Javion Magee, 21, from Illinois, was discovered on September 11 outside a business on Vanco Mill Road. According to the sheriff’s office, Magee was found seated at the base of a medium-sized tree with a rope wrapped around his neck, the other end of which was attached to the tree.
Candice Matthews, a spokesperson for the family, told WRAL News that Magee worked as a delivery truck driver and graduated from Longview High School in Texas. Matthews stated that the family believes Magee’s death to be a hate crime, saying, “In my opinion, it’s a hate crime because this young man had no indication of suicidal ideation.”
During a Friday news conference, Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame mentioned that evidence shows Magee purchased a rope from a Walmart where he had stopped for a delivery before his death. The sheriff’s office is using GPS data from Magee’s delivery truck to develop a timeline of events leading up to his death.
Brame did not provide any information about a suspect but noted that the cause of Magee’s death remains unknown. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Friday at the N.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
