Family of Black Man Found Hanging Says Death Was by Suicide. Malcolm Harsch was one of two black men whose bodies were found hanging from trees in California cities in recent weeks.

New York Times ^ | June 20, 2020 | Jenny Gross

[karpov]

When the authorities suggested that two black men whose bodies were found hanging from trees in two Southern California cities had died by suicide, many community activists did not buy it.

Their fear: The men had been lynched.

But family members of 38-year-old Malcolm Harsch, one of the two men, said through a spokesman that after reviewing video footage provided by the police, they were now convinced that he died by suicide. Mr. Harsch was found on May 31 in Victorville, Calif., near a homeless encampment where he was living.

Family members of 24-year-old Robert Fuller, the other man whose body was found hanging, are still waiting for the results of an investigation into his death, which occurred in Palmdale this month.

After initially saying there was no sign of foul play in either case, the local authorities, responding to pleas from community activists, promised full investigations into the deaths of both men, a reaction in part to the protests in California and across the country against police brutality and racism. The F.B.I. is also monitoring the inquiries.

Najee Ali, the spokesman for the Harsch family and a community activist based in Los Angeles who led protests after the deaths of Mr. Fuller and Mr. Harsch, said on Saturday that Mr. Harsch’s family had wanted a full investigation into what happened, particularly given Southern California’s well-documented presence of white supremacist groups.

“Due to the fact that he was an African-American homeless man with no family initially, his life and investigation were devalued and put on the back burner,” he said of the police, which he said only took action to investigate Mr. Harsch’s death after news reports and demonstrations.

[Fedora]

This part of that link is rich:

Ali has feuded with other activists and civic leaders. In 2006, he persuaded a Superior Court judge to issue a temporary restraining order against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), accusing the congresswoman of threatening him. In turn, Waters accused Ali of stalking her and got a temporary restraining order against him.

Despite such episodes, Ali often accompanied the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson when they came to Southern California to draw attention to local civil rights issues.

[Joe Boucher]

Were I living in a homeless encampment in Victorville Calif. I would think of hanging myself also.
Ive been to Victorville.