The grisly death of Rasheem Carter has gained renewed attention after a Mississippi sheriff said yesterday (March 14) that he hasn’t ruled out murder as a cause, despite previously claiming last fall that the police had “no reason to believe foul play was involved.” Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, has called on the Department of Justice to open a federal investigation into the case. Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B added her voice to the chorus of people calling for justice.
“The details of #RasheemCarter’s murder is INHUMANE and soo gruesome!!!” the “WAP” MC tweeted yesterday. “Actions and awareness needs to be taken!! PLEASE READ UP ON HIS STORY!!!!”
Rasheem’s cousin, Donshanae’ Gray, replied to Cardi’s tweet thanking the world-renowned artist for shining a light on her relative’s case. “Thank you so much for sharing my cousin Rasheem’s story,” she wrote. “My family and I greatly appreciate it.” It isn’t the first time Cardi has used her voice for good, as she spoke out following the unjust deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others.
Thank you so much for sharing my cousin Rasheems story ❤️ My family and I greatly appreciate it 🫶🏽💪🏾
— THE DON 👑 (@_shesdon) March 14, 2023
The family of the 25-year-old Mississippi man reported him missing on Oct. 2, 2022. A month later, on Nov. 2, the Smith County Sheriff’s Department found Rasheem’s remains in a forest outside the town of Taylorsville with his head severed from his body. At the time, a Facebook statement from the organization stated that they didn’t suspect foul play. Regarding that statement, Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston told NBC News yesterday (March 14), “It was just letting the local or general public know that at this time no one else is believed to be involved.”
At a press conference on Monday (March 13), Rasheem’s mother, Tiffany Carter, recounted how her son allegedly told her that white men in the community had been targeting him. Crump, for his part, pointed out that new discoveries are further proof of a killer (or killers) on the loose. “They have recently found remains that they believe are also Rasheem Carter at another part of where he went missing, and what that tells us is that this was a nefarious act. This was an evil act,” he declared. “Somebody murdered Rasheem Carter. And we cannot let them get away with this.”
Crump’s advocacy for the family wasn’t lost on Gray. The well-known lawyer has helped the families of victims of violence, including George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. “Thank you so much for representing my family and helping us during this difficult time,” she stated in response to his tweet about Rasheem. “We have a long way to go but justice will be served.”
Thank you so much for representing my family and helping us during this difficult time. ❤️💪🏾 We have a long way to go but Justice will be served ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 #JusticeForRasheem #RasheemCarter #JusticeForSheem https://t.co/n7ZBkxgIYl
— THE DON 👑 (@_shesdon) March 15, 2023