The death of a homeless Black man in California involved no foul play and he died by suicide, his family said

Advertisement
The death of a homeless Black man in California involved no foul play and he died by suicide, his family said
A woman raises her fist next to a person holding a portrait of Malcolm Harsch during a protest over the death of Harsch, a black man who was found hanging from a tree, June 16, 2020, in Victorville, California.Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images
  • A 38-year-old Black man found hanging from a tree in Victorville, California, on May 31, died by apparent suicide, according to his family.
  • Malcolm Harsch's autopsy showed that there were "no signs of foul play," according to the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department.
  • Harsch was one of two men who were found dead in alleged hangings in the state.
  • Federal and state authorities will investigate whether the two deaths are linked in any way.
Advertisement

The family of a man whose body was found hanging from a tree in California believe he died by apparent suicide, according to a spokesman.

Najee Ali, a community activist and spokesman for the family of 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch, said in the statement that the family believes he died by suicide after police showed them "video evidence."

Harsch, who was homeless, was found hanging from a tree in Victorville, California, on May 31. Detectives working on the case had obtained surveillance footage from a vacant building near where the incident occurred and showed it to the family per their request.

His autopsy, which was conducted on June 12, showed that there were "no signs of foul play," according to the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department.

However, the forensic pathologist is still waiting for the full toxicology results before confirming the cause of death.

Advertisement

"Although there remains no sign of foul play, the forensic pathologist is waiting for toxicology results before assigning the cause and manner of death," the department said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the Sheriff's Department offered more details of the incident, saying officers were called to a homeless encampment in the area.

"The caller said she and [her] boyfriend, later identified as Malcolm Harsch, had been together during the morning, but she had since returned to her tent for a short period of time. She was alerted by others in the encampment that Mr. Harsch was found hanging from a tree and cut down. People in the encampment were performing CPR, attempting to revive Mr. Harsch," the statement said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"The family wants to sincerely thank everyone for their support and prayers," Ali wrote.

Harsch's sister, Harmonie, described her brother on Facebook as being a "caring" person. "He was caring. Respectable. Talented. Loved his music. He was a son, a brother, a dad, a grandfather, a friend and he love every single person like his family," she wrote.

Advertisement

The death of a homeless Black man in California involved no foul play and he died by suicide, his family said
A demonstrator raises his fist during a protest rally for Robert Fuller whose body was found hanging from a tree a block from Palmdale City Hall, in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Palmdale, California, U.S., June 13, 2020.Ringo Chiu/Reuters

Harsch was one of two men found dead in alleged hangings in California.

Last week, Robert Fuller, a 24-year-old Black man, was also found hanging from a tree near City Hall in Palmdale, California, which is roughly 53 miles away from where Harsch died.

His death was ruled an apparent suicide by the county medical examiner-coroner's office, which prompted an outcry by his family who doesn't believe he was suicidal and has since asked for an independent investigation and autopsy.

The incident prompted large protests as demonstrators backed the family. Senator Kamala Harris, rapper and actor Jaden Smith, and the lawyer for George's Floyd's family, Ben Crump, were among those calling for a further investigation.

Advertisement

"The initial report appeared to be consistent with a suicide but we felt it prudent to roll that back and continue to look deeper," Dr. Jonathan Lucas said Monday at a news conference.

Authorities said there was nothing to indicate foul play and that officers at the scene only found rope and a backpack in the park.

Details of the case continued to unfold this week, when a family attorney said that Fuller's half-brother, Terron Jammal Boone, was killed in a deputy-involved shooting in Kern County on Wednesday.

"This afternoon I had to notify the sisters of Robert Fuller that their half-brother Terron Jammal Boone was killed by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in Kern County," Jamon Hicks said in a statement, according to CNN.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his team would consult with San Bernardino detectives to see if there are any commonalities between the two deaths.

Advertisement

Their deaths come amid nationwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

{{}}