HENDERSON, N.C. — The family of 21-year-old Javion Magee, a Black man found dead with a rope around his neck in Vance County last week, held a news conference Wednesday addressing his death and the investigation.
Their appearance comes two days after a video was released showing Magee buying rope at Walmart the night before he died.
Last Wednesday, Magee, an Illinois resident, was found in a parking lot on Vanco Mill Road near Henderson – with a rope around his neck – according to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.
Newly released surveillance footage from the sheriff's office shows Magee buying the rope at a nearby Walmart the night before his body was found.
The 911 call from the person who found Magee's body was also released.
The caller said, "I’m at my job mowing grass, and I think there’s a man out here who hung himself in a tree."
The 911 operator responded, "A guy hung himself in a tree?" and the 911 caller confirmed, "Yeah, he looks dead. He’s still got a rope around his neck."
Magee's family claims they were told he died by suicide
A family spokesperson claims that law enforcement told the family Magee died by suicide.
In an interview Friday, Brame denied that, saying, "at no point in time have we said this was a suicide."
