Questions still surround the death of a Black woman who was found hanging in a tree in Orlando last month.
Yolna Lubrin, 31, was found dead on September 28 hanging from a tree in the backyard of a home her family said wasn’t hers.
The Orange County medical examiner said Lubrin’s cause of death is still under investigation. No autopsy has been released but police suspect Lubrin died by suicide.
“While all death investigations are predicated upon the existence of trauma to the body in order to determine a criminal act, our investigation has thus far not revealed any physical injuries other than the ligature marks on the neck caused by the hanging,” the Orlando Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities cited a history of mental illness, witness states, and phone communications from Lubrin that they said showed signs of suicide. However, Lubrin’s family believes someone else is responsible for her death.
During a press conference on Wednesday (October 4), Naomi Lubrin, Lubrin’s older sister, called for a transparent investigation into her death.
“My sister Yolna Ruth Lubrin did not commit suicide,” Naomi Lubrin said.
“No one has been able to stand and say, ‘Hey, let’s have a conversation with the family to get a different narrative,’” she added. “No one has been empathetic of our needs.”
Pastor Carl Soto, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Restoration Inc., agreed with the sister’s sentiments.
“She didn’t put herself there. Someone had to have put her there,” Soto said during the press conference. “Investigate all individuals who lived or occupied the home of where Ms. Lubrin’s body was found.”
Soto alleged that police overlooked certain evidence in the case, including that her car was found “severely vandalized with all the doors open” and a prior sexual assault.
“We want to make sure that we make it loud and clear. We’re not just asking for the media awareness. We’re asking for a new investigation,” Miles Mulrain, the founder of Let Your Voice Be Heard Inc, said.
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