GBI: Hanging death of man in Greene County ruled suicide

GREENE COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has ruled the death of a man found hanging from a tree in Greensboro Monday a suicide.

According to the GBI, autopsy results for Roosevelt Champion III indicated his manner of death was suicide and cause of death was hanging.

GBI Deputy Director of Investigation Rusty Andrews confirmed to Channel 2 Action News Monday that Champion had been found hanging in a tree, though his feet were still on the ground.

Andrews confirmed Roosevelt was interviewed in the murder of a 54-year-old female May 2. He had not been charged so far in the case.

Investigators say "foul play" has not been ruled out. Champion was found with a strap around his neck late Monday AM pic.twitter.com/MV0n3zFZcG

— Matt Belanger (@MattWSB)

Andrews said Champion also had other recent person problems.

Andrews said the GBI was erring on the side of transparency in the case because of the manner of death, the national climate and the ethnicities of Champion and the victim in the May 2 slaying.

He said while preliminary signs point toward suicide, the GBI wanted the public to be assured a complete and impartial investigation would be done before a conclusion was reached.

Preliminary investigations found no signs of struggle or trauma to the body, or anything to indicate someone else besides Champion had been involved in his death.

WSBTV