The FBI is reviewing the case of a Black man found hanging in an abandoned house in Alabama.
Deputies found the body of Dennoriss Richardson, 39, in September in a rural part of the Deep South state with a history of lynchings.
The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office initially ruled the man’s death a suicide. But the case has brought widespread skepticism from community members and Richardson’s wife, Leigh, who says she thinks her husband’s death stemmed from a lawsuit he filed against the local police department in February.
While in jail, the man claimed he was assaulted, denied medical attention, sprayed with tear gas and shocked with a Taser, according to ABC News.
Additionally, her husband did not have a connection to the home where he was found and a suicide note was never discovered.
Sheriff Eric Balentine told the outlet he feels confident in the findings but feels that a federal investigation would give the family more peace of mind.
He said that the department has “exhausted all resources” in its probe of the case.