The attorneys representing the family of a 21-year-old man found dead with a rope around his neck say they’re pushing for transparency and to figure out the circumstances of his death.
On Sept. 11, Illinois resident Javion Magee was found seated in front of a tree with a rope around in his neck in a parking lot on Vanco Mill Road near Henderson, according to the Vance County Sheriff’s Office.
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At a news conference Wednesday, attorney Lee Merritt said he was hired to investigate the possibility of a lynching or a hate crime.
"I don’t know that lynching or a hate crime is in fact the case," Merritt said Wednesday during a news conference. "What we discovered was that Mr. Magee came into the county on Sept. 11, and he died by hanging from his neck."
"I don’t know too many 21-year-old, gainfully employed, happy individuals that travel into North Carolina, buy a rope and kill themselves," he said. "That would be an oddity. It’s a possibility, but we would need more evidence before we jump to that conclusion."
Merritt said he doesn't believe Magee died by suicide.
"The sheriff concluded early on – and we believe, prematurely – that it seemed to be a suicide to him. Well, that doesn’t seem to be a suicide for me."
In an interview Friday, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame denied that, saying, "at no point in time have we said this was a suicide."
The North Carolina Chief Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and concluded Magee did not have defensive wounds, and there were no signs of physical or sexual assault. Magee did have hemorrhaging around the soft tissue of the neck. Toxicology results are still pending; therefore, autopsy results are not complete as of Wednesday.
"Our main focus here is [to] find out what happened to Javion," said attorney Harry Daniels.
"The family is here because there’s no indication whatsoever that in the 21 years he was on Earth – that they brought him here and raised him – that showed any signs that he would commit suicide," Daniels said.
Merritt said the family plans to conduct an independent autopsy.
The sheriff's office said a 911 caller stated that he saw a man with a rope around his neck outside the fence of T&R Tractor & Trailer Repair along Vanco Mill Road. The caller said the man was not breathing and appeared to have died by suicide.
"I’m at my job mowing grass, and I think there’s a man out here who hung himself in a tree," the caller said.
The 911 operator responded, "A guy hung himself in a tree?" and the 911 caller confirmed, "Yeah, he looks dead. He’s still got a rope around his neck."
Magee was discovered seated at the base of a medium-sized tree, with the rope wrapped around his neck and the other end attached to the tree, according to Vance County Sheriff Curtis R. Brame.
The sheriff’s office said Magee had a rope wrapped around his neck 11 times.
The sheriff’s office is turning the investigation over to the State Bureau of Investigation, according to Daniels.
Timeline of Magee's death
On Wednesday, the Vance County Sheriff’s Office released a timeline of the circumstances leading up to Magee’s death. To put together the timeline, the sheriff’s office used the GPS from Magee’s truck, surveillance video, witness statements, a 911 call and cell phone data.
- 1 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee left Hazelton, Pennsylvania, after picking up a load of goods to deliver to the Walmart in Henderson, North Carolina.
- 6:50 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: The truck stopped at a truck stop on Highway 207 about 12 hours north of Ashland, Virginia, for about an hour. Investigators are working to get video from the truck stop for review.
- 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: The truck stopped at Chex Truck Stop in Middleburg, North Carolina. Surveillance video shows Magee walking into the truck stop alone, using the restroom and getting food from the truck stop grill. Magee is seen walking back to his truck and getting in his truck alone.
- 12:21 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee then left the Chex Truck Stop to continue south on I-85 into Henderson.
- 12:37 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee arrived at the Walmart Distribution Center in Henderson. After unloading, Magee left the center around 4:43 p.m. to purchase tobacco products at a smoke shop.
- 6:11 p.m. Tuesday, Sept, 10: Magee went to the Walmart Supercenter on North Cooper Drive, which is a separate location of the Walmart Distribution Center. The Walmart Supercenter had at least five cameras show him walking into the store, buying blue Ozark Trail rope and leaving the store.
As Magee left the Walmart, he gave a homeless person $228, saying, "I don’t know how much it is, but if I had more, I would give it to you."
On Wednesday, WRAL News interviewed Patrick West, the man who received the money from Magee.
"It blows my mind to hear about that because he seemed like a pretty good guy," West said. "He didn't look sad at all. He just seemed normal."
West said he received that much money only one other time in his life.
"He gave me everything in his wallet," West said. "He gave me all the cash he had on him."
- 6:28 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee arrived at Hampton Inn at 385 Ruin Creek Road in Henderson and left within 10 minutes. Magee’s attorneys said there were no rooms available.
- 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee pulled into a tractor repair shop, turned his truck off and walked to the woods with something in his hands.
- 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10: Magee returned to the truck empty-handed, turned it on and sat there. About 30 minutes later, he turned the truck off and walked to the woods alone.
- 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11: The owner of the tractor repair shop called 911.
The sheriff’s office said an employee of the tractor repair shop got a call from the trucking company, asking them to check on the driver because the truck’s GPS showed it had not moved.
Magee’s employer said it was his first delivery to Henderson and his first trucking job after getting his commercial driver’s license earlier in 2024.
Authorities still trying to determine Javion Magee’s cause of death
A family spokesperson claimed that law enforcement told the family Magee died by suicide.
In an interview Friday, Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame denied that, saying, "at no point in time have we said this was a suicide."
On Wednesday, Merritt commented on Brame’s handling of the case. Merritt’s comments came before the sheriff’s office released the timeline of the events leading up to Javion Magee’s death.
"I think the sheriff has been rather cavalier about the evidence that he’s [chosen] to release, and he’s released it in a very piecemeal manner that has actually caused this confusion," Merritt said. "I find it distracting that he’s more focused on what’s being said on TikTok than his responsibility here as the sheriff to get to the bottom of what happened and then get that information quickly to the family even before he gets them to the media.
"I would advise him not to do that or to change his practice concerning that."
Merritt said the attorneys have access to information that the public doesn't – but didn’t provide any further details about that information.
Attorneys representing Javion Magee’s family visit Vance County Sheriff’s Office
Daniels said Wednesday marked the first time Javion’s mom, Tiara Roberson Gates, and Javion’s dad, Cori Magee, saw pictures to identify their son.
"Nobody can say what exactly happened at that particular time," Daniels said. "I wasn’t there. The sheriff [and] whoever else does the investigation, wasn’t there.
"We don’t have a video of that. But we do know, like I stated before, that Javion had a rope tied around his neck and that rope was tied to a tree."
Cori Magee said he and the family were grateful for the support.
"We’re not pointing any fingers because it’s still under investigation," he said.
Cori Magee said his son was very competitive, following in his father’s footsteps as a truck driver.
"I just ask that you guys keep us in prayer," Gates said.
'What we want is answers'
Greensboro-based lawyer Jason Keith also spoke during Wednesday’s news conference.
"You might ask, 'why are we here?'" Keith said. "Accountability [and] transparency. The community needs answers and we’re here to apply pressure."
Keith said he and other attorneys traveled to Henderson on Wednesday to meet with the sheriff’s office.
"We’re here for answers, and we’re not leaving until we get them," Keith said. "The family deserves them, and we’ve seen the videos, we’ve seen the photographs and this investigation is not complete.
"This investigation is too premature for any determination to be made [about] what happened. What we want is answers. We want them now. We want them as soon as possible."
Authorities have not yet determined Magee's cause of death. Stay with WRAL News for the latest updates on this investigation.
If you're having suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Veterans can press “1” after dialing 988 to connect directly to the Veterans Crisis Lifeline. For texts, veterans should continue to text the Veterans Crisis Lifeline short code: 838255.
Friends and family who are concerned about a loved one can also call or text 988 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help.