Another Black Man Found Hanging From a Tree

Another Black Man Found Hanging From a Tree

Why is no one talking about the hanging death of Torrance “Tory” Medley?

By Maurice Woodson| Black Zone Magazine

Another Black man has been found hanging from a tree in America — and once again, the nation shrugs.

In Wisconsin, on the quiet grounds of Brookfield Hills Golf Course, 39-year-old Torrance “Tory” Medley was discovered hanging from a tree. His family is desperate for answers. Law enforcement is calling it a “possible suicide.” But let’s be clear: Black men do not hang themselves from trees in public spaces. Not historically. Not culturally. And not in a country where the noose has always been a symbol of terror, domination, and racial violence.

And yet, over the past few months alone, multiple Black men across America have been found hanging in public — the cases swiftly dismissed as suicides, rarely investigated with urgency, and often ignored by national media.

This isn’t new. It never stopped. But since Trump, Republicans, and Christian nationalists began openly empowering racists with their rhetoric, the boldness — the audacity — of anti-Black violence has only intensified.

But today, let’s talk about Torrance “Tory” Medley, the man whose death authorities want us to accept without a fight.

What Happened to Tory Medley

On November 13, 2025, first responders arrived at the Brookfield Hills Golf Course, located off I-94 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. There they found Tory Medley’s body positioned in a way that immediately raised questions:

He was kneeling, his feet still touching the ground, his knees bent — a strap wrapped around his neck and tied to a tree branch above him. Police said there were “no signs of trauma beyond injuries caused by asphyxiation,” and nothing at the scene indicated “the presence of another person.”

That is their narrative.

Brookfield Police Chief Chris Garcia issued statements assuring the public that there was “no evidence of foul play.” He emphasized they were reviewing surveillance video from nearby businesses, traffic routes, and bus footage — because Tory did not own a car and lived in Milwaukee. That alone raises its own questions.

How did a man without a vehicle end up on a suburban golf course in a predominately white area? Who drove him? How did he get there? And why that location?

The Family Isn’t Buying It — and They Shouldn’t

Tory’s family refuses to accept a convenient story. They want truth, not rushed conclusions.

His sister, Shena Medley, expressed heartbreak and disbelief:

“His death was immediately labeled a ‘possible suicide’ before critical questions about how he got there and what truly happened were fully examined.”

She and the rest of the family have been clear: they are not saying it was murder. They are not saying it was suicide.

They are saying they deserve the truth.

Their attorney, William Sulton, echoed the concern so many Black families have when their loved ones are found hanging:

“We all know the negative relationship that Black men have with lynching in this country. Investigators should not rush to judgment. Conclusions should come from forensic experts — not assumptions.”

The family is demanding full access to surveillance footage. Complete transparency from the police department. A meeting with the Medical Examiner. And access to every piece of evidence.

The NAACP chapters in both Milwaukee and Waukesha have joined the fight, insisting on a thorough, unbiased investigation. This should have been automatic — but when Black families ask for justice, even the basics must be begged for.

The Questions The Police Haven’t Answered

There is a growing list of unanswered questions, the kind that fuel doubt and historical memory:

1. How did Tory get to the golf course?

He lived in Milwaukee, relied on public transit, and did not own a car.

2. Why the positioning of his body?

Kneeling hangings are not “typical suicides.” They are extremely uncommon — yet police brushed past that.

3. Where is the surveillance footage?

Authorities say it is being reviewed, yet nothing has been publicly shared.

4. Why the rush to call it suicide?

Before forensic analysis. Before interviews were completed. Before family input.

5. Why the lack of national media coverage?

Because Black pain has never been America’s priority unless it becomes impossible to ignore.

The Pattern No One Wants to Talk About

The reality is this: Black men being found hanging in public spaces is not coincidence. Not when it keeps happening. Not when the history is this loud. Not when the political climate is this hostile.

Every time a Black man is found hanging, and authorities are quick to declare “no foul play,” it feels like a return to America’s ugliest era — repackaged, modernized, dressed in police press conferences and bureaucratic language.

And the silence from the country is deafening.

This Is Bigger Than Tory Medley — But We Say His Name First

Torrance “Tory” Medley was a son, a brother, a Milwaukee resident, a human being. His life mattered. His death demands transparency, dignity, and truth.

If the conclusion is suicide, the family deserves to understand it.

If it was something else, the family deserves justice.

Right now, they don’t have either.

And until they do, his case should remain in the national spotlight — not buried under silence, not brushed aside, not treated as just another Black life lost in a country still struggling to acknowledge its past or confront its present.

Because history has taught us one thing:

Black families only get justice when we demand it loudly, unapologetically, and relentlessly.

To read more Black Zone Magazine News and Headlines as well as our full monthly magazine and back issues visit: https://blackzonemagazine.com

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