A Black Man Found Hanging from a Tree in Palmdale; Before Him, Another Black Man Found Hanging from a Tree in San Bernardino County; An Unidentified Man Found Hanging Similarly in Manhattan Park – People Say Palmdale has Members of KKK and Racists Living There
By Lea Barrios
PALMDALE / VICTORVILLE / MANHATTAN – Three Black men were found hanging from trees during the past few weeks of police brutality protests—two in desert cities northeast of Los Angeles and another in Manhattan.
Observers note their deaths are alarming because it is reminiscent of racially motivated lynchings in the South, and that the time of his death makes it all the more suspicious because of the nationwide protests against racial injustice.
On the morning of June 12, Robert Fuller was found hanging from a tree near city hall in Palmdale.
Many have complained that his death was ruled a suicide too soon and a petition has been created requesting that his death be investigated as a homicide. Now, a full autopsy will be done on Fuller.
Palmdale citizens gathered at city hall demanding action. Some left flowers, stuffed animals, candles, and notes at the tree where Fuller’s body was found.
“Y’all… THEY F*****G HUNG MY COUSIN FROM A ROPE DOWN THE STREET FROM PALMDALE CITY HALL AND NOBODY SEEN OR HEARD ANYTHING. TRYNNA SAY IT WAS A SUICIDE HOWWWWW?!?!!!!!???? Make it make sense!!! PLEASE 
SOMEBODY ANYBODY DONT LET HIS STORY GET SWEPT UNDER THE RUG!!,” Fuller’s cousin tweeted.
It has been liked 210,000 times and retweeted 127,000, #JusticeforRobertFuller is trending on Twitter as thousands have raised awareness for the 24-year-old.
And, in Victorville, about 50 miles south of Palmdale, Malcolm Harsch’s body was found the morning of May 31, hanging from a tree in Victorville near the library.
The investigation of his death is ongoing, but the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced that they do not suspect foul play in his death.
Meanwhile, the New York Daily News published an article that stated a man was found hanging from a tree in Manhattan Park on June 9.
What these three deaths have in common is the bodies were discovered in the early morning; Fuller was found at around 3:40 a.m., Harsch 7 a.m., and the unidentified man at 6 a.m..
Kristen Clarke, the president, and executive director of the National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law, went to Twitter to express her concern for Fuller’s death, noting racist incidents in Palmdale and the presence of the KKK.
The first incident she mentioned was one in 2019 when four teachers at a Palmdale elementary school were scrutinized for smiling in a picture while holding and posing around a noose.
The Los Angeles CBS local news published an article that said an independent investigation concluded the teachers’ reasoning behind the photo was a joke that they were so over the school year they could hang themselves. All four were placed on administrative leave and their positions were filled.
Clarke cited another incident that suggests Palmdale is full of racists, including a video of Palmdale teenagers using a racial slur and painting one teenager in blackface—it became viral in 2019.
One man replied to Clarke’s tweet: “That the police immediately reported that he committed suicide before the coroner’s report is, at least, bizarre.”
Jen Boat, a mental health counselor who has experience in cases of suicide, replied, saying there was no climbing aid such as a ladder which Fuller could have used to reach the branch of the tree he was hung from.
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Boat may be right. From everything I’ve read, there is no evidence of anything but a suicide, so far. But what a weird thing to happen, right now. And a suicide would be easy to fake, especially if one had law-enforcement experience to know how to keep the scene ‘clean’. Clearly, this does need to be investigated multiple times by multiple parties, because the implications are so deep and potentially inflaming. This won’t be ‘swept under the rug’. If not a suicide, this could be perpetrated by a group with Manson-think, i.e. trying to start a race war while tensions are high.
On the other hand, it seems like some people want this to be a lynching, to prove a political point. Will they ever accept it as a suicide if there is no evidence to the contrary?
Oh, pul-EEEEEZE!
AG’s office just announced they will be handling the investigation of the Fuller case. AG wouldn’t comment on whether the suicide declaration was premature.
You need to proof read your article.
jordan fuller is an athlete. Robert fuller
We have several people proof these and still missed that one – thanks