If its a hoax, its a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson, he told Fox 5. Johnsons mother told Channel 2s Tony Thomas that shes not surprised by the findings. January 10, 2013, 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up in a wrestling mat in his high school gym. WebQuestions, investigations and lawsuits have abounded in the years since Johnson's body was discovered at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., in January 2013. A sheriffs investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnsons death in 2013, but his parents believe theres a cover-up. So what really happened to KJ?. They wont publicly say what that new info is. Investigators said he died of positional asphyxia, but his parents have continually said he was murdered. 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 (According to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Kendricks family, the two students being investigated were sons of a former F.B.I. 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. 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 Parents say they are getting new evidence to prove Kendrick "But in that same breath, 'cautiously optimistic' probably would be the most accurate label. I think the community deserves it.". Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. police investigating alleged confession in Please subscribe of the website www.AshesToAshTV.com to get early access to the episodes, discounted merchandise, and ad free content. Family hopes new audio clip could lead to Kendrick Johnsons killer The truth is the truth, Paulk said. 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. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Witness comes forward with information regarding the death of Kendrick Johnson Body Parts Are Missing: Newly-Released Footage of Kendrick HOUSTON Kendrick Johnson was found guilty by a jury for the murder of a Lamar High School student in 2018. After a 16-page synopsis concludedthat Johnsons death was an accident last month, Johnsons family still maintains that he was murdered. 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. 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. The Johnsons have a GoFundMe account open to hire a private investigator to look into what they say is new evidence. Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, falling headfirst into an Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up wrestling mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, on Jan. 11, 2013. 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. 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. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. 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. We already knew what team you were on. Send us a tip using our annonymous form. Ive looked at everything I can look at. 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. 2nd Investigation Rules Death of Teen Kendrick Johnson Was a Freak Accident, Case of Kendrick Johnson, Georgia Teen Found Dead in Rolled-Up Gym Mat, Is Reopened by Sheriff's Office, Man Who Killed Young Police Officer in 1981 Was Serial Killer Who Murdered 4 Other Women, Cops Say DNA Reveals, Suspect Arrested for Home Invasion Murder of Jacqueline Avant, Music Execs Wife. Looking to hire a writer? Sheriff Paulk said on Thursday that there was no evidence to show that anyone else was responsible for Kendricks death. 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. WebThe body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found upside-down in a large mat in his high school gym in 2013. Johnson's family said they believe the teen was murdered and that his death was covered-up. Paulk said he has not received any viable tips since announcing the reward. Possible new evidence presented WebKendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up wrestling mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Ga., on Jan. 11, 2013. The county sheriff said the death, initially ruled an accident, should Johnson was found dead on Jan. 11, 2013 inside of a tightly rolled gym mat by classmates atLowndes High School in Valdosta,Georgia. WebKendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead and rolled up inside a high school gym mat back in 2013. Sheriff Paulk said he had examined 17 boxes of evidence provided by prosecutors and investigators, including grand jury testimony. 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. Original Score by Dan Edinberg. It did so after receiving documents it had long requested from a Justice Department investigation that closed in 2016. 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.. 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. That report also ruled the death accidental and caused by asphyxiation but was later amended to say the cause of death was undetermined.. Lowndes County Sheriff's findings on death of Kendrick Johnson by Jennifer Smith on Scribd. Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in January. 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. CNN 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. If you know of illegal activity involving this or any case, please reach out to your local law enforcement. 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. 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. Coleman said he and Johnson's family felt the number of boxes was symbolic, as it matches the years of Johnson's short life. IE 11 is not supported. 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 Johnsons point out several things they disagree with in the sheriffs 16-page summary, including results from a third autopsy report and the reports conclusion that the students the family suspects were involved in Kendricks death never had contact with their son the day he died. 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. Kendrick Johnson sentenced to life in prison for 2018 shooting 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. 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. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not We want to hear from you! Paulk said his office is currently working to verify the recording and follow the chain of custody to determine its legitimacy. 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. Please email us at AshLand57@gmail.com, we can keep you anonymous. 