"I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. The officer says he left it in the kitchen and ran outside. I finally had the evidence that I needed that Matthew was cheating on me. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. Matthew Boynton, 20, discovered his wife Jessica, 19, lying in a pool of blood in a closet. That's fine. But Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates said, Officer Boynton was not the shooter and trusts the investigations outcome. The agent had that phone, I think DeMarco, Chris DeMarco had the phone and they was [sic] trying to get in the gate, and, uh, he accidentally hit, I guess, the last number dialed, called or whatever. Or was it? Trammel records the 10:53 p.m., incident report from April 14. Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. She thinks he found it before the incident. "Next thing I remember was I wake up and I'm in a hospital.". However, Yates said, that's not that uncommon. It was retrieved from the kitchen counter in front of the microwave oven," she probed further. I would have said, I can't do this anymore, comma, take care of Tolin and Tyler, period. I would have said, suicidal not suicide thoughts.. Matthew begins calling his brothers in blue, telling them Jessica is physically abusing him -- not a standard way of reporting domestic abuse. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. A Griffin Police Officer's wife herself, the reporter called DeMarco, on Sept. 28, the investigator who was in charge of the investigation for the GBI, to question him about the case and the photo that nagged her, and that for her, called into question how anything they investigated was trustworthy. "I think it was in the heat of the moment, he was angry with me. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. Matthew makes it home and races to the breezeway of his apartment and enters, checks the master bedroom and bangs on the locked closet door. She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. I was scared to death, because I couldnt find [Tyler]that she would shoot me, I mean shoot him, shoot me, and then kill herself.. I mean he might have grabbed my arm before, but I don't think he would intentionally do anything to hurt mebut like I said, he's changed so much here, lately, she said. ", "There are two theories in this case, the first is that she shot herself and on the way to the ground she accidentally fired the gun a second time. And, unfortunately it appears those questions will never be answered," Mathews said. "In looking at this, this does not have the appearance of a suicide to me. Investigators confirmed at least some of this evidence did belong to Lester, but along with questions regarding the chain of custody was the issue of whether the belongings were personal or community property. Jessica's alive, but barely. There's so many useless words thrown in there, then there's so many words left out, she said. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. I don't know why. He drove back to the apartment, he tells Jones, but it was too late. In fact she claims Jessica was blissfully stockpiling ammunition to get full custody of their two little boys. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. I love you and the boys.". 'We're not going to do this in Georgia anymore' | Prosecutor fighting to stop animal abuse, NASCAR star Chase Elliott hurts leg in snowboarding accident, Forecast | Cooler air moving in for the weekend, Metro Atlanta, north Georgia hit with widespread damage after storms produce powerful winds, calls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Hewrote a letter to Jessica's attorneyJune 10, in which he questioned the finding that Jessica's head injury was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, saying there was no investigation at the hospital. Making his way outside, he calls for assistance over his radio. A message to Matthews phone is received and marked as read, from his girlfriend--from inside the evidence bag. I was scared to death, because I couldn't find [Tyler]that she would shoot me, I mean shoot him, shoot me, and then kill herself.. Barely clinging to life, Jessica spent three weeks in a coma before waking up, according to 11alive. By the time Jessica was twenty, she'd had enough of Matthew, and their crumbling marriage had driven her to a dark place. Jessica Boynton was initially . UPDATE: This story was originally published in November 2016. This is who he's sleeping with, points to the Facebook post that she says she was holding for Jessica for her divorce. Thats what we had to establish, Yates confirmed. He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. Did he cause his estranged spouses injury? That bullet ends up toward the top left of the closet. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. He said the description of a self-inflicted gunshot wound didn't fit, noting her pristine and unmarked hands and calling it a very unusual direction in which to point the gun at one's self with the intention of committing suicide., First of all, the wound that she suffered was toward the vertex of her skull on the right side of her head; this would imply that she shot herself with a gun pointed downward near the top of her skull., The second most striking observation he said he made while assessing Jessica was neither of her hands had any evidence of any gunpowder stippling from gunpowder blowback.. