An ongoing police investigation surrounds the death of a 38-year-old Black man found hanging last Friday morning. The police chief of the city reports that the cause of death is yet to be established.
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.
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.
The recent death case follows a similar incident that happened a week ago. Wiggins referred to the Raleigh case, where police ruled the death a suicide, according to WITN.
Chief Rico Boyce of Raleigh Police reported on Aug. 17 that video surveillance footage, along with traffic cameras, showed the 32-year-old man walking alone to the tree carrying an electrical cord, and investigators found no indication of anyone else’s involvement. Boyce added that the woman’s mother informed investigators of the man’s mental problems.
The death of the 32-year-old man became an occasion of fear, pain, and concern for the population, according to the statement made by the North Carolina NAACP and its Raleigh-Apex branch.
The reason why the Raleigh death case received so much attention is the connection of a Black man found hanging from a tree in the South with the history of racist lynchings. Demetrius Eugene Fleming was originally from Roanoke Rapids, was born in January 1988, and his relatives said he was a husband and father.
Persons with information are encouraged to contact Halifax County Crime Stoppers at 252-583-4444 or via the P3 Tips app.
