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Daughter of man found dead in LaSalle in 2018 says he was lynched; LaSalle Police Department confident death was suicide

By Billy Thompson Jul 8, 2020 | 5:07 PM

An investigation into the death of a 40-year-old black man from Riverdale in 2018 near the 101 Supper Club in LaSalle ruled it a suicide by hanging. William Young’s daughter thinks her father was lynched and has started an online petition to have the case looked at again. The daughter requested that her name be kept private because of threats against her.

Recent events involving acts of violence against people of color by police inspired her to bring awareness to her father’s death two years later.

LaSalle Police Lt. Mike Smudzinski says he’s confident in the results of the investigation and that his heart goes out to William Young’s family. Smudzinski says the evidence points to suicide.

Young’s daughter says that her father was taking medication for a bad back and wouldn’t have been able to climb a tree to hang himself. Smudzinski says Young was found lying down with his feet pointing down a hill and wasn’t off the ground. Jumper cables were tied around his neck and to a tree.

Smudzinski says people close to Young said that he was dealing with depression and had suicidal thoughts in the past. He also says security footage doesn’t show anyone else in the area at the time. One camera captured Young’s car enter the 101 Supper Club parking lot. Another shows a one figure leave the area of where the car is parked and head into some woods. There were also internet searches related to suicide on Young’s phone.

Young’s daughter says damage on the passenger side door of his car, which was in a nearby parking lot, is suspicious. Smudzinski says there’s no way of knowing what caused the damage.

When police found the car there were clothes plugging the tail pipes.

Young’s daughter acknowledges that her father was going through things in his life like everyone does, but says he just signed a lease and wouldn’t have left this earth without leaving a note. She thinks there are too many holes in the case and wants it investigated further. She also wants officers involved in the investigation fired.

Smudzinski says he has no plans of reopening the investigation, but is willing to have an outside agency review his department’s work.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story said William Young was from Riverside. It has been updated with the correct town name which is Riverdale. We regret the error.