Second Black Man, Malcolm Harsch, Hanged 50 Miles From Robert Fuller

Posted on by Sophie Robinson

Two black men have been found hanging within a week of each other in Southern California. Malcolm Harsch’s body was found hanging from a tree in Victorville, California, drawing parallels to the death of Robert Fuller who was found hanged 50 miles away in Palmdale, California.

What We Know:

  • Harsch, 38, was found hanging in Victorville on May 31, and Fuller, 23, was later found hanging in Palmdale on June 12. Officials currently believe that there was no foul play involved in either of the deaths and are currently classifying both as suicide.
  • On May 31, at approximately 7 am, the City of Victorville Fire Department was dispatched to the City Public Library, where they discovered Harsch’s body hanged in a nearby tree. Harsch’s death remains an active investigation although investigators say homicide is not suspected.
  • The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department released a statement to Harsch’s family saying, “We grieve for Malcolm’s family and express our deepest condolences. We understand the gravity of this situation and the family’s desire for answers. We want the lines of communication to remain open with the family”. Harsch’s family resides in Ohio and is waiting there to hear the result of the investigation.
  • The family released a statement to Victor Valley News saying that the explanation of his death as suicide “does not seem plausible” as he “did not seem depressed to anyone who truly knew him… and he had recent conversations with his children about seeing them soon”. The Harsch family urged for further investigations to be conducted, saying, “there are many ways to die but considering the current racial tension, a black man hanging himself from a tree definitely doesn’t sit well with us right now. We want justice not comfortable excuses”.
  • The Harsch family isn’t the only one calling for further investigations into the death of Harsch. A Change.org petition is also drawing attention to the case and calling for further investigation into Harsch’s death, so far the petition has gained more than 27,000 signatures. The petition reads, “his death is getting little to no news coverage by local news, the article on his death was published 2 weeks later on June 13th”. Adding in later, “during such a heightened time with the Black Lives Matter movement, there is reason to believe that Malcolm’s death was a lynching” concluding with “We demand the San Bernardino’s County Sheriff’s Department, and the Cities of Victorville and San Bernardino to conduct a full, thorough investigation into Malcolm’s death. We demand justice to be served for Malcolm and his loved ones.”
  • The public outcry for a further investigation into Harsch’s death was increasingly intensified with the death of Robert Fuller, found similarly hanged from a tree outside a public building 50 miles away. People across the United States and all over the world have been demanding equality and justice for the black community and they believe by neglecting to further the investigation is a way to avoid media attention and continue to ignore racism in this country.

  • Celebrities and public figures across social media have shared support for Fuller and Harsch and demands for full and proper investigations and justice, including Jaden Smith, Kamala Harris, Kim Kardashian, and Viola Davis. All urged their followers to demand city officials to investigate the deaths and not accept the “comfortable excuses”.

Petitions are available to sign to demand further investigation for both Malcolm Harsch and Robert Fuller. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the loved ones of both men and we will continue to follow and provide updates on the investigations.

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