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? I figured out what happened. | Examine the evidence yourself, calls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. I mean he might have grabbed my arm before, but I don't think he would intentionally do anything to hurt mebut like I said, he's changed so much here, lately, she said. "The neighbors [said] somewhere around 11 p.m., and he is the only one who hears the gunshots at 1 a.m., and he calls it in," said Sanders. But many believe Jessica holds the only key as to what really happened inside that closet. It's like I tell them, they make it twice as bad because I'm a cop, Matthew said. Her limp body is on the floor, just behind the door. During my stay is when my personal belongings were taken and Matthew Boynton (3842) refuses to give them back, Lester stated. When asked to confirm that a July 26 appointment with Lesters orthodontist was pivotal in the Internal Affairs case, Yates said it was. Minutes later, at around 10:45 p.m., Jessica storms out. Matthew makes it home, jumps out of his truck, races through the breezeway of his apartment building and bolts up the stairs. The crying officer tells Jones that he left the apartment and was meeting Guthrie at Waffle House, when he received a text from Jessica that indicated she was going to kill herself. She was hit over the head. There are a lot of questions that I would love to have answered. But, Jessica said regardless of her knowledge of guns, she had every reason to live. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | 13wmaz.com For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. They were calling me the miracle child Because what I went through, not a lot of people survive through it, she told 11Alive's Brendan Keefe, nearly six months after the incidenther golden blonde hair now growing back. "If they put out a report I spend a lot of time fact-checking it and making sure what they're telling is the truth," said Sanders. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. The report states Matthew left Walmart without Jessica. The specific items Lester alleged Boynton had stolen included a Toshiba laptop valued at $500; clothes valued at $300; jewelry valued at $50; kitchen items valued at $500; and a retainer valued at $150. "The only thing that I can tell you is that Matthew Boynton's account of events are not correct.". The police officer's wife was found with a bullet to the head, lying in their closet. Terms of Use | How does Jessica explain the "suicide text" sent from her phone less than 10 minutes before her husband Matthew called 911 in a panic? They hit the top of the stairs knowing somebody's got a gun. What did Matthew do that he needed covering up? Jessica and Matthew Boynton got married at an extremely young age. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. Matthew, who's wearing a gray sweatshirt, says he called Lt. Curtis Keys and asked him what he should do. Dr. Vernon Henderson, chief of Trauma and Critical Care at Atlanta Medical Center was on-call the morning Jessica came in and treated her for the next month while she was in the hospital. It can be inferred that approximately half or more cops are abusive husbands/wifebeaters. This is not the first time I have had suicide thoughts. They're forced to kick it in. Her husband, Matthew Boynton, was at a nearby restaurant when he got a text from Jessica that read like a suicide note. The agent continues to interview Matthew, who's wearing a red hoodie, asking him if the clothes he was wearing were the ones he was wearing the entire night. And I could have been the next target.. GBI agents, however, have closed her case. RE-open the case Georgia!!!!!! The second bullet hole is more of a mystery. That phone never got back into the officer's hand. He grabs his police radio, stationed and charging on top of the white microwave in the kitchen, and leaves his phone on the counter. "I would want to know how he did it and how does he live with himself every day knowing that he did something like this," said Jessica. Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. "The stuff that he was texting her was, you know, 'LOL's," said Sanders. And, the first officer on scene, as recorded by body cam footage, was not interviewed by the GBI for months after the incident. "When the GBI concluded their case they gave it back to Jessica, and I got it from Jessica," Sanders said. It's just one piece of the brand new beginning the young mother and wife has been putting together for her and her sons. The one seen in the police body-cam is not the same gray sweatshirt he was wearing at Walmart earlier that night. A text messages is sent to his phone from Jessica's phone. This, Matthew says to Trammel, is the precursor to an argument the couple also had at Walmart later that night, just after 10 p.m. Once outside, he tells Trammel Jessica refuses to get into the car to go hometelling him she would find another way home and walked back into Walmart. Yes, for an article, just to make sure I get quotes proper.". He said that she was so distraught that she was doubled over, and he said that she stood, closed the door in his face and then at that point he went ahead and left.". And they said yes. And he said 'Yeah, we did.'". GBI director Vernon Keenan wrote a letter indicating the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by Jessica, closing the case. I told him, 'You're going to have to go get it, because I can't get it out of the case. I had a friend who was a girl, or is a girl, he answers, further admitting that the relationship had become sexual. I didn't know if I was dealing with a possible active active scenario where she still had the gun and she had shot Tyler, he replies. But asking those questions resulted in a threat. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. It entered at an upward leftward trajectory angle," said Sheila Mathews. A request is made to notify the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. How did Jessica react when she saw those messages? The notification was made following an April 15, 2016, shooting incident - ruled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to be a suicide attempt - at the home of Jessica Boynton and her now-estranged husband, Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that shes never handled a gun, nor shot one. