Ozark Trail Rope The Xavierite
Javion Magee, Chicago trucker, 21, was found dead on Sept. 11, 2024 in a seated position with a rope around his neck; the other end of the rope was attached to a tree branch in Henderson, N.C.
According to WBTV, Magee was working for KLLM Trucking This was his first job as a truck driver, as he received his commercial license earlier this year.
The Sheriff of Vance County, Curtis R. Brame, was said to be “quick to point out that there were no initial signs of foul play and that Magee’s death was most likely suicide,” and there was no side of a lynching according to People’s World.
Magee’s mother shared that Magee had no history of mental illness in the past or criminal activity. “How he was hung, it was no way that he could have done that himself,” she explained according to The Tribe.
The complete timeline of Magee’s whereabouts before his death are available at wbtv.com.
The day before his death, “he had driven from Pennsylvania to Henderson, North Carolina to deliver a load of goods to the Walmart Distribution Center,” shared WBTV. On Sept. 10 at 12:37 p.m. Magee arrived at the distribution center for around four hours.
Magee left the center, and later that day at 4:53 p.m., his truck was found sitting in a dirt parking lot. The lot was in front of 285 Vanco Mill Road in Henderson, an unofficial trucking stop about half a mile from the distribution center. His left the location, though this location would later be where his body was found.
Shortly after Magee drove away, he parked at a local smoke shop, purchasing tobacco products, being seen alone in the store.
After leaving the shop, he then drove to a Walmart location in Henderson, purchasing an Ozark Trail branded blue rope. He purchased the rope using self checkout, receiving a receipt. Surveillance footage was found of him entering, inside and leaving the store with the rope in hand.
The rope found in his death was said to be the exact one he purchased at this location.
Truckers commonly use the type of rope that was purchased by Magee in order to control cargo and tarping applications.
Magee started to head to his truck, but before arriving, he gave a homeless person $228 dollars stating, “I don’t know how much it is, but if I had more, I would give it to you” according to police officials. No further information was provided regarding said homeless person.
Magee left the lot and arrived at Hampton Inn Hotel on Ruin Creek Road, Henderson. He walks inside, speaks to an employee then leaves about 2 minutes later. He was told that no rooms were available.
Magee leaves the hotel parking lot, later arriving back at the dirt lot at 285 Vanco Mill Road. Magee was seen on surveillance footage carrying an object in hand walking toward a wood line on the eastern side of the lot.
Magee walked around a trailer then to the front gate of a T&R Tractor & Trailer Repair, located at the same lot. He then walked back to the wooden line, to his truck and got inside while turning it on.
Magee appeared to not have anything in hand after arriving back at his truck.
After about a half hour Mage’s truck is turned off and he is seen walking alone towards the trees. After this he is not seen walking back.
The next day, Sept. 11, his body was found by the owner of T&R Tractor and Trailer Repair, at around 10 a.m.
The rope was tied around Magee’s neck 11 times. “Lying next to Magee was the wrapper to the Walmart-brand rope he purchased the day before,” shared WBTV.
After identifying Magee’s body, investigators looked in his truck finding his wallet, cellphone and the receipt for the rope around his neck.
After contacting Magee’s family, his body was taken to be examined. The autopsy uncovered hemorrhaging around his soft tissue in his neck. No defensive wounds were found as well as no signs of physical or sexual assault.
“Now that all of this is out and we’re amplifying the issue, now, all of a sudden, the sheriff has put out a statement and isn’t saying that it is a suicide. Now he’s saying if anyone knows anything to reach out to Crime Stoppers hotline. We’re not going to play this game, sir.,” voiced Candice Matthews, spokesperson for Magee’s family.
“There’s been information put out there that there’s a lynching. There is not a lynching. The young man was not dangling from a tree. He was not swinging from a tree. The rope was wrapped around his neck. It was not a noose. There was not a knot in the rope. So therefore, it was not a lynching here in Vance County,” shared Brame.
Magee’s cause of death is still to be determined, Brame is leading towards a suicide, others believe his death was caused by a hate crime.