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. 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 . This is a very unusual accident. Sheriff says case closed after his investigation finds Kendrick Johnsons death was no crime Jaqueline Johnson said she doesnt trust local authorities and wants federal investigators to take another look at what happened to her son here nine years ago. The familys attorney, Chevene King, expressed thatif Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently. ", Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. 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 Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic 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. Now, positional asphyxia is a legitimate cause of death. Indeed, in 2013, racism in Valdosta, Georgia, was still very much alive. Johnson's family didn't accept the. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. [26], Shortly before the lawsuit was filed, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore said in a statement that a federal investigation was still open and that "the investigation has proven more complicated and taken longer than originally anticipated. 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. 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. It seems so much more likely to me that Kendrick Johnson's death was a tragic accident. in Georgiais now being vetted by authorities, police said this week. The pathologist concluded his death was not an accident. 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. Thing is, he wasn't just found dead. This is a very unusual accident. The findings of the second autopsy, that Johnsons death was not accidental and caused by blunt force trauma likely due to being struck in the neck with a 45lb dumbbell, were confirmed. 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. 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. Jaqueline Johnson said she doesnt trust local authorities and wants federal investigators to take another look at what happened to her son here nine years ago. We already knew what team you were on. [23] It alleged that Johnson was attacked on a bus trip 14 months prior to his death. 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. "[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. Policeand eventually the state's 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. Theres still a lot of questions people want answered," Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said. Kendrick Johnsons case closed after authorities say no crime found, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, SoCal in for cool start to weekend, butlight showers make brief return, Scam alert: arrest warrant calls are fake, sheriff's office says, Heidi Klum's husband thinks the couple's dogs might have been poisoned. Paulk also claimed a camera in the gymnasium which apparently shows Johnson before his death was realigned 13 months earlier. Discovery Company. As he was upside down, blood would have rushed to Johnsons head and he eventually would have begun to bleed from his facial orifices. High-traffic streets like Norman Drive in. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced the re-opening of the case on Tuesday. August 17, 2021. 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 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. These issues dont mean that someone will kill someone else, however. Kendrick Johnson lived with his family in Valdosta, Georgia and attended Lowndes High School. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. It is a case that has stumped and enraged millions of people around the world. Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. 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. Itll be a lot of work, he explained. On Jan. 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, a popular student and promising athlete at Lowndes High School, in Valdosta, Ga., was found rolled up upside down in a . Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnson's Death Investigated. "[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. They also reported that the blood had likely been there for a long time. Its been eight long years, said Kendrick Johnsons mother, Jacquelyn. [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. Finally, in March 2021, authorities reopened their investigation into Kendrick Johnsons death. We know that.. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play, he wrote. [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 sheriff said investigators are working to verify the recording and how the individual received the information in order to "follow the chain of custody. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Listen, Im a high school teacher. Listen to the latest episode: Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Essential, you asphyxiate (either by suffocation or lack of oxygen) due to the position of your bodya position in which you cant get yourself out. [24] The magazine used pseudonyms but was otherwise accurate in descriptions of the boys, including the fact that their father was an FBI agent. 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. A private pathologist was hired to carry out a second autopsy. In 2013, Johnsons body was found rolled up in a mat inside a Valdosta-area high school gymnasium. However, the coroner said these organs were not sent to the funeral home because they were too decomposed and were instead disposed of beforehand. Investigators will now comb through 17 boxes of evidence, which were previously sealed. News of the re-opened investigation was welcomed by Johnson's family. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Georgia was recused from the investigation many years ago.. A number of community activists have also spoken out in favor of the forthcoming probe into the Georgia teens death. Justice denied. Finding Kendrick Johnson is an interesting true crime documentary. In 2018, an. [28] Shortly after receiving the case, Dettlebach also resigned. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. 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 states attorney has said that anyone who objectively looks at the case details can only come to one conclusion: this was an accidental death. Given the slender opening in the gym mat, this is certainly plausible, even though Kendrick was exceptionally physically fit. But it is what it is.. Ebony.com described the murder of Johnson to have been at the hands of two white brothers, though they did not include names. appreciated. 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. indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. [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. Kendrick Johnson's family and several friends gathered and held a balloon . 2. The recording hasnt yet been made public. The new findings were the result of a second investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office following one by the FBI. The YSL Case Is Stretching Fulton County's Justice System to Its Breaking Point. This finding further increased the confidence of doubters that this death was an accident. Im going through everything myself, Paulk said,estimatingthat the reopened investigation could last a minimumof six months. WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta facebook feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta twitter feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta instagram feed(Opens a new window), WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta youtube feed(Opens a new window), Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson, Missing Pennsylvania woman found alive after more than 30 years, Reality star Honey Boo Boo was inside speeding Dodge Charger involved in chase with Ga. deputies, Former Atlanta Hawk, Ga. Tech star charged with choking, kidnapping N.C. woman, Surveillance video shows moments leading up to deadly UGA crash, A 17-year-old Gwinnett County girl thought she was taking Percocet; now shes dead. Coleman called for the individuals immediate arrest. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. 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 Johnsons civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime, it said in a statement. Johnsons family, however, said they areconfident the 25-second audio clip is authentic and that it could lead to criminal charges in the case. The three teens were classmates. 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. [15], Johnson's family filed a legal action to open a coroner's inquest into his death. FacebookKendrick Johnson with his mother. Crime Junkie did the same thing. The mat was vertical. It includes photographs from the schools gymnasium. 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 . Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 04:38. The mat was vertical. 2023 Cox Media Group. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Wikimedia CommonsSeventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. 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. 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. Not a big deal, perhaps, except, Another student had an issue with Kendrick and had threatened him several times over a girlfriend. 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. 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.