From there until now, we feel like this has been a cover-up at a very high level. "It has been our position that Kendrick was struck with an object that caused severe hemorrhaging, Coleman also told WAGA-TV. Video shows him walking into the Lowndes High gym on Jan. 10, 2013. I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play, he wrote. 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. Download theGrio today! I just keep waiting for someone to be honest with [the Johnsons], Karen Bell, the mother of Brian and Branden Bell, said. [31] They were subsequently sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees[32] and $1,000,000 in defamation damages. 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. 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. But investigators quickly closed their case on the theory that Johnson had simply fallen into the mat while reaching for one of his sneakers. Your email address will not be published. Though it was quickly ruled an accidental death, Kendrick's family thought something was wrong. 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. Itll be a lot of work, he explained. [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. The dead teens mother, Jaqueline Johnson, told the TV station she is not surprised by the sheriffs findings. Kendrick Johnson was a 17-year-old student at Lowndes County High School. Investigators will now comb through 17 boxes of evidence, which were previously sealed. 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. 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, Marcus Coleman, a spokesperson for the Johnson family, told Oxygen.com. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Allegedly they were in an altercation on a school bus prior to Kendricks death. 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. Investigators did not take the hoodie and orange and black gym shoes into evidence. 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. Wrongful death, Kendrick Johnson's family vs. Lowndes County Board of Education and school officials. 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. Share. "If it's a hoax, it's a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson," he said. As he was upside down, blood would have rushed to Johnsons head and he eventually would have begun to bleed from his facial orifices. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. Im feeling hopeful.. 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. Johnsons parents finally believed that their sons death was not being taken seriously because of his race. They also reported that the blood had likely been there for a long time. 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. Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. 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. The father of the kid who had a motive is allegedly an FBI Agent, with enough pull to supposedly save his son. Earlier in March, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced that officials were reopening the investigation and reevaluating the previously-sealed evidence. This finding further increased the confidence of doubters that this death was an accident. His parents believe Kendrick was murdered. [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. 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. Johnsons family, however, said they areconfident the 25-second audio clip is authentic and that it could lead to criminal charges in the case. Although no charges were ever brought to light, and his death was ruled accidental.. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. 1 of 2. His sneakers were shoved behind his knees. The group is. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. 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. Kendrick Johnson's death made national news, not on the day his body was discovered, but in weeks . [12] The funeral home owner stated that it is standard practice to fill a void in this fashion, and that cotton or sawdust may also be employed for this purpose. [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. Johnsons shoulders measured 19 across and he was five feet, ten inches tall. But still an accident? Thomas wondered. appreciated. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. But you have to wonder. [39] In January 2022, the second investigation was closed with no charges filed. Johnsons parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. 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. 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. 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. The police took videotape from the school and could see him entering the gym, but they havent released video that shows anything else. Kendrick Johnsons shoe laying in the pool of blood. "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. We have not had faith in Lowndes County. [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. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. A recordingthat reportedly contains an emotional confession of an individual who may have been involved in the suspicious 2013 death of teenagerKendrick Johnsonin Georgiais now being vetted by authorities, police said this week. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. Published on February 1, 2022 08:45 AM. Paulk said it could take up to two weeks before results come back. 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 was black and the Lowndes County Sheriff, Chris Prines, and his investigators were all white. The only way Im going to know is to look at the evidence myself.. Updated Idk why but this case in particular seems to bring out the worst in a lot of true crime podcast hosts. ", Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. The Johnsons were extorted out of $1,000 for a tape that contains an individual admitting to their involvement, he alleged. "[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 case was. TheLowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. 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. 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. 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. Investigators concluded he died in a freak accident. He died on January 10 in the school's gym. 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 . 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. Required fields are marked *. In 2018, an independent autopsy indicated signs of foul play in the teen's death, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. 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. 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. 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. Almost a full day had passed until Johnson had been discovered. 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. The sheriff released a 16-page summary of his investigation on Wednesday including pictures from the Lowndes County gym. 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. 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. We provide you with a list of the top 15 best true crime documentaries that every true crime fan will thoroughly enjoy. Authorities say they are working to verify an audio recording of someone admitting to Kendrick Johnson's death. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. VALDOSTA, Ga. The sheriff at the center of the Kendrick Johnson death case says his department has gone through the evidence extensively and found no crime. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. 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. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. The sheriff at the center of the Kendrick Johnson death case says his department has gone through the evidence extensively and found no crime. [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." Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. Take a look at the list below for all the gory details! 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! True Crime Mysteries- episodes 1 de Manual Einstein en Libreras Gandhi . [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. The case follows a young man that was found dead in 2013. Do not believe anything that this sheriffs department tells you, Kenneth Johnson said. (@tomjones161 via twitter) The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is insisting. