Mississippi Man Cory Zukatis Was Found Hanging From a Tree — What Happened to Him?

A man by the name of Cory Zukatis was reported to have been found hanging from a tree near Vicksburg, Miss., according to WAPT in Jackson, Miss. But what many want to know now is what happened to Cory Zukatis in Mississippi and what the motivation might have been if someone attacked and hung the 36-year-old man.

Some also want to know if it was an accident or not.

For now, the authorities have not publicly shared if what happened to Zukatis was an accident or a targeted incident. A confirmed photo of him has also not been released.

However, because of that, there are plenty of questions surrounding what happened. Zukatis was reportedly found in a wooded area near a Vicksburg casino on Sept. 15, 2025.

According to The Vicksburg Post, police were called to the area in the afternoon on Sept. 15, 2025. Zukatis was found hanging from the tree and he was later identified as an unhoused person from Brandon. His family has not come forward to share more details about him, but, per WAPT, his family was notified about the discovery.

The WLBT News reported on Zukatis's death in a clip that was shared on social media. In the clip, the anchors explain that it is "currently classified as a death investigation." This is likely in reference to the medical examiner's determination of how Zukatis died.

After this happens, authorities can more appropriately investigate what happened to him.

For now, there are just a few options in this case. Someone might have attacked Zukatis and hung him from the tree, or killed him by hanging him from the tree.

Or, Zukatis hung himself in an attempt to die by suicide. For now, however, authorities and the county medical examiner have not released more details about what happened.

Because no photo of Zukatis has been released to the public, there are conflicting reports of his race. Some claim he was a white man, and others say he was a Black man who was hanged.

Regardless, there was another hanging hours away from where Zukatis was found. Per NewsOne, a 21-year-old Black male student, Demartravion "Trey" Reed, was found hanging at Delta State University.

Both incidents reportedly happened roughly 24 hours apart. The university, which is in Cleveland, Miss., is around two hours away from Vicksburg, where Zukatis was found. There has been no confirmation that the hangings are connected.

Following the discovery of the Delta State University student, University Police Chief Michael L. Peeler held a press conference, according to NewsOne.

"At this time, there is no evidence of foul play," Peeler said. "The body has been retrieved by the Bolivar County Coroner's office. I have requested the assistance of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Bolivar County Sheriff's office, and the Cleveland Police Department to assist us in this ongoing investigation."