Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old student at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, was found dead on January 11, 2013, inside a rolled-up gym mat in the school’s gymnasium. The initial investigation by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) ruled Johnson’s death an accident, concluding he died from positional asphyxia after getting stuck while reaching for a shoe he had stored inside the mat.However, Johnson’s family was unsatisfied with the investigation and autopsy results. They hired an independent pathologist who conducted a second autopsy, which found evidence of blunt force trauma to Johnson’s neck, suggesting his death was not accidental. The family also discovered that some of Johnson’s organs were missing and replaced with newspaper during the embalming process.
The Family’s Quest for Justice
In response to the family’s concerns, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced a formal review of the case in 2013. In 2016, the Department of Justice concluded the investigation, stating that no criminal charges would be filed. Johnson’s family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit accusing 38 individuals of conspiracy to cover up a murder, but the lawsuit was later withdrawn.Despite the investigations, the circumstances surrounding Kendrick Johnson’s death remain unclear and controversial, with the family convinced it was not an accident. Over 10 years later, his case continues to generate public interest and debate about the handling of the investigation.
Suspicions Arise in the Kendrick Johnson Case
Johnson’s parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. They believed that the Sheriff’s Department was too quick to rule out foul play as a cause for Johnson’s death, considering that within 24 hours of finding Kendrick Johnson’s body, they concluded that it was an accident.The Johnsons were also sure that their son’s body had been moved, which was corroborated by Lowndes County Coroner, Bill Watson. 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.Furthermore, Johnson’s parents argued, if this was an accident, how could no one have heard Kendrick call for help in a high school of over 3,000 students? Johnson’s parents finally believed that their son’s death was not being taken seriously because of his race. Kendrick Johnson was black and the Lowndes County Sheriff, Chris Prines, and his investigators were all white.
A Widely Unsatisfying Conclusion in the Case of Kendrick Johnson
In June 2016, the Department of Justice announced no charges would be filed against anyone in relation to Kendrick Johnson’s death, considering there was “insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.” As far as the feds were concerned, the case was officially — and finally — closed.But Johnson’s parents would still not give up. In June 2018, Kendrick Johnson’s body was exhumed for a second time and a third autopsy was performed. The findings of the second autopsy, that Johnson’s death was not accidental and caused by blunt force trauma likely due to being “struck in the neck with a 45lb dumbbell,” were confirmed.Kendrick Johnson’s parents hoped that with the results of this third autopsy, the surveillance footage which they were convinced had been tampered with, and the mishandling of evidence at the scene, would be enough to reopen their son’s case. It does appear, however, that their quest for answers has only led to more questions.
Reopening the Kendrick Johnson Investigation After Eight Years
Finally, in March 2021, authorities reopened their investigation into Kendrick Johnson’s death. According to Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk, “If there’s questions — and they’re legitimate — I need to know the answers myself. The only way I’m going to know is to look at the evidence myself.”Paulk and his team were able to secure a wealth of evidence from federal authorities, in part thanks to an appeal from Johnson’s family in November 2020. At the time, the sheriffs believed they had enough evidence in hand to perhaps allow them to solve this mystery once and for all.“It’s been eight long years,” said Kendrick Johnson’s mother, Jacquelyn. “I’m feeling hopeful.” However, after nothing came of the investigation, the Johnson family filed suit against Lowndes County in September 2023, only to have the judge rule against them the following month.Though the family of Kendrick Johnson is still fighting, the case remains unresolved more than a decade after his bizarre, tragic death.
Rumors Surrounding Kendrick Johnson’s Death
Paulk dispelled some alleged rumors regarding tensions between Johnson and a classmate. The two allegedly got into an altercation on a bus trip before a football game in 2011 and both were told they could not ride the bus back home.“Testimony by other students stated that this fight did not appear to cause any animosity between the two; in fact, they later did a class project together,” Paulk said. The FBI also determined there was no evidential basis for a rumor that the same classmate was angry with Johnson over a relationship he had with another classmate.“The FBI states in two different documents there was no basis to this rumor and no evidence to support it,” Paulk said.
Ethics Questions in Kendrick Johnson’s Death Investigation
In the synopsis, Paulk drew attention to the “witch hunt” that ensued after the FBI told the U.S. Department of Justice that they had found nothing criminal and were consequently closing the case.“I do find it disturbing and unethical that this investigation seemed to turn into a ‘witch hunt’ after the FBI told the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia that they had found nothing criminal, and they consequently were closing the case,” Paulk’s statement said.Paulk shot down the notion of a cover-up, saying “it would be impossible to conceal any evidence” because of the involvement of multiple local, state and federal agencies. The sheriff has put up a $500,000 reward of his own money for anyone to come forward with information that leads to an arrest and conviction of anyone connected to Johnson’s death.Jackie Johnson said she wanted justice for her son. “Nobody really cares. Nobody wants Kendrick to get justice. It’s just like shut this family up, sending them on their way, but what they didn’t realize is the Johnson family is not going anywhere,” Jackie Johnson said.
Kendrick Johnson’s Autopsy Findings and Controversies
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) reportedly ruled that Kendrick Johnson’s cause of death was accidental positional asphyxia based on his autopsy. However, his parents’ lawsuit, filed in September 2023, asserts that authorities fabricated this narrative. They accuse law enforcement of making false reports and misrepresenting facts.The lawsuit also alleges that Johnson’s body was discovered in a pool of blood with visible injuries, including bruises on his face, lacerations to his ear, lip, and knuckles. Moreover, two circular markings near his waist were consistent with stun gun prongs.The GBI defended their findings, stating that their Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the autopsy thoroughly and stands by their original conclusions. However, the lawsuit criticizes the initial investigation, citing a ‘very poor’ investigative environment and compromised crime scene.
A Second Autopsy and Reopened Investigation
An independent pathologist conducted a separate autopsy after exhuming Johnson’s body. This examination ruled his cause of death as ‘unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt-force trauma’ to the neck.In 2021, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk announced that the investigation into Kendrick Johnson’s death had been reopened. However, in September 2023, his parents filed a lawsuit against law enforcement, accusing them of botching the investigation.The lawsuit alleges that authorities agreed to make false writings in their official documents and misrepresented material facts, presenting an erroneous cause of death for Kendrick Johnson.
The Mysterious Death of a High School Teenager
Kendrick Johnson’s death has been a topic of controversy for over a decade. Detectives have reopened the investigation into his death multiple times after the initial ruling of an accident. The inconsistencies in official reports regarding the positioning of his body have fueled speculation that his death was a murder.The first investigation into Johnson’s death began in October 2013, but the Justice Department closed the probe in 2016 due to insufficient evidence for federal criminal charges. Jason Pollock’s documentary, “Finding Kendrick Johnson,” delves into the mysterious death of the high school teenager and the theories surrounding it.Despite the investigations, the circumstances surrounding Kendrick Johnson’s death remain unclear and controversial, with the family convinced it was not an accident. Over 10 years later, his case continues to generate public interest and debate about the handling of the investigation