The Vance County Sheriff's Office has released new surveillance footage in the ongoing investigation into the death of Javion Magee, a 21-year-old truck driver found dead in Vance County last Wednesday. According to WRAL, the video shows Magee purchasing a rope at a Walmart store the night before his body was discovered.
Magee was found seated against a tree with a rope tied around his neck and the other end attached to the tree. The 911 caller who discovered the body reported that he "still got a rope around his neck," as per WRAL. Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame stated that there was no immediate evidence of foul play or indications that Magee's death was a lynching, as reported by ABC11. However, Magee's family insists that foul play was involved and questions the transparency of the investigation.
The video released shows Magee at the self-checkout lane in the Walmart, purchasing what the Sheriff's Office has said is the rope used in his death. According to the surveillance footage, Magee appeared to handle the purchase calmly, at one point tossing the rope into the air after walking out of the store. The footage was part of the Sheriff's Office's release of information in an attempt to provide transparency in the investigation, as noted by The News & Observer.
The case remains under active investigation as the cause of death has yet to be officially determined. A spokesperson for Magee's family said, "Based on the information provided, the family still suspects foul play due to there (being) nothing under his fingernails or hands.... He did have a broken neck with blood around the neck which came from the hanging.... They also feel that this entire investigation is in no way transparent," details that came after speaking to the medical examiner, as mentioned by ABC11. These concerns from the family continue to cast a shadow over the ongoing investigations and the community's understanding of the events leading up to Magee's tragic death.
