Mr. Johnson, 53, said that a forensic pathologist hired by the family, William R. Anderson, had found that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma to the right side of the boys neck, near the jaw. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Paulk. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. Johnsons mother told Channel 2s Tony Thomas that shes not surprised by the findings. "As I engaged in community activities myself here and across the country, it just never sat well with me the way that Kendrick Johnson's case was closed," Coleman said. The exclusive clip above, featuring Lewiss voice, details some of the explosive findings in the documentary. January 10, 2013, 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up in a wrestling mat in his high school gym. The Johnsons have a GoFundMe account open to hire a private investigator to look into what they say is new evidence. Last month, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk released a 16-page document concluding that Kendrick Johnson's death was an accident and no charges would be filed. Initially, the case was quickly ruled a tragic, freak accident but after three autopsies, several false leads and a Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. hide caption. That critical question has defied an easy answer since 2013, despite multiple investigations, autopsies and lawsuits. Witness comes forward with information regarding the death of Were not singing and dancing by no means, but theres only positivity right now, Marcus Coleman, a spokesman for the Johnson family, told WCTV at the time. It did so after receiving documents it had long requested from a Justice Department investigation that closed in 2016. Paulk met with the family on March 5 to tell them he had formally reopened the investigation. newspaper after death, family lawyer says WebOn January 11, 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up gym mat. He said that on the campaign trail, he had been approached several times by Black voters who wanted him to look at the case again. Kendrick Johnson, then 17, was found in January 2013 at Lowndes County High School, stuck upside down in an upright mat behind the bleachers. Johnson was found dead on Jan. 11, 2013 inside of a tightly rolled gym mat by classmates atLowndes High School in Valdosta,Georgia. If theres something else that somebody knows and doesnt feel like we looked at or studied, come sit down with us," the sheriff said. 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. All Rights Reserved. Paulk said his office is currently working to verify the recording and follow the chain of custody to determine its legitimacy. 17-year-student who was found dead in 2013 in a rolled-up gym mat, concluding that Kendrick Johnson's death was an accident and no charges would be filed, Feds to investigate mysterious teen gym mat death. Family hopes new audio clip could lead to Kendrick Johnsons killer The truth is the truth, Paulk said. If its a hoax, its a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson, he told Fox 5. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Original Score by Dan Edinberg. Kendrick Johnsons murder was first considered an unfortunate incident by law. As you look down the road here, do you guys have other options? The death of a Black teenager whose body was found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat at his Georgia high school in 2013 was an accident, the local sheriff announced this week, affirming a previous investigations finding that there was no evidence of foul play. Kendrick Johnson All Rights Reserved. Parents say they are getting new evidence to prove Kendrick Johnson was killed, claim cover-up. Delindsey Mack murder: Accused gang member Kendrick The 17-year State authorities ruled his death an accident in 2013, suggesting he dove into the mat to retrieve a shoe and got trapped inside, after an autopsy found that he died of "positional asphyxia." Investigators could not confirm the liquid and did not collect any as evidence. Paulk noted that he was born and raised in Valdosta, and has known the Johnson family for decades, but emphasized that his office is "not starting out with it's a murder it's an accident. "I'm not accusing anybody of anything, but I want to start fresh with it and look at it all the way through," Paulk told Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA on Monday. " A second autopsy, done at the family's request, determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the right side of Johnson's neck and the "manner of death was not an accident," according to federal investigators. WebSheriff reopens investigation into death of Kendrick Johnson, found dead inside gym mat; Family of Kendrick Johnson continues to seek answers to questions that surround his Finding Kendrick Johnson opens with whistleblower Mitch Credle, a 23-year veteran homicide detective with Washington police who investigated Johnsons death with the US attorneys office. