Concord march recalls 1985 hanging at BART station
CONCORD, CA (Nov. 3, 2022) — About 30 people marched through the downtown the evening of Nov. 2 with signs, enlarged photos and flyers in remembrance of Timothy Charles Lee, a 23-year-old man whose body was found hanging from a tree near the Concord BART Station on Nov. 2, 1985.
The death of the Berkeley resident – a Black, Native American, gay man – was ruled a suicide, despite some observations and circumstantial evidence that suggest foul play. The strap used in his hanging did not belong to him; the suicide note discovered by law enforcement included a misspelling of the victim’s name and misspellings of multiple family members; and his body exhibited evidence of struggle and/or abuse, including what appeared to be cigarette burns. Nearby residents also reported hearing screams and screeching tires around the time of Lee’s death.
Many believe that not only was Lee murdered, but that this was an act of hate. Around the time and location of his death, two Black men were reportedly stabbed by suspects dressed in Ku Klux Klan attire.
A march for justice
Led by Lee’s cousin Frank Sterling, the rally began at the new home of the Rainbow Community Center (RCC) on Salvio Street, which includes a room dedicated to Lee. The route continued through Todos Santos Plaza and ended near the Concord BART Station, where a candlelight vigil was held and various community members spoke in front of an Ofrenda – a traditional Mexican altar display.
“The people that did this to Timmy could still be out here in the streets of Concord, just living their life, hoping that no one ever brings this up and no one ever looks into it,” said Sterling. “But I want them to be scared. I want them to know that somebody – even if it’s just us – people are out here who care about what happened to Timmy, and we want justice.”
Other speakers included Ady Olvera of Concord Communities Alliance, Concord City Council District 5 candidate Laura Nakamura and Kiku Johnson of RCC. Just before the march, Johnson stated that he was unaware of this dark piece of Concord history when he accepted the position of executive director at RCC.
Sterling shared with those in attendance that he had personally invited Concord Mayor Dominic Aliano and other councilmembers to the memorial gathering, although none were present.
A student of fashion design
Family members describe Lee as an outgoing young man, full of life and excited for the future.
He attended the University of Arts of San Francisco, where he studied to be a fashion designer. Just prior to his death, he was awarded a fellowship to study in Milan, Italy.
As the story goes, he caught the last BART train out of San Francisco late one night on his way home to Berkeley. Lee missed his transfer in Oakland, perhaps due to falling asleep. He found himself in Concord, which was at the time the end of the line.
He was forced to leave the train and station and was reportedly not seen again until his body was discovered hung from a nearby tree later that morning.
Hoping for new investigation
One of the chants heard during the march was a variation of the “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” Except respondents answered: “Thirty-seven years ago!”
Sterling explained that he’s revisiting this story now because “it’s never too late for justice.”
He added: “We want justice for Timmy, and we are the generation that’s hopefully going to make it happen.”
A Facebook page called “Reopen the case of Timothy Charles Lee” was set up just prior to the event. Sterling encourages the public to follow this page for updates as he works with various organizations and governing bodies to bring more attention to this tragedy, in hopes of launching a new investigation.
Dave Hughes
Dave Hughes is a local music advocate with an extensive network of independent artists. He produces and hosts a local music program on KVHS called The Beat of Diablo, every Sunday at 7:00 PM on 90.5 FM. Dave also catalogs local music releases at ConcordRockCity.com.