Lennon Lacy
By: Erin Smith
District Attorney Jon David met with community leaders and the Lacy family on Friday afternoon at the Bladen County Courthouse to discuss the official closing of the investigation into the death of Lennon Lacy of Bladenboro.
“We’re going to go a step further (than the federal report) and call it suicide,” said David.
Lennon Lacy, a 17-year-old student at West Bladen High School, was found hanging by his neck from a children’s swingset in a Bladenboro mobile home park on the morning of Aug. 29, 2014.
According to David, the Bladenboro Police Department and the SBI, initially investigated the case. The goal was to determine the manner of death and whether anyone was criminally responsible for Lacy’s death.
David said that he was personally notified shortly after the discovery of the body. He said he also met with the Lacy family within a short period of time after the investigation began.
David said he convened a meeting in September with members from the community to discuss the investigation. He said he assured the family there would be a comprehensive investigation and that the investigators would “go where the evidence leads.”
David said a comprehensive investigation was conducted by the Bladenboro Police Department and the SBI and the case had begun to garner national attention.
“Our approach never changed or wavered,” said David.
He said he and his staff held a press conference in the courtroom of the Bladen County Courthouse where the announcement was made that there was no evidence of foul play or wrong doing. He said that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had planned a march in Bladenboro and were asking for a federal investigation.
David said in an effort to be thorough and transparent, he asked the U. S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to review the matter.
“We welcomed the scrutiny of the federal investigation,” said David.
According to a release, the FBI declined to open a formal investigation but instead agreed to do an assessment. The assessment included reviewing the SBI file and the BPD file and conducting follow-up interviews as necessary.
Members of the US Attorney’s Office met with the Lacy family on Thursday to discuss their findings. The US Attorney’s Office found there is no evidence to bring any civil rights charges in the case and closed the case.
“All credible evidence suggests that Lacy died as a result of suicide,” said David. “We are not going to distribute any facts of the case at this juncture.”
In a release from David’s office, it reads, “Some have suggested that the quality of the initial law enforcement investigation was lackluster. In my analysis, this is simply untrue. The FBI assessment has confirmed my initial opinion that the investigation conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Bladenboro Police Department was complete, thorough, and professional. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the hard work and dedication of SBI Special Agent Paul Songalewski who went above and beyond the call of duty to see that justice was done in this matter.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Lacy family during this difficult time and I encourage the community to support them in their time of need,” said David.
He concluded his statement by saying the investigation is now closed.
The North Carolina NAACP issued a statement on Thursday saying their attorneys and the Lacy family will review the federal report and issue a statement at a later time.
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