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The Disappearance of Rasheem Carter
● No Arrest — Case Open
Cause of Death Undetermined
Federal Investigation Requested
Civil Rights Case
Taylorsville, Mississippi
The Victim
Rasheem Ryelle Carter
Rasheem Ryelle Carter
| Full Name | Rasheem Ryelle Carter |
| Age | 25 at time of disappearance |
| Last Seen | October 2, 2022 |
| Hometown | Fayette, Jefferson County, Mississippi |
| Occupation | Welder and Millwright |
| Employer | Clements Mechanicals — Georgia Pacific, Taylorsville |
| Mother | Tiffany Carter |
| Daughter | One daughter, age 7 at time of his death |
Rasheem Ryelle Carter was born and raised in Fayette, Mississippi, a small town in Jefferson County in the southwestern part of the state. He was a skilled welder and millwright, known in his community for his craftsmanship and his work ethic. He was also known as an excellent cook and was deeply embedded in the lives of the people around him. He had a young daughter whom he loved, and who loved him in return.
In the fall of 2022, Rasheem took a contract position with Clements Mechanicals at the Georgia Pacific mill in Taylorsville, Mississippi, approximately an hour and a half from his home. He was living at the Super 8 Motel in Laurel, about 20 miles from the plant, and had been hitchhiking to and from work after his car broke down in September 2022. Despite the difficulty of the commute, he showed up every day. He had a lot going for himself, as his family later said. He was building something.
On October 1, 2022, Rasheem called his mother Tiffany Carter and told her he was in danger. He said three trucks of white men were following him and yelling racial slurs. She told him to go to the police. He did. He went to the Taylorsville Police Department twice. He received no assistance and no protection. The following day, October 2, he was last seen outside the Super 8 Motel in Laurel. He was never seen alive again.
Rasheem Carter was 25 years old. His daughter texts his old phone number to this day. She tells him she loves him. She listens to the videos he sent her. She is waiting for an answer that has not come.
01
Background
What We Know
Rasheem Carter had been working as a contract welder and millwright at the Georgia Pacific mill in Taylorsville, Mississippi, for Clements Mechanicals since the fall of 2022. His car broke down in September, forcing him to hitchhike the twenty miles between the mill and the Super 8 Motel in Laurel where he was staying. The person who usually gave him rides declined to do so on October 1, 2022. Rasheem sought other rides and went to the Taylorsville Police Department that day asking whether they could help him find an Uber. He was unsuccessful.
On October 1, Rasheem called his mother Tiffany Carter and told her that he had been having trouble with people at work and that three trucks of white men were following him and yelling racial slurs at him. He texted her to say that if she did not hear from him, those people were responsible. Tiffany told him to go to the police. He visited the Taylorsville Police Department twice on October 1 seeking help. He received no assistance or protection on either visit. His mother enlisted a friend to drive to Taylorsville to pick him up the following day, arriving around 2:00 p.m. on October 2. Rasheem was not there when they arrived.
The Laurel Police Department reported Rasheem missing on October 2, 2022, noting he was last seen outside the Super 8 Motel. Approximately one month later, on November 2, 2022, a trail camera image of Rasheem in a wooded area triggered a search. His partial remains were discovered on private property just south of Taylorsville in Smith County, approximately 21 miles west of Laurel. The Smith County Sheriff's Office stated in a Facebook post the following day that they had no reason to believe foul play was involved, a statement that immediately drew public criticism and disbelief from Rasheem's family.
Multiple sets of remains were subsequently located. The Mississippi Crime Lab confirmed on February 23, 2023, that additional remains found in Smith County matched Rasheem Carter's DNA. His jeans, containing his ATM card, cash, and a phone charger, were also recovered. Rasheem's remains were released to his family on February 16, 2023; he was buried on February 25, 2023, at Locust Grove M.B. Church in Fayette.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family confirmed that Rasheem's head had been severed from his body and that his spinal cord was recovered in a location separate from his skull. The state medical examiner's autopsy noted approximately two dozen bones and bone fragments scattered across two acres, signs of animal activity on the remains, and ruled both the cause and manner of death as undetermined. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing the Carter family, stated publicly that the death was not natural and called for a Department of Justice federal investigation. As of April 2026, no charges have been filed and no cause of death has been officially determined.
Case Timeline
How It Unfolded
September 2022
Rasheem's Car Breaks Down; Hitchhiking to Work
Rasheem Carter's vehicle breaks down while he is working his contract position at the Georgia Pacific mill in Taylorsville through Clements Mechanicals. With no car, he begins hitchhiking the twenty miles between the mill and his room at the Super 8 Motel in Laurel. He relies on a coworker for regular rides.
