Did he cause his estranged spouse's injury? "He felt that perhaps it was maybe an anxiety attack. Its a question 11Alive investigators asked a few months ago, when Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boyntons wife, Jessica, allegedly shot herself in the head with his service weapon, inside the master bedroom closetlocked from the inside. 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. Cops do find one bullet. The chain of custody on that stuff is messed up. So just one?" A message to Matthew's phone is received and marked as read, from his mistress. There was most likely a struggle with the gun and he assumed she was dead. As she continues to tinker with clothes, she notices that her red and black composition notebook, which is usually carefully tucked under a pile of clothes inside her closet, has been left on top of the clothes. 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. They hoist her inside. After Jones pushes the gun away from underneath Jessica's bodyplacing it inside the bedroom, he and Officer Josh Howell move Jessica from the closet to the bedroom floor next to the foot of her bed so that EMS can begin working on her. I mean you can't prove that," DeMarco. That's the bottom line for me. I figured out what happened. Matt shouldnt be allowed to ever be a cop anywhere else. Shame shame. Am I recording it? Jessica has given Will every piece of evidence in her case, including that divorce diary. He cautiously went into the residence to try to make sure that the children were OK. Her shoulder-length, blonde hair is saturated in red. "I'm guessing Matthew," said Jessica. Matthew admits to having an affair. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. "I think I was hit over the head with something.". No. Listen. To text back long story I'll tell you later.. Jones shouts as he travels deeper insidehis weapon drawn. But Yates said the holster is designed to have some retention capability. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. A lot of times its two or three or more days, Yates said. His tone changes. They're forced to kick it in. It's like some of my family they hear all these people say, 'Oh I think he did it and it was planned.' What did Matthew do that he needed covering up? Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. With his gun raised and arms poised, he holds his weapon out in front of him with both hands. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. He has been charged with false statements and writings and violating his oath of office. 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. The agent asked her if she had ever held her husbands service weapon. The purpose of it, is when you're fighting with somebody to keep the weapon from coming out of your holster, but it's certainly easy to take it out under most cases. Geez, im no cop , no investigator and know absolutely nothing on how investigations are even done but if the doctors say she wasnt shot what more do they need..that little punk got away with it.please tell me im missing a story and he has been arrested for the attempted murder of his wife.please.and please tell me that every stupid ass cop that had any involvement with this case is no longer a cop..oh and his Grandpa, well i think he needs a little jail rehabilitation as well..i could go on and on, but obviously they wouldnt understand anyway..what a disgrace to all REAL POLICE OFFICERS, https://the-grip.net/2016/10/18/gbi-completes-boynton-investigation-requested-by-gpd/ this says she was SHOT!!! She's moaning.. I know eventually the chief would eventually like to get his officer back as well as his service weapon back as well, so we're going to try to expedite this as fast as possible, and when I mean expedite you know, within the next few weeks to a month, the agent said. Here recently she did confirm that the second baby's not mine. Stephen Kruspe, 65, appears at his first appearance before a judge after the March 27, 2017, shooting of his wife, Pamela, at a Boynton Beach assisted living facility. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. While GPD Chief Mike Yates said he is unable to release specific information due to the criminal nature of the case, he did confirm information The GRIP provided during a July 31 interview. . GRIFFIN, Ga. Who shot the officers wife? Hahaha you about have me a heart attack freak!! She's having suicidal thoughts," he calmly says about Jessica to the dispatcher. He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. Yancy also requested that Boynton write a statement pertaining to the allegation. I finally had the evidence that I needed that Matthew was cheating on me. I'm prior military so to me it sounded like a gunshot, he tells DeMarco. I don't know if it's just his job or what, but like I said I don't think he would intentionally hurt me.. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was arrested and taken to the Spalding County Jail on multiple charges. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. The dispatch operator notified Matthew on Facebook, Browning says. No, never. Dispatcher: Any weapons inside the house? John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. Immediately following that flip, Mathews said, DeMarco asked if she was recording their conversation. That is not a reaction that I can relate to.". He's a truck driver. "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. "He didn't know if her intent was to kill their child, kill him and then commit suicide," said Sheila. She told me to take care of the boys, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back home just to make sure nothing is going to happen to them. 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. ', Do you know how it was that you got shot?, Have you ever had any type of thoughts about hurting yourself?. She's like 'I got you where I want you and you're gonna go down for this,' and he pulls his gun out and she runs into the closet to hide, and instead of shooting her, he hits her on the head with a baton," said the neighbor. In fact she claims Jessica was blissfully stockpiling ammunition to get full custody of their two little boys. And I could have been the next target.. