NAACP And Family Believe This Black Teenager May Have Been Lynched

On August 29, 2014, a 17-year-old high school student, Lennon Lacy, was found hanging from a swing set in the small town of Bladenboro, North Carolina. He was a football player and active in ROTC at West Bladen High School.

Photo source: The Guardian
Photo source: The Guardian

Within hours of the teen’s body being found the lead investigator told the medical examiner that they believed the cause of death was suicide. The official statement came only five days after his death. This conclusion was drawn without even following the minimum standards for a death scene investigation, as pointed out by the NAACP’s attorney, Heather Rattelade, who has now requested a federal investigation:

“I cannot tell you why minimum protocols were not followed, but that is a large part of the reason why we have been compelled to ask the department of justice and the FBI to carry out its own investigation into what happened to Lennon Lacy.”

Some of the evidence gathered by the NAACP suggests this case could very well have involved foul play and the police may need to answer for their rush to close. For example:

  • Lennon Lacy had no history of mental illness. His uncle recently passed away but the family insists he was not in a severe state of depression.
  • His body was found wearing someone else’s shoes. He had last been seen wearing a pair of new Air Jordan shoes, size 12, purchased for the start of school. However, when his body was cut down from the swing set, he was wearing a pair of white sneakers, without laces, that were two sizes too small. His family did not recognize the shoes. Lacy’s Air Jordans have yet to be found.
  • FW Newton, Jr., the 26-year tenured mortician, received the body two days after the death and noticed abrasions on Lacy’s shoulders, arms, and face. Police said they thought they were due to ants, however, Newton stated the marks were akin to that of bar-room fight victims.
  • The NAACP’s forensic pathologist, Dr. Christena Roberts reviewed the official reports and has asked some pertinent questions. There was no item present at the scene that Lennon could have stood on, applied the noose then kicked away. It’s also important to note that the noose was made of two belts which she said did not appear to be long enough for Lacy to have been able to stand and position himself within the noose.
  • A few days following his burial, Lennon Lacy’s grave was desecrated. The offenders dumped the flowers over 40 feet away and dug a large hole in the corner of the plot.

Perhaps Lennon Lacy had deep secrets and internal pain that prompted him to take his own life. Perhaps he didn’t. I think, due to the questions raised by the aforementioned evidence, the circumstances surrounding his death deserve a thoughtful and thorough investigation. That’s all the family is requesting as well.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.