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. As part of that case, Lt. Karen Yancy, who leads the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, spoke with Boynton and on Jan. 5, reported, On Dec. 19, 2016, I spoke with Matthew Boynton about these items. What Sanders found most alarming was the time frame Matthew Boynton says he heard those two gunshots. "He told 911 that he was so worried and he was trying to get back to the house as fast as possible. Meet at the Visitor Center. Jessica Boynton, 19, was a stay-at-home mom to 8-month-old Tyler and 2-year-year old Tollin. $5 plus $5 parking. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. Matthew's mistress worked as a dispatch officer, reporting to Sheriff Wendell Beam, who just happens to be Matthew Boynton's grandfather. He cautiously went into the residence to try to make sure that the children were OK. Of course the Grandfather could not be reached for a comment, he had it covered up. Armed with body camera attached to their uniforms, the officers burst through the door, quickly passing Matthews phone, a black and grey Verizon LG smartphone, on the kitchen counter. We asked retired homicide detective Tim Miley to review Jessica's entire case file and every crime scene photo. But here's the thing that has everyone shaking their heads: In the bureau's final report, dated months after Jessica was released from the hospital, they still declare Jessica dead. She made a full recovery, but doesnt remember a thing. In fact he's collected almost every piece of evidence from the case. She was leaving her husband of just six months. Did he cause his estranged spouse's injury? I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. Jessica was a blushing bride, excited to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. It could have a negative effect on them, but those things have to be dealt with on a case by case basis. What you have from a close range press contact wound is high-velocity blood spatter, which is very small, and it might not be very visible with the naked eye, or easily visible from photographs. When they finally shove their way in, tragic heartbreak is lying in front of them. The GBI needs an overhaulclean house. As he drove he received a text message from Jessica's phone. BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under investigation and cleared by the GBI last year for his wife's shooting, was charged with one felony count of false statements and writings, and one felony count of violation of oath of office. [] of this document: BREAKING NEWS: GPD Officer Matthew Boynton arrested, charged with two feloniesM Matthew Boynton: The evidence and investigation that led to his arrest Matthew Boynton criminal []. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. Armed with bodycams attached to their uniforms, the officers burst through the door, quickly passing Matthew's phone, a black and grey Verizon LG smartphone, on the kitchen counter. But she doesn't buy it, especially since her head was perfectly laid on a pillow, she said after watching the bodycam footage. Show the world how smart you are and uncover what the Wannabe investigative reporters couldn't figure out. Yeah, if we've got to get the clothes, obviously we'll bring you back up to the apartment for you to get some clothes obviously, says the agent. But Yates said the holster is designed to have some retention capability. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . Unfortunately, the only person who may be able to answer that question is Jessica, and she was in a coma. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . His flashlight's beam reveals a smiling family of four. I'll be there in about two. A body-cam captures her inconsolable baby boy in the arms of an officer. This case stinks to hi-heaven of a cover-up..if not, its a group of the most incompetent people ever to wear a Law enforcement uniform. The air is thick with mystery, as the officers approach the locked closet. Minutes later, just as Matthew pulls into the Waffle House parking lot, he says he receives a chilling message from Jessica, what he calls a "suicide text," that says: "I can't do this anymore. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. Click here for "Trigger: The Last Word" | And we talk to Jessica Boynton again here: "Trigger: Free as a Bird" | Anda story when the officer was arrested and kicked offthe force (but not for shooting his wife ). Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. Inside their apartment Matthew Boynton hears crying. Privacy Policy | Having previously learned of the new evidence that was turned in to the Griffin Police Department May 11 and the Internal Affairs investigation that resulted, The GRIP on July 7 submitted an Open Records request for information in the case. "There was no testing done on his clothing," said Sheila Mathews. Sanders says there are a few things that really stand out: The red sweatshirt Matthew offered police to test for gunshot residue. Since both sides have their theories of what happened that night, Crime Watch Daily brought in an independent investigator to give us his unbiased opinion. Everybody clear out, says Jones, who has Keys call for an EMT. The doctor was not contacted by the GBI until July 20. Blood pressure.. There was a question of what was and was not community marital property, so that took some doing to sort that out, also, Yates said, adding that many of the items reported as stolen including the clothing, computer and household items had been cited as community property during the couples divorce. And their "War of the Roses" was about to explode. So if there is no gunshot wound, what really happened inside that closet? GSW, possible to the head. I left a message with the lady that answered for her to call me. Any weapons inside the house? the dispatcher inquires. The conversation bounces from officer to officer. That question lingers--but not for Georgia Bureau of Investigations, who said the case is closed--repeatedly stating that they are satisfied with their findings. I'll be back there in about two minutes. HERE IS THE NEWS STORY OF THE SHOOTING.. