The family of 39-year-old Torrance “Tory” Medley is demanding transparency after Medley was found dead near Wisconsin’s Brookfield Hills Golf Course earlier this month. Although police have already ruled his death a suicide, the Freeman reports that his family and the NAACP say that conclusion was issued without basic investigative communication.
On Friday, representatives from both the Waukesha and Milwaukee NAACP branches stood alongside the family’s attorney during a press conference near the golf course. The organizations are calling for access to surveillance footage, a meeting with investigators, injury details, and a full independent review.
The Freeman reports that family attorney William Sultan said the Medley family has been “mistreated” by the Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office and the City of Brookfield Police Department. Sultan told the outlet, “Regardless of what the ultimate conclusion is here, the family deserves to know what actually happened.”
In the outlet, Sultan said police prematurely concluded suicide before forensic specialists completed their work.
“We do believe that the Police Department rushed to judgment here simply to declare a conclusion that they observed. Death investigations are done by forensic pathologists, not by police officers,” Sultan said.
The Freeman also states that Sultan notes the family has no reason to believe Medley would take his own life or travel to the Brookfield Hills Golf Course. He said the family has been denied routine investigative courtesies that are standard in other cases.
Waukesha NAACP First Vice President Mantra Moore told reporters from the Freeman that the community is deeply unsettled by Medley’s death and the initial police response.
Moore said, “Waukesha cares. When a public tragedy such as this takes place, the community wants answers.”
He added that the NAACP intends to serve as a bridge between the family and authorities, stating, “The NAACP of Waukesha stands as a bridge to greater transparency and a bridge to give this family what it needs to rest.”
Brookfield Police Chief Chris Garcia said officers found Medley kneeling with his feet on the ground and a strap around his neck attached to a tree branch.
Garcia said in the statement published by the outlet, “It appears the subject used body weight to cause asphyxiation.”
Garcia stated there were no signs of trauma beyond injuries related to asphyxiation and no evidence suggesting another person was present. According to the Nov. 23 statement referenced in the outlet, police said Medley had been experiencing mental health challenges in the days before his death.
The Freeman states that multiple attempts to reach the Police Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office for additional comment were unsuccessful.
As previously reported by BOSSIP, Medley’s case reflects a broader national pattern in which Black men have been found hanged under circumstances their families say do not align with their lives, behaviors, or the investigative response. Over the past year, BOSSIP has documented several cases where families openly challenged suicide rulings and raised concerns about premature conclusions from law enforcement.
39-year-old Dennoriss Richardson was found on September 28, 2024, hanging inside a stranger’s carport in Colbert County, Alabama. The Alabama Department of Forensic Science ruled the death a suicide, but Richardson’s estranged wife told AL.com, “This was made to look like a suicide. It is not a suicide.”
According to the report, Richardson had filed a brutality lawsuit against Sheffield police, and his family alleges long-term harassment. His mother told AL.com:
“My son was joyful. He did not have any mental issues. He would never kill himself.”
29-year-old Jayvon Givan was found hanging by a metal chain outside an office building in Corrales, New Mexico. According to information cited in the article, the Albuquerque Police Department ruled the death a suicide and cremated his remains before notifying his family more than a year later.
Givan’s cousin said, “When I say he loved life, he loved life. That is not a suicidal person.”
Cited in the article, activist groups described the case as a concealed lynching.
21-year-old Trey Reed was found hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on Delta State University’s campus. According to that coverage, Reed’s family attorney said police initially told relatives that Reed died in his dorm room, a version the department later contradicted.
Sources say Clarion Ledger notes more than two hundred students gathered for a vigil expressing fear and uncertainty about Reed’s death.
Ben Crump announced Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp would fund an independent autopsy.
Across these documented cases, families report sudden suicide rulings, limited communication from authorities, and investigative decisions that leave more questions than answers. Civil rights advocates say that even when suicide is a possibility, families deserve transparency, access to evidence, and clear explanations.
The Freeman states Sultan emphasized that the Medleys want the truth, not assumptions.
“Regardless of what the ultimate conclusion is here, the family deserves to know what actually happened,” said Sultan.
BOSSIP will continue to follow updates in the death of Torrance Medley.
The post Torrance ‘Tory’ Medley: NAACP Demands Answers After Black Man Found Hanging Near Wisconsin Golf Course appeared first on Bossip.
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