Community leaders and family members in Charlotte are calling for an independent autopsy after 16-year-old Juliana Umba Nzita was found hanged in May and the medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. The family says police closed the investigation without an autopsy and has hired civil rights attorney Jill Collen Jefferson to oversee an independent review. Local council members and an online petition are urging authorities to reopen the case and conduct a full, transparent investigation.
Charlotte Family Demands Independent Autopsy After 16-Year-Old Juliana Nzita Found Hanged; Suicide Ruling Questioned
Family Of Juliana Umba Nzita, Found Hanged In Charlotte, Is Demanding An Autopsy After Suicide Ruling
Community leaders and family members in Charlotte, North Carolina, are pressing for answers after 16-year-old Juliana Umba Nzita was found hanged in May near a predominantly Black church. The medical examiner ruled her death a suicide, but family members and community supporters say important questions remain unanswered.
According to reports, Nzita was discovered with a ratchet strap around her neck and her feet resting on the ground near a small chair. Kenneth Tolbert, the neighbor who said he found her while walking his dog, has publicly questioned whether Nzita could have reached the tree limb where she was found.
Family Moves Forward With Independent Review
Nzita's family says the police closed the investigation without completing an autopsy, and they have rejected the medical examiner's suicide ruling. The family has commissioned an independent autopsy overseen by civil rights attorney Jill Collen Jefferson to provide an outside review of the cause of death.
Community Response
Local officials and activists have voiced support for a more thorough inquiry. Council members Kimberly Owens and JD Mazuera Arias described the circumstances as "unacceptable" and "grotesque," and urged city administrators to take the matter seriously.
"This is the U.S. This is not a third-world country," Mathy Nzita, Juliana's uncle, told the Charlotte Observer about his concerns that standard investigative steps were not completed.
Kenneth Tolbert also questioned the official findings, saying he doubts Juliana could have climbed to the tree limb and suggesting the response might have been different under other circumstances.
Supporters have launched an online petition calling for investigators to reopen the case and conduct a comprehensive, transparent investigation. The petition asks authorities for clarity, accountability, and a full review of the evidence surrounding Nzita's death.
The family and community organizers continue to seek answers while the independent autopsy proceeds. Local leaders say a transparent process is necessary to restore trust and ensure that all investigative avenues are fully explored.
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