"If it's a hoax, it's a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson," he said. Investigatorsdeclined to comment on what's said in theaudio but confirmed theyre now tracking down the individual who allegedly sold the tape to Johnsons mother. If it is somebody just doing an extortion racket or a terrible hoax its very, very cruel, and of course, if it is a hoax, well deal with it very sternly, Paulk said. All Rights Reserved. The familys attorney, Chevene King, expressed thatif Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently. The Grizzlies played in Denver on Friday night and are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Saturday . It includes photographs from the schools gymnasium. High-traffic streets like Norman Drive in. [7][8][9][10], On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick Johnson was discovered in the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, found headfirst in the center of a vertical rolled-up wrestling mat. The dead teens mother, Jaqueline Johnson, told the TV station she is not surprised by the sheriffs findings. For a brilliantly done docuseries on Kendrick Johnson, watch Ashes to Ashs vlogcast! We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. His parents believe Kendrick was murdered. On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnsons body be exhumed. All that could be seen from the cameras was Kendrick Johnson walking towards the gym, and then several seconds of footage of him jogging within the gym. Crime Junkie did the same thing. Regardless, the organs were lost and could not be tested during the second autopsy, which further aroused suspicions in Johnsons parents that this was a cover-up. But it doesnt look like thats ever going to happen.. The parents asserted that the sons of the FBI agent killed Johnson and used their connections to cover up the investigation. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? Furthermore, Johnsons parents argued, if this was an accident, how could no one have heard Kendrick call for help in a high school of over 3,000 students? In a statement to CNN, the US Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Georgia said, the final conclusion in the Kendrick Johnson investigation was reached and announced in 2016 by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO NDOH), which handled the matter. Sheriff says case closed after his investigation finds Kendrick Johnsons death was no crime, Sheriff says recording thought to show proof Kendrick Johnson was murdered, was a cruel hoax. 2. The description of these brothers closely resembled that of Brian and Brandon Bell, who the magazine claimed had killed Kendrick because of a fight they had had over a year earlier which had escalated. Investigators concluded he died in a freak accident. But those dreams were cut short when his body was found by students entering the gymnasium rolled up in a standing gym mat. But this is one of the most baffling mysteries of this case: the black and white gym shoe that lay on the ground below Kendrick Johnson, the one he was presumed to be reaching for, was lying on top of a pool of blood, but there was no blood on the shoe itself. He also stated thefuneral home never had Johnsons organs, saying they were discarded by the prosecutor before the body was sent back to Valdosta for burial. However,. Johnsons parents finally believed that their sons death was not being taken seriously because of his race. Do not believe anything that this sheriffs department tells you, Kenneth Johnson said. On top of this, the second autopsy revealed that some of Johnsons organs were missing and in their place, his body had been stuffed with newspaper. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! It is a case that has stumped and enraged millions of people around the world. Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in January. Law enforcement has ruled Kendrick's death an . They do an excellent job digging in to places and topics that authorities seem to avoid, not just in this case but in the others theyve explored as well, like the case of Robert Bee that I wrote about here. (@tomjones161 via twitter) The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is insisting. This is how you roll in Valdosta. She and her family maintain that young Kendrick was murdered. The Johnson family spoke Thursday in front of the sheriffs department, criticizing the report released Wednesday. Attorney. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The cameras which faced the mats were unfocussed and skipped around. Earlier in March, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced that officials were reopening the investigation and reevaluating the previously-sealed evidence. The sheriff released a 16-page summary of his investigation on Wednesday including pictures from the Lowndes County gym. VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Kendrick Johnson's family is full of hope after they brought a new recording to light with a possible confession to law enforcement. The Johnsons did try to sue the funeral home for mishandling their sons body, and perhaps having done so in order to cover up his true cause of death, but this case was dropped. But it is what it is.. We provide you with a list of the top 15 best true crime documentaries that every true crime fan will thoroughly enjoy. Unsatisfied with the result of the investigation, they hired an independent autopsy conducted by William R. Anderson with Forensic Dimensions in Heathrow, Florida, on June 15, 2013. True Crime Mysteries- episodes 1 de Manual Einstein en Libreras Gandhi . You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. [12], A subsequent investigation by the Georgia Secretary of State's office found that the funeral home did not follow "best practice" and that other material was "more acceptable than newspaper." On January 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found in the most unusual of circumstances: upside-down and rolled up in a school gym mat. 2023 Cable News Network. He wrote that the FBI reviewed footage from 62 cameras on campus, and Johnson never crossed paths with the brothers. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. Local law enforcement was quick to rule it an accident and move on but the family is sure this is a case of murder being covered up. Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNN. