By Steve Neavling
The FBI has launched an investigation into the death of Dennoriss Richardson, a 39-year-old Black man who was discovered hanging in an abandoned house in Alabama in September.
While the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office ruled Richardson’s death a suicide, his mother, Bonita Richardson, told ABC News on Tuesday that she does not believe he took his own life.
Bonita Richardson said her son was found in a remote part of Colbert County, nearly a 30-minute drive from his home in Sheffield, Ala. She emphasized that Dennoriss had no known connections to the house where he was discovered and left no suicide note.
“I would not accept a suicide [ruling],” Bonita Richardson said in a phone interview with ABC News. “I will not allow it [his case] to be closed until justice was found because there was foul play somewhere.”
According to Bonita Richardson, her son’s death may involve individuals linked to the Sheffield Police Department. In February, Dennoriss Richardson filed a federal lawsuit against the department, alleging that officers had used excessive force, including assaulting him, denying medical treatment, using tear gas, and shocking him with a stun gun while he was in custody.
The Sheffield Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from ABC News, but has previously disputed the lawsuit’s claims, filing a motion to dismiss in May. The Colbert County Coroner’s Office also did not respond to requests for the autopsy report or confirmation of the cause of death.
Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine told ABC News that the autopsy confirmed Richardson’s death as a result of “hanging” and ruled it a suicide. Despite believing the department’s conclusion to be accurate, Balentine requested the FBI’s involvement to provide some sense of resolution for Richardson’s family.
The Birmingham FBI field office accepted Balentine’s request, adding another layer of investigation to the case as questions and concerns linger about the circumstances surrounding Dennoriss Richardson’s death.
“If it had been one of my daughters or one of my nieces or any family member of mine, if I had any questions, regardless of what color they are, I would want to be sure that no stone was left unturned, and that’s kind of what we’re doing here,” Balentine told ABC News over the phone. “We want to show transparency, to show that we did our job to the best of our ability with all of our resources, but I do understand the nature and the concerns of the family.”
When asked why the sheriff’s department ruled Richardson’s death a suicide, Balentine said he could not further discuss the case since the bureau is investigating.
