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. Video shows him walking into the Lowndes High gym on Jan. 10, 2013. MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Kendrick Johnson Episode Summary In 2013 a 17-year-old boy's body was found rolled up in a high school gym mat. In their lawsuit, the parents of the accused boys assert that their sons were not involved in the death, are not considered suspects, and have been harassed as a result of the publication. 2. [25], In January 2015, Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against 38 individuals. The Bell family has previously deflected blame in the incident; now, Karen Bell says she's upset by the renewed investigative efforts. Not a big deal, perhaps, except, Another student had an issue with Kendrick and had threatened him several times over a girlfriend. In the latest report, Paulk dispelled rumors that Johnson and the Bell brothers had any contact on the day Johnson died. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. This is a very unusual accident. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. "Eight long years the crying, the tears, the backlash, being talked about, ridiculed it has not been easy," Johnson added. Johnson's head was pointed toward the floor in the. The origin and credibility of the recording . 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. appreciated. Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. Camera systems were motion-activated, using a change in light pixels to turn recordings on and off. 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. He was found dead in a rolled up wresting mat. Attorney. 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. But it doesnt look like thats ever going to happen.. The father of the kid who had a motive is allegedly an FBI Agent, with enough pull to supposedly save his son. Theyre not going to uncover something that they covered up., Kendrick Johnson investigation: Feds will not file charges, I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play, the sheriff wrote in the report. Investigators will now comb through 17 boxes of evidence, which were previously sealed. Kendrick Johnson's death made national news, not on the day his body was discovered, but in weeks . [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. Young Thug Trial: Court Slowdowns, Prosecution Delays - Rolling Stone Itll be a lot of work, he explained. Kendrick Johnson: A second local investigation into the death of - CNN Kendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. Discovery Company. When rolled up, the mat left a 14-inch hole in diameter in the center. The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson was initially ruled an accident by law enforcement, but his family was not convinced. The origin and credibility of the recording which was provided to the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office after being purchased by Johnsons family are bothnow being investigated. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not Conspiracies Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The group is. This is a very unusual accident. "[26] After Moore resigned in 2015,[27] the case was transferred to the Northern District of Ohio under U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach. [2], Authorities hypothesized that Johnson had fallen into the mat while looking for a shoe and died after being unable to get out. He died on January 10 in the school's gym. Published on February 1, 2022 08:45 AM. In 2015, the Johnson family filed a wrongful death suit against brothers Brian and Branden Bell, and another peer, Ryan Hall, who they allege are responsible for Kendrick Johnsons death. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. [22], Johnson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lowndes County Board of Education, its superintendent and the principal of Lowndes High School. [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. 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. Top 15 Best True Crime Documentaries To Watch 1. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, told WAGA-TV. 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. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. 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 Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic Accident? I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. 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. Just after 24 hours of being found, the investigators ruled Johnsons death an accident. Im going through everything myself, Paulk said. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. We know that.. [21] Other missing footage was the result of the camera's motion-activated function not being triggered. [11] However, analysis of the camera systems by the Valdosta Daily Times purported to explain the anomalies, casting doubt on the theory of a cover-up. A hoodie and a pair of orange and black gym shoes were also found lying on the floor of the gym, as well as traces of blood on the wall nearby. "We ain't cheering, but we know this is the only path that we can get for justice for Kendrick Johnson," Marcus Coleman said this week. Kendrick Johnson Case Audio Confession Probed As Possible Hoax | Crime News Possible new evidence presented in Kendrick Johnson case - WALB [28] Shortly after receiving the case, Dettlebach also resigned. Paulks 16-page report, which was released Wednesday and published on Scribd, is divided into nine categories, including conspiring/cover, shoe storage in wresting mats, a fight that occurred on a bus trip among the wrestling team of which Johnson was a member, the teens autopsy and observations after the discovery of his body. He was found rolled up in a gym mat at Lowndes High School the next day. The Lowndes County Sheriff's. The recording hasnt yet been made public. 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. Paulk, who was not part of the sheriffs office at the time of Johnsons death, requested the evidence gathered during the federal probe in April 2019 as part of his re-examination of the case, but federal investigators initially declined his request. The FBI had previously said the siblings were in separate parts of the Valdosta-area high school at the time of Johnsons death. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Prosecutor unravels yarn of teen love, betrayal, violence during murder 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. But still an accident? Thomas wondered. The cameras which faced the mats were unfocussed and skipped around. This is how you roll in Valdosta, Jackie Johnson said. He was a three-sport athlete and dreamed of playing professional football. 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. In 2013, Johnsons body was found rolled up in a mat inside a Valdosta-area high school gymnasium. A sheriff in Valdosta, Georgia, has concluded that there is no evidence of a crime in the January 2013 death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes . [33], On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that they would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death, stating, "After extensive investigation into this tragic event, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson's civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime. For a brilliantly done docuseries on Kendrick Johnson, watch Ashes to Ashs vlogcast! [Kendrick Johnson: Ep 141] Very disappointed with this episode - reddit Kendrick Johnson was a Georgia teen, who was found dead inside a rolled up wrestling mat. But those dreams were cut short when his body was found by students entering the gymnasium rolled up in a standing gym mat. Investigation into death of Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat 8 years ago will be reopened. 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. Theres still a lot of questions people want answered," Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said. In June 2018, Kendrick Johnsons body was exhumed for a second time and a third autopsy was performed. The Johnson family spoke Thursday in front of the sheriffs department, criticizing the report released Wednesday. The US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio declined to comment. Investigators tested the blood which revealed that it did not belong to Kendrick Johnson. County authorities are currently combing through a trove of boxes of evidence, including computer hard drives, documents, and other files relevant to the investigation. