The last Tiffany Carter heard from her son was an Oct. 1 phone call when he told her he was being chased by three truck loads of white men and asked for help.

A month later, Carter's remains were found scattered across a wooded area south of Taylorsville in brutal fashion. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, described the crime as a “Mississippi Lynching” and says he has formally requested the U.S. Department of Justice become involved in the investigation.  

“I can’t make this up - I have been through so much. What I’ve learned to do is lean on God but it’s been rough as a mother,” said Tiffany Carter, Rasheem’s mother. “I have a 7-year-old granddaughter and a son that’s 28 grieving out of this world. It’s challenging to try to be strong for them and then deal with losing a child.”

Area police initially determined the death was not a result of foul play, but rather the work of animals in the densely wooded area. But a third set of remains discovered Feb. 23 proved to be Rasheem's and changed that, leading the state coroner's office to update their report after the finding with the determination that his death was a homicide.

According to the report, the 25 year old’s head was severed from his body and his spinal cord was found in a separate location. Several of his front teeth were also removed, and February’s discovery expanded the total area in which his remains were found.

Carter says the family was notified of those findings via email and has yet to receive direct consultation from any law enforcement officials involved in the now six-month long investigation.

“It’s a lot, and then it’s always something they’re doing to try and stop us from doing what we have to do. And that by itself is heartbreaking, you know?” said Carter. “Because I’m just one person, and the child’s mother that you took. Why are you so fearful for what you did that was wrong to me, and my family, and the people who love Rasheem? Justice got to be served. That is it. It’s not up for debate or explaining, justice will be served.”
 

Carter was joined in protest by locals and more than 150 members of Israel United In Christ, a Jackson-based religious organization who marched miles through Taylorsville to the town’s police station.

Marquell Bridges, a Laurel resident and community activist, said he joined the march for both personal and historical reasons.

“I have two black sons. Mississippi let Emmitt Till and the Till family down. We didn’t stand up, we didn’t unify and fight for their justice. It’s been 67 years - we don’t want to wait 67 years for justice for Rasheem Carter.”

At the time of writing no arrests have been made, although the Smith County Sheriff’s office said they are pursuing several search warrants connected to the case, such as an instance of Rasheem's credit card being used after his death.  

Now the guardian of Rasheem’s 7-year old daughter, Carter says she has been driving more than two hours from her home in Jefferson County at least once a month to advocate for her son, all while grieving his loss.  

“It’s still not where it should be, but we’re not going to stop until we get what we can get. So you can accept that we won’t stop until we get justice, and you will deal with what you can deal with until you can be men and women and stand up and say what you did to my son,” she said. “This has affected our community in some of the worst ways.”