These issues dont mean that someone will kill someone else, however. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. He was found dead in a rolled up wresting mat. 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. A Warner Bros. That initial investigation concluded that Johnson accidentally slipped into the center of the mat while reaching for a shoe and got stuck. The Johnson family spoke Thursday in front of the sheriffs department, criticizing the report released Wednesday. [11] Some of the apparent lapses in coverage were found to result from camera systems that were not synchronized with one another. They believed that the Sheriffs Department wastoo quick to rule out foul play as a cause for Johnsons death, considering that within 24 hours of finding Kendrick Johnsons body, they concluded that it was an accident. A recording that reportedly contains an emotional confession of an individual who may have been involved in the suspicious 2013 death of teenager Kendrick Johnson in Georgia is now being vetted by authorities, police said this week. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. Top 15 Best True Crime Documentaries To Watch 1. "[18] The Johnson family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against the funeral home, seeking monetary damages. Looking for interesting and mysterious true crime documentaries? 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. 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. Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. 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. Investigators tested the blood which revealed that it did not belong to Kendrick Johnson. 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. [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." Frederick, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of US-15, Georgia baby girl reported missing with man diagnosed with mental illness, police say, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Georgia Power proposes $2.1-billion rate hike, Floyd County cleaning up after trees, power lines downed during severe storms, Clayton County twin sisters make history rising the ranks in Georgia UPS facility, Surveillance captures shooting death of man robbed at MARTA bus stop, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, UGA football staffer drunk and traveling over 100 mph before fatal crash, police say, DNA links Indiana man to Georgia woman's 33-year-old cold case murder: sheriff. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. "[35][36], On March 10, 2021, the case was officially reopened. "[23], In August 2014, a $5 million lawsuit against Ebony magazine was filed, after the magazine published a series of articles naming two students as possible suspects in Johnson's death. The article used as a source an anonymous email to the sheriff's office. of foul play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. Upon releasing a 16-page synopsis report, sheriff Ashley Paulk told WCTV that he is 100 percent sure there was no foul play based on the federal case documents he reviewed and interviews police conducted with people involved in the initial investigation. Kendrick Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic Accident. Camera systems were motion-activated, using a change in light pixels to turn recordings on and off. Investigators concluded he died in a freak accident. [29], In November 2015, the Department of Justice filed a motion in the civil case to intervene and stay the case. Wikimedia CommonsSeventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. Tuesday marks 10 years since Kendrick died. 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. But Johnsons parents would still not give up. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNNKendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. Updated [2][13], After the opinion of the private pathologist was released, Johnson's family stated that they believed Johnson had been murdered. News of the re-openedinvestigation was welcomed by Johnsons family. [26] All local Superior Court judges recused themselves from presiding over the case, preventing the lawsuit from being filed and heard in Lowndes County, citing their close proximity to the accused. An autopsy conducted by a pathologist who was hired by Johnsons family determined that the cause of death was unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt-force trauma to the neck. He was just in his socks. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. For a brilliantly done docuseries on Kendrick Johnson, watch Ashes to Ashs vlogcast! Since 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, in a rolled up gym mat, the question has remained; was this a tragic accident, or a well orchestrated and quickly hidden murder. The Bells father, a former FBI agent, is accused of directing officials to obscure the investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! State medical examiners concluded that. Kendrick Johnson was a 17-year-old student at Lowndes County High School. Attorney. CNN has not independently inspected all the evidence that the sheriff reviewed. Thing is, he wasnt just found dead. The Justice Department announced in October 2013 it was opening an investigation into the case and in 2016 said it was closing the case, saying it had found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.. However, Johnsons parents say classmates killed their son and law enforcement and school officials covered up the crime. The police took videotape from the school and could see him entering the gym, but they havent released video that shows anything else. Required fields are marked *. His family and friends described him as a sweet and quiet boy. But those dreams were cut short when his body was found by students entering the gymnasium rolled up in a standing gym mat. For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. 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. Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. 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. The Valdosta County Sheriff offered half a million dollars of his own money in response to the negative outcry about a recent report released . 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. Video shows Johnson walking into and then through the gym on January 10, 2013. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. His sneakers were shoved behind his knees. Thats the craziest lie you could have told, Johnson said of Paulks probe. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. They were ultimately ordered by a judge to pay close to $300,000 worth of lawyers fees to those they had accused with no evidence. He wrote that the FBI reviewed footage from 62 cameras on campus, and Johnson never crossed paths with the brothers. On that tape, you very clearly hear what appears to be a caucasian young male admitting very tearful, very fearful and stating twice that he knows that hes going to get caught, a family spokespersonsaid. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened Kendrick's case last March. It alleged that the defendants ignored reports that, previously, Johnson had been repeatedly attacked and harassed by a white student. 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. Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Finding Kendrick Johnson is an interesting true crime documentary. Paulk called the teenagers death a weird accident, telling CNN, there is nothing to substantiate a homicide.. