Kendrick Johnson's family was not able to perform a legitimate autopsy until June 2013. [2][13], After the opinion of the private pathologist was released, Johnson's family stated that they believed Johnson had been murdered. Legal Statement. Students who did not want to pay for a locker reportedly used the mats to stow their personal items. But Johnson's family believes he was killed and has been pressuring authorities into taking a second look at the case. In that autopsy, Anderson told the Johnsons he'd found evidence that Kendrick died as the result of a blow to the neck, and not accidental asphyxia after slipping into a rolled gym mat at school as investigators in Georgia had said. [12] The funeral home owner stated that it is standard practice to fill a void in this fashion, and that cotton or sawdust may also be employed for this purpose. Kenneth also said lacerations and bruising to his sons face made him think Kendrick was in some sort of fight. Body parts are missing, evidence is missing. CNN's Victor Blackwell investigates what happened to Kendrick Johnson's missing organs after his mysterious death. The Johnsons also accused the brothers father, an FBI agent at the time, of covering up the murder by manipulating the school and authorities involved in investigating Johnsons death. Johnson's family said Anderson also revealed that most of his internal organs were missing and the body cavity was filled with newspaper. Johnsons parents were suspicious of the investigation from the beginning. 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. But during a second autopsy, a private pathologist discovered Johnson's organs were missing and newspaper was used to replace them. [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 reportedly confided in his father about Branden telling classmates that the issue was not over., According to the father, Kendrick said, You know Rick Bell, Brians daddyhe came up to me at school and told me the fight on the bus wasnt a fair fight and I should come to his house and re-fight Brian.. Russ Bynum/AP. UNDATED: Kendrick Johnson,17, was found dead inside his high school's gym. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson Facebook PageKendrick Johnsons casket was unearthed for a second time for a third autopsy. - were not with the body," Anderson said. Pollock believed the evidence was so crucial that he flew to Georgia to show Kendricks parents. "When you think about it logically, it seems to be some kind of conspiracy to conceal the truth about what happened to Kendrick and who did it to him," Crump said. 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Ebony.com described the murder of Johnson to have been at the hands of two white brothers, though they did not include names. [12], A subsequent investigation by the Georgia Secretary of State's office found that the funeral home did not follow "best practice" and that other material was "more acceptable than newspaper." Ive never seen a doctor rule on a theory without being able to present facts to me, Credle told CrimeOnline, claiming the medical examiner kicked him out of her office when he questioned her about her findings. The body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found Jan. 11 in south Georgia, and Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident - falling headfirst into an upright. A shoe found on top of a pool of blood near Kendricks body [Image: Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory]Finding Kendrick Johnson presents police documents that state that Kendrick is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and his shoulders measured 19 inches. R.I.P Kendrick Johnson FacebookOne of the coroners reports on Kendrick Johnsons autopsy. He was discovered rolled up in a gym mat on Friday 1/11. They were all absent.". Justice for Kendrick Johnson! Market data provided by Factset. His mother posted on her Facebook: No mother or father should ever have to bury their child under these circumstances. [11] However, analysis of the camera systems by the Valdosta Daily Times purported to explain the anomalies, casting doubt on the theory of a cover-up. Eight years after the body of Kendrick Johnson was found in a rolled-up gym mat at a high school in Georgia, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office has announced it is reopening the case after . But it's just not something that's within what I would consider acceptable standards.". Almost a full day had passed until Johnson had been discovered. An inquest would present the evidence in Johnson's death in a public hearing, much like a trial. Johnson's parents hope the outcome would be to change the manner of death listed on his death certificate from accidental to homicide -- paving the way to reopen a criminal investigation. His body was exhumed twice for a third autopsy, Kendrick Johnson the Just after 24 hours of being found, the investigators ruled Johnsons death an accident. Kendrick Johnson was last seen 1:30pm Thursday 1/10. The initial autopsy revealed that Johnson died due to positional asphyxia or that he suffocated as a result of being stuck upside-down in an enclosed space for an extended period of time. Updated: 12:46 AM EST March 10, 2021 JACKSONVILLE, Fla The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office announced Friday that it has reopened the investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson, whose. On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick Johnson (October 10, 1995 January 10, 2013) was discovered inside a vertical rolled-up mat in the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, United States, where he was a student. While Brian told the media that he considered Kendrick a friend, Austin, another one of Johnsons friends, alleged that a year before his death, Brian and Kendrick had an altercation on the bus as they headed to a football game that was being played out of town. Its up to us to move the needle for KJ, because they are never going to do it down there.. "This is a real-life murder mystery where these parents sent their child to school with a book bag and he was returned to them in a body bag," Crump said in a phone interview. Sometimes cotton is used with powder. The description of these brothers closely resembled that of Brian and Brandon Bell, who the magazine claimed had killed Kendrick because of a fight they had had over a year earlier which had escalated. His parents also revealed that when Johnson's body was exhumed over the summer for a second autopsy, the private pathologist discovered his organs were missing and newspaper had been used to fill the body cavity. In June, Kendrick's body was sent to Florida. I dont think theyre going to do anything. Attorneys for the Johnson family expressed fears that the camera footage was edited as part of a cover-up. [26], Shortly before the lawsuit was filed, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore said in a statement that a federal investigation was still open and that "the investigation has proven more complicated and taken longer than originally anticipated. [17] A spokesperson for the Secretary of State said that the investigation found that the funeral home "didn't violate any rules. The mat in which Johnson was found was around six feet tall. Moore did not immediately return a phone message Thursday. The Sheriffs Department asserted that Johnson must have accidentally fallen into the center of the mat while reaching for a sneaker, which he had stored there so as not to have to pay for a locker. Kendrick Johnson In Savannah, Georgia 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was uncovered January 11, 2013, inside of a rolled up wrestling mat . Though Paulk said the investigation may take up to six months, both he and the Johnson family are optimistic that justice will finally be served. "We just can't allow this to happen again and again and again.". 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. But Johnson's family believes he was killed and has been pressuring authorities into taking a second look at the case. They said they later tested the blood and it was not a match for Kendrick, but it remains unclear who it belongs to. [14] On October 31, 2013, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Moore announced that his office would open a formal review into Johnson's death. CNN gained access to the schools security footage on the day that Kendrick Johnson was killed, but upon viewing it, realized that it offered little insight into what happened that day. Local newspaper Valdosta Today reported that those children claimed, when questioned by police, that they. The 17-year-old was a well-liked honor roll student, an athlete, and his parents said he always helped out at home. He was just in his socks. 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. All rights reserved. His family and friends described him as a sweet and quiet boy. During the film, Jacquelyn becomes so overwhelmed seeing the footage that she has to excuse herself, as Kenneth wipes tears from his eyes. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson sit beside another in Finding Kendrick Johnson [Image: Millennial PR]In March, the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office announced they were reopening Kendricks case to ensure the initial investigation was conducted properly. State and local officials ruled that Kendrick suffocated after purportedly reaching for a pair of sneakers inside the mat and getting stuck. Wikimedia CommonsSeventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. Some even drew comparisons to the death of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia high school athlete whose suspicious 2013 death was ruled an accident, despite his family's demand for further investigation. Harrington Funeral Home in Valdosta, which handled Johnson's body, referred calls to attorney Roy Copeland. The tongue is a mobile, muscular organ that lies within the mouth and partly extends into the upper throat. 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. The fact that a filmmaker, whos basically an artist college dropouthad to do the work that no one did in Georgia for eight years. Then, read about the horrifying murder of Emmett Till. The Johnsons hoped for a coroners inquest, which would begin the process ofreclassifying the cause of Kendrick Johnsons death as non-accidental and reopening the investigation. He was never shown within or leaving the gym and indeed, he never did show up for his following classes. He was stuck upside down in the middle of a wrestling mat that had been rolled up and propped upright behind bleachers. Though surveillance cameras were located all over campus, the last footage of Kendrick shows him walking into the gym behind other students before going out of frame. It wasnt like I did anything nefarious to find it. It is kept moist by the products of the major and minor salivary glands, which aids the organ as it facilitates deglutition, speech, and gustatory perception.While there is significant variability in the length of the tongue among individuals, on average, the organ is roughly 10 cm . They believed that the Sheriffs Department wastoo quick to rule out foul play as a cause for Johnsons death, considering that within 24 hours of finding Kendrick Johnsons body, they concluded that it was an accident. After autopsies, those organs are typically sealed in a plastic bag and placed back in the body, said Vernie Fountain, who runs an embalming school in Springfield, Mo. Kendrick Johnson Case Will Be Reinvestigated By Georgia Sheriff's - NPR On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnson's body be exhumed. On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death. Its been eight long years, said Kendrick Johnsons mother, Jacquelyn. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! All that could be seen from the cameras was Kendrick Johnson walking towards the gym, and then several seconds of footage of him jogging within the gym. Listen to the latest episode: Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Organ | Definition, History, Types, & Facts | Britannica Medical examiners commonly remove internal organs during forensic autopsies. In 2015, the Johnsons filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 people, including three of their sons classmates, the school, the local crime lab, state and federal officials, five agents of the GBI, an FBI agent, and more. In comparison, the mat he was found in is 6 feet long and the opening was 14 inches. / CBS News. Jelani Day's Body Was Not Missing Brain and Vital Organs, Mother Says Kendrick Johnson lived with his family in Valdosta, Georgia and attended Lowndes High School. But when he did return, he and his wife held a press conference begging authorities to not take their sons body out of Lowndes County before they saw it. [21] The president of the Valdosta-Lowndes County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the former lead investigator for that chapter have stated that they believe the attorneys for the Johnsons have "not been entirely truthful in their statements" and that there was no cover-up in this case. The cameras which faced the mats were unfocussed and skipped around. Justice for Kendrick Johnson! - Workers World [39] He further stated that two brothers, named in previous legal actions by the Johnsons, are not suspects. But Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson said many of Johnson's organs were deemed too badly decomposed to be preserved and had to be disposed of before the body was sent to the funeral home. [17], Johnson's family requested that his body be exhumed for a second time and was granted permission by Valdosta city officials. Finally, in March 2021, authorities reopened their investigation into Kendrick Johnsons death. 1. "[11], Lt. Stryde Jones, who headed up the investigation for the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, stated: "We never had credible information that indicated this was anything other than an accident. It's another disappointing answer for parents determined to know what happened to their son before and now after his death. The Georgia secretary of state's office, which regulates funeral homes in the states, is investigating how Johnson's body was handled, spokesman Jared Thomas said. The tongue's anatomy is complex; it involves interlacing muscles, nerves, and a blood supply. Kendrick Johnson death investigation will be reopened, Georgia sheriff
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