[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. It does appear, however, that their quest for answers has only led to more questions. [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. I really hope that he . 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. [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." Local authorities investigation has found, once again, that Johnson may have reached into the mat to retrieve a shoe, got stuck, then suffocated. Abducted in Plain Sight Though it was quickly ruled an accidental death, Kendrick's family thought something was wrong. They purchased this from an individual and he did not give them his true name. 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. 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. ", Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. Im feeling hopeful.. 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. On June 22, 2018, Johnson's body was exhumed.[19]. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. 2023 Cox Media Group. They soon discover that not only is something wrong, but things go much deeper than they ever imagined. Im going through everything myself, Paulk said,estimatingthat the reopened investigation could last a minimumof six months. 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 . [21] The president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the former lead investigator for that chapter have stated that they believe the attorneys for the Johnsons have "not been entirely truthful in their statements" and that there was no cover-up in this case. Johnsons shoulders measured 19 across and he was five feet, ten inches tall. Kendrick Johnson's family and several friends gathered and held a balloon . Parents' lawsuit in Georgia gym mat death is dismissed. . Download the FOX 5 Atlanta appfor breaking news and weather alerts. (@tomjones161 via twitter) The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office is insisting. 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. in Georgiais now being vetted by authorities, police said this week. Johnsons parents finally believed that their sons death was not being taken seriously because of his race. They were sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees and more than one million in defamation charges. RELATED:Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick Johnsons Last Moments, the Latest in Troubling Death Investigation. 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 only way Im going to know is to look at the evidence myself.. Updated Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. That material included grand jury testimony, results from an autopsy conducted by federal authorities and additional digital evidence. Do not believe anything that this sheriffs department tells you, Kenneth Johnson said. Months after his death, Lowndes County Sheriffs Office investigators ruled it was an accident and closed the case. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Thats the craziest lie you could have told, Johnson said of Paulks probe. He said the camera needed to be adjusted after a basketball hit it. The video was streamed by Morant to his Instagram page, and it was not archived once he stopped the stream. A number of community activists have also spoken out in favor of the forthcoming probe into the Georgia teens death. 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.. The sheriff says his office will not be releasing the audio recording at this time. And potentially missing videotape? Speculation and outrageous theories always run wild and it takes away from the victims story. He wrote that the FBI reviewed footage from 62 cameras on campus, and Johnson never crossed paths with the brothers. [40], "Kendrick Johnson" redirects here. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. In June 2018, Kendrick Johnsons body was exhumed for a second time and a third autopsy was performed. You want to go on the top of a mountain and scream, Look, people, the evidence is there, Karen Bell added. 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. In the latest report, Paulk dispelled rumors that Johnson and the Bell brothers had any contact on the day Johnson died. 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. As far as the feds were concerned, the case was officially and finally closed. This is a very unusual accident. Coleman called for the individuals immediate arrest. 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. You cant do an investigation with the same investigators who covered it up. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. He was found dead in a rolled up wresting mat. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNNKendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. But his parents would later maintain that his size versus the size of the mat alone was enough to debunk the investigators case. From there until now, we feel like this has been a cover-up at a very high level. However, the coroner said these organs were not sent to the funeral home because they were too decomposed and were instead disposed of beforehand. 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. "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. TheLowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. Looking for interesting and mysterious true crime documentaries? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. August 17, 2021. Kendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. Download theGrio today! 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. 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. 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. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. But, There are some strange pieces to this case. 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. [31] They were subsequently sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees[32] and $1,000,000 in defamation damages. According to CNN, funeral director Antonio Harrington claimed the 17-year-olds organs were destroyed through [the] natural process due to the position of his body when he died. 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. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch, she contended. He was never shown within or leaving the gym and indeed, he never did show up for his following classes. Johnsons parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. The origin and credibility of the recording . Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. Wrongful death, Kendrick Johnson's family vs. Lowndes County Board of Education and school officials. CNN 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. 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. Verifying the tapes authenticity is indispensable, he added. The public was horrified by the photo and began to rally around the Johnsons in their quest for the truth. The photo, in which Kendrick Johnsons face is extremely swollen, almost does not look human. Adding to the confusion is the fact that in October 2013, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told CBS thatJohnsons organs were returned to his body following the autopsy, as per protocol. His mother posted on her Facebook: No mother or father should ever have to bury their child under these circumstances. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. 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. The sheriff released a 16-page summary of his investigation on Wednesday including pictures from the Lowndes County gym. Johnsons parents have said they think their son was killed. However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced the re-opening of the case on Tuesday. The Johnsons have filed several lawsuits since their son's death, winning none of them. Nonetheless, the investigation cleared the funeral home of any wrongdoing. Although no charges were ever brought to light, and his death was ruled accidental.. 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. [26] Jim Elliott, the Lowndes County Attorney, stated that the allegations were "unfounded" and "baseless" and that any response would be made in court. All things mysterious, murderous, and macabre. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The suit alleges the boys family conspired with former Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine and county school officials to cover up the death. Authorities say they are working to verify an audio recording of someone admitting to Kendrick Johnson's death. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened Kendrick's case last March. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Over the years, the Johnsons have publicly implicated brothers Brian and Branden Bell in Kendricks death. His family says despite the setback, they are not giving up hope. Did you encounter any technical issues? Indeed, in 2013, racism in Valdosta, Georgia, was still very much alive. It's just like,'shut this family up,' sending them on their way, but what they didn't realize is the Johnson family is not going anywhere.". Video shows Johnson walking into and then through the gym on January 10, 2013. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? On January 11 in Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up inside a large gym mat. These issues dont mean that someone will kill someone else, however. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. They wont publicly say what that new info is. But still an accident? Thomas wondered. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. "[18] The Johnson family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against the funeral home, seeking monetary damages. 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. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. 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. We know that.. "[35][36], On March 10, 2021, the case was officially reopened. Kendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. 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. 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. 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. Many speculate a darker reality. 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. The mat was vertical. [2] That left a void, which the funeral home filled. 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. [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. On Jan. 11, 2013, Johnson's body was discovered in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School. [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. 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. 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. Paulk called the teenagers death a weird accident, telling CNN, there is nothing to substantiate a homicide.. The post Kendrick Johnsons case closed after authorities say no crime found appeared first on TheGrio. Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. According to Paulk, it was Kendrick Johnson's mother, Jackie Johnson, who obtained the recording and turned it in to investigators. The recording hasnt yet been made public. 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. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. [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. The case was. For the sake of his family, I hope that the case of Kendrick Johnson can be closed in a way that provides closure. The Bells father, a former FBI agent, is accused of directing officials to obscure the investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 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. 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. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. Then, read about the horrifying murder of Emmett Till. CNN gained access to the schools security footage on the day that Kendrick Johnson was killed, but upon viewing it, realized that it offered little insight into what happened that day. 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. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. The group is. They purchased this from an individual and he did not give them his true name. But you have to wonder. The mysterious death of Kendrick Johnson was initially ruled an accident by law enforcement, but his family was not convinced. "Eight long years the crying, the tears, the backlash, being talked about, ridiculed it has not been easy," Johnson added. 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.