Thousands of people sign a petition to demand a full investigation into Elijah Weatherspoon’s death.
What We Know:
- 18-year-old Elijah (Nicky) Weatherspoon went missing on June 25th in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina while on a boating trip with a group of white friends.
- Around 11 p.m., Mount Pleasant Police responded to a report of a young man who “entered the water from the boat” and never resurfaced. Local law enforcement and the United States Coast Guard searched for three days before they found the teen’s body in the Cooper River.
- Weatherspoon’s family has called for a transparent investigation into this death, claiming there are a number of inconsistencies among the eye-witness statements.
- According to the petition that was created by Weatherspoon’s mother’s best friend, “some say he decided to flip off the boat along with another, and a good Samaritan could only save one, but not Elijah. Another story was the boat docked and Elijah jumped off but couldn’t come back up due to his inability to swim, (He was an experienced swimmer)”.
- “This is clearly more than an accident. Nicky deserves justice, and so does his family,” the petition reads. “The family believes that because Nicky was Black and everyone else was white, they are not trying to investigate. An officer questioned as to ‘Why was Nicky on this side of town (Mount Pleasant)? Why wasn’t he on his side of town?’ Regardless of what side of town he was on, a crime was committed, and we seek equal justice.”
- The petition seeks to keep the case open so that Weatherspoon’s loved ones may get their questions answered and receive justice if foul play is determined. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition had collectively received more than 155,000 signatures.
- The coroner’s report has been released, but many people are still waiting for the Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to complete their investigation
In a statement sent to ABC News 4, the family lawyer stated, “As the investigation continues, the family appeals to members of the public and, particularly, to those individuals who were on the boat with Elijah to come forward and fully cooperate with all agencies to determine what really happened on June 25, 2020″.
