The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday that they cannot discern how a man died last year after he vanished under suspicious circumstances.
In a statement to WJTV, Mississippi Department of Public Safety press secretary Bailey Martin said that a forensic anthropology examination of Rasheem Carter, 25, did not determine a cause of death. Carter’s skeletal remains were found in a wooded area on a property in Taylorsville on November 2, a month after he vanished from a Super 9 motel in Laurel.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Department sought help from the MBI, who reportedly conducted interviews, surveyed the area where Carter’s remains were discovered, and fielded tips to gain more information about Carter’s last known whereabouts.
Smith County police reached out to MBI in November. However, a day after Carter’s remains were discovered, Smith County police publicly announced that it has no reason to believe foul play is involved in this case.
Family attorney Ben Crump has alleged that Carter’s head was disconnected from his body — with the State Crime Lab giving the family a box containing his head and spinal cord. Carter’s family also claimed that some of his front teeth were missing, suggesting an assault had occurred.
While Crump said Carter’s remains were found in different locations, officials attributed it to animals.
According to reports, Carter was a welder and was completing a contracting gig in Taylorsville, 100 miles from home. Carter’s mother said the short-term job ended when he and the business owner got into an argument at the worksite which led Carter to fear for his life.
At some point, Carter allegedly texted his mother about “not seeing eye to eye” with the business owner — who Carter also said “would be responsible” if something happened to him. The family also claimed that Carter had called the police around the time he called his mother about white men in three trucks following him.
Trail camera photos apparently show Carter shirtless in the woods on the day he vanished. Detectives reportedly showed Carter’s family the image a week before his body was found last year. The images do not show anyone other than Carter, authorities said.
Martin told WJTV on Wednesday, “The Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation can offer no further comment or details pertaining to the death and disappearance of Mr. Carter due to it being a pending investigation by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Featured image: Rasheem Carter/Handout]
