A federal investigation has been launched after Otis Byrd was found about a half-mile from his Claiborne County, Mississippi home, hanging from a tree with a bed sheet around his neck. Reports have revealed that his hands weren't tied behind his back, but Sherrif Marvin Lucas said he wasn't ruling out foul play.
"We didn't close down any options because we really didn't know what had happened to him. We can't rule anything out right now."
Several reports have also revealed that Byrd spent 25 years in prison after being convicted of captial murder in 1980 for the death of Lucille Trim during a robbery.
The FBI and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations are currently assisting with the case and forensics to determine the cause and manner of death. The NAACP, the first organization to release Byrd's identity, have also written a letter to the Department of Justice, asking them to get involved with the case.
