The sheriff says his office will not be releasing the audio recording at this time. "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 Johnsons parents hoped that with the results of this third autopsy, the surveillance footage which they were convinced had been tampered with, and the mishandling of evidence at the scene, would be enough to reopen their sons case. Almost a full day had passed until Johnson had been discovered. August 17, 2021. 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. The17-year-olds death was ultimately ruled accidental and amedical examiner concluded the teen died from positional asphyxia. The case wasclosed nearly five years ago due to "insufficient evidence"supporting foul play, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 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 released by Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. 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. [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. [15], Johnson's family filed a legal action to open a coroner's inquest into his death. 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. The Valdosta County Sheriff offered half a million dollars of his own money in response to the negative outcry about a recent report released . Young Thug Trial: Court Slowdowns, Prosecution Delays - Rolling Stone Johnson's family didn't accept the. [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. [22], Johnson's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lowndes County Board of Education, its superintendent and the principal of Lowndes High School. In 2018, an. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not Conspiracies 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. [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. This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 04:38. I just keep waiting for someone to be honest with [the Johnsons], Karen Bell, the mother of Brian and Branden Bell, said. Just after 24 hours of being found, the investigators ruled Johnsons death an accident. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! R.I.P Kendrick Johnson FacebookOne of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. [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 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's death made national news, not on the day his body was discovered, but in weeks . [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. The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson was initially ruled an accident by law enforcement, but his family was not convinced. 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. Paulk said it could take up to two weeks before results come back. All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. 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. There are no suspects because we havent made a determination as to whether or not this was murder, Paulk added. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Coleman didnt speculate on the speakers identity but emphasized the voice sounded younger in age. He also claimed the tapes unidentified seller, who supposedly sent the Johnsons several texts to orchestrate the purchase, is a white male. 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. Now, the sheriffs have enough evidence in hand to perhaps allow them to solve this mystery once and for all. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. As far as the feds were concerned, the case was officially and finally closed. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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 article used as a source an anonymous email to the sheriff's office. However, Johnsons parents say classmates killed their son and law enforcement and school officials covered up the crime. After this sad look at the case and death of Kendrick Johnson, read up on another mysterious disappearance, that of Elisa Lam. Then, in 2014, Kendrick Johnsons parents filed a wrongful death suit against the schools officials, alleging that Johnson had been harassed by a white student which went neglected by the school, perhaps due to his race. [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. Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Kendrick Johnson's Death And The Chilling Story Behind It 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. [14] On October 31, 2013, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore announced that his office would open a formal review into Johnson's death. They wont publicly say what that new info is. [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. But, There are some strange pieces to this case. [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. Johnson, 17, was found dead in Lowndes High School's gymnasium in January 2013. 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. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. That material included grand jury testimony, results from an autopsy conducted by federal authorities and additional digital evidence. We know that.. His family and friends described him as a sweet and quiet boy. He was a three-sport athlete and dreamed of playing professional football. Kendrick Johnson Case Audio Confession Probed As Possible Hoax | Crime News Ebony.com described the murder of Johnson to have been at the hands of two white brothers, though they did not include names. I really hope that he . Over the years, the Johnsons have publicly implicated brothers Brian and Branden Bell in Kendricks death. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. 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. 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. in Georgiais now being vetted by authorities, police said this week. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. Kendrick Johnson (Part 1) Crime Weekly. 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. RELATED:Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick Johnsons Last Moments, the Latest in Troubling Death Investigation. From there until now, we feel like this has been a cover-up at a very high level. The pathologist concluded his death was not an accident. Coleman called for the individuals immediate arrest. 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. Thing is, he wasn't just found dead. [39] In January 2022, the second investigation was closed with no charges filed. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Johnsons family, however, said they areconfident the 25-second audio clip is authentic and that it could lead to criminal charges in the case. "Theres still a lot of questions people want answered.". 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. 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, . Johnsons parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. Kendrick Johnson's family hosts grief support group nearing the 10-year The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. Share. