Malcolm Harsch Victorville death: Family demands answers after man found tied to tree

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Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Family demands answers after man found tied to tree in Victorville
A family is demanding answers after a man was found tied to a tree in Victorville. They don't believe he would have committed suicide and say there is someone who may have been out to get him.

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (KABC) -- A family is demanding answers after a man was found tied to a tree in Victorville. They don't believe he would have committed suicide and say there is someone who may have been out to get him.

"My brother was loving, he was caring, respectable, talented," says Harmonie Harsch.

Harmonie is talking about 38-year old Malcolm Harsch, who detectives say was found hanging from a tree in a homeless encampment near Victor Street and Circle Drive in Victorville.

The original 911 call indicated it was a suicide. But Harmonie, who posted a video on Facebook from her home state of Ohio, says she has her doubts.

"My brother is 6'3." That tree was four feet," she said.

"My brother was tied to a tree with a HDMI cord. Someone took their time with that knot, took their time tying this! It was too perfect, too perfect!"

She doesn't believe it's a suicide. She says an unidentified black man had stolen property from her brother, and she believes that man was seen leaving the area by someone who was trying to help.

"When he was running over to assist, there was another black man that appeared to be trying to get my brother off that tree, but when he saw everyone running over to help, he fled the scene. This is also the man that stole from my brother. This is also the man that a lot of people claim if anyone did this to my brother, it would have been this man, also the person the police says they can't seem to find."

A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department told ABC7 that the sheriff is cooperating with the Department of Justice. They are sharing information about the case, but at this point, there's no evidence pointing to foul play.

Malcolm Harsch Victorville death: Man found hanging from tree

An African-American man was found dead, hanging from a tree in Victorville, authorities say.