HENDERSON, N.C. - Javion Magee, 21, found dead leaning against a tree with a rope around his neck

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The information released by LE indicates that he went into a nearby Hampton Inn but left 10 minutes later. I assume he was staying there, but it’s not clear.

I also didn’t understand the rationale that “nothing under his fingernails” pointed to foul play. Would think the opposite, as others have mentioned.
 
Thank you for sharing. I had come across the part about them not allowing the family to identify the body on SM but didn't want to share it because I couldn't find a MSM source.

It may be extremely telling, or it may not be. Hopefully answers start coming to light.
I can understand them not sending a photo to the family for identification. That would put very sensitive material (and evidence) out of their hands and control. Not releasing a photo makes sense, even if it is painful to the family who want to see it.

jmo
 
I'm curious about the 911 call. The caller states "hung himself in a tree". "In", not "from". Was Javion's body hanging at the time of the call but later fell?
The 911 call from the person who found Magee's body was also released.

The caller said, "I’m at my job mowing grass, and I think there’s a man out here who hung himself in a tree."

The 911 operator responded, "A guy hung himself in a tree?" and the 911 caller confirmed, "Yeah, he looks dead. He’s still got a rope around his neck."
Source
 
I'm curious about the 911 call. The caller states "hung himself in a tree". "In", not "from". Was Javion's body hanging at the time of the call but later fell?

Source
It does seem strange to speculate that much. The caller says he still has the rope around his neck so he is speculating that he may have hanged himself, but the caller states the hanging as fact.

I can only imagine my shock at finding him. I think I’d just say I think a man is dead, send help.

Just my opinion
 
It does seem strange to speculate that much. The caller says he still has the rope around his neck so he is speculating that he may have hanged himself, but the caller states the hanging as fact.

I can only imagine my shock at finding him. I think I’d just say I think a man is dead, send help.

Just my opinion
Right. Perhaps I'm being nitpicky, but if I found a dead person at the base of a tree with a rope around his neck, my instinct would not be to say, "he hung himself in a tree." For all I know, he may have never been up in the tree.
 
Right. Perhaps I'm being nitpicky, but if I found a dead person at the base of a tree with a rope around his neck, my instinct would not be to say, "he hung himself in a tree." For all I know, he may have never been up in the tree.
I don't know. In shock, you might see a man with a rope around his neck and just assume he had been in the tree and say it that way as it's kind of in the common vernacular that hangings are IN trees. The priority would be summoning help, not defining prepositions, ykiwm?

jmo
 
I don't know. In shock, you might see a man with a rope around his neck and just assume he had been in the tree and say it that way as it's kind of in the common vernacular that hangings are IN trees. The priority would be summoning help, not defining prepositions, ykiwm?

jmo
Oh, for sure. I get that. I'm more curious if the caller actually saw the body hanging, or was just using common vernacular, as you say.

If the victim's neck was injured, which it was, enough force would have to have been applied to break the skin. I would think either the weight of his own body, or the application of force from an assailant would do that. I'm not sure a person would inflict that much damage to their own neck without the weight of actually hanging, but again, I'm no expert.
 
Oh, for sure. I get that. I'm more curious if the caller actually saw the body hanging, or was just using common vernacular, as you say.

If the victim's neck was injured, which it was, enough force would have to have been applied to break the skin. I would think either the weight of his own body, or the application of force from an assailant would do that. I'm not sure a person would inflict that much damage to their own neck without the weight of actually hanging, but again, I'm no expert.
Fwiw, my hunch is this was self-inflicted and he was never "in" the tree, but of course will await official announcement. I just am not reading much into the caller's use of the word "in."

jmo
 
The information released by LE indicates that he went into a nearby Hampton Inn but left 10 minutes later. I assume he was staying there, but it’s not clear.
Regarding the Hampton;
According to the warrant, Magee was recorded using the self-checkout at Walmart, wearing the same clothes he was later found in. Twelve minutes later, he entered the Hampton Inn on Ruin Creek Road but left shortly after when an associate informed him that no rooms were available that night.
Source
 
Oh, for sure. I get that. I'm more curious if the caller actually saw the body hanging, or was just using common vernacular, as you say.

