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Family Asks FBI to Investigate Death of Muslim Teen Hanged in Woods

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The family of an African American Muslim teenager found hanged in the woods near Seattle is asking the FBI to investigate.

Ben Keita’s death was initially ruled a suicide, but the medical examiner later changed the cause to “undetermined.” He was reported missing in November and his body was discovered more than a month later.

“He was planning to graduate this year from Lake Stevens High School,” said his father, Ibrahima Keita. “He was already in the Running Start program at Everett Community College and he was dreaming of becoming a medical doctor and work as a medical examiner. Now those dreams are over.”

Ben Keita’s family told Seattle radio station KUOW that he had shown no signs of depression and had never mentioned any suicidal thoughts.

Snohomish County Associate Medical Director Stanley Adams reported no trauma other than the hanging, but had changed the cause of death to “undetermined” due to “the circumstances of the very high tree branch, uncertain location of the decedent for the six weeks prior to discovery (with a report that the area where the body was found had been previously searched) and lack of any reported suicidal ideation or attempts.”medexamin

Arsalan Bukhari of the Council on Islamic American Relations has also asked the FBI to step in.

“We want to make sure that the expertise, the experience, and the human resources of the FBI are brought in to make sure that everything is comprehensively investigated, no stone is left unturned and we really want to get answers about what may have happened,” Bukhari  told KUOW.

In a statement, the FBI says it’s reviewing the Keita case. If warranted, it may conduct further investigation.