LAKE STEVENS — The FBI on Friday said its review of the November hanging death of 18-year-old Ben Keita also has found no sign that a crime occurred.
In a news release, FBI spokeswoman Ayn Dietrich said: “While it is still premature to make any conclusion because the investigation is active and ongoing, the FBI concurs with (the Lake Stevens Police Department’s) assessment that evidence collected to date does not provide any indication of a criminal act.”
Federal agents also are familiar with Lake Stevens detectives’ “appropriate and thorough investigative steps,” the statement said. The FBI continues to be involved in the investigation.
Keita was a Running Start student who was black and raised Muslim. He stopped going to school about three weeks before he disappeared Nov. 26. His family said he left their home without his car, phone and wallet. His body was found in the woods Jan. 9.
Initially, police and the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a suicide. After the family questioned the ruling, the medical examiner changed the finding to “undetermined.” That means there was insufficient information to draw a medical conclusion. That’s different from police and prosecutor findings about whether evidence suggests the death was the result of a crime.
The case has drawn international attention this week. That happened after an Islamic civil rights group in Seattle said the family had concerns about how the investigation was being conducted. The group’s press conference included a reference to lynchings in American history.
Lake Stevens police still are seeking tips: 425-377-3214.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.
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