CONCORD, California. – An East Bay family’s search for answers about the death of a young art student has dragged on for nearly four decades.

Saturday, November 2, 2024, marks 39 years since Timothy Charles Lee of Berkeley was found hanging from a tree near the Concord BART station. His death was ruled a suicide.

Relatives said the incident was murder and asked for the case to be reopened.

Lee’s cousin, Frank Sterling Jr., said the art student was only 11 when he died.

Sterling said he began working to reopen the case when he learned there was community interest in what happened several years ago and that the family wanted answers.

“A friend of mine did this drawing of Timmy,” Sterling said, pointing to a drawing he plans to bring to the memorial march and memorial he is planning for the anniversary of Lee’s death.

“It was very suspicious. They destroyed the evidence within 24 hours. The community revolted and launched an FBI investigation. But they are putting some kind of stamp of approval on the investigation,” Sterling said.

Family members said there was evidence pointing to foul play.

Lee was a gay man who was Black and Native American.

Authorities said they found a suicide note at the scene, but the names of the siblings it addressed were misspelled.

There were questions about whether the handwriting was Lee’s.

When KTVU covered the case in 1986, Lee’s sister, Tammy, said her brother had received a $2,000 scholarship to study fashion design in Milan.

“He was so excited. It was like a dream come true. He was finally able to go on this trip he always wanted to do,” Tammy said.

He has since died but said if his brother wrote the note he had to do it.

Two neighbors told KTVU they heard screams from the area where Lee was hanged.

He had taken BART from San Francisco to go home to Berkeley, but he overslept and ended up at the Concord BART station.

His family said he called a roommate to go home, but the roommate was unable to help.

Lee was found dead hours later.

That same night, two men who identified themselves as Ku Klux Klan members stabbed two black men in Concord.

His uncle, Frank Sterling Sr. “I don’t think this was a suicide. This child had a future,” he said.

He suspected that his nephew’s race and sexual orientation might have been the reason someone killed him.

“Racism, homophobia, I think it’s a combination of all of those things. Everything was being swept under the rug at the time,” Sterling Sr. said.

The family wants the case to be reopened. And if it’s a murder, they want justice.

“I think we still have time to hold these people accountable and those who helped cover up this crime,” Sterling Jr. said.

He was hoping to collect 500 signatures for a petition asking California State Attorney General Rob Bonta to reopen the case.

Sterling Jr. also plans to speak with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

The march and vigil took place Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Rainbow Community Center and ended at the Concord BART station.

Amber Lee is a reporter at KTVU. Email Amber at [email protected] or call/leave a message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU