On July 31, 1986, 19-Year-Old Keith Warren was found hanging from a tree near his home in Silver Spring, MD. The death was classified as a suicide, but because of perceived inconsistencies in the case, his family has long believed it to be a lynching.
Several factors have fueled these suspicions, including the unusual position of Warren’s body and the family’s claim that they were not allowed to see the body until after it had been embalmed. Over the years, activists and Warren’s family have pushed for the case to be reopened, believing that his death may have been a homicide.
In 1994, following years of pressure from Warren’s family, his body was exhumed for a second autopsy. This autopsy revealed high levels of a chemical commonly found in antifreeze, suggesting that Warren might have been poisoned before being hanged.
In 2022, Discovery+ aired a three-part docuseries on the death Warren. The series followed Keith Warren’s sisters 35+ year attempt to change the cause of death on Keith’s death certificate. The docuseries was accompanied by a six-part podcast hosted by Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza.
The case was also featured on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries in 1996. The portion on Keith Warren begins at the 32 minute mark.
In April 2021, former Montgomery County Councilmember Hans Riemer requested Montgomery County to order an independent investigation into the Montgomery County Police Department’s handling of Keith Warren’s death. His letter to County Executive Marc Elrich below:
“County Executive Elrich,
I am writing to request that you order an independent investigation into the Montgomery County Police Department’s handling of Keith Warren’s death. Mr. Warren was a young black man found hanging from a tree in a wooded area near his home in Silver Spring in 1986.
An independent investigation should examine whether there is cause to re-classify Mr. Warren’s cause of death from “suicide” to “unknown.” His family has found many troubling inconsistencies in this case, which linger today despite previous reviews. We must dispel any questions about our County government’s handling of this incident.
We may or may not be able to find out the true cause of death, but I strongly believe that there is more uncertainty about the situation than is recognized by the County’s official position and that the treatment of Mr. Warren and his family has been unfair and unreasonable. I have talked with Mr. Warren’s sister, Sherri Warren. She has been fighting for decades, along with her now deceased mother, to bring justice for her brother’s memory. She deserves our support and recognition of Keith Warren’s humanity. An independent review to determine whether the cause
of death is actually “unknown” would provide that.
Sincerely,
Hans Riemer
Councilmember, At-Large”