If the victim's neck was injured, which it was, enough force would have to have been applied to break the skin. I would think either the weight of his own body, or the application of force from an assailant would do that. I'm not sure a person would inflict that much damage to their own neck without the weight of actually hanging, but again, I'm no expert.
Most people that hang themselves don’t just drop and die. They actually strangle themselves to death and there is considerable movement in the way of thrashing around usually indicated by disturbed ground under the feet if they are in contact with the ground and abrasions on the arms and legs if they are close to a tree, ladder or other object that they could come into contact with. This is also what causes the abrasions to the neck from the rope rubbing against the skin during the process. It’s most likely that there is petichae (small pinpointed ruptured blood vessels) visible in the eyes as would be normally seen on a strangulation type of death. Just some things to consider.
 
The family's press release just wrapped up. From what I could tell, the only new information was that there were other truckers parked where Javion was parked that night, according to one of the family's attorneys.

One moment I found interesting was one of the questions. Right out the gate one of the attorney's stated,
"we're investigating the lynching of a young man in 2024."

Someone asked that same attorney why they think it was a lynching over another cause of death, and the attorney responded,
"I don't think it's the case. I don't know that lynching or a hate crime is in fact the case."

That same attorney then said,
"We're here to direct the family wherever the evidence goes."

With the attention this case is getting, one can likely be sure the sheriff's office will be sure to cross every t and dot every i (not that it necessarily wouldn't have otherwise). Hopefully their investigation will answer lingering questions and dispel any untruths.

Press release
 
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The 911 caller said he was mowing grass in the area. It’s possible he accidentally bumped a tree or low hanging branches and knocked the body loose. There are a ton of different possibilities that could explain why he would think it was a suicide. It doesn’t make me suspect the caller. MOO
 
The 21-year-old truck driver found dead in Henderson last week had a rope he had purchased wrapped around his neck 11 times, and he gave a homeless man $228 only hours before his death, sheriff’s investigators said Wednesday.
Javion Magee gave homeless person $228, had rope coiled around his neck, sheriff says

While leaving, the sheriff’s office said Magee was seen stopping and exiting his truck. He gave $228 in cash to a homeless person sitting at the entrance. Investigators found and interviewed this person. He allegedly told this person, “I don’t know how much it is, but if I had more I would give it to you.”
To get a more complete picture of what happened before his death, investigators said they are now submitting search warrants to access Magee’s phone.
TIMELINE: Details of Javion Magee’s death in Vance County released by sheriff
 
6:52 p.m. — Truck pulls back onto the dirt lot at 285 Vanco Mill Road and the ignition is turned off.

The sheriff’s office said surveillance footage from the area shows Magee exiting the driver’s side of the truck and walks “alone towards the wood line on the eastern side of the dirt lot” with an object in his hand.

Magee walks around a trailer and to the front gate of a tractor and truck repair shop before walking back to the wood line of the lot, investigators said.

7 p.m. — Surveillance video shows Magee re-enter the truck and the GPS shows the truck ignition is turned on. From the video, it does not appear Mr. Magee has anything in his hand at the time he re-enters the truck.

7:28 p.m. — Truck is still in an idling state.

7:30 p.m. — Ignition is turned off for a final time.

Investigators said Magee is seen on video walking away from the truck towards the trees, alone, and he does not return.

Google street view of the road/lot where he last parked his truck, 285 Vanco Mill Road.
Screenshot 2024-09-19 101303.png
TIMELINE: Details of Javion Magee’s death in Vance County released by sheriff
 
Him giving a homeless person such an odd yet significant amount of money, $228, says to me that he gave him all the cash he had....which is common with people who plan to commit suicide, they give away possessions prior to taking their life. IMO him doing this is because he knew he would soon have no need for that money.
 

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