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Contested death (2000 to present)

Nick Naylor

Ruled suicide, disputedJan 9, 2003 · Age 23 · Porterville, MS

In the words of those who knew them

  • “We have no closure.”His sister, Lequicha Naylor (Washington Post, 2021) · source

What happened

Nick Naylor, 23, lived in Porterville in Kemper County, Mississippi. Deer hunters saw him around 2 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2003, according to Sheriff Samuel Tisdale. His relatives reported him missing around midnight. A deputy searched that night and found nothing. The search resumed at daybreak, and on Jan. 9 relatives found Nick at a tree in a rural area about a mile and a half from his home. The sheriff said the department would wait for autopsy results before deciding whether foul play was involved.

The official autopsy ruled the death a suicide. On Feb. 20, 2003, District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell met with the family, their attorneys and investigators at the Lauderdale County Courthouse and said he would send the case to a grand jury in late March. The family's attorney, Ishmael Muhammad, rejected the ruling and said he would ask the U.S. Department of Justice for help. The local NAACP president criticized how long the autopsy took.

No grand jury result or federal action has been reported. In 2021 the Washington Post included Nick in its list of Black men found hanging in Mississippi since 2000, and his sister Lequicha told the Post the family has no closure. The suicide ruling stands.

The case

Where found
A tree in a rural area of Kemper County, about 1.5 miles from his home
Official finding
Suicide (official autopsy, as announced by District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell on Feb. 20, 2003; the pathologist and exact ruling date were not named)
Time to finding
About five weeks
Investigation
Kemper County Sheriff's Department. Relatives reported him missing around midnight on Jan. 8, 2003; a deputy searched that night and found nothing, and relatives, deputies and the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks resumed the search at daybreak. Sheriff Samuel Tisdale said the department would wait for autopsy results before deciding whether foul play was involved, and later said he believed the investigation was professionally conducted. On Feb. 20, 2003, District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell met with the family, attorneys and investigators at the Lauderdale County Courthouse and said he would present the case to a grand jury in late March 2003 and invite family members to testify. No grand jury outcome has been located.
Family position
The family rejected the suicide ruling. Their attorney, Ishmael Muhammad of Jackson, publicly disputed it in February 2003 and said he would ask the U.S. Department of Justice for help and hire private investigators. His sister, Lequicha Naylor, told the Washington Post in 2021: "We have no closure."
Public evidence
Official autopsy ruled suicide; the report itself was not released publicly. The president of the Kemper County NAACP chapter, George Roberts, criticized authorities in 2003 for being slow with the autopsy.
Federal review
The family's attorney said in February 2003 that he would petition the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance. No federal action has been reported.
Last verified
2026-11-14
Verification note: Distance from home differs by source: the Meridian Star reporting carried by the Franklin County Times in January 2003 says about 1.5 miles; the Washington Post (2021) says about 11 miles. The contemporaneous account is used for the setting. The 2003 reporting names a sister, Dana Naylor; the Post quotes a sister, Lequicha Naylor. These may be two different sisters. The grand jury result is not known.

Sources

Record history

  1. Nov 14, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Record updated
    • What happened updated
    • What happened sources updated
    • Where found: A tree in a rural area of Kemper County, about 1.5 miles from his home
    • Official finding: Suicide (official autopsy, as announced by District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell on Feb. 20, 2003; the pathologist and exact ruling date were not named)
    • Time to finding: About five weeks
    • Investigation: Kemper County Sheriff's Department. Relatives reported him missing around midnight on Jan. 8, 2003; a deputy searched that night and found nothing, and relatives, deputies and the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks resumed the search at daybreak. Sheriff Samuel Tisdale said the department would wait for autopsy results before deciding whether foul play was involved, and later said he believed the investigation was professionally conducted. On Feb. 20, 2003, District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell met with the family, attorneys and investigators at the Lauderdale County Courthouse and said he would present the case to a grand jury in late March 2003 and invite family members to testify. No grand jury outcome has been located.
    • Family position: The family rejected the suicide ruling. Their attorney, Ishmael Muhammad of Jackson, publicly disputed it in February 2003 and said he would ask the U.S. Department of Justice for help and hire private investigators. His sister, Lequicha Naylor, told the Washington Post in 2021: "We have no closure."
    • Public evidence: Official autopsy ruled suicide; the report itself was not released publicly. The president of the Kemper County NAACP chapter, George Roberts, criticized authorities in 2003 for being slow with the autopsy.
    • Federal review: The family's attorney said in February 2003 that he would petition the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance. No federal action has been reported.
    • Verification note: Distance from home differs by source: the Meridian Star reporting carried by the Franklin County Times in January 2003 says about 1.5 miles; the Washington Post (2021) says about 11 miles. The contemporaneous account is used for the setting. The 2003 reporting names a sister, Dana Naylor; the Post quotes a sister, Lequicha Naylor. These may be two different sisters. The grand jury result is not known.
    • Sources updated
  2. Oct 24, 2026 · Reviewed update
    Case added
    • Name: Nick Naylor
    • Age: 23
    • Date found: 2003-01-09
    • City or county: Porterville
    • State: MS
    • Status: Ruled suicide, disputed
    • Remembered updated
    • What happened updated
    • What happened sources updated
    • Where found: A tree about 11 miles from his home
    • Official finding: Suicide (police ruling, per the Washington Post; ruling agency and date not named)
    • Time to finding: Not established
    • Investigation: Police ruled the death a suicide, according to the Washington Post. The investigating agency is not named in the source read.
    • Family position: An attorney for the family publicly rejected the suicide ruling. His sister, Lequicha Naylor, told the Washington Post in 2021: "We have no closure."
    • Public evidence: None released.
    • Federal review: None reported
    • Verification note: Only one source opened: the Washington Post's August 2021 list of Black men found hanging in Mississippi since 2000. No contemporaneous 2003 report was located. The county and investigating agency are not named in that source.
    • Sources updated
Nick Naylor, Porterville, MS · Found Hanging: Case Tracker