However, Johnsons parents say classmates killed their son and law enforcement and school officials covered up the crime. Paulk said it could take up to two weeks before results come back. But investigators quickly closed their case on the theory that Johnson had simply fallen into the mat while reaching for one of his sneakers. The17-year-olds death was ultimately ruled accidental and amedical examiner concluded the teen died from positional asphyxia. The case wasclosed nearly five years ago due to "insufficient evidence"supporting foul play, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. Investigators ruled it an accident but his family and other people nationwide believe he was murdered. If it is somebody just doing an extortion racket or a terrible hoax its very, very cruel, and of course, if it is a hoax, well deal with it very sternly, Paulk said. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. In June 2016, the Department of Justice announced no charges would be filed against anyone in relation to Kendrick Johnsons death, considering there was insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.. However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced the re-opening of the case on Tuesday. 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not Conspiracies Crime 'Somebody Knows' What Happened: Doc Filmmaker Speaks on Case About Georgia Teen Found Dead Inside a Gym Mat Finding. Paulk noted that Branden Bell left campus an hour before Johnson vanished. [33], On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that they would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death, stating, "After extensive investigation into this tragic event, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson's civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime. Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a rolled-up gym mat in January. News of the re-openedinvestigation was welcomed by Johnsons family. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. 2. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. Given the slender opening in the gym mat, this is certainly plausible, even though Kendrick was exceptionally physically fit. Tuesday marks 10 years since Kendrick died. The Suspicious Death of Kendrick Johnson.Plus many more disturbing stories.The stories in this Episodes are shocking and exhibit human behavior at its absolute worst. We provide you with a list of the top 15 best true crime documentaries that every true crime fan will thoroughly enjoy. That material included grand jury testimony, results from an autopsy conducted by federal authorities and additional digital evidence. Georgia state law dictates that the coroner be contacted immediately on the discovery of a body, but Watson claimed that he was not notified until six hours later. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The Bell family has previously deflected blame in the incident; now, Karen Bell says she's upset by the renewed investigative efforts. Did you encounter any technical issues? [14] The governor's office released a statement indicating that they would await the report of the U.S. But inconsistencies in official reports on the condition of Kendricks body and other discrepancies led the family and community to question the official cause of his death. We have buried kj 3 times and it felt like 3 funerals and i lost him 3 times.. Kendrick Johnson was a Georgia teen, who was found dead inside a rolled up wrestling mat. He was never shown within or leaving the gym and indeed, he never did show up for his following classes. Indeed, when the mat was first unrolled, Johnson did have one arm stretched above his head and the other down around his waist as though struggling for his shoe. NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNNKendrick Johnsons body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees. We dont know whether its credible or not, hesaid. The Johnsons were extorted out of $1,000 for a tape that contains an individual admitting to their involvement, he alleged. [21] Other missing footage was the result of the camera's motion-activated function not being triggered. The Johnsons have filed several lawsuits since their son's death, winning none of them. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Kendrick Johnsons body has been exhumed twice in recent years. But, There are some strange pieces to this case. The states attorney has said that anyone who objectively looks at the case details can only come to one conclusion: this was an accidental death. They also reported that the blood had likely been there for a long time. County authorities are currently combing through a trove of boxes of evidence, including computer hard drives, documents, and other files relevant to the investigation. Kendrick Johnson, center, watches as Assistant District Attorney Sarah Seely, left, hands a piece of evidence to his defense attorneys during the first day of his murder trial Tuesday, Nov . But Johnsons parents felt that his death was not being taken seriously, in part because of his race, or because a larger cover-up was at play. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. Camera systems were motion-activated, using a change in light pixels to turn recordings on and off. Authorities say they are working to verify an audio recording of someone admitting to Kendrick Johnson's death. They do an excellent job digging in to places and topics that authorities seem to avoid, not just in this case but in the others theyve explored as well, like the case of Robert Bee that I wrote about here. