A Brandon native found hanging near the Ameristar Casino in Vicksburg last month died by suicide, officials reported on Thursday.
An autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office found that Cory Zukatis, who was believed to be homeless at the time of his passing, took his own life in a wooded area of Washington Street on Sept. 15.
Zukatis’ body was discovered the same day Grenada native Trey Reed, a student, was found hanging on the campus of Delta State University, sparking speculation and raising questions about Mississippi’s troubled past regarding race relations. However, law enforcement officials have maintained that no foul play is suspected in Reed’s death, and the state medical examiner’s report found that Reed died by suicide. Officials added there is no connection between the deaths of Zukatis and Reed.
Reed’s family has since sought the counsel of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights Camp Autopsy Initiative” is funding an independent autopsy into Reed’s passing.
