HENDERSON, NC – Numerous online chatter prompted by the death of an Illinois truck driver is raising questions about the circumstances of his demise. Javion Magee, 21, was found deceased on September 11 near his truck in a rural area off Vanco Mill Road in Vance County, a rope around his neck as he lay leaning against a tree.
Chicago-based Magee was on a delivery to a Walmart distribution center when he was discovered. His family now seeks clarity over the situation, with several members even making their way to North Carolina to press investigators for more information.
Sheriff Curtis R. Brame categorically stated that this is a death investigation and denied accusations of a cover-up. He addressed online claims, saying, “There’s been information put out there that there’s a lynching in Vance County. There is not a lynching in Vance County.”
Brame further discussed how Magee was found, debunking rumors of a lynching. He explained, “The young man was not dangling from a tree. He was not swinging from a tree.” He continued making a distinction, saying, “The rope was wrapped around his neck. It was not a noose. There was not a knot in the rope.”
Prominent family spokesperson Candice Matthews shared the family’s anguish and their quest for answers, pointing out inconsistencies in the given narrative.
Preliminary investigations indicate that there appeared to be no signs of foul play, and Magee might have purchased the rope found around his neck from a nearby Walmart prior to his death. His body has been sent for an autopsy, the results of which will be shared with the family and later decided about its public release.
The State Bureau of Investigation has now been pulled in to assist in the ongoing investigation, as investigators look into every feasible aspect of the circumstances leading to Magee’s death, including tracking his vehicle’s GPS coordinates.