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The post Kendrick Johnsons case closed after authorities say no crime found appeared first on TheGrio. Eight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. TheLowndes County Sheriffs Office reopened Kendricks case last March. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation previously determined Johnsons death was accidental despite two independent autopsies finding the teen died of non-accidental blunt force trauma. He died on January 10 in the school's gym. This is how you roll in Valdosta, Jackie Johnson said. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. On Jan. 11, 2013, Johnson's body was discovered in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School. The emotions are reflective of one someone who has a burden like hell on their shoulders.. But those dreams were cut short when his body was found by students entering the gymnasium rolled up in a standing gym mat. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion.. The Justice Department announced in October 2013 it was opening an investigation into the case and in 2016 said it was closing the case, saying it had found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.. I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play, he wrote. Investigators will now comb through 17 boxes of evidence, which were previously sealed. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Essential, you asphyxiate (either by suffocation or lack of oxygen) due to the position of your bodya position in which you cant get yourself out. . The parents asserted that the sons of the FBI agent killed Johnson and used their connections to cover up the investigation. Paulk estimated it might take six months to process everything. You do not believe there was anything criminal? reporter Tony Thomas asked Paulk. A recently-completed investigation found no evidence of a coverup in the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, who was found in a rolled-up mat at his Georgia high school. Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. "[11] Johnson's family questioned this hypothesis. [39] He further stated that two brothers, named in previous legal actions by the Johnsons, are not suspects. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! An investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teenager found dead in a rolled-up gym mat eight years ago, has been reopened, according to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. The Lowndes County Sheriff's. For a brilliantly done docuseries on Kendrick Johnson, watch Ashes to Ashs vlogcast! The Johnsons did try to sue the funeral home for mishandling their sons body, and perhaps having done so in order to cover up his true cause of death, but this case was dropped. Many speculate a darker reality. Why The Accidental Death Of Kendrick Johnson Remains Suspicious To This Day. "[18] The Johnson family subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against the funeral home, seeking monetary damages. Kendrick Johnson's Family's Quest For Answers Moves To Georgia Capitol", "National Civil Rights Attorney No Longer Involved In Kendrick Johnson Case | Valdosta Today", "Kendrick Johnson family holds rally after filing complaint about missing organs", "Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mat sue funeral home", "No Wrongdoing Detected in Kendrick Johnson Funeral Home Probe", "Kendrick Johnson footage released; expert finds it 'highly suspicious', "Rose, Touchton believe no coverup in Johnson case", "Georgia school officials sued in Kendrick Johnson's gym death", "Local, federal investigations into gym mat death continue", "FBI agent, wife file $5 million defamation suit against Ebony.com and crime writer for KJ stories", "Parents File $100 Million Suit in Gym-Mat Death of Georgia Teen Kendrick Johnson", "Second U.S. Attorney in charge of KJ case resigns", "Kendrick Johnson probe: Attorney exits mark shift", "KJ Family Drops $100 Million Wrongful Death Suit | Valdosta Today", "US Justice Department: No criminal charges in gym mat death", "Judge: Parents owe $292,000 for suit in son's gym mat death", "Investigation into death of Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat 8 years ago will be reopened", "Georgia sheriff vows to personally, thoroughly investigate re-opened case of teen found dead in gym mat", "Sheriff reopens Kendrick Johnson case in Valdosta", "A second local investigation into the death of a Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat has closed with no charges filed", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Kendrick_Johnson&oldid=1136987199. [12] Three students at Lowndes High School told investigators that it was common for some students to store their shoes behind or under the rolled up mats, Johnson was not wearing shoes when he was found. I do not, he replied. The sheriff said he spent 15 months reading every page in that file, but found that they did not show any criminal action whatsoever.. Georgia Judge Richard Porter ordered the Johnsons and their attorney to pay more than $292,000 in legal fees to the defendants, accusing them of fabricating evidence to support their claims. But you have to wonder. A sheriff in Valdosta, Georgia, has concluded that there is no evidence of a crime in the January 2013 death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High School. The three teens were classmates. [11] Some of the apparent lapses in coverage were found to result from camera systems that were not synchronized with one another.