The openly gay Mayoral candidate was beaten, dragged, and set afire before his body was found near the Mississippi River. The 33-year-old was found naked, bruised and swollen. The account was based on photographs the family saw, as well as two conversations they had with the coroner.
The Coahoma County (Miss.) Sheriff's Department, however, isn't exploring hate crime, said its spokesman Will Rooker. The department is leading the investigation with the help of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Bureau spokesman Warren Strain.
Mississippi has a hate-crime law that covers race, religion and gender but doesn't extend to sexual orientation. Local and state agencies can seek assistance to pursue a federal hate crime, which does cover homosexuality, but they haven't done so in this case.
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