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. 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 . News of the re-openedinvestigation was welcomed by Johnsons family. Nonetheless, the investigation cleared the funeral home of any wrongdoing. However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced the re-opening of the case on Tuesday. As far as the feds were concerned, the case was officially and finally closed. Johnson was the main "sniper" for the 103 gang, Seely said. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? [40], "Kendrick Johnson" redirects here. Johnsons parents have said they think their son was killed. NBA opens investigation after Ja Morant's social media post They wont publicly say what that new info is. 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. The Johnsons have a GoFundMe account open to hire a private investigator to look into what they say is new evidence. Death of Kendrick Johnson - Wikipedia We already knew what team you were on. Wrongful death, Kendrick Johnson's family vs. Lowndes County Board of Education and school officials. 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. [2][13], After the opinion of the private pathologist was released, Johnson's family stated that they believed Johnson had been murdered. The photo, in which Kendrick Johnsons face is extremely swollen, almost does not look human. Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. Kendrick Johnson's Family's Quest For Answers Moves To Georgia Capitol", "National Civil Rights Attorney No Longer Involved In Kendrick Johnson Case | Valdosta Today", "Kendrick Johnson family holds rally after filing complaint about missing organs", "Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mat sue funeral home", "No Wrongdoing Detected in Kendrick Johnson Funeral Home Probe", "Kendrick Johnson footage released; expert finds it 'highly suspicious', "Rose, Touchton believe no coverup in Johnson case", "Georgia school officials sued in Kendrick Johnson's gym death", "Local, federal investigations into gym mat death continue", "FBI agent, wife file $5 million defamation suit against Ebony.com and crime writer for KJ stories", "Parents File $100 Million Suit in Gym-Mat Death of Georgia Teen Kendrick Johnson", "Second U.S. Attorney in charge of KJ case resigns", "Kendrick Johnson probe: Attorney exits mark shift", "KJ Family Drops $100 Million Wrongful Death Suit | Valdosta Today", "US Justice Department: No criminal charges in gym mat death", "Judge: Parents owe $292,000 for suit in son's gym mat death", "Investigation into death of Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat 8 years ago will be reopened", "Georgia sheriff vows to personally, thoroughly investigate re-opened case of teen found dead in gym mat", "Sheriff reopens Kendrick Johnson case in Valdosta", "A second local investigation into the death of a Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat has closed with no charges filed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Kendrick_Johnson&oldid=1136987199. "Im treating it like its a brand new case," Paulk said, according to the newspaper. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnsons body be exhumed. But Johnsons parents would still not give up. (@tomjones161 via twitter) The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is insisting. A number of community activists have also spoken out in favor of the forthcoming probe into the Georgia teens death. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. Authorities were tight-lipped about whether the Bell brothers were suspects in Kendrick Johnsons death. [26] Jim Elliott, the Lowndes County Attorney, stated that the allegations were "unfounded" and "baseless" and that any response would be made in court. 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. 2:24 PM EST, Thu January 27, 2022, Justice Dept. Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson. The Bells father, a former FBI agent, is accused of directing officials to obscure the investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This is how you roll in Valdosta, the dead teens mother, Jaqueline Johnson, said of the Lowndes County Sheriffs new findings. That students father is a retired FBI agent. Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. Pure evil. "It has been our position that Kendrick was struck with an object that caused severe hemorrhaging, Coleman also told WAGA-TV. For the American professional basketball player, see, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, "Lowdes County Incident Report K. Johnson", "Gym mat death: Attorneys call for surveillance video", "Kendrick Johnson Lowndes County High School gym mat death: Lawyers ask for surveillance video", "Gym Mat Death Shocker: Body Stuffed With Newspaper", "Federal prosecutor will look into Kendrick Johnson case", "FBI agent, sons countersue parents of Ga. teen found dead in gym mat", "Defendants Seek Attorney Fees in Dismissed Kendrick Johnson Case", "Kendrick Johnson suit: Feds want to stop evidence collection", "Third autopsy claims foul play in Valdosta gym mat death case", "Kendrick Johnson's parents still searching for answers to their son's death", "Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mat rally for inquiry", "Kendrick Johnson investigation: Feds will not file charges", "Who Killed K.J.?! Policeand eventually the state's Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Jury decides verdict in murder trial involving death of Lamar High I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. "[11], Lt. Stryde Jones, who headed up the investigation for the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, stated: "We never had credible information that indicated this was anything other than an accident. 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? [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. "[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. I wont deem it credible until I can look at the source, find out where [he] got it from.. 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. 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. indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Kendrick Johnson lived with his family in Valdosta, Georgia and attended Lowndes High School. Although no charges were ever brought to light, and his death was ruled accidental.. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson Facebook PageKendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. 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. Law enforcement has ruled Kendrick's death an . 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. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. "[18] The Johnson family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against the funeral home, seeking monetary damages. "Theres still a lot of questions people want answered.". Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much 1 of 2. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. The brothers father,Rick Bell, was an FBI special agent who ultimately resignedafter his home was raided and searched for evidence, according to NBC. 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. [Featured image: Kendrick Johnson/Contributed], Life Without Parole: Convicted Kidnappers of Slain Toddler Kamille McKinney Sentenced, Squatter Charged With Murder of Missing Teen Farmer Dylan Rounds, Teen Who Rapped About Shooting Rival Gang Member in Back Charged with Murder. 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. 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. From there until now, we feel like this has been a cover-up at a very high level. In 2018, an independent autopsy indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Forensic experts are conducting voice comparison analysis on the speaker captured in the recording. There are no suspects because we havent made a determination as to whether or not this was murder, Paulk added. Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. Kendrick Johnson was a 17-year-old student at Lowndes County High School. 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. 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 spokesperson for the Johnson family, told, .