Magee was found dead Sept. 11 in a wooded area. A 911 caller and Magee's family said he was hanging from a tree. The Vance County sheriff described him as having his back up against a tree and a rope around his neck; he said there was no lynching.
"This is an absolute tragedy, no matter how it panned out," attorney Harry Daniels said. "The pictures that we saw were very clear that he was hanging, not in the manner in which you may have saw in the '60s or '20s and '30s, but there's nothing to take away from it."
Sheriff Curtis Brame said there was no foul play suspected in Magee's death. He said preliminary information pointed to a possible suicide.
Javion Magee family and attorneys speak after hearing from investigators
"The manner and the cause of death of Javion has not been determined at this time," Daniels said. "So for any suggestion that it's a suicide, anybody stating that it was a suicide would be grossly premature."
Magee's family, many of whom live in Illinois, were concerned to learn their beloved son was found hanging from a tree. They said he never had any history of suicidal thoughts or depression. He was a trucker who took up that job following in his father's footsteps, possibly looking to establish a family legacy and successful business. He also had plans in the coming days to travel to Texas to hang out with some of his cousins.
Because they were concerned about Magee's death not being a suicide but investigators jumped to that conclusion, the family reached out to attorneys to help make sure the investigation was completed thoroughly and fairly, they said.
A week after Magee's death, his family was able to speak with investigators in-person. Attorney Lee Merrit said the discussion took about two hours, and went through all the evidence gathered so far.
"We're investigating the lynching of a young man in 2024. It would be a misnomer to say that kind of thing does not happen anymore," Merrit said.
Merrit clarified that he and the family did not know whether a lynching actually took place, but they wanted to make sure there was a thorough investigation to determine exactly what did happen.
"Our main focus here ... is to find out what happened to Javion. This family is not here to point the finger at the sheriff's office. They want to find out what happened. Wherever that evidence may lead, then that's something that they can deal with," Daniels said. "At the end of the day, the most important thing is that we are here, that you are here, to ensure transparency moving forward."
Brame released new details following the family's news conference. Included in the updated timeline of what happened was information that the preliminary autopsy found that Magee did not have any defensive wounds and no sign of physical or sexual assault.
Merrit and Daniels said that the family planned to get an independent autopsy to compare findings.
TIMELINE | Sheriff details evidence leading up to Magee's death
One of the many new details in the above timeline released by the sheriff's office is that 16 hours before he was found dead, Magee gave $228 to a homeless person outside Walmart. That person told investigators that Magee told him, "I don't know how much it is, but if I had more I would give it to you."
The timeline also details more surveillance video that investigators have showing Magee the night before he was found dead. That video evidence was reportedly part of what was included in the two-hour meeting with Magee's family and attorneys.
Magee's mother and father spoke briefly at the end of Wednesday's news conference. They thanked everybody for the support they've received and asked to be kept in prayer.
Magee's father also talked about how his son was hard-working and competitive. He also had a message of unity.
"If I can tap into (Javion). I would say he wants this country to come together; not all this divided stuff. We all need to come together, because if there wasn't a divide this wouldn't have happened," Kori Magee said.
Chicago truck driver found dead in NC near tree with rope around neck
On Monday, the Vance County Sheriff's Office released a video showing the moments Magee bought the rope the sheriff says was used in his death.
In the video, you see a man purchasing a utility rope from the self-checkout lane at a Walmart in Henderson, North Carolina. You then see him walking out of the store with the rope in hand.
The 911 call from the man who discovered Javion's body has also been released to the public.
Operator: Vance County 911, what's your emergency?
Caller: I have some guys out here mowing the grass, and I got a man who hung himself in a tree.
Operator: The guy hung himself in the tree?
Caller: Yeah, he looks dead. He's still got a rope around his neck.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].