GREENSBORO, Ga. (WXIA) -- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says an autopsy indicates suicide in the death of a man found hanging from a tree in Greensboro, Ga.
Greensboro is on I-20 about an hour east of Atlanta.
Ga. Department of Corrections
Roosevelt Champion III
Just after 11:00 a.m., Monday, someone walking past a house on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Greensboro spotted the body in the back yard of the house, and called 911.
The body was hanging from a tree, and police quickly identified the man who had died as a nearby resident, Roosevelt Champion, III, 43.
It just so happens that the GBI interviewed Champion twice last week about the apparent murder of a woman in Greensboro, Carol Lewis, 55.
But the GBI emphasized Monday that Champion was not a suspect in that case, and there is no evidence as of now that that murder case has anything to do with Champion's death.
"There's nothing to suggest any, any foul play at this time," said GBI Agent Joe Wooten. "Mr. Champion's feet were touching the ground, his knees were slightly buckled."
Wooten said Champion's arms and legs were not bound.
He said there was no initial indication of any wounds to Champion's body, such as gunshots or cuts.
On Tuesday, GBI spokesperson Sherry Lang said that the autopsy indicated that the death was a suicide and the cause of death was hanging. The autopsy found no evidence of any inflicted trauma on Champion's body.
"I'm angry, I'm angry because I don't have answers," said Miranda Wright, one of Champion's sisters. "He do a lot of things but he wouldn't have harmed himself, I doubt it."
As Wright spoke across the street from where Champion died, another sister standing next to her wept.
"He's always happy," Terri Johnson said. "He tries to help everybody. He never harms anybody.... He didn't deserve to die like that."
They said they last saw Champion late Sunday night.
"Last night he was taking trash out, and he said, 'I love y'all and I'll see y'all tomorrow,'" Wright said. "He was a very kind guy, sweet. Give you the shirt off his back. Everybody's struggled with something, but he was a good guy. He was a good guy, my brother was."
Roosevelt Champion has been incarcerated several times in Georgia for offenses such as cocaine possession, DUI, terroristic threats and acts, public indecency, and obstruction of a police officer.
The man who lives in the house that is on the property where Champion's body was found, Donnie Reid, said he walked the dog and then left for work at about 6:45 a.m. Suddenly, around Noon, he got the call that a body had been found in his backyard.
Whether investigators rule Champion's death a murder or suicide, Reid said he is devastated.
"Far as I'm concerned, either way it's a bad situation. It's just sad, and prayers out to the family."
Reid described himself as almost part of Champion's family, growing up with Champion in Greensboro.
And, Reid said, everyone called Champion "Toby."
"His mom was like a second mom to me," Reid said. "He was a pretty quiet guy, hard worker. You know, he had some hard times. But I guess I never saw that one coming."