JACKSON, Miss. (AP) _ The family of a black man found hanging in a tree in the Mississippi Delta says they have evidence he was murdered, despite authorities' contentions he committed suicide.
Relatives of 26-year-old Frederick Jermaine Carter held a news conference Thursday in Jackson to call for a federal investigation.
Leflore County Sherriff Ricky Banks said the family has not shared any evidence with him.
Carter was found hanging from a tree Dec. 3 in a field near Greenwood.
Banks says Carter previously attempted suicide. He says the only footprints near the body matched Carter's shoes.
The family acknowledges Carter had a history of mental problems.
Banks said the FBI assisted in his investigation and found no evidence of murder. Still, no official ruling on the manner of death has been made public.
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