Black man found hanged from tree not homicide: US officials

Washington: There was no evidence of foul play in the death of a black man found hanging from a tree in Mississippi, the US Justice Department said Friday, closing its investigation.

The discovery of Otis James Byrd's body in woods in Port Gibson in March garnered considerable media attention, coming at a time of heightened sensitivity around race in the United States.

Justice Department and FBI officials met the family of Byrd, 54, on Friday to inform them that there was no evidence to pursue criminal civil rights charges.

"After a careful and thorough review, a team of experienced federal prosecutors and FBI agents determined that there was no evidence to prove that Byrd's death was a homicide," a Justice Department statement said.

"Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed.