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Associated PressDespite rumors and assertions by family members, a black Belle Glade man was not murdered, an FDLE investigation finds.
WEST PALM BEACH - There is no evidence that the hanging of a black man in Belle Glade was anything but a suicide, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Wednesday.
The inquiry was the fourth to conclude that Feraris "Ray" Golden killed himself and was not lynched, as rumors in his tiny hometown have suggested.
Since Golden was found hanging from a tree in his family's yard May 28, law enforcement authorities, state attorneys and a judge presiding over a public inquest came to the same conclusion: Golden took his own life.
The FDLE began to investigate the case at the urging of state Rep. James "Hank" Harper, a Democrat representing the western Palm Beach County area.
One rumor alleged that a Palm Beach deputy sheriff withheld information about possible suspects in the death because she was romantically involved with the victim and feared retribution.
But the FDLE report says the deputy had no knowledge other than a "spiritual vision" she described to Golden's mother, in which she described possible suspects.
The case has drawn national attention, most notably from Martin Luther King III, who met with the family and residents in Belle Glade last weekend. King, the son of the slain civil rights leader and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said many people doubt the suicide ruling.
He said many believe Golden had marks on his head when he died, that his hands were tied behind his back, or that he would have been unable to climb a tree on a rainy night in his condition. The medical examiner said Golden had a blood-alcohol level more than four times the legal limit for driving and traces of cocaine in his system.
Testimony at the inquest showed Golden to be a troubled, unemployed father of four who was behind in his child support payments and joked about killing himself. Relatives acknowledged that the bedsheet used as a noose came from Golden's home.
Autopsy photos showed only a single bruise around Golden's neck, and video from the first police car at the scene showed his arms dangling at his sides, not tied.
Golden's mother, Bernice Golden, has remained resolute that her son would not take his own life.
The FDLE investigated and discounted speculation that someone tampered with the videotape and that some people with information about the death were prohibited from testifying at the inquest.
Circuit Judge Harold Cohen publicly asked family and community members to speak out during the inquest if they had any evidence to support any conclusion other than suicide. No one came forward.
Harper "was not able to identify individuals who were prohibited from testifying," the FDLE report said.
Harper said Wednesday he still doesn't believe there is enough evidence to say whether Golden killed himself.