Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick said he will pay for an independent autopsy for Demartravion “Trey” Reed, Delta State University (DSU) student who was found hanging from a tree on campus, civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Friday.
Crump announced that Kaepernick would be funding a second autopsy for Reed through the former quarterback’s “Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative.”
On Thursday, Cleveland Police Department (CPD) officials said the Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Sept. 17 and determined the cause of death was hanging, concluding the action to be suicide. CPD Officials added that final toxicology results are underway and may take two to four weeks to finish.
According to DSU officials, university police and local authorities were immediately notified after staff found the body hanging from a tree near the campus pickleball courts at around 7 a.m. on Sept. 15. Classes were canceled for the day.
Reed’s family reported conflicting accounts of the student’s death from authorities. Attorneys for Reed’s family said police initially told them that the 21-year-old had died in his dorm room.
“The family does not know exactly what happened on Sept. 15, 2025,” Vanessa J. Jones, one of the family’s attorneys, said. “We are seeking answers.”
“Trey’s death evoked the collective memory of a community that has suffered a historic wound over many, many years and many, many deaths,” Crump said in a statement. “Peace will come only by getting to the truth. We thank Colin Kaepernick for supporting this grieving family and the cause of justice and truth.”