Two Black Hanging-Death Cases in Roanoke Rapids, Raleigh

KEMETIC MINDS
Strange Fruit — August 24, 2026

---

Case: Demetrius Fleming, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Demetrius Fleming, 38, a Black man, was found Aug. 21 connected to a ligature in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina [1]. His death remains under investigation ^[1].

Police Chief Lawrence Wiggins called the case “equivocal” and said, “We are aware of the implications surrounding the death of a Black man by hanging” ^[1]. Wiggins was careful not to rush toward either suicide or homicide ^[1].

Case: Unidentified Man, Raleigh, North Carolina

Six days before Fleming was found, less than 100 miles away, another Black man was discovered hanging from a tree in downtown Raleigh ^[1]. The unidentified man was 32 years old ^[1].

Surveillance footage reportedly shows him approaching the tree alone while carrying an electrical cord ^[1]. Police say they found no evidence anyone else was involved ^[1].

His mother told investigators her son had struggled with his mental health ^[1]. Police said the evidence points toward suicide ^[1].

How to Protect Yourself and Your Family

These are general, actionable safety steps — not specific to any case above.

Before Anything Happens

• Share your live location with a trusted person — Use a phone’s built-in location-sharing (Find My / Google Maps location sharing) with at least one person you trust, especially when traveling alone, at festivals, or in an unfamiliar city.
• Agree on a check-in schedule — Set a specific time to check in by text or call when going somewhere new — a missed check-in is the earliest possible warning sign, and it only works if someone is expecting it.
• Keep a written record of plans — Tell someone the specific address, event, or route you’re heading to, and who you expect to be with.

The First 24-48 Hours of a Disappearance

• Do not wait 24 hours to report — There is no official waiting period to file a missing-person report in the United States — contact local police immediately. The first hours are the most critical window for locating someone.
• File with local police, not just online — Go in person or call the non-emergency line of the police department covering the area the person was last seen, and ask for a case number.
• Contact the Black and Missing Foundation — BAMFI helps families get missing-persons cases visibility and media coverage: 1-877-972-2634.
• Submit the case to NamUs — The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (namus.gov) is the free national database law enforcement and families can both use to search and cross-reference cases.
• Preserve digital evidence — Screenshot the person’s last social media activity, save texts, and note their phone’s last known location before it might be wiped or reset.

Staying Safe Day to Day

• Trust your instincts in unfamiliar situations — If a situation feels wrong, leave — don’t wait for proof.
• Travel in groups when possible — At festivals, parks, or unfamiliar areas, especially at night, stay with people you know.
• Keep emergency contacts accessible — Store ICE (In Case of Emergency) contacts directly on your phone’s lock screen.

Track every current Black missing-persons case we know of, plotted on one map, on our standing Missing People in the United States page.

References

1. Baptist News Global. (2026, n.d.). https://baptistnews.com/article/another-black-man-was-found-hanging-friday/. https://baptistnews.com/article/another-black-man-was-found-hanging-friday/ ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d ↩e ↩f ↩g ↩h ↩i ↩j