The death of Alfred Wright, 28-year-old physical therapist from Jasper, Texas, has left many befuddled as his family seeks justice in this drug overdose turned homicide case.
The murder took place November 2013 but gained social media attention when a grotesque picture of Wright’s dead body began circulating on the internet last week. Many began questioning the Sabine County Police department’s investigation when they ended a search for Wright after only four days. About two weeks later, Wright’s family and volunteers discovered his body in a field close to where his vehicle was found.
According to TheExaminer.com, Wright’s body was found lying face down with:
his eyes gouged out, tongue cut out, throat slashed, several teeth knocked out, an ear cut off.
Wright’s family is overwhelmed with the unsettling issues surrounding the case. They have yet to be interviewed by law enforcement and Wright’s truck was never searched. The pictures from the first autopsy have not been given to the second medical examiner in order to make a definitive conclusion. The family is also unsure why officers were not able to find Wright’s body since the area where he was found was supposedly searched by deputies already.
These perplexing details and many more have the African American population in Jasper very disturbed, and they have rallied in support of Wright’s justice.
Racial tensions in the town of Jasper have been present since the murder of James Byrd Jr. in 1998 at the hands of white supremacists.
The Wright family is satisfied that the case is being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice after reaching out to Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, D-Texas, that requested the department’s involvement. Cade Bernsen,lawyer for the family, told ABC 9 – KTRE:
“It’s important to have some people who aren’t from this area to take a look at it because there’s just too many questions that remain unanswered,”
The Wright family is offering $30,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction.