Autopsy Pending in Hanging Death of Delta State University Student
CLEVELAND,Miss. - Authorities in Mississippi are awaiting autopsy results following the discovery of the body of a Black Delta State University student found hanged near campus on Monday,sparking concerns and calls for a federal investigation. The student has been identified as Marquon McKinney.
The death has deeply unsettled the university community and drawn comparisons too the state’s history of racial violence, especially the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till, whose body was discovered roughly 30 miles from the Delta state campus.The incident comes at a sensitive time, as many Black students express feeling that university officials are minimizing the gravity of the situation.
Delta State University President Dan Ennis addressed the situation in a press conference on Wednesday,September 17,2025,but details remain scarce as the investigation unfolds. The Cleveland Police Department is leading the inquiry, wiht support from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
Located in the Mississippi Delta,Delta State enrolled over 2,600 students in fall 2024,with black students comprising 42% of the student body. The case has prompted a request for federal involvement from U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, who has urged the FBI to launch a parallel investigation.
McKinney’s mother contacted him during class on Monday, concerned for his safety before learning of the death, according to McKinney. He stated, “Everybody’s upset right now,” and expressed a belief that university leadership is attempting to downplay the event. “It’s a lot of emotions going on.”
The autopsy is expected to provide crucial information as investigators work to determine the circumstances surrounding McKinney’s death. The outcome will likely shape the direction of the investigation and influence the response from both the university and the wider community.
