Family Demands Answers in Black Man Found Hanging from Tree

Death Investigation of Tory Medley

• 📌 A family is demanding answers after Tory Medley, a 39-year-old Black man, was found hanging from a tree near the Brookfield Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin on November 13th.
• 🔍 The City of Brookfield Police Department has declared the death as self-induced, stating there is no indication of foul play, though the investigation is ongoing.
• ⏳ A key question surrounds the timeline between Medley leaving his Milwaukee apartment on November 11th and being found on November 13th, with his phone, ID, and backpack missing.

Family's Concerns and Independent Autopsy

• ❓ Medley's sister, Sheena, highlighted that his backpack was later found at Brookfield Square, and the family questions how he reached the Brookfield area.
• 🩺 The Waushara County Medical Examiner had not yet ruled on a cause of death as of December 29th, and the death certificate was pending.
• ⚖️ The family and Wisconsin civil rights groups have criticized the police for quickly labeling the death a suicide before the medical examiner's official ruling, urging for a transparent investigation.
• 💰 The family is funding an independent autopsy, having started a GoFundMe to cover the costs.

Historical Context and Similar Cases

• ✊ The case has raised concerns due to the history of lynchings in the U.S. and the current political climate, with a Marquette University professor noting the importance of being mindful of heightened issues associated with bigotry.
• 📜 Historically, lynchings were used by white people to terrorize and control Black people; the NAACP records over 4,700 documented lynchings between 1882 and 1968.
• 😔 The death of Tory Medley occurred in the shadow of the case of Demar Trevon Reed, a Black student found hanging from a tree at Delta State University in September 2025, which authorities also ruled as self-induced.

Expert and Guest Analysis

• 🧐 Dr. Rashad Richey and guest Jordan Uhl express extreme suspicion regarding the police department's swift determination of suicide.
• 🗣️ Uhl argues that determining the cause of death is the medical examiner's role, not the police department's, especially when there are unanswered questions about the facts.
• ⚖️ It's emphasized that a police report stating a conclusion of suicide, without a medical examiner's confirmation, would be considered hearsay and inadmissible in court.
• ⚠️ The finding of a body hanging from a tree is presented as potential evidence of foul play, particularly when occurring outside a person's usual district.