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. Investigators ruled his death an The truth, what happened to Kendrick, there is no stopping it.. There will be something in the near future that will rock this town, father Kenneth Johnson said. And I mean it's just rightfully so considering all of the letdowns that they've had over the years.". He said the process appeared to be underway, albeit slowed by the holiday season and the pandemic. 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. Paulk said that he and two detectives pored over about 17 boxes of files for a year before releasing the report. As you look down the road here, do you guys have other options? WebKendrick Johnson, who prosecutors call one of Houston's most dangerous gang members, has been found guilty in the 2018 murder of Delindsey Mack. Investigators saidJohnson died in a freak accident, becoming stuck upside down and unable to breathe after he felltrying to retrieve a shoe that was inside the upright mat. WebFor years, rumors and controversy has swirled around the death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, a Georgia teen who was found dead inside a rolled-up gymnasium mat in 2013. 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. 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. [PHOTOS: Images included in Kendrick Johnson death findings report]. Death of Kendrick Johnson - Wikipedia You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Paulk. He clarified that the 17 boxes contain evidence pertaining to the federal investigation, and that his office already had access to the materials from the state's earlier investigation. Initially, the case was quickly ruled a tragic, freak accident but after three autopsies, several false leads and a The report said his body was head-down in a rolled-up mat that was positioned vertically. The sheriff said Tuesday that while tragic, Johnson's death was just a "weird accident." "We regret that we were unable to provide [Johnson's family and friends] with more definitive answers about Kendrick's tragic death," Acting United States Attorney Carole Rendon said at the time. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Johnson's parents have believed from the outset that their son was killed. Investigators claim that in the findings of the initial autopsy, Johnson's cause of Even after the federal investigation, questions about Kendricks death persisted in Valdosta. Russ Bynum/AP 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?'. 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. 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, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told Fox 5. You are not on the team of righteousness, Jackie Johnson said. 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? WebVALDOSTA, Ga. - The brothers accused in a civil suit of killing Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teen found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat in his high school two years ago, WebMr. Mom Jaqueline Johnson said last Wednesday that she wants federal investigators to take a second look at what happened to her son. People still have doubts and the Johnsons still have doubts, and they publicly called me a liar. 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. Its going to come out, no matter how many layers they put on Kendrick, its going to come out, mother Jaqueline Johnson said. This is how you roll in Valdosta, Jackie Johnson said. 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. 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? But Sheriff Paulk, 76, said that as he had reviewed the federal governments documents, it appeared that prosecutors had become determined to charge the two students. 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. Mills. Coleman said he and Johnson's parents eventually met with the then-U.S. attorney in Cleveland in November, and asked to have the case reopened. Kendrick Johnson Paulk met with the family on March 5 to tell them he had formally reopened the investigation. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. 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. We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. Teen Found Dead In A Gym Mat Pushes For Answers. Plus, I wanted to know myself.. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. 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. agent in Georgia.) Georgia sheriff offers $500K of his own money in case of teen A spokesman in the Ohio office declined to comment. Authorities say he suffocated trying to retrieve a sneaker "I think this young man met with foul play," former FBI agent says. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. "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. " We will keep pushing forward, he said. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. "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.". 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. It goes to show you the coverup is going on in this town, Kenneth Johnson said. Ryan Anthony comes forward with some information regarding what may have happened to Kendrick Johnson. We're starting out with this is a case we have to look at.". Family: New audio confession in Kendrick Johnson case handed 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's Death And The Chilling Story Behind It By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Police said they have no current plans to release the audio tape or a transcript. 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. Kendrick Johnsons death has been the continued focus of headlines and theories nationwide. Investigation into Georgia teen found dead in gym mat is closed Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. WATCH LIVE Houston 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 Johnson's parents, Kenneth and Jackie, have pushed for more investigation into their son's death. The files that Paulk released last month in his final report included in material from the Justice Department, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. attorneys office for Middle Georgiaand several other law enforcement agencies. 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. The sheriff said evidence shows Johnson climbed into one of these rolled-up wrestling mats to retrieve some shoes, got stuck and died. 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. 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. WebGeorgia police revealed on Wednesday that a purported confession tape connected to the case of a Kendrick Johnson is fake. His family says despite the setback, they are not giving up hope. That critical question has defied an easy answer since 2013, despite multiple investigations, autopsies and lawsuits.