The FBI is reviewing the case of a black man found hanging in an abandoned house in Alabama.

Officers found the body of Dennoriss Richardson, 39, in September in a rural area of ​​the Deep South state with a history of lynchings.

The Colbert County Sheriff’s Office initially ruled the man’s death a suicide. But the case has generated widespread skepticism among community members and Richardson’s wife, Leigh, who says she believes her husband’s death resulted from a lawsuit she filed against the local police department in February.

While in jail, the man claimed he was assaulted, denied medical care, sprayed with tear gas, and shocked with a Taser. according to ABC News.

Furthermore, her husband had no connection to the house where he was found and a suicide note was never discovered.

Sheriff Eric Balentine told the outlet that he is confident in the findings, but believes a federal investigation would give the family more peace of mind.

He said the department has “exhausted all resources” in investigating the case.

the independent has contacted the sheriff’s office for more information. In a written statement, the FBI said it is “aware of the tragic death of Dennoriss Richardson and takes allegations of violations of federal law seriously. “The FBI reviews allegations of criminal conduct on their merits and conducts additional investigations if there is evidence of a possible violation of federal law.”

Richardson’s wife described her late husband as a “warm” father to their five children. In the months after filing the lawsuit, she said her husband was routinely stopped by area police and that he had been trying to stay out of the way.

Her husband even reported the officers’ behavior to the Sheffield mayor’s office. Mayor Steve Stanley said he told Richardson that any officers reported through official channels would be investigated.

Richardson was charged with methamphetamine trafficking the week he filed his lawsuit against the department. Police arrested him at a house where drugs were found. He was out on bail when he died.

“I have preached and I believe that most officers, at least, recognize that everyone deserves respect,” the mayor told the outlet.

According to the Equal Justice Initiative, at least 11 people were lynched in Colbert County between 1877 and 1943.