Uber Accident Injury Attorneys in Henderson, NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The autopsy report for Javion Magee, a 21-year-old Illinois man who was found dead in North Carolina, was released Wednesday.

The report done by the State Medical Examiner ruled Magee's death a suicide, months after he was found dead hanging from a tree in Vance County.

Magee was found dead on Sept. 11 in a wooded area. The Vance County sheriff described him as having his back up against a tree and a rope around his neck; he said there was no lynching.

Sheriff Curtis Brame said there was no foul play suspected in Magee's death and said preliminary information pointed to a possible suicide.

Magee's family, many of whom live in Illinois, and their attorneys spoke publicly in September after a nearly two-hour meeting with investigators about the 21-year-old truck driver's death.

The family said he never had any history of suicidal thoughts or depression, and was a trucker who took up that job following in his father's footsteps.

Because they were concerned about Magee's death not being a suicide and with investigators quickly reaching that conclusion, the family enlisted attorneys to help make sure the investigation was completed thoroughly and fairly, they said.

A week after Magee's death, his family spoke with investigators in person. Attorney Lee Merrit said the discussion took about two hours and went through all the evidence gathered at the time.

The pressure from family and attorney prompted the sheriff's office to release new details on the timetable of Magee's death, including information that the preliminary autopsy found that Magee did not have any defensive wounds and no sign of physical or sexual assault.

The family's attorneys said an independent autopsy was planned by the family to compare findings.

TIMELINE | Sheriff details evidence leading up to Magee's death

We know that Magee was in Henderson, dropping off a load at the Walmart distribution center for his trucking company. On Sept. 10, just before 5 p.m., his truck was seen idling in the dirt parking lot not far from where his body would later be found.

He then goes to Walmart, where surveillance video shows him buying the utility rope. On the way out in the parking lot, at 6:22 p.m., about 16 hours before he was found dead, Magee gave $228 to a homeless person outside Walmart. That person told investigators that Magee told him, "I don't know how much it is, but if I had more, I would give it to you."

He then goes to a Hampton Inn nearby, but there isn't a room available. So instead, he heads back to the dirt lot off Vanco Mill Road where he was earlier.

At 6:52 p.m., he's seen walking away from the truck to the woods alone with an object in his hand.

At 7 p.m., he goes back to the truck without anything in his hand. Thirty minutes later, the truck's ignition is turned off and never started again. He's then seen on video walking away from the truck alone.

His body would be discovered with the wrapper from the rope lying next to him. His body was discovered by people mowing grass who called 911 on September 11 around 10 a.m.

Magee's mother and father spoke briefly at the end of Wednesday's news conference. They thanked everybody for the support they've received and asked to be kept in prayer.

Magee's father also talked about how his son was hard-working and competitive.

"He was one of the first people to say, 'Hey Dad, hey, I want to drive.' I'm like, wow, what makes you want to do that? And he said, 'I just want to do it, put in my work,' and that's just how he was. He wanted everyone to be together, that was his heart," Kori Magee said.

He also had a message of unity.

"If I can tap into (Javion). I would say he wants this country to come together, not all this divided stuff. We all need to come together, because if there wasn't a divide, this wouldn't have happened," he said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide -- free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the National Lifeline at 988.

A set of three wildfires in Western North Carolina have ballooned to cover over 5,750 acres. Local county governments have maintained evacuation orders for residents in response as weather conditions are expected to be dry and windy later into the week of March 24.

The Black Cove Fire and the Deep Woods Fire grew on March 24. Collectively, the two fires span 5,500 acres in Polk and Henderson counties. Forward progress of the Fish Hook Fire, near Lake Adger, has been halted.

There are 263 personnel from across the country helping fight the fire, according to a news release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Clay Chaney said wind gusts upward of 30 mph are expected on March 25. Gusts are expected to be higher on ridge tops, he said. Lower wind speeds are expected on March 27. With relatively low humidity throughout the rest of the week, the weather service is not calling for rain until Sunday, March 30.

In response to the Black Cove Fire in Polk County, evacuation orders have been issued for residents that live along Lady Slipper Trail, Big Hungry Road, Spurgeon Cove Lane, English Heifer Cove Road, Deer Trail, Scarlets Mountain Road and Green River Cove Road addresses from 1091-1528. In Henderson County, voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road.

In response to the Deep Woods Fire, evacuation orders have been issued for residents on Fox Paw Lane and from 5079-7265 Holberts Cove Road.

In total, Polk County has issued 165 evacuation orders while Henderson County has issued 29.

The fire response effort has been hindered by regional impacts from Tropical Storm Helene, as debris remains in forests and some roads are still difficult to navigate after flooding and landslides. On March 23, Polk County Fire Marshal Bobby Arledge called it a "nightmare."

The latest N.C. Forest Service update, issued after 5 p.m., sets the following acreage and containment:

The two larger fires are burning on state-owned and private land in the Green River Gorge through steep terrain, officials said. The morning of March 22, the Black Cove Fire had burned into a section of N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission game land all the way to the Green River. N.C. Forest Service personnel assessed the area on March 23, and found one home destroyed, two structures damaged and one outbuilding destroyed from the fire, which first ignited from a downed power line.

Polk County's shelter for wildfire evacuees is located at 75 Carmel Lane in Columbus.

Henderson County opened an emergency shelter at the county Parks & Recreation Athletics and Activity Center on March 23. The shelter address is 708 South Grove Street, Hendersonville, N.C. 28792.

Residents in multiple counties can expect smoky conditions, with the wildfires impacting the region's air quality. Code Orange alerts from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality have extended to Henderson, Transylvania and Rutherford counties through midnight on March 24. Older adults, children and those with heart or lung disease may experience health effects.

Firefighters are working to build control lines on both sides of the river to prevent fire spread into neighborhoods and inhabited areas to the west of the fire, the N.C. Forest Service said in the release.

Polk County remains under a Code Red alert for air quality. Code Red means prolonged exposure to the air may be unhealthy for anyone. All residents should consider limiting prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors. Anyone sensitive to air pollution, including children, older adults and people with asthma, should avoid outdoor exertion.

This story will be updated.

Citizen Times public safety reporter Ryley Ober contributing.

Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

Henderson County officials opened an emergency shelter the evening of March 23 as a substantial, uncontained wildfire in Polk County spreads west near the county line.

The Black Cove Fire is one of two wildfires burning in Green River Cove, at the far western portion of Polk County. Over the weekend, the fire had burned into a section of N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission game land all the way to the Green River. The fire was at 2,076 acres and 0% containment while firefighters construct control lines on both sides of the river to prevent the fire from spreading into neighborhoods west of the fire — like Big Hungry area of Henderson County. The last acreage update was provided from the N.C. Forest Service just after 6 p.m. March 23.

Henderson County Emergency Management is recommending voluntary evacuations of residents in the areas of Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road as the Black Cove Fire approaches the county line, spokesperson Mike Morgan said the evening of March 23.

An emergency shelter is now open at the Parks & Recreation Athletics and Activity Center in Henderson County. The shelter address is 708 South Grove Street, Hendersonville, N.C. 28792.

A morning briefing on March 24 with all firefighters will wrap up within the next hour, Morgan said just before 8:30 a.m., and more information will be available at that time.

On March 23, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved North Carolina for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, Gov. Josh Stein said Sunday evening on X, formerly known as Twitter. These grants apply to fires that threaten to bring enough destruction to be considered a "major disaster" and must meet or exceed a set cost threshold. For North Carolina, that's over $2.9 million among multiple fires.

This story will be updated.

Ryley Ober is the Public Safety Reporter for Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @ryleyober