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was cleared in his wife's shooting, but his interrogation still cost him his job. However, Yates said, that's not that uncommon. I dont have the authority under our charter to hire or fire; it has to go to the city manager, so when you move toward a termination, it has to go through a process. "The Officer's Wife" is a new podcast that will examine the evidence in the 2016 shooting of a 19-year-old mother and ask: Who pulled the trigger? Especially because of my children. The air is thick with the trepidation, as officers approach the locked closet. Jessica Boynton's husband says he gets a suicidal text from his estranged wife, so he rushes home, only to hear two gunshots. That was the subject of his charges his statements and writings that we were able to prove were false, Yates said. Guthrie calls Matthew and they chat for two minutes. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. While she places a blood pressure sleeve around her arm, an officer stands over her, shining a flashlight on Jessica's face, revealing that it's covered in blood. 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. Excessive force. Most of the cases that he would have made or would be involved in would also have, or should have, body worn camera video, car video, things of that nature, so the fact that his statement to us was compromised would not necessarily taint everything else. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. [] 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 []. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. I didn't try to wash my hands, anything, because I knew GSR and all that would be involved.. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. Five days after his wife was shot, Matthew talked with the GBI again. in the head..in hospital for a month..just an FYI. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Any weapons inside the house? the dispatcher inquires. It sounded like a gunshot. Reliving his steps inside the apartment after he heard gunshots fired, he said, My whole upper body went numb. Get him downstairs. Above Jessica, pinned to the wall, is a large black letter B for Boynton. While Trammel's body cam is out of juice tonight, Jones's bodycam spots Trammel as the other officers enter the apartment. 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. And he said 'Yeah, we did.'". She says there were pages missing. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. 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. That phone never got back into the officer's hand. Example video title will go here for this video. Fast forward to May 11, the day numerous items that reportedly belonged to Lester were turned in to the Griffin Police Department. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon . Her husband is cheating on her with another woman, reveals Browning, who said, they called dispatch a few nights earlier because he took the kids. I would have said, 'suicidal' not 'suicide thoughts.'. She was hit over the head. Like, how hours after the shooting, the phone was put into an evidence bag, sealed and logged into GBI evidence, it was still calling Matthew's girlfriend. Ashamed the FBI hasnt picked up on this yet . 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.. 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. The neighbor says Jessica started documenting all the sordid details of the affair in her secret red "divorce diary." They investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessica's limp body. Then, a moment of hope from the 19-year-old mother: She's still breathing. Of course the Grandfather could not be reached for a comment, he had it covered up. The July 29 arrest of former Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton stemmed from a theft report filed Dec. 19, 2016, by his former wife, Jessica Lester. Chris DeMarco, GBIs assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. Jones eyes a small child sleeping on a bottom bunk bed in the back bedroom. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. That's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. Yes, for an article, just to make sure I get quotes proper.". Trammel records the 10:53 p.m., incident report from April 14. Yates also said Boynton had provided a statement during the subsequent Internal Affairs investigation, acknowledging the items Sanders turned in were Lesters belongings. Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton tells dispatch he has no idea what's happened to his wife or their two young sons. Officer Boynton hung up and did not respond to multiple messages, while the GBI refused to talk about the closed case. And that's all I needed, so I was on cloud nine.". Then-Griffin Police Department officer Matthew Boynton was arrested on July 28, 2017, for giving a false statement to his own department stating he was not i. "Most people would not view it as such, I don't believe," said Sheila Mathews. 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. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The gun then landed underneath," said Tim Miley. What he finds turns this case of a suicide upside down. "She logged on to his Facebook, we got his Facebook messages and printed them out and started reading the messages between him and the lady from the dispatch," said the unidentified neighbor. But asking those questions resulted in a threat. I was, he says to the GBI agent. Ironically Jessica first met that man while she was out scouting for a wedding venue to marry Matthew. