Noose Hanging in Tree Shocks Family|NewsChannel 8

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Noose Hanging in Tree Shocks Family

posted 7:00 pm Wed October 24, 2007 - Haymarket, Va.

tags: noose • tree • yard • hate

A family was shocked to find a noose hanging from a tree in their yard in Haymarket, Va.

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The discovery hit Katrina Simkins so hard, it hurt. She said, "I feel violated. If it was done on someone else's property, you know, that's your property. Don't come to our...I'm sorry (begins crying)."

On Tuesday, as the family was going up the driveway, Simkins' 8-year-old son first saw the rope hanging from a tree branch 40 feet in the air all the way down to the ground.

"We didn't do anything to anyone. I mean my child went to sleep last asking was somebody going to come back to do us harm. I'm like, no baby," said the mother.

The Simkins' live on Bull Run Mountain and they believe they are the only African-American family in the neighborhood. In addition to owning a financial company, William Simkins also coaches JV Basketball at Battlefield High.

"This neighborhood is family. It has been family for us for 10 years. It surprises us that we would have a part of that family bite," said the father, William Simkins.

Unable to remove the rope, the Simkins' pulled out the noose. They said Prince William County police said it was probably local teens playing a prank.

"I doubt it. There's no teenagers up here. I mean, there are a couple but none that would do something like that," said 17 year old son Shaunn Simkins.

"It's just really heartbreaking to know that people are doing this. I don't know if they're saying they don't want us here," said Katrina Simkins.

Prince William County police detectives were assigned to the case but a spokesperson couldn't say if the noose was being investigated as a hate crime.

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