The police took videotape from the school and could see him entering the gym, but they havent released video that shows anything else. 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. Over the years, the Johnsons have publicly implicated brothers Brian and Branden Bell in Kendricks death. 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. Paulk said it could take up to two weeks before results come back. 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. [25], In January 2015, Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of DeKalb County against 38 individuals. "Im treating it like its a brand new case," Paulk said, according to the newspaper. 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. 2023 Cox Media Group. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. Kendrick Johnson's family and several friends gathered and held a balloon . 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. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not Conspiracies Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. New Photos Released In Kendrick Johnson Case - NewsOne FacebookKendrick Johnson with his mother. The only way Im going to know is to look at the evidence myself.. 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. Listen, Im a high school teacher. No further information was readily provided by law enforcement. [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. It includes photographs from the schools gymnasium. In June 2016, the Department of Justice announced no charges would be filed against anyone in relation to Kendrick Johnsons death, considering there was insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.. According to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, If theres questions and theyre legitimate I need to know the answers myself. 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. : No charges in Kendrick Johnson death, nr Blackwell Kendrick Johnson_00003415.jpg. We knew what the outcome would be from the very beginning, Kendricks father, Kenneth Johnson, told CNN. S3 Ep 26 "Results" The Kendrick Johnson Investigation - Investigative The Valdosta County Sheriff offered half a million dollars of his own money in response to the negative outcry about a recent report released . We know that.. The US Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio declined to comment. We have not had faith in Lowndes County. However, Paulk claimed a woman with the Department of Justice and a man performing the autopsies had developed a close relationship with at one point, the woman saying in an email, I had to make him feel like a man so that he would be open to talking.. [PHOTOS: Images included in Kendrick Johnson death findings report]. 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 states attorney has said that anyone who objectively looks at the case details can only come to one conclusion: this was an accidental death. Kendrick Johnson case: Video expert finds surveillance footage 'highly His mother posted on her Facebook: No mother or father should ever have to bury their child under these circumstances. The initial autopsy revealed that Johnson died due to positional asphyxia or that he suffocated as a result of being stuck upside-down in an enclosed space for an extended period of time. After this sad look at the case and death of Kendrick Johnson, read up on another mysterious disappearance, that of Elisa Lam. [38] The sheriff also stated he does not consider the case to be a homicide. But you have to wonder. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. Frederick, MD tanker explosion leaves 1 dead; Shuts down part of US-15, Georgia baby girl reported missing with man diagnosed with mental illness, police say, Jesse Wilson: Adoptive mother arrested in boy's death in Arizona, Georgia Power proposes $2.1-billion rate hike, Floyd County cleaning up after trees, power lines downed during severe storms, Clayton County twin sisters make history rising the ranks in Georgia UPS facility, Surveillance captures shooting death of man robbed at MARTA bus stop, Alex Murdaugh killed wife, son to buy time, prosecutor says, UGA football staffer drunk and traveling over 100 mph before fatal crash, police say, DNA links Indiana man to Georgia woman's 33-year-old cold case murder: sheriff. He said the camera needed to be adjusted after a basketball hit it. 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. Kendrick Johnson Death Case Reopened 8 Years Later | Crime News Camera systems were motion-activated, using a change in light pixels to turn recordings on and off. [29], In November 2015, the Department of Justice filed a motion in the civil case to intervene and stay the case. 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. Sheriff Offers $500K of His Own Money for Info About Kendrick Johnson's In 2015, the Johnsons filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 people, including three of their sons classmates, the school, the local crime lab, state and federal officials, five agents of the GBI, an FBI agent, and more. "[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. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. [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. Wrongful death, Kendrick Johnson's family vs. Lowndes County Board of Education and school officials. Share. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! "[35][36], On March 10, 2021, the case was officially reopened. 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. [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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. estimatingthat the reopened investigation could last a minimumof six months. 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. Kendrick Johnson: Latest Probe Finds 'No Coverup or - Crime Online [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. [12] Three students at Lowndes High School told investigators that it was common for some students to store their shoes behind or under the rolled up mats, Johnson was not wearing shoes when he was found. 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. 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. This is how you roll in Valdosta, Jackie Johnson said. