At an afternoon news conference, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Cmdr. Chris Marks, who oversees the department’s detective division, said the department’s investigation had determined that Fuller took his own life. [View the news conference here.]
“Investigators have met with the coroner’s office and discussed the final results,” Marks said. “Just this afternoon, the medical examiner issued their final autopsy report and delivered it to the sheriff’s department, and deemed this case to be a suicide.” [View the news release from the coroner’s office here.]
Marks said Fuller had a history of mental illness and suicidal thoughts, including a Jan. 2017 diagnosis of auditory hallucinations by a hospital in Arizona. Their records showed that Fuller “stated that he wanted to put a gun to his head,” according to Marks.
Fuller also admitted himself to a California hospital in Feb. 2019 for “reportedly hearing voices telling himself to kill himself,” and in Nov. 2019, he was treated at a Nevada hospital for “suicidal ideation and depression,” in which he disclosed that he had a plan to kill himself, Marks said.
A passerby found Fuller’s body hanging from a tree in Poncitlan Square about 3:40 a.m. on June 10 and his death was initially suspected to be a suicide by Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives, an action that has brought the department under criticism and drawn national news coverage.
Demonstrations were held with protestors demanding an investigation by state Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
“The Sheriff’s Department immediately declared his death a suicide without completing a full and thorough investigation,” attorney Jamon R. Hicks with Douglas/Hicks Law said in June. “The lack of investigation and dismissal of this as a potential murder or hate crime has enraged Mr. Fuller’s family and the entire Antelope Valley community.”
At the news conference Thursday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said his department had conducted a thorough investigation.
“A small segment of the community, and — unfortunately — a significant representation of county government elected leaders were trying to propel the narrative,” Villanueva said.
“But the overwhelming majority of the public trusts the sheriff’s department,” Villanueva said. “And as you can see, we complete an investigation and then we report on the results.”
Villanueva had said earlier that he called Becerra and reached out to the FBI, whose civil rights division will also monitor the investigation.
“It is in our interest to make sure that we leave no rock unturned,” Villanueva said at that time, promising full access to outside investigators. “This death investigation obviously is of great concern to the community, not only of Palmdale, but throughout the nation. Robert Fuller was a young man in the prime of his life, and his death obviously is painful for many people.”
Previous related stories:
Funeral set for Robert Fuller; family attorney debunks rumors
LACSD deputy fatally shoots Robert Fuller’s half-brother in Kern County
Family hires attorney, seeks independent autopsy in Robert Fuller’s death
Watch: Villanueva vows thorough probe into hanging death in Palmdale
Robert Fuller death: Hundreds protest in Palmdale; city & county officials request probe by State AG
Watch: Demand grows for full investigation into death of Robert Fuller in Palmdale
Suspected suicide: Body found hanging from tree in Poncitlan Square, Palmdale issues statement
Woman files legal claim against LA County over crossfire wounding
–
Jimbo70 says
From a previous news story, “Fuller’s sister Diamond Alexander told the crowd, “My brother was not suicidal, he wasn’t.” ”
There’s more info from the coroner that is not being released that he had marks from previous attempt at suicide.
The families always lie. “He was a gentle giant”, “Hands up don’t shoot”, “He was a good boy”.
Leticia says
I would like someone to address the rumors/facts (?) that Mr. Fuller was facing charges of child molestation and that this may have been the reason he committed suicide.
Loam says
A) The family attorney did address this by saying “These rumors have no basis in fact and are an attempt to further assassinate the character of Mr. Fuller.”
B) In these times of morality policing, no one else will address it because more facts will not add anything to the official conclusion that the case was a suicide. The problem is mental health, not consequences of or motivations for. To take it further would only add fodder for the morality police.
Karla K says
“Investigators say they found Robert suspended from a tree branch by his neck from a braided rope and a cloth fabric. They also said there were no defensive wounds observed on his body or any signs he attempted to remove the rope from his neck. The tree was easily accessible and could be climbed by Fuller, the sheriff’s department said. There were no signs of a struggle, and Fuller’s hands were not bound, authorities added.
