The parents of a Georgia teenager who was found dead in a rolled-up high school gym mat in 2013 believe they bought an audio confession from his killer. 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. 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. WebKendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead and rolled up inside a high school gym mat back in 2013. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. WebGeorgia police revealed on Wednesday that a purported confession tape connected to the case of a Kendrick Johnson is fake. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. Johnson was found dead in a high school gym A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously optimistic" after the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened its investigation last week. In October 2013, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced a federal criminal civil rights investigation into Johnson's death. Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in January. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Johnson's family said they believe the teen was murdered and that his death was covered-up. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. Now, his mom, Jackie, believes she has the confession tape and has turned it over to police. To this day, no one knows where KJs organs have gone. Johnsons mother told Channel 2s Tony Thomas that shes not surprised by the findings. Mills. We want to hear from you! Guys, this case has plagued us for years. 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? This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Looking to hire a writer? 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. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office closed the case, but Johnson's family still suspected foul play. 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. 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. Johnsons parents thoughts were written on their shirts they were wearing Thursday: Kendrick Johnson didnt roll himself up into no mat. "This will be the first time anybody's had everybody's evidence in one place, so I'm planning to go through every bit of it," Paulk said. hide caption. He owns several businesses outside of his job as a sheriff, he said. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? Anyone can read what you share. Paulk said he has not received any viable tips since announcing the reward. He reiterated he is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but wants to examine all the evidence together to make sure nothing was missed. 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 You are not on the team of righteousness, the mother toldWSB-TV. In 2016, Sheriff Paulk, who had retired the year before Kendrick died, decided to run again for his old seat. ", Family Of Ga. WebEight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. You cant make an accident out of a murder.. Kendrick Johnson, then 17, was found in January 2013 at Lowndes County High School, stuck upside down in an upright mat behind the bleachers. 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. Coleman said he initially sought the release of 2015 grand jury proceedings, after Kentucky's attorney general did so in Breonna Taylor's case. WebMr. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. WebCNN 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 He plans to re-interview some individuals and talk to new people, and has already conducted one interview this week, Paulk told WXIA. Coleman said the Johnsons believe their son was struck with an object "which was ultimately the start of his demise," and want his death certificate listed as blunt force trauma rather than asphyxiation. 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. 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. EPs include Hill Harper, Elizabeth Hurwitz, Dia Sokol Savage, Kurt Engfehr, Lenny Beckerman, and Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), who also narrates the film. The father was short on specifics but very vocal about continuing to push for answers in his sons death. Please subscribe of the website www.AshesToAshTV.com to get early access to the episodes, discounted merchandise, and ad free content. 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. 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. The sheriff said evidence shows Johnson climbed into one of these rolled-up wrestling mats to retrieve some shoes, got stuck and died. He was located in the left corner of the gym, in a The report said his body was head-down in a rolled-up mat that was positioned vertically. 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. The truth is the truth, Mr. Johnson said. 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. 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Sheriff Paulk said on Thursday that there was no evidence to show that anyone else was responsible for Kendricks death. 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. Russ Bynum/AP By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. 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. Ive looked at everything I can look at. We will keep pushing forward, he said. 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. The Johnson family and their attorney could not immediately be reached on Tuesday. Credle turned whistleblower, and revealed a series of disturbing irregularities in the investigation, including red flags from the medical examiners office, missing evidence from the crime scene, and the coverups and obstruction of justice from the FBI., When the family hired their own Forensic Pathologist, not only did he find KJs organs missing from his body during the autopsy, he determined the cause of death to be from non-accidental blunt force trauma, according to a description of the film. All Rights Reserved. Johnsons parents say students at the time of Kendricks death have started coming forward, providing new information they hope to use to reignite yet another official investigation. His initial request was denied, but the Johnson family continued their pursuit. A sheriffs investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnsons death in 2013, but his parents believe theres a cover-up. All Rights Reserved. Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, who was retired at the time of Johnson's death, confirmed to NPR that his office officially reopened the investigation on Friday. Reach out at ramzywritersofficial@gmail.com. Video shows Johnson walking into and then through the gym on January 10, 2013. King World Productions Inc. 2023 Inside Edition Inc. and CBS interactive Inc., Paramount companies. The police deemed it an accident, but two autopsies suggested foul Sheriff Paulk said he planned to make all the evidence in the case, with the exception of the grand jury minutes, publicly available. WATCH LIVE Houston Initially, the case was quickly ruled a tragic, freak accident but after three autopsies, several false leads and a 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. That journey took him first to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia, which he learned had recused itself from the case, then to that of the Northern District of Ohio, where it had been transferred. Crime scene photos previously obtained by the Daily News showed a sneaker and a sweatshirt stained with what seemed like blood, just feet from Johnsons body at the gym. If theres something else that somebody knows and doesnt feel like we looked at or studied, come sit down with us," the sheriff said. WebKendrick was found dead in the gymnasium at 10:30 a.m. on January 11, roughly 10 hours after his family reported him missing. Investigators ruled his death an accident. 