The death of Rasheem Carter, a 25-year-old Black man from Mississippi, has prompted calls for a federal investigation into his murder. In November 2022, Rasheem’s dismembered body was found in the woods roughly 20 miles away outside of Taylorsville, Mississippi. According to his mother, Tiffany Carter, Rasheem called her for help in early October, telling her that a group of white men in three trucks were chasing him and yelling racial slurs at him in Laurel, Mississippi. Initially, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office stated that they did not suspect foul play and that Rasheem’s wounds may have been caused by an animal (Bella, 2023).

However, after an autopsy was conducted in February 2023, it was revealed that Rasheem’s head was severed from his body, and other body parts were found in different locations, leading civil rights attorney Ben Crump to call for a federal investigation into the incident as a hate crime. Carlos Moore, another attorney representing Rasheem’s family, has confirmed that the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is now investigating the case (Bella, 2023).

The killing of Rasheem Carter has reignited concerns over racially motivated deaths in Mississippi. From 1877 to 1950, over 4,000 Black men, women, and children were lynched in cities and towns across the country, with Mississippi recording the highest number of lynchings at 581 (Bella, 2023). The case has been gaining attention, with civil rights advocates calling for justice to be served.

Rasheem Carter, who worked as a welder, was remembered by his family and friends as a loving father who worked hard to provide for his young daughter. The investigation into his death is ongoing, and there is no timetable for the Sheriff’s Office’s investigation. Tiffany Carter vowed that her family would not rest until they received answers about who killed her son (Bella, 2023).

Reference:

Bella, T. (2023, February 27). Rasheem Carter’s family calls for civil rights investigation into his death. MSN. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/rasheem-carter-s-family-calls-for-civil-rights-investigation-into-his-death/ar-AAV0skB.