JACKSON, Miss. — Authorities are investigating the hanging of black man in Claiborne County, officials said Thursday.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack said the FBI and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are on the scene where a man’s body was found hanging in the woods near Old Rodney Road.

Coroner J.W. Mallett would not release any details and simply said the death is under investigation.

The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Department and the Mississippi Wildlife Fisheries and Parks were conducting a ground search earlier Thursday for Otis Byrd, 54, who has been missing since March 2.

Sheriff Marvin Lucas said that’s when they found the body, hanging about a half-mile from Byrd’s last known residence, at around 10:21 a.m. Thursday. He said that during the search for Byrd, they never ruled out that he could have met with foul play.