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' This is who he's sleeping with, points to the Facebook post that she says she was holding for Jessica for her divorce. We heard something and said 'what was that', recalls Browning. She's breathing, but unresponsive. It seems both Matthew and Jessica were secretly stockpiling ammunition for a bitter custody fight. Once the scene is secure, investigator Misty Gresham checks on Tollin, who's sleeping, and Tyler, who is awake and still crying in his cribboth unharmed. They're re slit open while her head flops from side to side on the beige carpet, as one female EMS works on her. The neighbor says Jessica came over to her apartment with the kids, clearly upset about the fight. She told me she loved me right before she did it," Matthew says, sobbing, as the paramedics roll her gurney into the ambulance and slam the doors shut. Lt. Curtis Keys is dispatched to the scene. His phone was left inside their apt, yet he says he never entered it.. so many lies the grandfather called Jessicas family and informed them she was DEAD! Furthermore, she said, there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent a text like that. No it wasn't. Jessica, then-19, had just put her two young sons to bed and was getting her clothes ready in the closet for the next day. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . The air is thick with mystery, as the officers approach the locked closet. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. When asked if Boyntons arrest has led him to believe that case should be reopened, Yates said, No. GRIFFIN, Ga. Standing inside her closet, wearing tan slippers adorned with fur, black yoga pants and a red T-shirt, Jessica Boynton contemplates what to wear. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. Boynton was placed on administrative leave Thursday, July 28, and the Chief said his intent was to terminate the officer, but Boynton resigned before that process could be completed. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. Making his way outside, seconds later, he calls for assistance over his radio. They turn her over from her stomach to her back. But he's also texting her before he called 911," said Sanders. With the suicidal text message and Jessica's DNA found on her husband's gun, less than a month after her hospital bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to the chief, and as of June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon on his hip. And, she said, she wouldn't have told him that she loved him. But she doesn't buy it, especially since her head was perfectly laid on a pillow, she said after watching the bodycam footage. Why did no one ask about the comment Matthew made about the kids being in the closet too? I thought he hadnt gone inside the apartment until backup arrived, so how would he know Jessica was in the closet unless he put her there? I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. Yates said, Yes, but that doesnt overcome the civil side of it whether it was or was not marital property, and even if it was, it would have been a misdemeanor as opposed to the two felonies.. But Griffin Police are treating this as a suicide attempt. Lester recovered from the shooting but doesn't remember any of it. Thats what we had to establish, Yates confirmed. 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.. GBI didn't report finding any blood spatter on the closet wall. It was sitting out in the open, caught on police body-camera when cops kicked in the closet door. Her neighbor, who asked us to protect her identity, says she knows the motive: Jessica had uncovered Matthew's dark secret. On May 11, Will Sanders met withYancy and Sgt. Matthew sends another text to his girlfriend, a Spalding County dispatcher, Give me a few. The first bullet went upward at 54-degree angle. If I could have been here sooner, maybe I could have stopped her Matthew says, spiraling. She's got good pulse. Ive seen no evidence to indicate that would be necessary, but that does not preclude the GBI or anybody else from doing it if they choose. At that time, the city of Griffin reported the investigation was ongoing and was not expected to be completed for another month to six weeks. Courthouse Annex, Solomon Street, Griffin, Six-year-old fire victim will give life to others through organ donation, Cause of fatal Saturday morning fire determined, https://the-grip.net/2016/10/18/gbi-completes-boynton-investigation-requested-by-gpd/, https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/trigger-over-and-out/85-8ab82530-da07-492b-9a3c-c20d5e7f50b3, GPD Chief fabricated, released record identifying Will Sanders as Matthew Boyntons father The Grip. He tells Trammel he left Walmart without Jessica. [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. I didn't wash may hands, nothing like that either, that way for GSR., There's a possibility that we might collect your clothes, OK. 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. And it's assigned to Matthew, her husband, the cop. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. Around 9 o'clock on the night of Thursday, April 14, 2016, Matthew Boynton calls a lieutenant on duty and reports Jessica is hitting him again. It is unknown what effect his arrest may have on Boyntons criminal cases. Ad Choices, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. "It's believed that Jessica entered the closet, closed the door, locked it, turned with her back to the door facing the back wall of the closet, that she held the gun to her head, pulled the trigger," said Sheila. Listen. So Crime Watch Daily went out and got one of the best in the business. Photos | Jessica and Matthew Boynton wedding. "He told 911 that he was so worried and he was trying to get back to the house as fast as possible. He asked her what she thought could've happened. "I was scared to death that she would shoot me and then kill herself," Matthew tells investigators. I don't know, he said. 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. After studying Jessica Boynton's case, Miley sides with Jessica. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. He tells Trammel that he was in the shower, using his cell phone, when Jessica walked into the bathroom, pulled the shower curtain back and snatched his cell phone. I didn't bring any other ones with me. Matthew's hands were not tested for gunpowder either. Join our naturalist on a short walk and learn about the history of the once-prosperous town of High Falls. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. He bangs on the locked closet door. When asked if Boynton had explained why he allegedly kept his ex-wifes belongings, Yates said, No. Her blond hair is now red from what cops assume is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. I can't keep doing this.. "It was determined that he knowingly provided a false statement relating to the property in question and his possession of (it)," Natale said in a release .l Center. The neighbor believes Matthew Boynton discovered the divorce diary and simply snapped. Matthew claims they returned home just after 11 p.m. His proof? She had an appointment Monday.. He hears a baby crying as he carefully steps into the bedroom where a dark brown crib is situated. Statements from Jessica Boynton and Matthew Boynton are logged into evidence, said a statement written by Yancy March 13. This is abuse of power. Cops do find Jessica's DNA on the gun. Matthew Boynton interrogation video with Griffin Police Department. 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. Her limp body is on the floor, just behind the door. Is that what you're saying?" If the phone was found by the GBI in the kitchenif the phone is on police body camera footage sitting on the counter by the microwave, and he was outside never returning insidehow is it possible for Matthew to text his girlfriend, while he's calling in shots fired while outside of the apartment? One of those bullets went through the roof, the other lodged into the baby's bedroom wall. 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. But many believe Jessica holds the only key as to what really happened inside that closet. Jessica Boynton's head is perfectly positioned on a blood-soaked pillow. the GBI agent posed a return question. Matthew Boynton is clearly hysterical. The GBI is a joke as well Please wear sturdy shoes. I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. provided images. They discover two shell casings and two bullet holes in the closet wall. Video shot outside in the parking lot shows Jessica getting in a black truck with Matthew and the kids, then leaving. "I don't want to put all the blame on him but he's the only person that could have done it," said Jessica Boynton. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. Jessica and Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. "She was actually happy, she was thrilled because she finally got that closure that she needed," says the neighbor. He was able to confirm that they were all right.. 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.. 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. Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. 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. The doctor said the second most striking observation while assessing Jessica was that neither of her hands had any evidence of gunpowder. Take care of Tollin and Tyler, please tell them I love them every day. Do you think Matthew did something? he asked her bluntly. "Police department!" Donald Britt, Lt. Darrell Dix, Lt. Keys and Beam are also present. [I miss] getting to see them every day and getting to watch them grow more and more into the boys and men that they're going to be someday, Jessica said sobbing. Matthew Boynton allegedly deprived ex-wife Jessica Lester of her belongings and lied to the authorities about doing so, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. I had a friend who was a girl, or is a girl, he answers, further admitting that the relationship had become sexual. That's what Jessica and Matthew Boynton thought would happen when they said "I do.". I think it just kind of happened. That was the best physical evidence that we had, Yates said. Still lodged in Jessica's skull? According to the report, GBI investigators never conducted a re-canvass of the apartment complex, and did not talk with the immediate next door neighbor for four and a half months, despite reports from other residents that they heard a single gunshot hours earlier than the officers call claiming shots had been fired. Strangely, they never test her hands for gunshot residue. It's like I tell them, they make it twice as bad because I'm a cop, Matthew said. She's like a sister to me, Browning says, her voice quivering. A tactical sweep finds an 8-month-old baby screaming. They had Tollin soon after, and were married on Oct. 24, 2015. "Matthew. Are you having trouble breathing?'" After you got on the radio and you were outside communicating on the radio, you never went back in to actually check, check on the kids, the agent questioned Matthew about once he removed himself from the apartment. 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. The police department should be ashamed of themselves for trying to cover this up!!! Matthew begins calling his brothers in blue, telling them Jessica is physically abusing him -- not a standard way of reporting domestic abuse. Maybe Jessica would remember why and when the door knob was swapped because it happened before that night. "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. "That was when approximately 24 minutes into the conversation, his demeanor changed and everything flipped," she recalled. RE-open the case Georgia!!!!!! 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. Jessica, on a few occasions, hit and slapped him, he tells the GBI. And its inside that closet, where police found her seemingly shot in the head, laying on top of her husbands service weapon. The GRIP has reported extensively on seeming inconsistencies and irregularities in that GBI investigation. Based on that acknowledgement, The GRIP asked if it would not alleviate legal concerns pertaining to the chain of custody, and furthermore, why Boynton was not also charged with theft. 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. How does Jessica explain the "suicide text" sent from her phone less than 10 minutes before her husband Matthew called 911 in a panic? It appears to be either an assault or maybe something accidental," said Miley. If you play with it a little bit, it's not hard.. Inside the closet they also discover Jessica's red "divorce diary." Her head wound soaked into the green and white pillow, where her head rested. At that exact point the interviewing officer detected something fishy, forced him to stop giving himself away and ended the interview and therefore night of investigation.