Words By: Leslie Monét
Officials are calling a what appears to be a cold-blooded racial lynching of 24-year-old Danye Dion Jones of St. Louis, Missouri, a suicide according to sources. On the morning of October 17th, Jones’ mother, known activist Melissa McKinnies, posted grave images to Facebook of the horrible sighting she woke to of her beloved son Danye fatally hung in her backyard.
Although the photos have since been deleted, a viral movement under the hashtag #DanyeJones has emerged where supporters voiced their disdain of the lack of coverage on the news following this tragedy. McKinnies was a former member of Lost Voices, a Ferguson activist group and openly advocated for the surviving members of the late Mike Brown’s family.
Last year following a stint of execution-style killings of notable Ferguson activists, State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal took to Twitter and said “…It is now not coincidental. There is a murderer targeting activists from Ferguson”.
While this story is still developing, no reputable news station has confirmed any of the allegations. However, the power of the internet and social media have quickly influenced the narrative in support of Melissa McKinnies’ beliefs that her son Danye Jones was indeed killed in a hate crime.
An image from the scene is available here. It is not safe for work and graphic in nature.
