Death Hangs over Georgia Community

By. David StokesSpecial to the NNPA from Atlanta Inquirer ATLANTA (NNPA) –The discovery of a Black man hanging from a tree, allegedly committing suicide upon reportedly being despondent with “girlfriend issues” in Coweta County, has “shaken up” residents allegedly involved in the incident, as well as has moved the victim’s mother toward determined resolve “to find out the real story”. During the early morning hours of Wednesday, October 13th, 21-year-old Bernard Burden was discovered at a front yard tree, noose and barbed wire around his neck, after a night of playing cards and talking on the telephone at a home in Grantville, Georgia., about 15 minutes outside of Newnan and Interstate 85, along with his White girlfriend, 17-year-old Hope Watson. That information is affirmed by knowledgeable participants. What happened prior to the hanging that led Burden to reportedly commit suicide, however, is where different versions of fact or fiction enter for addequate investigation. “It’s all senseless, and (various stories told don’t) add up,” cried Tamathy Pless, Burden’s mother who was reared in Franklin, Georgia, before moving to Grantville in 1997. “There are too many inconsistencies with the timeline, people’s alibis and shoddy police work” surrounding her second born’s demise. The saga of an East Coweta High schooler who was encouraged to play football has become befuddled with accusaions of drug usage and “bizarre” behavior as opposed to a life of personal and professional achievement and happiness. Pless won’t soon forget the call by Grantville Police Chief Jerry Ramos. The relatively new chief called her job to inform her Bernard had committed suicide by hanging from a tree, according to Pless. “I (immediately) did not believe he committed suicide and hung himself from a tree. He was six feet, eight inches (tall). People have even told me that Bernard did not kill himself. Something happened in that house…where they panicked (after) thinking he was dead, and decided to make it look like a suicide.” The house in question belongs to Donna and Chris Young. Chris and Bernard were friends from high school who regularly gathered at the Young home on Roger Arnold Road. “He called me mama, and also called himself my Black son,” Young said from her College Park office. The scenario involved Bernard spending his last three nights at Young’s house, believing “he didn’t have a place to stay,” according to Young, as his mother was planning to move to Atlanta. Young says Bernard asked to live in her home temporarily until permanent residency was found, preferably with girlfriend Hope. After completing conversation with Hope on the telephone, nevertheless, Bernard reportedly awaited medication by Hope to placate physical illness, after engaging in conversation from 12:45am. to 4:45 am. It is that four-hour gap that has kept everyone guessing of what led Bernard to allegedly take his own life in the still of the night. Young indicated previous behavior of an apparently troubled young adult who “reached out at people to love him.” Several times prior to October 13th, Bernard “attempted suicide,” and other teen behavior with friends by “sitting out on the highway (Hwy. 129),” and behavior where he and Hope fought and incurred other legal trouble. According to Young, Bernard was on felony probation, a third incident of driving without a license, after having been penalized by local authorities for “fighting and other stupid stuff.” When reached at her home for incident clarification and comment, Watson hung up the phone after declaring, “just let it go, and don’t call back no more!” (According to Bernard’s mother, Pless, Watson is serving five years probation for setting her son on fire earlier this year.) The night in question is what remains a mystery. Bernard and Hope were talking on the telephone. He needed medicine, and Hope agreed to bring it. Young stated on two occasions that she told Bernard to hang up the phone, with Bernard responding, “yes ma’am.” A female friend of Young reportedly entered the house around 3:45am to see Bernard back on the telephone, according to Young, as she and her son, Chris, slept in their beds. Furthermore, Hope reportedly has told authorities and others she searched the Young house for Bernard for an hour to supply the medication. Other speculation includes “somebody else angry with (Bernard) from previous altercations,” his mother said. This includes Bernard fraternizing with the daughter of a “pure racist” in Grantville. However, Bernard ended the relationship to be with Hope. Recently returning to work from medical leave after the incident, Young says a memorial service is being planned to be held in her home. “We were told that if we came to the funeral, we’d be escorted out by the police,” Young sighed. “We want to have this service for Bernard, with his mother, too, because we and a lot of people didn’t have the chance to say goodbye.” According to GBI Special Agent in Charge Jay T. Ricketson, “this is only a ‘death investigation’ right now. We are continuing to follow up on new leads, and are staying in contact with (Ms. Pless).” The agent also stated the autopsy report will be expedited to determine exact cause of death. Assistant District Attorney Pete Skandalakis was unavailable at press deadline, “preparing for grand jury,” according to an assistant. A symbol of racism leading to lynchings of African-American men in the South and also inspiring blues singer Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” tree hangings illicits raw emotion from blacks. “All we know is what we’ve been told, and we’re waiting on the autopsy report to come back before deciding our next move,” said Willie Jeter, president of the Coweta County NAACP. At this writing, Jeter said he was coordinating a meeting with other members “to look at the situation…the evidence doesn’t fully prove a suicide.” Jeter also relayed some belief of “past circumstances…previous behavior that (Bernard) somewhat took on a mentality of being White.” Bernard’s mostly white friends, his family attending a majority-white church and general surroundings in Grantville and majority white Coweta County was also listed to support the claim. “(Bernard) stayed around whites more than Blacks,” Jeter said. Nonetheless, if the autopsy substantiates foul play, a “thorough investigation” by state NAACP and federal government officials will be sought, Jeter said. “Bernard was my son. Whatever happened to him, it should have been treated as a suspicious death. It appears Bernard’s life meant nothing (due to lack of assistance by local law enforcement and other officials),” Pless said. The behavior surrounding Bernard’s death continues to be “suspicious,” Pless says. Because she was unable to view her son’s body until eight days after the incident, along with Young and Watson avoiding her questions when seen around town, “it all just doesn’t add up! No one ever found a suicide note; Bernard never indicating being capable of suicide…, out of character, and (upon seeing Young and the girlfriend at the local Wal-Mart) Hope was shaking so bad…, and ( Young) walked away from me, never looking me in the eye,” Pless said. “My soul is troubled. It just doesn’t sit well with me,” Pless exclaimed. “They expect me to believe Bernard climbed the tree, used the rope and supposedly hung himself until he died. It just doesn’t add up.”