Rasheem Carter death: County sheriff launches homicide investigation amid public outrage
TAYLORSVILLE, MISSISSIPPI: The family of Rasheem Carter, who was found dead in a wooded area south of Taylorsville, Mississippi, is still awaiting justice. The young black man had called his mother before his disappearance and told her that he’s been chased by white men in three trucks. He was reported missing on October 2, and that was the last time his family heard from him.
The local authorities discovered his remains on November 2, and though the case was still under investigation, the Smith County Sheriff’s Department said that there was "no reason to believe foul play was involved".
During Monday’s news conference, March 13, Carter’s family attorney demanded the case be investigated by Justice Department as a civil rights case instead. The family also accused the authorities of keeping them in dark for months and trying to cover up a brutal hate crime. Ben Crump, Carter’s attorney said, "This was a nefarious act. This was an evil act. Somebody murdered Rasheem Carter, and we cannot let them get away with this.”
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Indiana State Police asks for help to identify body of Black boy found in wooded area
'Nothing is being swept under the rug'
We NEED a federal investigation into the killing of Rasheem Carter! An independent autopsy revealed his death was NOT due to natural causes! Rasheem was ignored after seeking help from police, and no progress has been made to find his killers — his family deserves justice! pic.twitter.com/ENbGEHCyHZ
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) March 15, 2023
After facing a lot of backlash from the public, Smith County Sheriff, Joel Houston, said on Tuesday, March 14, that he hasn’t ruled out homicide in Rasheem Carter’s case, a complete U-turn from his earlier statement. He defended himself by saying that was no evidence at the time pointing to the director of possible murder. “Nothing is being swept under the rug. There’s nothing to hide,” he said. Houston added, "It was just letting the local or general public know that at this time no one else is believed to be involved. It does seem to have caused unnecessary headaches, but we only have what the evidence tells us. At that time, the evidence didn’t suggest anything."
Who was Rasheem Carter?
The 25-year-old, Rasheem Carter, was a welder from Fayette, Mississippi, and was in Taylorsville, about 100 miles away from home, working a short-term contracting gig. His mother Tiffany Carter shared that the young black man was saving money to restart his seafood restaurant, which was shut down due to the pandemic, reports NBC News.
“That was his goal. That was why he went back out to work.” But while working on the short-term project, he reportedly had a disagreement with at least one co-worker and fled the site, fearing for his life, claims his mother. “He said, ‘I got these men trying to kill me,’” Carter’s mother recalled what he said during the call.