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Muslim Teen Found Hanged in Seattle Woods

LAKE STEVENS, Seattle – An African-American Muslim teen was found hanged in the woods, weeks after being reported missing as the circumstances of his death remain unclear.

“He was planning to graduate this year from Lake Stevens High School,” Ibrahima Keita, the father of the 18-year-old teen Ben, told kuow.com.

“He was already in the Running Start program at Everett Community College and he was dreaming of becoming a medical doctor and work as a medical examiner. Now those dreams are over.”

Ben was first reported missing in November, after he left without his car, wallet or phone.

The father, Keita, describes his son Ben as a happy, generous young man with plans for his life.

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More than a month after his disappearance, Ben Keita’s body was found in the woods near the neighborhood.

Ben’s family asked the FBI to investigate the death of their teenage son.

Initially the case was ruled as a suicide, but the Snohomish County Medical Examiner later changed the classification to undetermined.

Ibrahima Keita said his son has no history of mental illness. “No history of depression, anxiety, any psychological break down at all, so he was a very young, happy young man.”

The Keita family is asking the public to come forward with information that could help investigators.

The Council on American Islamic Relations, (CAIR-Washington), supported the family, asking the FBI to step in and thoroughly investigate the case.

“We want to make sure that the expertise, the experience, and the human resources of the FBI are brought in to make sure that everything is comprehensively investigated, no stone is left unturned and we really want to get answers about what may have happened,” said Arsalan Bukhari, of CAIR-Washington.

In a statement, the FBI says it’s reviewing the Keita case. If warranted, it may conduct further investigation.