Unidentified man

On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, a 32-year-old man was found in a tree in a parking lot at 318 S. McDowell St. in downtown Raleigh, across from Nash Square. Police Chief Rico Boyce later said traffic cameras showed the man walking alone nearby at about 1:32 p.m. A worker at a nearby business saw him around 2:25 p.m., told a supervisor, and the two called 911. He was pronounced dead at 3:07 p.m. That day police said there appeared to be no foul play and that they were treating the death as a suicide, and they asked people not to share an online post about it.

At a news conference on Aug. 17, Boyce said, "Our investigation confirms that this is a suicide," citing video from nearby businesses that showed no one else in the area. The footage hasn't been released. Police haven't named the man out of respect for his family. Boyce said his mother had been distressed by online speculation and had asked police to share his correct age. Activists with Justice Served NC called for an investigation, and the A. Philip Randolph Institute said Black residents couldn't be expected to hear "suicide" and stop asking questions.

The state medical examiner's office took custody of the case and has the final say on cause and manner of death. No ruling from that office has been reported.