The FBI is reviewing the case of a Black man found hanging in an abandoned house in Alabama.
Deputies found the body of Dennoriss Richardson, 39, in September in a rural part of the Deep South state with a history of lynchings.
The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office initially ruled the man’s death a suicide. But the case has brought widespread skepticism from community members and Richardson’s wife, Leigh, who says she thinks her husband’s death stemmed from a lawsuit he filed against the local police department in February.
While in jail, the man claimed he was assaulted, denied medical attention, sprayed with tear gas and shocked with a Taser, according to ABC News.
Additionally, her husband did not have a connection to the home where he was found and a suicide note was never discovered.
Sheriff Eric Balentine told the outlet he feels confident in the findings but feels that a federal investigation would give the family more peace of mind.
He said that the department has “exhausted all resources” in its probe of the case.
The Independent has reached out to the sheriff’s office seeking more information. In a written statement, the FBI said it is “aware of the tragic death of Dennoriss Richardson and takes allegations of federal law violations seriously. The FBI reviews allegations of criminal conduct for their merit and conducts further investigation if there is evidence of a potential violation of federal law.”
Richardson’s wife described her late husband as a “warm” father to their five children. In the months after filing the lawsuit, she said police in the area routinely stopped her husband and he had been trying to stay out of the way.
Her husband went so far as to report the officers’ behavior to the Sheffield Mayor’s Office. Mayor Steve Stanley said he told Richardson that any officers reported through official channels would be investigated.
Richardson was charged with trafficking meth the week that he filed his lawsuit against the department. Police arrested him in a house where drugs were found. He was out on bond when he died.
“I have preached and believe that the majority of officers, at least, recognize that everybody deserves respect,” the mayor told the outlet.
According to the Equal Justice Initiative, at least 11 people were lynched in Colbert County between 1877 and 1943.
