The body of a Mississippi man will remain in state hands as police investigate his death, judge says

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG
Associated Press/Report for America

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A state judge says the body of a Mississippi man who was found dead after vanishing under mysterious circumstances will not be released to family members until police finish investigating the case. Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas did not make an official ruling from the bench Tuesday. But he told attorneys the body of Dau Mabil would be preserved at the state crime lab while investigators try to shed light on what happened to the man. Mabil went missing on March 25 after going for a walk in Jackson. Mabil’s disappearance prompted an outcry from civil rights organizations and is alleged to have sparked discord between local law enforcement agencies.