This is Lennon Lacy, 17 year old football player, son, nephew and dead as of August 29, 2014. Lennon lived in the town of Bladenboro, a small berg in the eastern part of North Carolina. He was found hanging from a swing set in a predominantly white occupied trailer park.
There wasn't much media coverage so most of us, even those of us who live in North Carolina, were not aware of his death but that is about to change.
The case of Lennon Lacy was quickly ruled a suicide, supposedly brought on by depression over the death of his sick great uncle with whom he was close. But Lennon did not appear depressed and had no prior medical diagnosis of depression or any other mental illness. In fact, Lennon was cleaning his football equipment earlier on the day he died in preparation for a Friday night game.
He was found hanging from a 7'6" cross beam of a swingset without any swings attached. There was nothing found at the scene for him to stand on and he was 5'9". There were two connected belts used, one of which was a blue belt that did not belong to Lennon.“There are a number of concerning factors about the apparent noose. The picture provided show that the black belt was not consistent with the one worn by Lennon. The blue belt is reported to be consistent with a belt worn by a male who resided in the mobile home where Lennon was last known alive.” (Finding of Dr Christena Roberts, FL based pathologist hired by NAACP)
He was wearing white sneakers without laces two sizes too small for him and between the trailer park and the medical examiner's office, the sneakers disappeared from his feet!
"An official autopsy carried out by the chief medical examiner, Dr Deborah Radisch, soon after Lacy’s body was discovered concluded that the cause of death was “asphyxia due to hanging”. But both the medical examiner investigation report and the death certificate went further, listing the manner of death as “suicide”."
More disturbing information: "Furthermore, no photographs were taken at the scene of Lacy’s death. According to the local medical examiner identified in the report as “Mr. Kinlaw,” SBI officials at the scene wouldn’t allow him to take pictures and threatened to confiscate his camera if he did. Kinlaw also stated that local officers didn’t want an autopsy performed on Lacy’s body and that he had to order one from the local District Attorney’s office." Article Here
Every North Carolinian who lets this slip by without demanding further investigation should hang their head in shame. To lose one of our bright and shining stars without shedding a tear or raising a fist in rage will certainly prove the comment left by amjad65: "We are ceased to exist as civilized, compassionate , God fearing , society."
Contact one or both of these two people to demand a thorough and complete investigation into the death of Lennon Lacy.
Thomas G. Walker, USA
Office of the United States Attorney
310 New Bern Avenue
Federal Building, Suite 800
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1461
Phone: (919) 856-4530
Fax: (919) 856-4487
USANCE.webmaster@usdoj.gov
Office of the United States Attorney
310 New Bern Avenue
Federal Building, Suite 800
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1461
Phone: (919) 856-4530
Fax: (919) 856-4487
USANCE.webmaster@usdoj.gov
Congressman Mike McIntyre (outgoing)
2428 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2731
Fax: (202) 225-5773
2428 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2731
Fax: (202) 225-5773
"Furthermore, no photographs were taken at the scene of Lacy’s death. According to the local medical examiner identified in the report as “Mr. Kinlaw,” SBI officials at the scene wouldn’t allow him to take pictures and threatened to confiscate his camera if he did.
ReplyDeleteThat alone raises all sorts of suspicions. Why no photos? This story has a certain stench to it. I hope people who have the authority insist on a thorough investigation. Heartbreaking.
"Every North Carolinian who lets this slip by without demanding further investigation should hang their head in shame."
ReplyDeleteI don't know what and how many people it would take to forcibly hang a strong young man from such an object without a lot of evidence of trauma. I do know that so many people go from apparent normality to suicide or violence without any outward signs. Frankly just looking at the swing set it seems very easy to climb one end to the crossbar and jump. Without evidence i could see it both ways. Certainly the investigation seems lax and faulty, but I haven't read it and I don't know the deceased or his circumstances either -- and we weren't there.
I can't see anyone knowing as little as we are being told thinking an investigation isn't warranted and we're all used to coverups and shady doings, but I do suggest, knowing I'll be criticized for it, not making a jump of our own and while demanding further investigation by an unimpeachable source try not to make it a circus of preconceived notions, biases and long-jump conclusions.
Yes one suspects racism in such places, one expects protection of the guilty and the prosecution of the innocent, but that much more is rage not going to help. Suspicion based on race is -- well you know what it is. One also has to suspect hyperbole and gerrymandering of evidence on all sides and acknowledge that teenage boys are supremely irrational, often depressed for no damned reason and always unpredictable.
So yes, push for more evidence and keep an open mind.
Fogg, I would like to believe that this is all just another tragic suicide and perhaps in the end, that is what it will be but finding a 17 year old dead by hanging certainly calls for a much more thorough investigation than what was done. I always try to keep an open mind as things are rarely what they seem at first, but far too many times the truth is obscured in cover ups and corruption.
ReplyDeleteThere can be no doubt in a sane persons mind that this tragic event requires, no, demands a more thorough investigation.
ReplyDeletePoints made by the Captain are spot on and we all would do well keeping them in mind.
It's sad, but I think some cynicism is always in order. Yes, of course I suspect a coverup, but unfortunately things are presented to us pre-framed and it's necessary to take them out of the frame and look at all sides.
ReplyDeleteIn the months since the Ferguson incident, I have read the news accounts and followed the commentary - but assiduously avoided expressing a viewpoint on the subject. As Doug Adams observes, bad news travels faster than the speed of light – especially sensationalized news or inflammatory news whose purpose is to bring out the pitchfork brigade. Read but refrain from commentary until all facts are known: This has been my attitude of late.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, with respect to the Ferguson incident, we did learn that the black Community had been harassed for years by local police – with numerous documented abuses ranging from speed traps to racial profiling.
We need not determine the guilt or innocence of subject officer or subject victim to understand community resentments that had been boiling for years. Furthermore, we need not determine guilt or innocence to know that some citizens are marginalized and treated with callous disregard or depraved indifference compared with other groups.
News accounts covering various and sundry incidents show that law enforcement officers all too often make tragic mistakes. As recently as yesterday, a 12-year old boy was killed in Cleveland for carrying a replica gun on a playground. A chokehold - banned under police policy – caused the death of a Staten Island man. A swat team mistakenly shot a 911 caller during a Vancouver manhunt. Innocent lives lost due to a momentary lack of restraint. Clearly, a review of police procedures is long overdue.
These days, the default condition – on the part of police officers, our news media, and the general public - is to “shoot first, ask questions later.” It appears our priorities run counter to the dictates of law and common sense.
You are wise Father Octo
ReplyDeleteI have to affirm
hysteria spreads like a fire
And if I had time
to come up with a rhyme
I'd continue - but of verse I do tire.
The hype is so thick you could cut it with a knife, with CNN hunkered down and bundled up in coats waiting breathlessly in the assumption that there will be riots. I don't know, do we go all tea party and decide that you can't trust the cops or the prosecutors so we are against laws? We we "go all second amendment?" It all starts to sound familiar, but the last thing the media, smelling ratings, wants is to refrain from commentary until the facts are known.
I can almost smell the tear gas