October 1, 2022
Rasheem Reports Being Targeted; Police Offer No Help
His regular ride declines to take him home. Rasheem calls his mother Tiffany Carter and tells her that three trucks of white men are following him and yelling racial slurs. He texts her that if she does not hear from him, those people are responsible. She tells him to go to the police. Rasheem visits the Taylorsville Police Department twice that day seeking help. He also asks if they can help him find an Uber. He receives no assistance or protection on either visit.
October 2, 2022
Rasheem Last Seen; Reported Missing
Tiffany Carter arranges for a friend to drive to Taylorsville to pick Rasheem up, arriving around 2:00 p.m. Rasheem is not there when they arrive. The Laurel Police Department reports him missing later that day, noting he was last seen outside the Super 8 Motel in Laurel. Rasheem is never seen or heard from again.
October 8, 2022
Family Conducts Independent Search; Confronts Police
Rasheem's family organizes their own search party in Taylorsville and begins asking local businesses to view surveillance footage. Multiple businesses refuse. Taylorsville Police Officer Brad White becomes defensive when confronted by the family about his failure to assist Rasheem. Several businesses decline to share footage; only one complies with the family's request.
November 2, 2022
Trail Camera Image Leads to Discovery of Remains
A trail camera photograph of Rasheem in a wooded area triggers a targeted search. Smith County Sheriff's Office deputies locate partial remains on private property just south of Taylorsville in Smith County, approximately 21 miles from Laurel. DNA later confirms the remains are Rasheem's. The following day, the Smith County Sheriff's Office posts on Facebook that they have no reason to believe foul play was involved. The statement draws immediate outrage from Rasheem's family and community.
December 31, 2022 — February 2023
Protests; Family Views Remains; More Remains Confirmed
Community protests are held in Taylorsville calling for justice. On February 5, 2023, Tiffany Carter is invited to the Mississippi Crime Lab to view Rasheem's remains for the first time. On February 16, 2023, his remains are released to the family after more than 90 days. On February 23, 2023, the Mississippi Crime Lab confirms that additional remains found in Smith County match Rasheem's DNA. The family is notified by email rather than by a direct call from investigators.
February 25, 2023
Rasheem Laid to Rest in Fayette
Rasheem Carter's burial is held at Locust Grove M.B. Church in Fayette, Mississippi. His mother Tiffany Carter and his young daughter Callie Ryelle are present. He is laid to rest more than four months after he was last seen, and more than three months after his remains were found.
March 2023
Independent Autopsy Released; DOJ Probe Demanded
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump holds a press conference releasing findings from the independent autopsy. The autopsy confirms Rasheem's head was severed from his body and that his spinal cord was recovered in a location separate from his skull. The state medical examiner ruled the cause and manner of death undetermined. Crump calls for a Department of Justice federal investigation and describes the case as a Mississippi lynching. Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston reaffirms the department's position that no foul play has been established.
May 2023
DA Issues Statement; Additional Bones Ruled Animal
District Attorney Chris Hennis issues a public statement confirming hundreds of investigative hours have been devoted to the case across multiple agencies. He states that bones found approximately 25 miles away in a creek in Simpson County on April 30, 2023, were confirmed by the Mississippi crime lab to be animal bones, not human. He affirms that if evidence supporting criminal charges is developed, his office will prosecute. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety confirms the case remains open across multiple agencies.
April 2026 — Present
Case Open — No Charges Filed — No Cause of Death Determined
As of April 2026, more than three and a half years after Rasheem Carter's disappearance, no charges have been filed and no cause of death has been officially determined. The Smith County Sheriff's Office remains the lead agency with Mississippi Bureau of Investigation support. A federal DOJ investigation has been requested but no public confirmation of a federal probe has been issued. The case remains open. Tiffany Carter continues to seek answers.
03
Law Enforcement
The Investigation
The investigation into Rasheem Carter's disappearance and death has been led by the Smith County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office, and the Mississippi Crime Lab. District Attorney Chris Hennis confirmed in May 2023 that hundreds of investigative hours had been devoted to the case across multiple local, state, and federal agencies since Rasheem was reported missing in October 2022.
The initial response to Rasheem's disappearance was criticized by his family and advocates. Rasheem visited the Taylorsville Police Department twice on October 1, 2022, to report that he was being targeted and followed by white men in trucks. He received no assistance on either visit. Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston did not contact Tiffany Carter until approximately a month after Rasheem went missing. When remains were found on November 2, 2022, the sheriff's office posted on Facebook the following day that they had no reason to believe foul play was involved. The statement was later edited to note the investigation was still ongoing, but the damage to the family's trust in local law enforcement was significant and has not been repaired.
