The FBI is investigating the death of Dennoriss Richardson, a 39-year-old Black man found hanging in an abandoned Alabama house, after his wife and community members raised concerns about local law enforcement’s conduct.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office ruled his death a suicide, but Richardson’s wife disputes this, linking it to a lawsuit he filed in February accusing the police of assault and misconduct.

The case has intensified fears and distrust in a county with a history of racial violence, with community members and civil rights advocates calling for transparency and justice, the Associated Press has reported.

Written by B.C. Begley