Delta State University · Cleveland, Mississippi · September 2025 – present An official ruling is on record. His family contests how he was found — and the records that would settle it remain withheld.
From a Monday morning on campus to a federal file review — and a set of records requests that were denied. Ten pages, every one sourced.
10 pages · September 15, 2025 → September 2026
Plate 1 — The campus. The Bologna Performing Arts Center at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Reed, a first-year student, was found near the campus pickleball courts on the morning of September 15, 2025. Photo: Kilobytezero · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsPlate 2 — Cleveland. Downtown Cleveland, Mississippi, seat of Bolivar County, from the air. Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Document Plate
MISSISSIPPI STATE MEDICAL EXAMINER
Autopsy performed September 17, 2025
Ruling announced September 18, 2025: cause — hanging · manner — suicide
It is the ruling of record in this case, and it is contested by Reed's family, whose own independent autopsy report has never been released.
Photographs are used under the Creative Commons licenses credited on each plate, via Wikimedia Commons. No photograph of Trey Reed is published here; his images belong to his family.
At a glance
Demartravion "Trey" Reed Age 21 · from Grenada, Mississippi · first-year student, Delta State University Found Monday, September 15, 2025, about 7:00 a.m. — hanging from a tree near the campus pickleball courts At the scene The Bolivar County Coroner found no injuries consistent with an assault Official ruling Mississippi State Medical Examiner (autopsy Sept. 17, announced Sept. 18, 2025): cause — hanging; manner — suicide Federal review Cleveland's police chief states all investigative files were turned over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for review Contested The family disputes aspects of the case — including what they were first told — and commissioned an independent autopsy whose final report has not been released Records Campus security video and incident reports exist; press requests for them were denied
The case in brief
On the morning of Monday, September 15, 2025, Demartravion "Trey" Reed — 21, a first-year student at Delta State University — was found dead, hanging from a tree near the university's pickleball courts. The county coroner reported no signs of an assault, and two days later the State Medical Examiner ruled the death a suicide. That ruling is the official record, and this file presents it as such.
His family has never accepted the full account. They say they were first told he had died in his dormitoryUNVERIFIED — a dispute about the notification itself. They hired lawyers, obtained an independent autopsy funded by Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp, and joined a congressman in calling for a federal investigation. The local police chief then turned the entire investigative file over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for review. Meanwhile the campus security video and incident reports — records that could confirm or challenge everyone's account — remain withheld, and the family's independent autopsy report has never been published. This file holds every side of that public record, attributed, and nothing beyond it.
The timeline — full text
Monday, September 15, 2025 — about 7:00 a.m.Reed is found dead, hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on the Delta State University campus in Cleveland, Mississippi. He was 21, a first-year student from Grenada, Mississippi. — Clarion Ledger, Sept. 14, 2026 READ ARTICLE
September 15, 2025 — the sceneThe Bolivar County Coroner examines the scene and reports finding no injuries consistent with an assault. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
September 17, 2025The Mississippi State Medical Examiner performs the autopsy. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
September 18, 2025 — the rulingThe Medical Examiner's ruling is announced: cause of death, hanging; manner of death, suicide. This becomes the ruling of record. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
September 2025 — the family respondsReed's family retains attorneys, including the firm of Ben Crump and attorney Vanessa J. Jones. The family states publicly that when they were first notified, they were told Reed had died in his dorm roomUNVERIFIED — a factual dispute about the notification that becomes part of the case's public record. — Clarion Ledger READ ARTICLE
September 2025 — a call for federal reviewU.S. Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi calls for the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate Reed's death. — Clarion Ledger, Sept. 14, 2026 READ ARTICLE
Fall 2025 — the file goes federalCleveland Police Chief Travis Tribble states that all investigative files and materials in the case have been turned over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their review. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