When Rasheem's family organized their own search party in Taylorsville on October 8, 2022, they encountered resistance from local businesses who refused to share surveillance footage. A private investigator hired by the family alleged that police had mishandled the case. Taylorsville Police Officer Brad White was filmed becoming defensive with the family when confronted about his failure to assist Rasheem on the night he sought help.
The state medical examiner's autopsy noted approximately two dozen bones and smaller bone fragments found across two acres. It recorded signs of animal activity on the remains and ruled both the cause and manner of death as undetermined. The report noted the condition of the remains made it difficult to determine the exact timing of any injuries. An independent autopsy commissioned by the Carter family through attorney Ben Crump established that Rasheem's head had been severed from his body and that his spinal cord was recovered in a separate location from his skull. The front rows of Rasheem's teeth were found to be missing from the skull when recovered. Crump stated publicly that this was not a natural death and that someone murdered Rasheem Carter.
Jefferson County Coroner and Fayette NAACP President Rickey McDonnell stated in December 2022 that he absolutely believes foul play was a factor in this case and that in his view the Carter family has not received justice. The family and their attorney have formally requested that the United States Department of Justice open a federal civil rights investigation. As of April 2026, no public confirmation of a federal probe has been issued.
Forensic Evidence — Remains Photograph
A photograph of remains recovered from the wooded area south of Taylorsville in November 2022 has been documented as part of the evidentiary record. This image is available through press coverage of the case and the family's public advocacy materials. It is not displayed here out of respect for Rasheem Carter and his family.
Press Release
Justice for Rasheem
Help Solve This Case
Investigators and District Attorney Chris Hennis have stated publicly that people in the Taylorsville community know what happened to Rasheem Carter. Multiple businesses refused to share surveillance footage with his family. Witnesses have declined to speak on the record out of fear. If you were in or near Taylorsville on October 1 or 2, 2022, or if you have any information about what happened to Rasheem, you are being asked to come forward.
You can submit tips anonymously. No detail is too small. Rasheem's mother Tiffany Carter has never stopped asking for the truth. His daughter is still waiting.
Smith County Sheriff's Office
601-782-9600
Lead agency — Reference: Rasheem Carter
Mississippi Bureau of Investigation
601-933-2600
Assisting agency — Reference: Rasheem Carter
FBI — Submit a Tip
1-800-CALL-FBI
tips.fbi.gov — Reference: Rasheem Carter, Taylorsville MS
Department of Justice — Civil Rights Division
202-514-3847
civilrights.justice.gov — Submit a civil rights complaint
Sources
ABC News — A Year After Black Man Disappeared Under Mysterious Circumstances, Questions Remain, October 2, 2023 | ABC News — Mississippi Man Found with Head Severed, Attorney Says, April 2023 | CNN — The Family of Rasheem Carter Alleges He Was Murdered, March 15, 2023 | NPR — Family of Rasheem Carter Urges DOJ Probe, March 14, 2023 | Good Morning America — Protest Calls for Justice After Mississippi Man Found with Head Severed, April 2023 | Mississippi Free Press — Rasheem Carter's Family Questions Police Details of Death, 2023 | The Mississippi Link — No Justice for Rasheem Carter, June 2024 | Magnolia Tribune — Investigation Continues in Death of Rasheem Carter, May 2023 | WLBT — Exclusive: 2-Year Anniversary, October 2024 | The Antagonist Magazine — What Really Happened to Rasheem Carter, March 2023 | Capital B News — Rasheem Carter's Death Shows the Fault Lines of Jim Crow Still Run Through Mississippi, 2023
In Memoriam
He Is Not Forgotten
Rasheem Carter was 25 years old and trying to get home from work. He had no car. He had no one to drive him. He had a mother who loved him, a daughter who adored him, and a community in Fayette that knew him as a good man and an excellent cook. He was building a life with his hands, the same hands that made him a skilled welder, the same hands that cooked meals for the people around him.
He knew he was in danger. He said so. He went to the police and told them someone was after him. He went twice. They sent him away both times. What happened next, in the woods south of Taylorsville, has never been officially explained. The state said it could not determine how he died. His family knows what they believe. So does the community that has been marching and demanding and waiting for more than three years.
His daughter Callie Ryelle was at his burial. She watched her father go into the ground. She was seven years old and she texts his old phone number because she does not know what else to do with the love she has for him. She tells him she loves him. She listens to his old videos. She is a child waiting for justice that has not arrived.
Rasheem Carter deserved to be protected. He asked to be protected. He is not forgotten, and his case is not closed, and his family is still here. Whoever knows what happened on those roads in October 2022 knows the truth. That truth belongs to Rasheem and to his daughter and to his mother Tiffany, who has not stopped fighting for a single day.
Rasheem Ryelle Carter — 1997–2022
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