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. Kendrick Johnson: A second local investigation into the death of - CNN The article used as a source an anonymous email to the sheriff's office. 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. Lowndes County is in southern Georgia. Crime Weekly: Tragic Accident or Police Cover-Up?: Kendrick Johnson 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. Justice denied. 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. Kendrick Johnson was a 17-year-old student at Lowndes County High School. [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. [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. This is a very unusual accident. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. A number of community activists have also spoken out in favor of the forthcoming probe into the Georgia teens death. 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. 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. 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. Furthermore, a second autopsy showed non-accidental blunt force trauma to the back of the neck. 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. The sheriff described the re-examination into Kendrick Johnsons death as afinal effort to bring some closure to the teens family. [31] They were subsequently sued for more than $850,000 in attorney fees[32] and $1,000,000 in defamation damages. 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. 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. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. As far as the feds were concerned, the case was officially and finally closed. 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. It does appear, however, that their quest for answers has only led to more questions. Kendrick Johnson's case closed after authorities say no crime found 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. Kendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. 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. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson FacebookOne of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. Investigators tested the blood which revealed that it did not belong to Kendrick Johnson. [6] That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. Kendrick Johnson: Unsolved Crime or Tragic Accident? 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. For the American professional basketball player, see, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, "Lowdes County Incident Report K. Johnson", "Gym mat death: Attorneys call for surveillance video", "Kendrick Johnson Lowndes County High School gym mat death: Lawyers ask for surveillance video", "Gym Mat Death Shocker: Body Stuffed With Newspaper", "Federal prosecutor will look into Kendrick Johnson case", "FBI agent, sons countersue parents of Ga. teen found dead in gym mat", "Defendants Seek Attorney Fees in Dismissed Kendrick Johnson Case", "Kendrick Johnson suit: Feds want to stop evidence collection", "Third autopsy claims foul play in Valdosta gym mat death case", "Kendrick Johnson's parents still searching for answers to their son's death", "Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mat rally for inquiry", "Kendrick Johnson investigation: Feds will not file charges", "Who Killed K.J.?! [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. 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. Now, the sheriffs have enough evidence in hand to perhaps allow them to solve this mystery once and for all. Updated 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. He was just in his socks. Kendrick Johnson: Sheriff puts up $500K reward for information on True crime; doubtful solutions - The Boston Globe The Grizzlies played in Denver on Friday night and are scheduled to fly to Los Angeles on Saturday . The parents asserted that the sons of the FBI agent killed Johnson and used their connections to cover up the investigation. In it, Paulk wrote, I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play. Paulk called the teenagers death a weird accident, telling CNN, there is nothing to substantiate a homicide.. The case follows a young man that was found dead in 2013. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. Your email address will not be published. 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. I will fight as long as I have to, to uncover what happened to Kendrick Johnson.. Lowndes County police said they believed Kendrick crawled into the mat to retrieve his shoes, became stuck, and continued to burrow into the mat until he became completely trapped and died. 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 . For the sake of his family, I hope that the case of Kendrick Johnson can be closed in a way that provides closure. We have a good picture of him and a pretty good description. 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. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson Facebook PageKendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. TheLowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. 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. One of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. His parents believe Kendrick was murdered. The Johnson family spoke Thursday in front of the sheriffs department, criticizing the report released Wednesday. Take a look at the list below for all the gory details! I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. The Johnsons were also sure that their sons body had been moved, which was corroborated by Lowndes County Coroner, Bill Watson. This is a very unusual accident. 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. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "[11] Johnson's family questioned this hypothesis. The case was closed almost half a decade ago due to insufficient evidence of foul play, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Despite these resignations, the Department of Justice investigation continued. Attorneys for the Johnson family expressed fears that the camera footage was edited as part of a cover-up. 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. In 2015, the Johnson family filed a wrongful death suit against brothers Brian and Branden Bell, and another peer, Ryan Hall, who they allege are responsible for Kendrick Johnsons death.