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. A Georgia sheriff who recently closed the case ofKendrick Johnson, the 17-year-old who was found dead and rolled up in a gym mat in 2013, is offering $500,000 for any information that leads to an arrest or conviction in the case. In a phone interview with NPR, Coleman said his renewed push to gain justice for Johnson started in October, on the heels of the country's reckoning over racial injustice and police brutality following the high-profile killings of Black people including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Investigators said he died of positional asphyxia, but his parents have continually said he was murdered. Please subscribe of the website www.AshesToAshTV.com to get early access to the episodes, discounted merchandise, and ad free content. WebKendrick was found dead in the gymnasium at 10:30 a.m. on January 11, roughly 10 hours after his family reported him missing. WebFamily: New audio confession in Kendrick Johnson case handed to investigators 185,990 views Mar 19, 2021 3.8K Dislike Share 11Alive 851K subscribers The tape reportedly The film, a Boom Content production, is written, directed, and produced by Pollock and produced by Amy McCampbell, Morgan J. Freeman, and Malcolm D. Lee. Mom Jaqueline Johnson said last Wednesday that she wants federal investigators to take a second look at what happened to her son. WebKendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead and rolled up inside a high school gym mat back in 2013. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. In 2016, federal prosecutors said that to bring a case to trial, they would have to show two things: that Kendrick had been killed, and that the killing had been motivated by racial animus.. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. In his report, Sheriff Paulk said he knew there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play., He added in the report, I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion., Death of Georgia Teen Found in Gym Mat Was Weird Accident, Sheriff Says, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/27/us/kendrick-johnson-georgia-investigation.html. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. IE 11 is not supported. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. Parents say they are getting new evidence to prove Kendrick Johnson was killed, claim cover-up A sheriff's investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnson's death in 20 13, but his parents believe there's a cover-up. And I mean it's just rightfully so considering all of the letdowns that they've had over the years.". Kendrick Johnsons murder was Edited by Jason Pollock and Kurt Engfehr, illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, and cinematography by Dennis A. 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. Finding Kendrick Johnson was released on digital and VOD platforms last Friday, quickly becoming one of the top documentaries on iTunes. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. Kendrick Johnson's parents, Kenneth and Jackie, have pushed for more investigation into their son's death. Kendrick Johnson murder case: Sheriff receives possible audio Questions over Kendrick's death began on Jan. 11, 2013, the moment he was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat, which was standing upright in a corner of the gym. Demonstrators held a rally in front of the Georgia State Capitol in 2013 and demanded more information about Kendrick Johnsons death. (According to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Kendricks family, the two students being investigated were sons of a former F.B.I. Investigators ruled his death an accident. It goes to show you the coverup is going on in this town, Kenneth Johnson said. Last month the sheriff's office received what Paulk described as 17 "filing cabinet boxes" of evidence including documents and hard drives. Sheriff Paulk said he had examined 17 boxes of evidence provided by prosecutors and investigators, including grand jury testimony. 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We already knew what team you were on. [PHOTOS: Images included in Kendrick Johnson death findings report]. 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. On January 11, 2013, the corpse of a teen, Kendrick Johnson was being discovered upside-down and folded up in a school gym mat under the most bizarre of conditions. 6 on Clayton County sheriffs top 10 most wanted list arrested while picking kids up, Prosecutors: Officer accused of killing 16-year-old used badge to steal nude photos from women, Large amounts of drugs, weapons, other contraband seized by Ga. correctional officers, Over 130 vehicles broken into, several guns stolen at Henry County apartment complexes. Eight years after Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found upside-down in a large mat in his high school gym, the Lowndes County sheriff decided to reopen the case. FBI agent, sons countersue parents of Kendrick Johnson, We got many options. Georgia sheriff offers $500K of his own money in case of teen Any time you have the inexplicable death of a young man and there are conflicting reports out there, it is the job of law enforcement to look into those things.. Assembling the case records for a new investigation. Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the high school's gym in Valdosta, Georgia. The truth, what happened to Kendrick, there is no stopping it.. Sheriff says case closed after his investigation finds Kendrick Johnsons death was no crime. The findings of Mr. Andersons autopsy, conducted five months after Kendricks death, contradicted the conclusions of the medical examiner at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who in 2013 issued an autopsy report that determined the cause of death was positional asphyxia, suggesting that Kendrick had become trapped upside-down in the rolled-up mat and had suffocated. Kendrick Johnson He said they believe many of the answers to their questions such as about the state of his body when it was discovered are contained in those 17 boxes. Kendrick Johnson 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. After the release of my synopsis of the Federal files on the Kendrick Johnson case, his parents have called me a liar and continue to state that Kendrick was murdered," Paulk said in a news release Monday. I think the community deserves it.". We want to hear from you! WebHis death has been ruled accidental and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation officially closed its investigation in June of 2020 but the family has long believed Johnson was murdered. We will keep pushing forward, he said. Even after the federal investigation, questions about Kendricks death persisted in Valdosta. WebThe body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found Jan. 11 in South Georgia. What happened to Ryan after he gave his statement?Can the Ashes to Ash team discover what really happened to Kendrick on January 10th, 2013? One of the students investigated by prosecutors was on a bus headed to a wrestling match at the same time that Kendrick went into the gym, according to his report. CNN Kendrick Johnson sentenced to life in prison for 2018 shooting Johnson's family said they believe the teen was murdered and that his death was covered-up. Anyone can read what you share. The sheriff said evidence shows Johnson climbed into one of these rolled-up wrestling mats to retrieve some shoes, got stuck and died. The teenager, Kendrick Johnson, 17, most likely crawled headfirst into the mat to retrieve a pair of sneakers that he had thrown inside earlier and became trapped, Sheriff Ashley Paulk of Lowndes County said. In 2016, Sheriff Paulk, who had retired the year before Kendrick died, decided to run again for his old seat. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Georgia declined to comment and referred questions to the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, which took over the case. Footage from cameras at the high school showed that Kendrick did not cross paths with either of the two other people in the federal investigation at any point on Jan. 10, 2013, the day he died, the report said. 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. Sheriff Paulk said on Thursday that there was no evidence to show that anyone else was responsible for Kendricks death. Russ Bynum/AP EXCLUSIVE: Was the death of African-American teenager Kendrick Johnson, whose body was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat in a Valdosta, Georgia high school, a tragic accident or a case of murder? So what really happened to KJ?. They also included federal grand jury testimony from 58 people, as well as additional autopsies by a doctor hired by the Johnson family and the Defense Department. They did so through Marcus Coleman, a community activist who has served as their family spokesperson for the last eight years. The half-a-million-dollar reward is "one last avenue" for any information the sheriff's office may not be aware of, he said. WebRyan Anthony comes forward with some information regarding what may have happened to Kendrick Johnson. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. Sheriff Paulk said the conflicting autopsy reports were complicated by a third autopsy conducted by the Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner in 2014. A teacher and students found his body the next morning. For years, the case has confounded residents in Valdosta, Ga., a city of about 56,000 in southern Georgia. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. A Georgia sheriff who recently closed the case of a 17-year-student who was found dead in 2013 in a rolled-up gym mat announced Monday he is offering $500,000 of his own money to anyone who has information that leads to an arrest or conviction. Thats the craziest lie you could have told. You are not on the team of righteousness, the mother toldWSB-TV. A storyteller and professional SEO writer. He reiterated he is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but wants to examine all the evidence together to make sure nothing was missed. WebMr. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. A Georgia sheriff's office is reopening an investigation into the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, a Black teenager whose body was found inside a rolled-up gym mat in his high school gymnasium. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. We're starting out with this is a case we have to look at.". On January 11, 2013, the corpse of a teen, Kendrick Johnson was being discovered upside-down and folded up in a school gym mat under the most bizarre of conditions. Probe Reopened In Death Of Kendrick Johnson, Georgia Teen Johnson was found dead in a high school gym Paulk, who served as sheriff for 16 years before retiring in 2012 and returning to win reelection in 2016, told NPR the Johnson case has been "very divisive for a long time," with questions still swirling in the community. WebKendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up wrestling mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, on Jan. 11, 2013. There was 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, prosecutors said in statement announcing that the Justice Department was closing its case. Veteran Aviator and Student Pilot He Helped Land After She Lost Her Nose Gear Take to the Skies Together, Oklahoma Man Charged After Allegedly Covering Up the Murder of the Woman His Wife Was Having an Affair With, Texas Man Continued His Date After Cops Say He Fatally Shot Someone Over $40, Autistic Artist Sebastian Franco Hopes to See Northern Lights as He Contemplates Going Completely Blind, Lori Vallow Daybell's Sister: 'You Expect Me to Just Keep Believing Without Ever Having a Question?'. Questions, investigations and lawsuits have abounded in the years since Johnson's body was discovered at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., in January 2013. The report said his body was head-down in a rolled-up mat that was positioned vertically. Police said they have no current plans to release the audio tape or a transcript. Police reopened the investigation into Johnsons death earlier this month, five years after the Department of Justice formally closed the original case after being unable to find enough evidence that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnsons civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime.. State and local law enforcement officials ruled the death an accidental asphyxiation, saying Johnson died after he climbed into the mat to retrieve his sneakers. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Paulk reopened the case last year after the teenager's parents helped him obtain 17 boxes of evidence from the U.S. Department of Justice's case file on the boy's death. Kendrick Johnson: A second local investigation into the death of Investigators concluded he died in a Paulk said he will personally lead the reopened investigation, which will include some officials who worked on it the first time as well as some new to it. Plus, I wanted to know myself.. Paulktold Inside Edition Digitalthat there remains no evidence of foul play in the case. Michael J. Moore, the former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia who agreed to review the case in 2013, said on Thursday that there was never pressure to find results one way or the other., The only instruction that we got was to look at the evidence and follow where it leads you, he said. murder The 17-year-old disappeared one afternoon and was found the next morning with his head facing down inside an upright rolled-up gym mat and his feet sticking out of the top. That report also ruled the death accidental and caused by asphyxiation but was later amended to say the cause of death was undetermined.. agent in Georgia.) WATCH LIVE Houston But still an accident? Thomas asked Paulk. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. Kendrick Johnson This is how you roll in Valdosta, Jackie Johnson said. Paulk said he would offer up his own money if someone comes forwardbut that, as of right now, they have not had a viable person come forward yet. The new documentary Finding Kendrick Johnson hopes to shed light on one of the most important American stories of our time. Writer-director-producer Jason Pollock (Stranger Fruit) spent four years on the film, and as part of his efforts interviewed Mitch Credle, a homicide detective who worked the case. Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick Reported confession in Kendrick Johnson case given to detetives Kendricks father, Kenneth Johnson, said he still believed that someone had killed his son, a popular athlete at Lowndes High and the youngest of five siblings. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office closed the case, but Johnson's family still suspected foul play. 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. 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. Investigation reopened into Georgia teenager found dead inside gym mat, Cold case slay solved 30 years after 15-year-old NYC girl found strangled with her own bra : Mothers worst nightmare (EXCLUSIVE), Aerosmith announces farewell tour with multiple New York concerts, Education panel to vote on controversial proposal to move NYCs Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. This is a very unusual accident. Upon returning to office, he said, he had pledged that if he could get all the files from state and federal agencies, he would go through them and look for discrepancies. Coleman said he and Johnson's family felt the number of boxes was symbolic, as it matches the years of Johnson's short life. A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously optimistic" after the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened its investigation last week. Channel 2s Tony Thomas was in Valdosta Thursday as Johnsons parents called the sheriff a liar and part of a much bigger cover-up.