STOCKTON, Calif — The family of 32-year old Arthur Robbins is seeking more answers as to why the young Lodi father was found hanging from a tree near Linden.
"It's hard to believe he just went out just like that," said father, Arthur Robbins Sr.
The younger Robbins was a father to an eight-year-old boy. A 911 call came into the San Joaquin County Sheriffs Office around 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 20.
It was a report of a man found hanging from a tree in an orchard off Highway 26 near east of Jack Tone Road near Linden. When firefighters arrived, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives from both the San Joaquin County Sheriffs Office and the Medical Examiners office found no signs of struggle or of foul play. However, drug paraphernalia was found in the area. What happened was declared a "self-inflicted hanging."
"This is a good man who struggled. That's all it was. It could be any of us. It could be any of our children," said San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow.
But, in an unusual news conference across from the Stockton City Hall, where both community leaders and law enforcement came together to find answers, NAACP Stockton Branch President Bobby Bivens said there needs to be more investigation.
He points to the graphic images of Robbins that were posted on social media.
"Somebody had to know that the sheriff's office was out there. Somebody had to know and take a picture from a distance of the man hanging," Bivens said.
Sheriff Withrow said online posts saying that Robbins' hands were tied, that he had been shot and that he had been beaten were not true.
The sheriffs office said Robbins had a previous attempt to hang himself in custody, as well as a history of drug use. He was also on probation from state prison and had failed a recent drug test, which in turn triggered a felony warrant for his arrest.
His father said the facts are "gut wrenching" to hear.
"Based on the evidence, I understand that. I fully understand that. But, my thing is everything happened so fast," Robbins said.
Robbins said he is still waiting on the sheriff's report before he can decide what to do next.
The sheriff's office said it is waiting on the toxicology results to come in from the medical examiner, which will still take weeks.
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