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Watch: Demand grows for full investigation into death of Robert Fuller in Palmdale

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PALMDALE – Dozens of people gathered Friday to demand a full investigation into the death of a 24-year-old black man found hanging from a tree near Palmdale City Hall, and blasted city and sheriff’s officials for quickly suspecting suicide without exploring the possibility of a hate crime.

Robert Fuller‘s body was found with a rope around the neck, hanging from a tree just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, in Poncitlan Square, according to Lt. Brandon Dean of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Dean said Thursday that all indicators point to suicide, but investigators were waiting for full autopsy results and information from the man’s next of kin regarding past issues with mental illness.

The Sheriff’s Department also released a statement Friday that said: “Although the investigation is ongoing, it appears Mr. Fuller, tragically, committed suicide. A full autopsy is anticipated in the immediate future. Investigators have been in contact with Mr. Fuller’s family and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Fuller’s death.” [View the full statement here.]

The coroner’s office performed an autopsy on Fuller on Friday, and deferred the cause of death.

“When a cause of death is deferred, a deputy medical examiner is requesting additional investigation, including laboratory testing and witness statements, before providing a final determination on the cause and manner of death,” an official at the coroner’s office said.

Many people took to social media to demand a full investigation into the death, and Friday afternoon, dozens attended a press conference with Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer. [View the press conference above]

“We’re working hard to try to figure out exactly what happened,” Hofbauer told the crowd.

“I can’t pull it out of a crystal ball what the coroner and the sheriff’s department is going to find here,” Hofbauer said.

Hofbauer said investigators were “trying to figure out what was going on with Mr. Fuller the last few weeks… Who was he with?”

Hofbauer said there is no video footage from the area where the body was found, even though it is across the street from City Hall — an assertion that drew expletives from the crowd.

The death comes on the heels of a national conversation about racism in the U.S., and the circumstances of Fuller’s death evokes the country’s sordid history of lynchings.

Nearly 5,000 lynchings occurred in the U.S. between 1882 and 1968, according to the NAACP. More than 70% of those lynched were black.

Palmdale sheriff’s station Capt. Ron Shaffer told the crowd investigators have been in touch with Fuller’s family. He said the department is asking for the public’s help to learn about Fuller’s whereabouts prior to his death.

“If anyone has information about Mr. Fuller or his recent travels, where he’s been or where he’s been staying, we encourage you to call law enforcement so we can get a complete picture of what happened,” Shaffer said.

Two of Fuller’s cousins told NBC4 they do not believe Fuller would have committed suicide.

A GoFundMe account set up to assist Fuller’s family had raised more than $100,000 as of Friday afternoon.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

UPDATE: The City of Palmdale issued a statement Friday evening regarding Fuller’s death:

We are all grieving the loss of this young man and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” said Palmdale Mayor Steve Hofbauer. “We also understand the community’s call for a full investigation into this death, and we are asking the same.”

“We will fully cooperate with the Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles County’s Coroner’s Offices, and any and all investigative agencies looking into the matter,” Hofbauer said. “We are awaiting all available details surrounding this tragedy. In addition, we are working with local community leaders to increase the dialogue on how we can best work together and build a safer and more inclusive community.”

“We encourage anyone with information about this incident call Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323/890-5500,” Hofbauer added.

“The City of Palmdale will do everything we can to assist Mr. Fuller’s family during this difficult time as we all wait to learn more about his tragic death,” said Palmdale City Manager J.J. Murphy.”

Previous related story: Suspected suicide: Body found hanging from tree in Poncitlan Square, Palmdale issues statement

Robert Fuller [Image via gofundme]

55 comments for "Watch: Demand grows for full investigation into death of Robert Fuller in Palmdale"

  1. I agree with the woman at beginning of video: No black man would put a noose around his own neck and hang himself in front of Palmdale City Hall. Considering history and the fear and injustices black people live with and share, it makes no sense that Robert Fuller would kill himself in this way. Then we are supposed to believe there are no surveillance cameras in front of city hall to see what really happened? Consider all the recent public killings of black men that have resulted in marches and riots, or in this case, a black man hanging from a tree in front of city hall in an area of California where racial tensions have grown since the nineties. With all the historical pain that image of a black man hanging from a tree evokes, it’s as if someone is trying to make different parts of the USA erupt in riots.

    • If someone wants to kill themselves, it is a clear indication the person may suffer self hatred- I mean, he’s taking himself out. So it does make sense, just not to you. Everyone is different

  2. YOU POOR LOSS SOULS IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY. ALWAYS WANTING A FREE HANDOUT, AND DO NOT WANT TO GET UP IN THE MORNING AND WORK.

  3. Pre-Holocaust Warning Flags Reappear

    “There are ominous patterns in human rights abuses these days, grimly reminiscent of the dark days of the 1930s when similar activities foreshadowed the Holocaust,” says Irwin Cotler, a McGill University law professor and cochairman of the Canadian Helsinki Watch Group, according to The Toronto Star. He says that a study conducted in 41 countries by the Helsinki Federation for Human Rights highlights a clear danger signal—a strong growth in hate speech against minorities. Often in the form of hatemongering by broadcasters and state publications, it results in persecution of the minorities. Said Cotler concerning the trend: “This is a lesson of the Second World War that we have not learned.” Another forgotten lesson, he said, is “the crime of indifference, the conspiracy of silence.”
    Some instances of such a practice are sufficiently well-known or enduring to become known by their own specific terms, including Code of silence for the refusal of law enforcement officers to speak out against crimes committed by fellow officers and omertà, cultural code of organized crime in Sicily.

    • The beauty of America is that I dont have to accept your culteral differences. I dont need to ridicule it as long as it ain’t imposed upon me, but most importantly, I dont have to accept it. This country was built from indiferences that came together the American way. Not the Mexican way or Middle Eastern way or the African way. We have the freedom to express our differences on long as we’re not imposing it as something that needs to be. And it seems that minorities want to impose differences that are not in line with American freedoms. Its good to know history for the sake of not repeating the same mistakes. But if your nuancing a repitition of bad history like the holocaust, you’re better off just repeating the Guyana tragedy with others that think the same.

      • Dear Alby: Your writing style, mangling the language, shows that you do not read, even more than the content of your comment does. Man.

        • “This country was built from indiferences” makes absolutely no sense at all.

          • “Difference” you grammar nazi. Make sense now? Hope my mistake didnt cause a world of confusion for you.

      • Whatever you can’t or won’t “accept” Alby does more damage to you than to another.

        It limits your freedom to be in the world as it is. You are stuck, man, in a prison of your own design and making.

        Imagine if you can’t “accept’ it when it rains, or when there’s lots of traffic or people you don’t like or a million other things. You may as well stay home, virus or no virus.

        It sounds like you’re halfway there already.

        • So, I’m doing damage to myself by not allowing culteral differences to breathe down my neck? I’m limiting my freedom by living the God-blessed American dream at my own pace? I’m damaging myself by doing it my way instead of your way? I feel like I’m damaging myself by entertaining your comment. Virus or no virus, I go where I please… Preferably places where socialists or foolish protesters feel ashamed to be around people or friends that actually understand social distancing and the respect of elbow room and breathing space. Those that understand these things are potentially my best friends despite likeably or unlikeable differences. I’ve been saying this for years now, when it comes to being in public, YOU CAN HAVE THE WORLD as long as you’re arms length away from me. Dont feel bad. Americans are still learning even though there has been clues left and right.

  4. I do not know anything about the circumstances of this incident so, I will wait to see what the ‘experts’ determine. But this sure looks like a lynching to me!

  5. TRUMP SUPPORTERS NEED TO BE JNVESTIGATED BY OUR POWERFUL SHERRIFF VILLANUEVA

  6. I’ll admit I dont know much about this story, but it appears that Mr.Fullers family was not there demanding answers. If that is the case, maybe they are completely aware of his mental state. If that was your son, wouldnt you want answer? Unless you already knew.