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants were negligent and violated Johnson's constitutional right to equal protection based on race. Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson (The Johnson Family). It alleged that the defendants ignored reports that, previously, Johnson had been repeatedly attacked and harassed by a white student. That material included grand jury testimony, results from an autopsy conducted by federal authorities and additional digital evidence. Nonetheless, the investigation cleared the funeral home of any wrongdoing. Tweet. Thing is, he wasn't just found dead. I would be suspicious too, if I were Kendricks parents, that there may be some kind of cover up occurring because, lets face it, who has ever heard of someone dying in a rolled up gym mat? Johnsons family has long-suspected the teen was killed by classmates and theorized that their parents conspired with school and law enforcement officials to cover up hisdeath. MATTIE'S CALL: A 9-month-old baby girl was reported missing from the Ellenwood area with a man police say was diagnosed with a mental illness. Paulk and his team were able to secure a wealth of evidence from federal authorities, in part thanks to an appeal from Johnsons family in November 2020. [22], Johnson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lowndes County Board of Education, its superintendent and the principal of Lowndes High School. A Warner Bros. Johnson's family didn't accept the. The lawsuit alleged that the FBI agent ordered his two sons and a classmate to attack Johnson, that his death was a murder, and that the respondents engaged in a conspiracy to cover up the homicide. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. "Eight long years the crying, the tears, the backlash, being talked about, ridiculed it has not been easy," Johnson added. [26] Jim Elliott, the Lowndes County Attorney, stated that the allegations were "unfounded" and "baseless" and that any response would be made in court. Paulk said his review of the extensive FBI investigation, 17 boxes worth of evidence and his own look at the 2013 death of Johnson has come to the same conclusion. [29], In November 2015, the Department of Justice filed a motion in the civil case to intervene and stay the case. [20] A forensic analyst enlisted by CNN found that tapes from two cameras are missing an hour and five minutes of footage, while another set was missing two hours and ten minutes of footage. Thing is, he wasnt just found dead. Policeand eventually the states attorneysaid he went headfirst into the mat to get a sneaker at the bottom, and that he died from positional asphyxia when he couldnt get out. Local authorities investigation has found, once again, that Johnson may have reached into the mat to retrieve a shoe, got stuck, then suffocated. But investigators quickly closed their case on the theory that Johnson had simply fallen into the mat while reaching for one of his sneakers. The video was streamed by Morant to his Instagram page, and it was not archived once he stopped the stream. FacebookKendrick Johnson with his mother. The suit alleged that Johnson "was violently assaulted, severely injured, suffered great physical pain and mental anguish, and subjected to insult and loss of life" on January 10, 2013. His body was discovered by a teacher the next day rolled up inside the gym mat. As a result of this new evidence, Matthew Moore, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced a formal review of the case. They wont publicly say what that new info is. But Johnsons parents felt that his death was not being taken seriously, in part because of his race, or because a larger cover-up was at play. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. A recently-completed investigation found no evidence of a coverup in the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, who was found in a rolled-up mat at his Georgia high school. And, allegedly the FBI agents son told at least two people that he hit Kendrick on the back of the neck with a 45 pound weight. CNN has not independently inspected all the evidence that the sheriff reviewed. Students had also told police that it was common for them to leave their belongings in the mats when they didnt want to pay for a locker. The, death was ultimately ruled accidental and amedical examiner concluded the teen died from, nearly five years ago due to "insufficient evidence", Were actively hunting for the person that provided it, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told, . Kendrick Johnson, center, watches as Assistant District Attorney Sarah Seely, left, hands a piece of evidence to his defense attorneys during the first day of his murder trial Tuesday, Nov . Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. A private pathologist was hired to carry out a second autopsy. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. If authentic, the audio maybe one of the first significant clues to emerge since the cases reopening earlier this month by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office. However, the coroner said these organs were not sent to the funeral home because they were too decomposed and were instead disposed of beforehand. We aint cheering, but we know this is the only path that we can get for justice for Kendrick Johnson, Marcus Coleman said this week. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation previously determined Johnsons death was accidental despite two independent autopsies finding the teen died of non-accidental blunt force trauma. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. As he was upside down, blood would have rushed to Johnsons head and he eventually would have begun to bleed from his facial orifices. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson. CNN gained access to the schools security footage on the day that Kendrick Johnson was killed, but upon viewing it, realized that it offered little insight into what happened that day. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. Wikimedia CommonsSeventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. The group is. The police took videotape from the school and could see him entering the gym, but they havent released video that shows anything else. The brothers father,Rick Bell, was an FBI special agent who ultimately resignedafter his home was raided and searched for evidence, according to NBC. Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. This is a very unusual accident. Furthermore, a whole hour of footage from the gym was missing, right at the time which would have shed light on what happened that day. The article used as a source an anonymous email to the sheriff's office. They soon discover that not only is something wrong, but things go much deeper than they ever imagined. Now, positional asphyxia is a legitimate cause of death. It seemed possible that if Kendrick was trying to squeeze into the center of the mat, he could have scrunched his shoulders together to make himself narrower. Kendrick didnt deserve this., Following public outcry, the Justice Department also investigated Kendricks death in 2013 and closed its case in 2016, finding insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges., The report from the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office was published by the Valdosta Daily Times newspaper on Wednesday. Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. Investigation into death of Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat 8 years ago will be reopened. As parents, our hearts are broken, but we are determined to prevent a tragedy of this magnitude from occurring again., In March of last year, the family received an audio clip from a tipster who was paid for the information; in part, the voice said, I was just young and stupid. "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, WAGA-TV. Investigators did not take the hoodie and orange and black gym shoes into evidence. The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson was initially ruled an accident by law enforcement, but his family was not convinced. You're in for a treat! Lowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. The Suspicious Death of Kendrick Johnson.Plus many more disturbing stories.The stories in this Episodes are shocking and exhibit human behavior at its absolute worst. On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that his office would open a formal review into Johnson's death. Kendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. Top 15 Best True Crime Documentaries To Watch 1. [15], Johnson's family filed a legal action to open a coroner's inquest into his death. Johnson was the main "sniper" for the 103 gang, Seely said. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not Conspiracies Crime 'Somebody Knows' What Happened: Doc Filmmaker Speaks on Case About Georgia Teen Found Dead Inside a Gym Mat Finding. [2], Authorities hypothesized that Johnson had fallen into the mat while looking for a shoe and died after being unable to get out. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. [17] A spokesperson for the Secretary of State said that the investigation found that the funeral home "didn't violate any rules. Valdosta, Georgia CNN For the local sheriff's department, the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson is a closed book: A tragedy, but an accident. Kendrick Johnson lived with his family in Valdosta, Georgia and attended Lowndes High School. I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play, he wrote. [38] The sheriff also stated he does not consider the case to be a homicide. In 2013, the 17-year-olds body was found upside down inside a rolled-up gym mat at a Georgia high school; he'd suffocated to death. [30] After the Justice Department's motion was denied, Johnson's parents dismissed their own wrongful death lawsuit, saying that they hoped to refile it after the conclusion of the federal investigation. One of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. 2:24 PM EST, Thu January 27, 2022, Justice Dept. "[34] On August 10, 2017, Georgia Judge Richard Porter ruled that Johnson's family and their attorney had to pay more than $292,000 in legal fees to the dozens of respondents in their civil suit, writing "testimony shows that they had no evidence to support their claims that the [brothers] killed Johnson or that any of the other defendants engaged in a conspiracy to conceal the cause or manner of Johnson's death. The recording hasnt yet been made public. Indeed, when the mat was first unrolled, Johnson did have one arm stretched above his head and the other down around his waist as though struggling for his shoe. [5] Crump's application to practice law in Georgia representing Johnson's parents was not ruled on, and he withdrew from representing the family and is no longer participating in the case. On January 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found in the most unusual of circumstances: upside-down and rolled up in a school gym mat. This time, the autopsy revealed that Kendrick Johnson had suffered hemorrhaging on the right side of his neck, which meant that he likely died from blunt force trauma. There are no suspects because we havent made a determination as to whether or not this was murder, Paulk added. When rolled up, the mat left a 14-inch hole in diameter in the center. The initial autopsy revealed that Johnson died due to positional asphyxia or that he suffocated as a result of being stuck upside-down in an enclosed space for an extended period of time. [25], In January 2015, Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against 38 individuals. But his parents would later maintain that his size versus the size of the mat alone was enough to debunk the investigators case. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened Kendrick's case last March. The Johnsons have filed several lawsuits since their son's death, winning none of them. When the judge in that case delayed a decision, pending the outcome of the U.S. Attorney's review, the family demanded that the governor of Georgia immediately authorize the inquiry instead. The states attorney has said that anyone who objectively looks at the case details can only come to one conclusion: this was an accidental death. [1][2][3][4] After a preliminary investigation and autopsy concluded that Johnson's death was accidental, his family had a private pathologist conduct a second autopsy which concluded that he died from blunt force trauma. Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. But you have to wonder. In 2013, the 17-year-olds body was found upside down inside a rolled-up gym mat at a Georgia high school; he'd suffocated to death. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! But inconsistencies in official reports on the condition of Kendricks body and other discrepancies led the family and community to question the official cause of his death. County authorities are currently combing through a trove of boxes of evidence, including computer hard drives, documents, and other files relevant to the investigation. