An African-American man's death has been ruled as lynching and not suicide. However, it took about 100 years to correct the ruling. Tompkins' body was found hanging from a sapling-- his hands bound together at Riverside Park in Indianapolis, a CNN report reads.
Alfarena McGinty, the chief deputy coroner of Marion County, made changes to the ruling made in 1922. The body, in 1922 was seen by Dr Paul Robinson, Marion County coroner. He had, at the time said, "There could be no question that the man had been murdered and his body then tied to the tree."
The then deputy coroner Dr George R. Christian conducted an autopsy and signed the death certificate. The cause of death was then changed from 'open' to 'suicide'.
Last week, the US Senate passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022, which makes lynching a federal hate crime, by unanimous consent. The bill is awaiting President Joe Biden's signature. Tompkins' case was brought to the attention of deputy coroner of Marion County Alfarena McGinty through a written petition to change the cause of his death to homicide.
