In early January, the body of 18-year-old Ben Keita was found hanging in the woods in Lake Stevens, a Seattle suburb. Authorities originally ruled it a suicide. Authorities later classified his death as “undetermined.”
The teen was reported missing in late November. His family says he was a happy teen, who had been taking courses at the local community colleges. They insist that before his disappearance, he had been showing no signs depression.
Keita’s family continued to demand further investigation. The Council on American-Islamic Relations soon joined their crusade to get federal authorities to investigate the possibility that the teen may have been murdered.
The FBI is now reviewing the death of Ben Keita found hanging in the woods in Washington. This decision came after medical examiners determined that his death could be a homicide.
The NY Daily News reported:
The FBI told KIRO on Thursday that it was reviewing the case, though had not yet determined whether an investigation should be opened.
Medical examiners previously told the station that the reason the cause of death was changed stemmed from the fact that the rope was hung 50 feet up on the tree rather than lower to the ground, and that previous searches of the area had not uncovered any bodies.
Lake Stevens police have said that they do not have any evidence of criminal activity, but has asked community members for more information.