October 2025 — the second autopsyAn independent autopsy, funded by Colin Kaepernick's Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative, is performed. Preliminary findings are shared with the family in October 2025; the family has said those findings included trauma and bruisingUNVERIFIED. The independent pathologist's final report has never been made public — and by 2026 the family was publicly criticizing a lack of transparency about it, including from their own legal representation. — Clarion Ledger, Apr. 6, 2026 READ ARTICLE
2025–26 — the records fightThe Clarion Ledger files public-records requests for the campus security video and incident reports. The requests are denied under the exemption for investigative files. The university confirms the footage exists and is part of the investigation; it has not been released. — Clarion Ledger READ ARTICLE
September 2026 — one year onThe official ruling stands: suicide. No outcome of the federal file review has been announced. The independent autopsy report remains unreleased, the campus video remains withheld, and the family is still asking for both. — Clarion Ledger, Sept. 14, 2026 READ ARTICLE
Public statements — who has said what, on the record
Mississippi State Medical Examiner · Sept. 18, 2025Ruled the cause of death hanging and the manner suicide, following the Sept. 17 autopsy. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
Bolivar County Coroner · Sept. 2025Reported no injuries consistent with an assault at the scene. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
Chief Travis Tribble, Cleveland Police · Fall 2025Stated that all investigative files and materials were turned over to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for review. — Mississippi Free Press READ ARTICLE
Delta State University · 2025Confirmed campus security footage exists and is part of the investigation; it has not been released, and press requests for it were denied. — Clarion Ledger READ ARTICLE
The Reed family & their attorneys · 2025–26Say they were first told Reed died in his dorm room; dispute the completeness of the official account; sought an independent autopsy and federal investigation; and by 2026 were publicly pressing for the release of their own autopsy's final report. — Clarion Ledger READ ARTICLE
Rep. Bennie Thompson · Sept. 2025Called for the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the death. — Clarion Ledger READ ARTICLE
People & offices in the record
Demartravion "Trey" Reed· 21 · Grenada, Mississippi · first-year student, Delta State University
For the family The firm of Ben Crump · Vanessa J. Jones · attorney · Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative · funded the independent autopsy
Officials & offices Mississippi State Medical Examiner · autopsy & ruling · Bolivar County Coroner · scene examination · Travis Tribble · Chief, Cleveland Police Department · Bennie Thompson · U.S. Representative (MS) · FBI & U.S. Attorney's Office · file review
The records — what exists, and what has not been released
State autopsy — performed Sept. 17, 2025; ruling (hanging / suicide) announced publicly Sept. 18. Status: RULING PUBLIC
Independent autopsy — performed for the family, funded by the Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative; preliminary findings shared with the family Oct. 2025. Status: FINAL REPORT NOT RELEASED
Campus security video — confirmed to exist and to be part of the investigation. Status: WITHHELD
Incident reports — requested by the Clarion Ledger under public-records law. Status: REQUEST DENIED (investigative-file exemption)
Federal file review — investigative files turned over to the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office, per the Cleveland police chief. Status: NO OUTCOME ANNOUNCED
Documents & reporting
News record
Mississippi Free Press — the State Medical Examiner's ruling, the coroner's findings, and the federal file review. READ
Clarion Ledger, Apr. 6, 2026 — the family seeks the independent autopsy report; the transparency dispute inside the case. READ
How to read this file: Officials have ruled on this death, and this file records that ruling plainly. It also records — attributed, never endorsed — what the family disputes, and it keeps a ledger of the records that exist but remain unreleased, because in this case the missing documents are part of the public story. CrowdSleuth draws no conclusion of its own.
A note for readers: this file concerns a death ruled a suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, in the U.S. you can call or text 988 — the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — at any time.
Know a case that should be documented? Tell us the name, the place, and what you know — we research the public record from there.
Case File 004 · Trey Reed
FILE PAGE 1 / 10
Request a Case
Tell us about a case you'd like documented. Every request is checked against public records and reporting before a file is opened — a request is a lead, not a publication.
Request received ✓
Thank you. Your request is with the research desk. If the public record supports a file, it will join the library.
