Why Some Families Say Hanging Deaths of Black Americans Deserve Greater Scrutiny
When 16-year-old Juliana Umba Nzita was found hanging from a tree on the grounds of a church in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 8, 2026, local authorities moved swiftly. Within three days, the medical examiner ruled her death a suicide. Four days later, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department closed the case, saying it had found no evidence of foul play.