[15], Johnson's family filed a legal action to open a coroner's inquest into his death. The origin and credibility of the recording . "[26] After Moore resigned in 2015,[27] the case was transferred to the Northern District of Ohio under U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach. "[11] Johnson's family questioned this hypothesis. 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. Verifying the tapes authenticity is indispensable, he added. The request, however, was denied, even though the coroner Bill Watson had originally expressed a lack of confidence in the Sheriff Departments handling of the case. Over the years, the Johnsons have publicly implicated brothers Brian and Branden Bell in Kendricks death. Almost a full day had passed until Johnson had been discovered. The Lowndes County Sheriff's. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. S3 Ep 26 "Results" The Kendrick Johnson Investigation - Investigative True Crime Series In this episode Ash and her team head to North Carolina. [5], Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 individuals, stating that his death was a murder and that the respondents were participants in a conspiracy to cover up the homicide, which they claimed involved two sons of an FBI agent. The cameras which faced the mats were unfocussed and skipped around. Many speculate a darker reality. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. I will fight as long as I have to, to uncover what happened to Kendrick Johnson.. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. A Warner Bros. Investigators did not take the hoodie and orange and black gym shoes into evidence. 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] Some of the apparent lapses in coverage were found to result from camera systems that were not synchronized with one another. Take a look at the list below for all the gory details! "Eight long years the crying, the tears, the backlash, being talked about, ridiculed it has not been easy," Johnson added. 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. Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnson's Death Investigated. 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.. VALDOSTA, Ga. - A Georgia sheriff says his office has received new information in the death investigation ofa Valdosta teenager whose body was found at school inside a rolled-up gym mat. Im feeling hopeful.. Kendrick Johnson was a sports-loving, ball-playing high school student in Valdosta, Georgia until January 11, 2013, when he was found dead in his schools gymnasium. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Updated Kendrick Johnson, photo from Medium.com Kendrick Johnson was a sports-loving, ball-playing high school student in Valdosta, Georgia until January 11, 2013, when he was found dead in his school's gymnasium. 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. They were sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees and more than one million in defamation charges. 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 High School. Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Georgia was recused from the investigation many years ago.. This is how you roll in Valdosta, the dead teens mother, Jaqueline Johnson, said of the Lowndes County Sheriffs new findings. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? The video was streamed by Morant to his Instagram page, and it was not archived once he stopped the stream. We know that.. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. Idk why but this case in particular seems to bring out the worst in a lot of true crime podcast hosts. Policeand eventually the state's Listen Now Episode Info 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. 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. Kendrick Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic Accident. 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. Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. Thing is, he wasn't just found dead. Months after his death, Lowndes County Sheriffs Office investigators ruled it was an accident and closed the case. Pure evil. ", Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. 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. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. In June 2018, Kendrick Johnsons body was exhumed for a second time and a third autopsy was performed. [12] The family retained the services of attorney Benjamin Crump. In the recently-released report, Paulk scrutinized an amended report that was released two years after the Office of Armed Forces Medical Examiner found in August 2014 that Johnson died of positional asphyxia and listed his death as accidental. CNN has not independently inspected all the evidence that the sheriff reviewed. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. 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. 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. Abducted in Plain Sight Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. Kendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. 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 . 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. Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. We are cautiously optimistic now.. "This week we are trying Kendrick Johnson as the shooter, the organizer and the planner of Delindsey Mack's murder," she told . R.I.P Kendrick Johnson FacebookOne of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. The Johnsons hoped for a coroners inquest, which would begin the process ofreclassifying the cause of Kendrick Johnsons death as non-accidental and reopening the investigation. We already knew what team you were on. Theres still a lot of questions people want answered," Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said. [11] A student at the school said that he shared a pair of Adidas shoes with Johnson, and that after gym class Johnson would always "go to the mats, jump up and toss the shoes inside the middle of the hole. 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. Kendrick Johnson was a 17-year-old student at Lowndes County High School. I do not, he replied. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. There are no suspects because we havent made a determination as to whether or not this was murder, Paulk added. Crime Junkie did the same thing. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. The Grizzlies played in Denver on Friday night and are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Saturday . . 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. Johnsons family, however, said they areconfident the 25-second audio clip is authentic and that it could lead to criminal charges in the case. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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 . But you have to wonder. 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. Finally, in March 2021, authorities reopened their investigation into Kendrick Johnsons death. [2][13], After the opinion of the private pathologist was released, Johnson's family stated that they believed Johnson had been murdered. : No charges in Kendrick Johnson death, nr Blackwell Kendrick Johnson_00003415.jpg. The group is. "They had a recording that they actually purchased from someone who said that it would be valuable as far as saying who possibly had committed the crime and change their situation," Paulk said. Ebony.com described the murder of Johnson to have been at the hands of two white brothers, though they did not include names. Johnson was the main "sniper" for the 103 gang, Seely said. Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. The Bells father, a former FBI agent, is accused of directing officials to obscure the investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously. We have not had faith in Lowndes County. CNNKendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. 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. For years, however, the teenager's family has insisted the 17-year-old was murdered and that investigators actively worked to . Forensic experts are conducting voice comparison analysis on the speaker captured in the recording. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. 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. 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. 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. 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. Johnson's head was pointed toward the floor in the. "[18] The Johnson family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against the funeral home, seeking monetary damages. On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnsons body be exhumed. In 2013, Johnsons body was found rolled up in a mat inside a Valdosta-area high school gymnasium. The mat in which Johnson was found was around six feet tall. Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. But still an accident? Thomas wondered. [25], In January 2015, Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against 38 individuals. You cant do an investigation with the same investigators who covered it up. 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. 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. Kendrick Johnson was black and the Lowndes County Sheriff, Chris Prines, and his investigators were all white. The public was horrified by the photo and began to rally around the Johnsons in their quest for the truth. August 17, 2021. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The familys attorney, Chevene King, expressed thatif Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently. Paulk also claimed a camera in the gymnasium which apparently shows Johnson before his death was realigned 13 months earlier. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. On June 22, 2018, Johnson's body was exhumed.[19]. Top 15 Best True Crime Documentaries To Watch 1. A coach found out he was dead. The Johnsons have a GoFundMe account open to hire a private investigator to look into what they say is new evidence. The case was. [24] The magazine used pseudonyms but was otherwise accurate in descriptions of the boys, including the fact that their father was an FBI agent. After Johnson's body was found in the upright, rolled up wrestling mat at Valdosta High School in January, state medical examiners ruled his death accidental. [22], Johnson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lowndes County Board of Education, its superintendent and the principal of Lowndes High School. "If it's a hoax, it's a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson," he said. But those dreams were cut short when his body was found by students entering the gymnasium rolled up in a standing gym mat. [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. They also reported that the blood had likely been there for a long time. [14] The governor's office released a statement indicating that they would await the report of the U.S. The latest report addresses several controversial topics at the center of Johnsons death, including the teens autopsy, where his body was found, and cameras located at Lowndes High School. "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. Georgia state law dictates that the coroner be contacted immediately on the discovery of a body, but Watson claimed that he was not notified until six hours later. 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. [17], Johnson's family requested that his body be exhumed for a second time and was granted permission by Valdosta city officials. Local authorities investigation has found, once again, that Johnson may have reached into the mat to retrieve a shoe, got stuck, then suffocated. Kendrick Johnson's death made national news, not on the day his body was discovered, but in weeks . Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. [12], The independent autopsy found that some time after Johnson's body was recovered from the mat and had passed through a funeral home, it had been stuffed with newspapers. RELATED:Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick Johnsons Last Moments, the Latest in Troubling Death Investigation. Thats the craziest lie you could have told, Johnson said of Paulks probe. 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. News of the re-opened investigation was welcomed by Johnson's family. [2] That left a void, which the funeral home filled. His mother posted on her Facebook: No mother or father should ever have to bury their child under these circumstances. Have you subscribed to the Grio podcasts Dear Culture or Acting Up? Download our newest episodes now!TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. Furthermore, a second autopsy showed non-accidental blunt force trauma to the back of the neck. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNNKendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. Investigators tested the blood which revealed that it did not belong to Kendrick Johnson. 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. While the lawsuit did not name the person or persons allegedly involved in the January 10 event, nor identify the race of alleged perpetrators, it implied a race-based dimension to the hypothetical assault. Time stamps between some separate camera systems differed by as much as twenty minutes for the same time period, giving the impression of a gap for portions of the footage where no gap existed. . Authorities say it appears he was trying to reach for a shoe he had left inside the mat before winter break, got stuck and died. Looking for interesting and mysterious true crime documentaries? They soon discover that not only is something wrong, but things go much deeper than they ever imagined. But his parents would later maintain that his size versus the size of the mat alone was enough to debunk the investigators case. One of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. 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. In it, Paulk wrote, I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play. 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. Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. The new findings were the result of a second investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office following one by the FBI. 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. Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told WSB-TV his office reviewed the FBIs findings, as well as 17 boxes of evidence, and reached that decision. Though it was quickly ruled an accidental death, Kendrick's family thought something was wrong. But Johnsons parents would still not give up. All Rights Reserved. [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. For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. However,. Im going through everything myself, Paulk said. 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. The lawsuit further alleged that another student, Brian Bell, "had a history of provoking and attacking" Johnson at school, stating that the provocations took place "in the presence of the coaching staff and employees" after his mother complained about previous attacks. For a brilliantly done docuseries on Kendrick Johnson, watch Ashes to Ashs vlogcast! Parents' lawsuit in Georgia gym mat death is dismissed. I wont deem it credible until I can look at the source, find out where [he] got it from.. However, Johnsons parents say classmates killed their son and law enforcement and school officials covered up the crime. 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. Authorities were tight-lipped about whether the Bell brothers were suspects in Kendrick Johnsons death. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body inside an upright mat. 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. [39] In January 2022, the second investigation was closed with no charges filed. Though Paulk said the investigation may take up to six months, both he and the Johnson family are optimistic that justice will finally be served. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. [31] They were subsequently sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees[32] and $1,000,000 in defamation damages. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. 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.