Family mourns Atlanta student found dead, hanging in Cobb County park as new report on modern-day lynchings is released

New report details modern-day lynchings as family mourns Atlanta man found dead in Cobb County park

A new national report is reigniting conversations about racial terror in America, even as a Georgia family grieves the loss of a 21-year-old Atlanta man found dead in a Cobb County park.

JULIAN, a civil rights organization, has released “A Crimson Record: SEVEN STATE MODERN-DAY LYNCHING (MDL) REPORT 2000 – 2025.” The study documenting more than 70 suspected MDL across seven Southern states between 2000 and 2025. The report challenges the widely held belief that lynching effectively ended in the late 20th century, arguing instead that it has evolved—often misclassified as suicide or left insufficiently investigated.

Inspired by Ida B. Wells’ 19th-century anti-lynching documentation, “A Red Record,” the new analysis defines a modern-day lynching as a multiple-perpetrator homicide driven by race, gender identity or other bias, intended to terrorize a community or carry out an extrajudicial killing. Researchers argue that many of these cases initially are ruled suicides, making them among the hardest hate crimes to prove.

The Grio reports the study identified more than 70 suspected cases across Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama, with Mississippi reporting the highest number at 20. Among the cases cited are Black men found hanging from trees in recent years, including incidents in Wisconsin and Mississippi that prompted families to question official findings.

The report’s release comes amid heightened sensitivity surrounding deaths involving young Black men found hanging, including a case now under investigation in Cobb County.

According to 11Alive, the family of 21-year-old Kyle Bassinga confirmed that he was the man found dead Feb. 18 in Fair Oaks Park, located at 1465 W. Booth Road. Cobb County Police said officers responded around 9:46 a.m. to a 911 call reporting a body in a wooded area of the park.

Police said witnesses reported seeing the man enter the wooded area alone on Valentine’s Day at approximately 4:28 p.m. Detectives found no evidence indicating anyone else was involved and said there were no signs of foul play. Authorities initially declined to release the man’s name, citing respect for the family and the sensitive nature of the case.

According to 11Alive, the Atlanta Police Department confirmed Bassinga had been reported missing Feb. 15. While law enforcement agencies did not initially confirm that the missing person and the deceased man were the same individual, Bassinga’s family later told 11Alive that he was the person found in the park.

In a statement shared with the outlet, Cobb County Police said the investigation remains ongoing pending the medical examiner’s final autopsy. “The Cobb County Police Department takes every death investigation seriously and conducts a thorough review of all available evidence before making any determinations,” the department said, adding that any new information would prompt updates.

Since the discovery, online speculation has grown, with some social media users suggesting racial motives despite law enforcement statements indicating no evidence of foul play. Bassinga’s family addressed the public conversation, telling 11Alive they are focused on mourning their son rather than engaging in online debate.

“Right now, online speculation is the least of our worries. We are focused on burying our son and am happy to have found him,” the family said.

While authorities have not indicated any connection between Bassinga’s death and the broader findings outlined in “The Crimson Record,” the timing of the study’s release has intensified public dialogue around how such cases are investigated and classified.

Authorities in Cobb County say the investigation remains active and that final conclusions will depend on the medical examiner’s findings.