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son, Kendrick Johnson, on Dec. 13, 2013, in Valdosta, Ga. [25], In January 2015, Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against 38 individuals. They purchased this from an individual and he did not give them his true name. Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnsons Death Investigated, A recordingthat reportedly contains an emotional confession of an individual who may have been involved in the suspicious 2013 death of teenager. 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. [17] A spokesperson for the Secretary of State said that the investigation found that the funeral home "didn't violate any rules. The NBA has opened an investigation into a social media post by Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant after he livestreamed himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a club early Saturday. 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. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson. On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnsons body be exhumed. [2] That left a void, which the funeral home filled. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. Eventually, after a November 2020 visit by the Johnson family with federal investigators, that request was granted and the Justice Department turned over its investigative material to the sheriffs office. Georgia Judge Richard Porter ordered the Johnsons and their attorney to pay more than $292,000 in legal fees to the defendants, accusing them of fabricating evidence to support their claims. The U.S. Attorney said allowing evidence discovery in the civil suit to continue would have a "chilling effect" on the federal investigation, which had expanded into investigating possible obstruction and grand jury witness tampering. [26] Jim Elliott, the Lowndes County Attorney, stated that the allegations were "unfounded" and "baseless" and that any response would be made in court. He died on January 10 in the school's gym. 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. We already knew what team you were on. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. 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. 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. Johnsons father, however, admitted that he had no hard evidence to back up any of these claims and the Johnsons had to drop the suit. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. The only way Im going to know is to look at the evidence myself.. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. '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. Kendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. [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. All rights reserved, Privacy Policy|Online Content Agreement, Third Autopsy shows Kendrick Johnson Suffered blunt Force Trauma, Positional Asphyxia: Death due to Unusual Head-Down Position in a Narrow Space, Kendrick Johnson lawsuit: Feds want attorneys to stop collecting evidence, Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mate rally for inquiry, National civil right attorney no longer involved in Kenrick Johnson case, Kendrick Johnson family hold rally after filing complaint about missing organs, No wrong doing detected in Kendrick Johnson funeral home probe, Kendrick Johnson footage released; expert find it highly suspicious, KJ family drops $100 million wrongful death suit, Local, federal investigations into gym mat death continue. It's just like,'shut this family up,' sending them on their way, but what they didn't realize is the Johnson family is not going anywhere.". Justice denied. That material included grand jury testimony, results from an autopsy conducted by federal authorities and additional digital evidence. "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, told WAGA-TV. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Then, read about the horrifying murder of Emmett Till. 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. I really hope that he . [12] The family retained the services of attorney Benjamin Crump. 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. But, There are some strange pieces to this case. The case was closed almost half a decade ago due to insufficient evidence of foul play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 2023 Cox Media Group. Draymond Green and Kendrick Perkins don't know it, but they are the first "openly MAGA" basketball players. "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, WAGA-TV. The Sheriffs Department asserted that Johnson must have accidentally fallen into the center of the mat while reaching for a sneaker, which he had stored there so as not to have to pay for a locker. Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. We know that.. Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnson's Death Investigated. The new findings were the result of a second investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office following one by the FBI. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. "[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 Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) claimed that when the body was sent to the funeral home after the first autopsy, Johnsons organs had been put back inside the body. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. You cant do an investigation with the same investigators who covered it up. But still an accident? Thomas wondered. When Johnson was exhumed for the first independent autopsy in June 2013, it was discovered that every organ from his pelvis to his skull, including his brain, heart, lungs, and liver, was gone and replaced with newspaper. Abducted in Plain Sight 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. It is a case that has stumped and enraged millions of people around the world. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office closed its initial investigation into Kendrick Johnson's death on May 2, 2013, nearly four months after the 17-year-old was found in the school gym in Valdosta. 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. A second local investigation into the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teenager who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat, has been closed with no charges filed, according to a report . Johnsons mother told Channel 2s Tony Thomas that shes not surprised by the findings. 2023 Cable News Network. Kendrick Johnson was a Georgia teen, who was found dead inside a rolled up wrestling mat. The sheriff described the re-examination into Kendrick Johnsons death as afinal effort to bring some closure to the teens family. Johnsons parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. CNNKendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. August 17, 2021. He was a three-sport athlete and dreamed of playing professional football. Law enforcement has ruled Kendrick's death an . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. However, the coroner said these organs were not sent to the funeral home because they were too decomposed and were instead disposed of beforehand. This will be the final [investigation], as far as Im concerned, he said. [39] In January 2022, the second investigation was closed with no charges filed. 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. An investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teenager found dead in a rolled-up gym mat eight years ago, has been reopened, according to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.

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