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/trigger-over-and-out/85-8ab82530-da07-492b-9a3c-c20d5e7f50b3. "The Walmart surveillance camera shows that they did exit the building together, and it does show her re-entering and, it shows her leaving again later," said Sheila Mathews. A paramedic frantically fights to save Jessica's life. What are my kids going to do? he pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion. Honestly, I have no idea. He's a truck driver. I said 'Is she still alive?' That's not what the surveillance tape shows. She rebukes the text message that came from her phone to Matthew's that night and said she didn't have a lock on her phone, so anyone could've sent it. But Jessica's trauma surgeon, a 30-year veteran in the field, had a few thoughts of his own about what could have happened and what likely did not happen that night. One of about 70 messages they exchange throughout the night. "And I talked to the guy and was like, 'Look man, you know, can you just be honest with me? "Well, how do you come to that conclusion?" Chris DeMarco, GBI's assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. Her bright blues eyes glisten as they well with emotion. Then he hits investigators with a jaw-dropper. Bring the little ones for a story every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to hear Sam's favorite tales. They turn her over from her stomach to her back. I have been suffering for a while now and no one has noticed. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. But Jessica still can't remember what happened that terrible night in the closet, and she's says there is only one person with the answers. There's little if any visible blood spatter inside the closet. She's having suicidal thoughts," he calmly says about Jessica to the dispatcher. A lot of times its two or three or more days, Yates said. Just minutes after Jessica is airlifted to an Atlanta trauma center, Sheriff Beam asks deputies to deliver the devastating news to Jessica's family that she's dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. But he's also texting her before he called 911," said Sanders. GRIFFIN, Ga. Who shot the officers wife? [I'm] gonna have to kick that door in Jones relays to the other officers standing on the other side of the closet, barreling through it in just two swift and deliberate kicks. The baby's muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter. At about 10:45 p.m., he continues, he thought he heard a gunshot while they were lying in bed. The agent asked her if she had ever held her husbands service weapon. ", Following that phone call, Mathews, perceiving that she was threatened, called the GBIs director of professional standards to file a formal complaint and to gain clarity about what he meant by, Were gonna have a problem.. His phone was given to someone else at Griffin PD, they put the phone in the thing because they knew GBI wanted it, and that's where we're gonna be while he was taken to the police department. God damn it, man! "I didn't know if I was dealing with a possible active scenario where she still had the gun, and she had shot Tyler, and then I could have been the next target," Matthew says in the interview. The ambulance pulls away with Jessica in critical condition, to the fire station located on Carver Road, where the medical helicopter picks her up and takes her to an Atlanta hospital. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. She would never have done this. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. Officer Adam Trammel reports to a non-emergency call from the Boynton residence at Ashford Place on Ashford Way, in Griffin, Ga. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers head toward the apartment. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. She says there were pages missing. He was able to confirm that they were all right.. Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam behind false death notification in A woman who lived across from the couple, who works with law enforcement, agreed to a Crime Watch Daily interview if we protect her identity. Published: 7/28/2017 6:16:14 PM. Updated: 11:14 PM EDT July 28, 2017. It's like some of my family they hear all these people say, 'Oh I think he did it and it was planned.' Somewhere in proximity to his arrest. Once established as her personal belonging, this one piece of physical evidence contradicted Boyntons January written civil statement in which he denied possessing any of Lesters property. Jones eyes a small child sleeping on a bottom bunk bed in the back bedroom. 11Alive - BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under - Facebook The babys muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter. Then he drops a shocker, claiming he wasn't the only one cheating, "She finally told me, she said 'Yeah, I had an affair,'" Matthew Boynton says in the GBI interview. I don't think he meant to do it, or at least that's what I like to think.". Her neighbor, who asked us to protect her identity, says she knows the motive: Jessica had uncovered Matthew's dark secret. "Her hands appeared to be pristine, but also he noted that she had no gunpowder burns.".