They say they also observed several prominent linear scars on Fuller’s left wrist consistent with suicidal intent.
Commander Chris Marks also mentioned there’s a documented history of mental illness and self-harm … adding Fuller had been admitted to hospitals in California, Arizona and Nevada after expressing he wanted to kill himself.”
“The Las Vegas Police Department reported that Fuller tried to take his own life there in
February. 2020 by setting himself on fire.
A year before that, Fuller admitted himself to a California hospital, saying he heard voices telling him to kill himself.
Three other instances were cited since 2017 at hospitals in California, Nevada and Arizona in which Fuller reported having suicidal thoughts.
A hospital in Arizona diagnosed him with having auditory hallucinations and claimed that he said he wanted to put a gun to his head…”
Yet his 1/2 sister claims >” Diamond Alexander told the mass. “We just want the truth. My brother was not suicidal. He was a survivor. He was street smart.”
She was always making those claims! Obviously she didn’t know him very well. Where were his sister/sisters? when all these suicide attempts and hospitalizations occurred…hmmm
One account alone Go Fund Me = $237,027 raised
Autopsy says
Robert Fuller’s family, Jamon Hicks, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) should apologize for their baseless accusations and their behavior.
Katherine Anderson says
They should be prosecuted for scamming people with their felonious drama.
Jesus da millenial says
Figured much, and this is one of many reasons why i am voting for Trump in 2020. The media made something bigger then it really need it to be. Latino for TRUMP 2020!!
ForeverTrump says
I agree. Include me. Go Trump!
#27u939874 says
Hey Jesus and ForeverTrump
Trump is going to lose bigtime. And, the prosecutors in New York will be waiting for him for all kinds of fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.
Maybe you too can visit him in prison. Wear a mask.
Kree says
You sound racist…nice u post no name…coward much or just unintelligent?
Dwayne says
The whole AV deserves apology. There was no lynching just a sad case of mental health here. But the whole AV was accused of a lynching by false narrative also fueled by the media coverage. The Family knew from the get go he had in fact killed himself. Where are the protesters now? Where is BLM? This wasn’t racist lynching or police brutality. Now the true is out no one can say a thing now!
Rich says
His family knew he had mental illness. They just wanted that GoFundMe money. They got what they wanted out of the giving people and won’t apologize to the community they berated.
Karla K says
To Rich,
Exactly! Big score on the Go Fund Me account. SMH! There’s quite a bit more on Fuller’s mental state of mind…”The Las Vegas Police Department reported that Fuller tried to take his own life t in February. 2020 by setting himself on fire.
A year before that, Fuller admitted himself to a California hospital, saying he heard voices telling him to kill himself.
Three other instances were cited since 2017 at hospitals in California, Nevada and Arizona in which Fuller reported having suicidal thoughts.
A hospital in Arizona diagnosed him with having auditory hallucinations and claimed that he said he wanted to put a gun to his head…”
give me a break says
“just a sad case of mental health here” then why kill yourself that way? And what makes the police so sure he was not already dead or unconscious and hung by other people? Can they be 100% sure it was a suicide? If not then maybe some racist A-holes strangled him and drug him there and hung him… Suicide huh? Then I want to hear the evidence that makes you 100% sure of that.. if not.. then maybe it WAS NOT a suicide.
Loam says
So you think some racist person or persons tracked down a man with a history of mental illness in three state and professed cases of self-harm, borrowed his EBT card to buy a rope in May and then gave the EBT card back to him, waiting for him to get out of jail on bail, and then drugged him to hang him up in such a way as to appear as a suicide? All so some poster on a chat board can say “if you are not 100% sure them maybe it was NOT a suicide”?
This is a tragic case with a young man that our society should have helped, but it was not a homicide.
Trumpist#1 says
Hey, I have this bridge in Brooklyn that I’m selling cheap. But you must act now!
AV Resident says
Says the Professional Coroner. Please, give US a break. Find a rock to crawl under.
You are a person in denial.