JACKSON, Miss. – Lawyers hired by the family of Mississippi hanging victim Otis Byrd say they are hiring independent experts to conduct an investigation separate from that being pursued by state and federal authorities.
Attorney Dennis Sweet III says family members do not believe Byrd died by suicide. Byrd was found hanging near his Mississippi home last month. Authorities are trying to determine if he was murdered or if he took his own life.
The FBI told The Associated Press that the agency shared autopsy results with the family less than a week after Byrd died.
Sweet said that wasn't enough, however.
"The family still has limited information," Sweet said. "The family wants information."