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNNKendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. [29], In November 2015, the Department of Justice filed a motion in the civil case to intervene and stay the case. According to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, If theres questions and theyre legitimate I need to know the answers myself. 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. We already knew what team you were on. 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 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. '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. A number of community activists have also spoken out in favor of the forthcoming probe into the Georgia teens death. The familys attorney, Chevene King, expressed thatif Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently. An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of Johnsons death was accidental positional asphyxia. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. [2][13], After the opinion of the private pathologist was released, Johnson's family stated that they believed Johnson had been murdered. Wikimedia CommonsSeventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened Kendrick's case last March. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? The pathologist concluded his death was not an accident. You do not believe there was anything criminal? reporter Tony Thomas asked Paulk. County authorities are currently combing through a trove of boxes of evidence, including computer hard drives, documents, and other files relevant to the investigation. 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? Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. . [12][16] Johnson's family filed a complaint with a regulatory body against the funeral home operator. 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. The next investigation was a federal one. We knew what the outcome would be from the very beginning, Kendricks father, Kenneth Johnson, told CNN. [17] A spokesperson for the Secretary of State said that the investigation found that the funeral home "didn't violate any rules. The three teens were classmates. Sheriff says recording thought to show proof Kendrick Johnson was murdered, was a cruel hoax His family says despite the setback, they are not giving up hope. I really hope that he . The late teen's parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, filed the lawsuit in January, claiming their son was the victim of foul play. Kendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. 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. It alleged that the defendants ignored reports that, previously, Johnson had been repeatedly attacked and harassed by a white student. 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. The sheriff said he spent 15 months reading every page in that file, but found that they did not show any criminal action whatsoever.. 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. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson Facebook PageKendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. The photo, in which Kendrick Johnsons face is extremely swollen, almost does not look human. Its an active case so the contents of the recording or anything else, were not going to divulge right now, Paulk said. In 2018, an. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. "Im treating it like its a brand new case," Paulk said, according to the newspaper. Law enforcement has ruled Kendrick's death an . This is a very unusual accident. Kendrick Johnson with his mother and father, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson (The Johnson Family). 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. On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death. 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 . 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. Justice denied. 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. The brothers father,Rick Bell, was an FBI special agent who ultimately resignedafter his home was raided and searched for evidence, according to NBC. "This week we are trying Kendrick Johnson as the shooter, the organizer and the planner of Delindsey Mack's murder," she told . Kendrick Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic Accident. A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously. The Bell family has previously deflected blame in the incident; now, Karen Bell says she's upset by the renewed investigative efforts. 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. After this sad look at the case and death of Kendrick Johnson, read up on another mysterious disappearance, that of Elisa Lam. Possible Audio Confession In Kendrick Johnson's Death Investigated. Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. That initial investigation concluded that Johnson accidentally slipped into the center of the mat while reaching for a shoe and got stuck. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Kendrick Johnson's family and several friends gathered and held a balloon . On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnsons body be exhumed. In November 2013, 290 hours of surveillance tape from 35 cameras that covered the gym area were released to CNN following a court request. 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? Listen Now Episode Info But it doesnt look like thats ever going to happen.. Furthermore, a second autopsy showed non-accidental blunt force trauma to the back of the neck. Indeed, in 2013, racism in Valdosta, Georgia, was still very much alive. In 2013, Johnsons body was found rolled up in a mat inside a Valdosta-area high school gymnasium. Investigators, who suspected hed become trapped after attempting to grab a pair of sneakers, ruled his deatha freak accident. Kendrick Johnson was a Georgia teen, who was found dead inside a rolled up wrestling mat. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. But Johnsons parents would still not give up. [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. 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 Johnsons were also sure that their sons body had been moved, which was corroborated by Lowndes County Coroner, Bill Watson. [24] The magazine used pseudonyms but was otherwise accurate in descriptions of the boys, including the fact that their father was an FBI agent. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? [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. 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. [12][16] The funeral home that processed the body following the FBI's autopsy stated that they never received Johnson's internal organs from the coroner; the organs were said to have been "destroyed through natural process" and "discarded by the prosector before the body was sent back to Valdosta," according to the funeral home owner. The suit alleges the boys family conspired with former Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine and county school officials to cover up the death. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! They soon discover that not only is something wrong, but things go much deeper than they ever imagined. 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. 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. For years, however, the teenager's family has insisted the 17-year-old was murdered and that investigators actively worked to . S3 Ep 26 "Results" The Kendrick Johnson Investigation - Investigative True Crime Series In this episode Ash and her team head to North Carolina. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. 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. "[11] Johnson's family questioned this hypothesis. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. estimatingthat the reopened investigation could last a minimumof six months. The lawsuit alleged that the defendants were negligent and violated Johnson's constitutional right to equal protection based on race.