsies is the key to the whole thing. For now, the "update" is that the two sides are at a total standstill.
Actionable Insights:
If you are following this case, focus on the formal releases from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and the Know Your Rights Camp. Avoid relying solely on TikTok "eye-witness" accounts that aren't backed by the legal teams involved. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.