Ex-Washington man found hanging in tree, returned to fight for family land

[diamond14]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/170518_bodyfound24.html?searchpagefro


Saturday, April 24, 2004

Ex-Washington man found hanging in tree
He had returned to Mississippi to fight for family's land

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WOODVILLE, Miss. -- Family members say a man found yesterday hanging from a tree in rural Mississippi had returned home to fight for his family's land.

The body of 55-year-old Roy Veal, originally from Washington state, was discovered in Wilkinson County, relatives said.

"They found my brother hanging from a tree with a hood over his head and some papers burned at his feet," Gordon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from San Francisco. "It's awful. We don't know who did it."

Gordon, who said she would be returning to Woodville as soon as possible, said her brother had returned to the family home in Wilkinson County "to help with a lawsuit pending against our family."
"There are people trying to take part of our land because they apparently think there is oil on the land," she said.

Officials at the chancery clerk's office in Woodville said a lawsuit pending in chancery court names several members of the Thelma Veal family, including Doris Gordon and apparently Roy Veal, as defendants.

[Gman]

1. Surprised? Repulsed? We live in Bush's America

They are returning the country to "traditional values".

Another sad fucking day in America.

[mom cat]

2. Just when I thought we were done with lynching in America.

How long will it be before this country can outgrow it's love of violent solutions?

[BlueJazz]

3. Gee Whiz...I wonder if the people that did this are Republicans?

Questions...Questions..

[Rebellious Republican]

7. You forgot to mention Republicans with good Christian Values! N/T

[sybylla]

4. So we had a linching in Mississippi and the coroner calls it suicide?

I thought this was the 21st Century.

[diamond14]

6. AND local authorities are handling it...no FBI allowed....

-snip-

"FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden said agents were available if needed but at this point the investigation was being handled by local authorities."

[AlCzervik]

5. wasn't there another incident

like this one not too long ago in Florida?

[tkmorris]

10. I believe you are referring to this one.....

"BELLE GLADE, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida judge Tuesday ruled that the death by hanging of an African-American day laborer was a suicide.

Circuit Court Judge Harold Cohen said the overwhelming evidence in the death of Ray Golden, 32, supported suicide and that "criminal conduct, criminal negligence or foul play was no way involved in this case."

"Depression killed Mr. Golden. He did not die because he was black," the judge said. "What this case has shown me is that a young depressed black man hung himself in the same way that a young depressed white man would have hung himself."

More....
http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/07/29/hanging.investigation/

Not too many similarities, except both were black men and the circumstances were questioned. This new case appears to be obvious foul play, while the Belle Glade case is rather more ambiguous.

[tlcandie]

16. Florida Circuit Court Judges are infamous for injustice...

Additionally, if this was in a small town in Florida then there was a lot of prejudice, moreso, if it was in or near a rather white supremist area..which there are a TON of here in Florida. Generally, you can figure it out by the bumperstickers, trucks, and confederate flags.

The majority of Florida is ran by old-time southern rethug men...can I hear a hallalujah?!?

Ambigious, maybe...but suspicious to me. In Florida, I wouldn't believe anything without many opinions and autopsies.

[henslee]

8. Anybody remember what happened to 63 yr old Malibu res. D. Scott in 92?

<http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2001/Sep-02-Sun-2001/opinion/16893248.html>

(on edit) here's a snippi...

...The Donald Scott case isn't as well known as the government atrocities at Waco and Ruby Ridge. But it should be.

In October of 1992, millionaire recluse Donald Scott and his bride of two months, Frances Plante Scott, lived in a storybook wooded valley in the mountains high above Malibu, Calif. Trails End Ranch is almost completely surrounded by state and federal park land, and the neighboring government entities had made numerous attempts to buy out Scott and annex his property.

Frances Scott contends the National Security Agency and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories have also had a less-well-known role in the attempted government land grab -- the ranch sits in the midst of a government antenna array, perfectly sited to receive data from the Pacific Missile Test Range, and, "My husband was the only local resident to testify against the placement of those antennas."

[catzies]

13. Yes, that was a local story for me.

The Scott story is a shocking, horrific tragedy and a story worth knowing for anyone who doubts we're not already in a police state.

http://www.fear.org/scott15.html

[henslee]

15. Touche . And it ended just like the film Chinatown. No one punished.

sigh.

[PartyPooper]

9. Probably, you could have made a movie about this circa 1940.

But, hey, this is the 21st Century in Bu$h's Amerika.

Are we going backwards...or, what?

:crazy:

[Webster Green]

11. Why is this in LBN?

This story is over a month old.

[henslee]

12. It is latebreaking to us because we are moving in slow motion like

that great Star Trek episode. You sound like a bug to me right now you are moving so fast.

[NYC]

14. I posted this May 1st.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=118&topic_id=54871

Sun Herald, Mississippi
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/8502677.htm

Family members say a man found Friday hanging from a tree in rural Mississippi had returned home to fight for his family's land...

But Doris Gordon, a Woodville native now living in San Francisco, said the victim was her brother, Roy Veal (age 52)of Washington state. Thelma Veal, the man's mother, also confirmed the identity.

"They found my brother hanging from a tree with a hood over his head and some papers burned at his feet," Gordon said...

...her brother had returned to the family home in Wilkinson County "to help with a lawsuit pending against our family."

"There are people trying to take part of our land because they apparently think there is oil on the land," she said...

Thelma Veal said the lawsuit sought portions of land owned by her late husband and his brothers. She said her son had obtained a map of the property and was collecting documents to prove the family owned the land...

More at link.

At the time, someone was trying to get publicity for this story, and asking everyone she knew to spread the story. It appeared in the Sun Herald April 23rd.

[diamond14]

17. just saw it on BartCop.com TODAY....and just posted it here mindlessly

it's still an important story....perhaps the moderator would be kind enough to move it to GD....for that I would be thankful....


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