A Mississippi man who was found dead last year was reportedly seen on a deer camera the day he disappeared.
Rasheem Carter, 25, was found dead in a wooded area in Taylorsville on November 2, exactly a month after he was last seen at a Super 9 hotel in Laurel. Recently, Carter’s mother told Insider that a photo showed Carter shirtless in the woods on the day he vanished.
“You could see there are bruises on him,” she said. “When I see that picture, I know my son was somewhere struggling, somewhere running for his life.”
According to Insider, detectives gave the image to Carter’s family for verification a week before his body was found. However, Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston told the news outlet that they have not uncovered any evidence showing that Carter was murdered.
Houston also claimed that the trail camera photos may show shadows on Carter’s body, not bruises.
“He’s the only one on the camera,” he told Insider. “It doesn’t show anybody else present.”
The family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, has alleged that body parts were found in various locations and some remain unaccounted for. However, Houston told Insider that animals likely got to Carter’s body at some point.
According to reports, Carter was completing a contracting gig in Taylorsville, 100 miles from home, when he vanished. Carter’s mother said the short-term job ended when he and the business owner got into an argument at the worksite which led Carter to fear for his life.
At some point, Carter allegedly texted his mother about “not seeing eye to eye” with the business owner — who Carter also said “would be responsible” if something happened to him.
Carter’s mother claimed he also sent her a text message reading, “I’m too smart, Mama. He’s got these guys who want to kill me.”
A day after Carter’s body was found, the Smith County Sheriff’s Department publicly announced that it has no reason to believe foul play is involved in his death. However, Crump alleged that Carter’s head was disconnected from his body — with the State Crime Lab giving the family a box containing his head and spinal cord.
Carter’s family also alleged that some of his front teeth were missing, suggesting an assault had occurred.
While the family claimed Carter called the police before he vanished, Chief Tommy Cox denied this to NBC News. Cox also said that he had turned over the case to Smith County police as it was outside their jurisdiction.
In November, Smith County Sheriff Joel Houston denied allegations that $500 was withdrawn from Carter’s bank account days after his disappearance. Houston said they found no evidence of any bank withdraws.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said this week that an autopsy was completed on February 2. The agency also said the FBI is not involved in the case but it remains “open and ongoing.”
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[Featured image: Rasheem Carter/Family Handout]