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 Kendrick was in school, one of the safest places your child can be in and my son lost his life but for what, said Johnson. He described their investigation as a witch hunt and said email correspondence between prosecutors showed they had been feeling pressure to get results. Investigators said he died of positional asphyxia, but his parents have continually said he was murdered. Kendrick Johnson's parents, Kenneth and Jackie, have pushed for more investigation into their son's death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation initially ruled the death accidental resulting from positional asphyxia, but Johnsons family alleges he was killed by two white students, their culpability shielded through a nefarious conspiracy. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. 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, Woman who said her baby died while co-sleeping now charged with murder, Ga. police say, No. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. "Im willing to put up those funds to see if anybody comes forward with anything viable that might have been missed," Paulk told NBC News on Tuesday. We got many options. 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." At 1:27 p.m. that day, camera footage showed Kendrick walking by himself into the gym, toward the bleachers, where gym mats were rolled and stored vertically. 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. A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously optimistic" after the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened its investigation last week. The 17-year 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. Investigators concluded he died in a Thats the craziest lie you could have told. Kendrick Johnsons murder was first considered an unfortunate incident by law. Investigators could not confirm the liquid and did not collect any as evidence. Kendrick Johnsons death has been the continued focus of headlines and theories nationwide. Assembling the case records for a new investigation. Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk recently announced there would be no charges in the case of Kendrick Johnson, 17, who was found in 2013 in a rolled-up gym mat. 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. Johnson was found dead on Jan. 11, 2013 inside of a tightly rolled gym mat by classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia. WebThe body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found Jan. 11 in South Georgia. 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. VALDOSTA, Ga. The parents of a South Georgia teen found dead inside a high school gym say they are finding new evidence in the case. 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. Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, falling headfirst into an His feet were visible from the top of the mat, the report said. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. WebOn January 11, 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up gym mat. 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.. Johnson was found dead on Jan. 11, 2013 inside of a tightly rolled gym mat by classmates atLowndes High School in Valdosta,Georgia. WebOn 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 Last month the sheriff's office received what Paulk described as 17 "filing cabinet boxes" of evidence including documents and hard drives. "Because of these statements, I am personally with my own funds offering a reward of one-half million dollars ($500,000.00) to anyone who comes forward with information that results in the arrest and conviction of a person for the alleged murder of Kendrick Johnson at Lowndes High School.". We already knew what team you were on. A teacher and students found his body the next morning. (Russ Bynum/AP). Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Teen Found Dead In A Gym Mat Pushes For Answers. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Paulk. "When the news came down, I can say that, in one breath, they're grateful, they're thankful for the reopening," Coleman said. Paulktold Inside Edition Digitalthat there remains no evidence of foul play in the case. 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. Police said they have no current plans to release the audio tape or a transcript. 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. Finding Kendrick Johnson was released on digital and VOD platforms last Friday, quickly becoming one of the top documentaries on iTunes. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Its going to come out, no matter how many layers they put on Kendrick, its going to come out, mother Jaqueline Johnson said. WebAlleged gang member, 21-year-old Kendrick Johnson, was sentenced to life in prison and a $10,00 fine on Monday after being convicted of murder in the 2018 shooting death of It did so after receiving documents it had long requested from a Justice Department investigation that closed in 2016. 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. WebKendrick Johnson, who prosecutors call one of Houston's most dangerous gang members, has been found guilty in the 2018 murder of Delindsey Mack. 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. Its a weird accident, he said on Thursday, one day after he had released a 16-page report that detailed his findings and echoed the ruling made by a previous sheriff in 2013. Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the high school's gym in Valdosta, Georgia. 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. Kendrick Johnsons murder was But still an accident? Thomas asked Paulk. After a 16-page synopsis concludedthat Johnsons death was an accident last month, Johnsons family still maintains that he was murdered. January 10, 2013, 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up in a wrestling mat in his high school gym. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. For years, the case has confounded residents in Valdosta, Ga., a city of about 56,000 in southern Georgia. It took 14 months to go through it, Paulk said. Paulk said the process will take at least six months, as there is a lot of material to parse. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. 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), Woman who said her baby died while co-sleeping now charged with murder, Ga. police say, No. 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. The Justice Department closed the case in June 2016, saying it could not meet the high legal threshold needed to file federal criminal charges it would have needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone had killed Johnson, and was motivated by racial animus to do so. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I felt that I should look at this, he said. Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. Plus, I wanted to know myself.. 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. We already knew what team you were on. Paulk told Inside Edition Digital that those case files had been what he had been waiting on and he combed through boxes with two other people whohad previously worked on the case. A storyteller and professional SEO writer. Please follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @AshesToAshTVDo you have a tip you'd like to give the Ashes To Ash team? And I mean it's just rightfully so considering all of the letdowns that they've had over the years.". 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. Paulk had been trying to obtain those federal investigation documents since April 2019. Officials interviewed nearly 100 people, scoured tens of thousands of emails and texts, reviewed surveillance videos from the high school and consulted with independent medical examiners. If you know of illegal activity involving this or any case, please reach out to your local law enforcement. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch.

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