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. But it doesnt look like thats ever going to happen.. Though it was quickly ruled an accidental death, Kendrick's family thought something was wrong. However, these things really happen in the world. All Rights Reserved. Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in January. Kendrick Johnson Death Mystery: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know - Heavy.com The case follows a young man that was found dead in 2013. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. His sneakers were shoved behind his knees. [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. 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. 1 of 2. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNN. Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnson's Death Investigated. On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick Johnson (October 10, 1995 January 10, 2013) was discovered inside a vertical rolled-up mat in the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, United States, where he was a student. The video was streamed by Morant to his Instagram page, and it was not archived once he stopped the stream. The teens parents say they are not convinced. According to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, If theres questions and theyre legitimate I need to know the answers myself. The sheriff at the center of the Kendrick Johnson death case says his department has gone through the evidence extensively and found no crime. You are not on the team of righteousness., The family is raising $400,000 to benefit the Kendrick Johnson Foundations mission to raise awareness on the need for increased supervision and safety within our public schools. In their GoFundMe page post, Johnson writes, On January 10, 2013, Kendricks life was tragically cut short when he was discovered dead in a rolled-up gym mat, under highly suspicious circumstances., A subsequent autopsy conducted by our forensic pathologist subsequently confirmed our worst nightmare that our sons death was no accident, she continues. For the sake of his family, I hope that the case of Kendrick Johnson can be closed in a way that provides closure. The mat was vertical. 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 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. 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. Abducted in Plain Sight 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. S3 Ep 26 "Results" The Kendrick Johnson Investigation - Investigative True Crime Series In this episode Ash and her team head to North Carolina. Allegedly they were in an altercation on a school bus prior to Kendricks death. Kendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. Itll be a lot of work, he explained. Johnson was the main "sniper" for the 103 gang, Seely said. [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. 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. 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 YSL Case Is Stretching Fulton County's Justice System to Its Breaking Point. The sheriff said investigators are working to verify the recording and how the individual received the information in order to "follow the chain of custody. [23] It alleged that Johnson was attacked on a bus trip 14 months prior to his death. 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. 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. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. Camera systems were motion-activated, using a change in light pixels to turn recordings on and off. 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. The next investigation was a federal one. 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. Video shows Johnson walking into and then through the gym on January 10, 2013. Kendrick Johnson's family and several friends gathered and held a balloon . The Johnsons have filed several lawsuits since their son's death, winning none of them. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. The public was horrified by the photo and began to rally around the Johnsons in their quest for the truth. I wont deem it credible until I can look at the source, find out where [he] got it from.. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. This is how you roll in Valdosta, the dead teens mother, Jaqueline Johnson, said of the Lowndes County Sheriffs new findings. Though 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's death was ruled accidental after his body was found inside a gym mat on January 11, 2013, many suspect foul play. News of the re-openedinvestigation was welcomed by Johnsons family. Investigators concluded he died in a freak accident. [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. NBA opens investigation after Ja Morant's social media post I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. [PHOTOS: Images included in Kendrick Johnson death findings report]. Johnsons shoulders measured 19 across and he was five feet, ten inches tall. 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. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. [37] However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk stated that he would not be claiming there was something wrong with the original investigation or that the original investigation's conclusion of an accidental death was wrong. "Nobody really cares, Jackie Johnson, the teenagers mother, WAGA-TV. 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? His mother posted on her Facebook: No mother or father should ever have to bury their child under these circumstances. [11] Some of the apparent lapses in coverage were found to result from camera systems that were not synchronized with one another. 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 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. [21] The area where Johnson's body was discovered, where the gym mats were stored, was outside the range of all of the surveillance cameras. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. One of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. Police focus on timeline in Kendrick Johnson gym mat death - CBS News Now, positional asphyxia is a legitimate cause of death. 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. You're in for a treat! True crime; doubtful solutions - The Boston Globe 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. Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. 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. 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. Parents' lawsuit in Georgia gym mat death is dismissed. "[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.

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