  7. The Consequences of Hatred

    Worldwide, the seeds of hatred are being planted and watered through injustice, prejudice, nationalism, and religion. The inevitable fruitage is anger, aggression, war, and destruction. The Bible statement at 1 John 3:15 helps us see the seriousness of this: “Everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer.” Certainly, where hatred thrives, peace​—if it exists at all—​is precarious.

    Elie Wiesel, Nobel Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, writes: “The duty of the survivor is to bear testimony to what happened . . . You have to warn people that these things can happen, that evil can be unleashed. Race hatred, violence, idolatries​—they still flourish.” The history of the 20th and 21st century provides proof that hatred is not a fire that will burn itself out.

  8. Prejudice. Prejudice often stems from ignorance concerning a certain ethnic or national group. Because of hearsay, traditional animosity, or a bad experience with one or two individuals, some may attribute negative qualities to an entire race or nationality. Once prejudice has taken root, it can blind people to the truth. “We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them,” observed the English writer Charles Caleb Colton.

  9. why haven’t the FBI been called in to take over investigation ?
    need a neutral law investigation to take over

  10. Remember when the blind male that was shot dead by police on May 28th in the AV? People rushed to the area to protest because they had immediately assumed it was a racist act by cops — and because protesters did not wait for full facts/information, they ended up defending and standing up for a white supremacist + child predator. Most people looked foolish right after (whoever had a presumptuous reaction). It seems nobody has learned from that. ——–

  11. It could be a suicide. It could be the worse case scenario we’re imagining. It could be a murder from a Southsider gang in the area, since Southsiders can be horribly racist and have a history of targeting African Americans throughout mixed neighborhoods in Southern California. For the city’s sanity, there needs to be a transparent investigation from a reputable third party.

    • What motive would police have to cover up a murder? If anything they should call it a lynching just to curry favor with unreasonable radicals who seem bent on destruction of society. Why doesnt the news do investigative journalism? Tell me where the man lived…. tell me when he was last seen and by whom. Dont play b roll of angry people who say there was a rush to call it am apparent suicide and in the same breath say this was a lynching with zero facts or evidence

    • That was a shot by the City Council towards one of there own that happens to be a woman. You know the other minority opinion the Palmdale City Council has ignored. These men are sexists.

  13. Surely there are cameras all over the area where this young man died. Show the tapes- if he’s alone and it’s indeed a suicide, case closed. BUT if it shows others around him, especially if they were Cops, then stand-by for the AV to explode in anger and disgust. #BLM!

    • Most likely committed suicide. Why would cops do this. That is crazy thinking. It so sad this has happened and even sadder that people think its foul play. There has to be some cameras that seen him all by himself. The facts will come out.

      • Why would a deputy stab himself and claim a sniper shot him? Because that actually happened. Idk why people act as if police are infallible

        • Except the Sheriff’s dept is the one who told u it was all balogna… they r the ones who investigated and presented a case to the DA for prosecution. So yes there are bad cops but no the system doesnt cover for them

    • Why in the hell would a deputy (Not a Cop. There are no ‘Cops’ in Palmdale, there are Deputy’s) want to do such a thing, in light of what has happened in this country the past couple of weeks.
      You need a shrink.

      • You’re kidding right? Many cops are actual white supremacists… this is a fact and has been a concern of the fbi for over a decade, so it would not be surprising if cops are covering up a lynching

    • Does the family get a say in the release of any video, any evidence any suicide notes or other information. Or is this a case of the mob must be fed, the heck with the family’s right to privacy?

    • Your an absolute f’ing idiot! If you believe the cops hung a man by city hall the last thing u should be doing is commenting online. If u really think that could happen with the complicity of other cops and city hall u should probably leave America as your life is in danger. Please do us all a favor and keep talking so we can all see how stupid this movement is

      • This seems sound advice. Time to move.

        By the way, it doesn’t really take any “complicity” by city hall. Just a handful of drunk cops out for a good time and the blue wall of silence.

    • Just dont aim your anger and disgust at an innocent civilian, especially one thats armed and sick of BLM crap. God knows, you people even take it out on your own kind. The whole BLM movement doesn’t M.A.G.A. very well.