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Wrongful death, Kendrick Johnson's family vs. Lowndes County Board of Education and school officials. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Download theGrio today! I will fight as long as I have to, to uncover what happened to Kendrick Johnson.. For years, however, the teenagers family has insisted the 17-year-old was murdered and that investigators actively worked to stifle the familys pleas for justice. In 2018, an independent autopsy indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. Kendrick Johnson was a Georgia teen, who was found dead inside a rolled up wrestling mat. KENDRICK JOHNSON: SHERIFF SAYS INVESTIGATION INTO GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE'S DEATH A 'WITCH HUNT' The investigative synopsis states classmates found Johnson. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, told WAGA-TV. An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of Johnsons death was accidental positional asphyxia. According to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, If theres questions and theyre legitimate I need to know the answers myself. Pure evil. However, Paulk claimed a woman with the Department of Justice and a man performing the autopsies had developed a close relationship with at one point, the woman saying in an email, I had to make him feel like a man so that he would be open to talking.. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. Now, the sheriffs have enough evidence in hand to perhaps allow them to solve this mystery once and for all. The Johnsons also accused the brothers father, an FBI agent at the time, of covering up the murder by manipulating the school and authorities involved in investigating Johnsons death. Kendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. In November 2013, 290 hours of surveillance tape from 35 cameras that covered the gym area were released to CNN following a court request. Kendrick Johnson (Part 1) Crime Weekly. The pathologist concluded his death was not an accident. You do not believe there was anything criminal? reporter Tony Thomas asked Paulk. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. They also reported that the blood had likely been there for a long time. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson FacebookOne of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. He was a three-sport athlete and dreamed of playing professional football. Investigators tested the blood which revealed that it did not belong to Kendrick Johnson. We know that.. of foul play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. From there until now, we feel like this has been a cover-up at a very high level. Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick Johnsons Last Moments, the Latest in Troubling Death Investigation, Rick Bell, was an FBI special agent who ultimately resigned, Johnsons organs were returned to his body following the autopsy, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death. The teens parents say they are not convinced. [12] Three students at Lowndes High School told investigators that it was common for some students to store their shoes behind or under the rolled up mats, Johnson was not wearing shoes when he was found. The post Kendrick Johnsons case closed after authorities say no crime found appeared first on TheGrio. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much After this sad look at the case and death of Kendrick Johnson, read up on another mysterious disappearance, that of Elisa Lam. Its an active case so the contents of the recording or anything else, were not going to divulge right now, Paulk said. appreciated. Your email address will not be published. For years, however, the teenager's family has insisted the 17-year-old was murdered and that investigators actively worked to . [14] The governor's office released a statement indicating that they would await the report of the U.S. Authorities were tight-lipped about whether the Bell brothers were suspects in Kendrick Johnsons death. LeBron James is still in the closet, but he will join Green and Perkins as an "America First" hoopster when Bronny James is toiling in a faraway foreign league.MAGA NBA players are annoyed that foreigners are taking over a . I just keep waiting for someone to be honest with [the Johnsons], Karen Bell, the mother of Brian and Branden Bell, said. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. TheLowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. [21] The president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the former lead investigator for that chapter have stated that they believe the attorneys for the Johnsons have "not been entirely truthful in their statements" and that there was no cover-up in this case. State medical examiners concluded that. I do find it disturbing and unethical that this investigation seemed to turn into a witch hunt after the FBI told the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia that they had found nothing criminal, and they consequently were closing the case, Paulk wrote in the synopsis. The suit alleges the boys family conspired with former Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine and county school officials to cover up the death. The body was discovered by fellow students who had climbed up to the top of a cluster of mats, each of which stood nearly 6 feet (1.8m) tall and 3 feet (0.91m) wide. The new findings were the result of a second investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office following one by the FBI. [11] An autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) stated that Johnson had died from positional asphyxia,[12] and the case was ruled an accidental death by the Lowndes County investigators. The only way Im going to know is to look at the evidence myself.. The suit also alleged that school officials failed to "properly monitor the activities of students throughout all areas" of the campus and to "maintain a properly functioning video surveillance system. Meet The Damselfly, Your New Favorite Insect, Man Who Had Part Of His Brain Removed To Cure Him Of Seizures Says He No Longer Feels Fear, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch.

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