Family of boy whose ‘suspicious’ death initially ruled as drowning accuse police of racial bias

The body of Quawan ‘Bobby’ Charles, 15, was found on 3 November in a sugar cane field

Activists and the ACLUS of Louisiana are calling for an independent investigation into the death of Quawan, a Black 15-year-old whose body was found on 3 November (Associated Press)

A Louisiana boy’s suspicious death has led his family to question if he actually died by drowning after he was found dead in a sugar cane field.

The body of Quawan “Bobby” Charles, 15, was found on 3 November about 25 miles away from his home in the rural town of Baldwin, Louisiana.

On 30 October, the Black teenager went missing from his family home. He was then found dead in the field, and the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office told the family Quawan had drowned with water found in his lungs.

But his family believes the circumstances of his death are beyond a drowning and they are now demanding more answers from the sheriff’s department.

"We believe that if he had been of a different colour that this will be taken a lot more seriously," the family's attorney, Ronald Haley, told ABC News. "We [would] not be talking today about 13 days have gone by, with no leads, 13 days have gone by with no answer, 13 days have gone by without [the] official cause of death ... This family deserves that Bobby will be laid to rest."

The sheriff’s department said it was investigating the “suspicious circumstances” of Quawan’s death but has released minimal updates in the last two weeks.

Autopsy results have yet to be released, but a photo of Quawan has circulated online leading to questions about his actual cause of death.

"On the left side of his face there is like a knot," Charles' cousin Celina Chase told ABC News about the picture. "On the right side, there's like an incision, and then around his mouth area, like the majority of his lips is gone, like he has been tortured."

The medical examiner's office said a full autopsy report could take up to 12 weeks, and the sheriff’s department said it has “interviewed multiple individuals and collected physical evidence which is being processed,” according to a Tuesday news release.

The ACLU has demanded a full and independent investigation into Quawan’s death .

"The disrespect and lack of transparency demonstrated by local officials in response to Bobby's tragic and suspicious death is unacceptable," ACLU of Louisiana’s Alanah Odoms Heber said in a statement. "We join the family in demanding a full and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bobby's death."