      • “You people”? Wow, we have a new racist joining the trenches, Ron, Trumpits, Citizens Watch, give her a warm welcome. Alby, you are a [removed] racist, that’s clearer than spring water. Too bad we are going to have a very hard time understanding her writing style. Please try to be patient, these uneducated POS’ have rights too. SMFH.

        • Whatever your name is… Lets just say “you person” are one of many “peoples” that are uneducated enough to loot and rob your own kind out of protest because your own kind got killed by a cop. Wheres the logic in that? Why is it so easy to take your anger out on innocent people instead of the actual problem? You have a pathetic level of racial sensitive that could even make a living turd puke. Americans dont like catering to such nonsense and yet still do. Reality is that you wouldn’t give two [removed] if a black cop shot a white guy or even beat him to the ground really bad. You are too ignorant to realize that it happens all the time because you’re caught up in your petty ego. You BLM idiots make black people sick to the inner core. If I’m a racist, then your are a racially sensitive domestic terrorist and a media whore that pulls out the racial card at the worst time. Thats clearer than mud water. Please dont get mad and start looting your familys home or business. Im curious if you even know what race(s) I am that makes you feel angry and inferior. And what the hell is SMFH? Ah who cares. K.A.G.

          • Alby, let’s be real honest here. I was watching the looting around the country, all skin tones were involved.
            The problem, Cult of Personality, they sell their brands, the ignorant believe they need it to be ‘in’, to show ‘prosperity’. They will never be in unless they somehow have a skill that those same personalities want in order to accomplish something.
            I must be bored, responding on political minefields like this.

        • Well said about Alby!!! Too bad the uneducated idiot is not bright! We could use a lot more smarter people in these days & times!!! SMFH too :-)

  14. Oh here we go, the Rev. Al Sharpton and his race baiting posse are on their way out to Palmdale.

  16. Look up the definition of “LYNCHING”. Apparently the AV Times did not approve of my previous post and never published it. It was a clean post, nothing like the hateful posts the AV Times has been publishing. AVT is bad for the community.

  17. I just watched it and the people in that room are PATHETIC!!! Just everybody yelling and screaming and cant hear anybody. Dont even let the leaders talk. These people are Garbage. Just making up wild conspiracies with NO PROOF AT ALL!! Before you have a Hate Crime you have to have a proven murder. You cant just jump to conclusions without any proof. Thats NOT how it works. If it was a murder they will be able to figure all that out. But how about wait for the invsestgation to finish first. DONT JUST START JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!!! Then you just look foolish. They have high tech equipment and very trained professionals. They will figure it all out. Please people give it time.

  18. I’ll wait on the autopsy report. Indications and facts don’t always line up.

  19. Unfortunately sometimes those who suffer mentally don’t always show the signs of what they are dealing with. They will always be smiling but underneath the facade they are fighting a battle. I saw it personally when I was younger and we’ve all seen it with famous people. Hopefully the family gets the answers they need to get through this horrific situation

  20. And what will happen when inevitably the investigation comes back and finds there is zero evidence of foul play, and that it was indeed only a suicide?

    • When that eventually happens then those looking for a reason to complain will, and loudly.

      • Even if it’s a lynching, which I cannot phathom, I don’t see how it could be the city’s responsibility or that of the Sheriff’s department.

        The hypocrisy of some people who are blasting the city/sheriff for suspecting it is a suicide all while they are suggesting it was a hate crime.

        Unfortunately, and unless someone steps up with some relavent information pointing to foul play, this isn’t gonna be an easy case to close.

        • Don’t play the people and all is fine, the city has no buisness promoting death by suicide. Trying to spin the story backfired!

          • Nobody played the people. Jesus christ, can you even listen to yourself? How exactly are they “promoting” death by suicide? All the article said was that it was suspected to be a suicide, not that it 100% most definitely was a suicide. “Suspected” suicide leaves open the option that it’s not a suicide.

    • It doesn’t matter, the people who assume it’s a lynching are already convinced and nothing is going to change their minds.