Paulk noted that he was born and raised in Valdosta, and has known the Johnson family for decades, but emphasized that his office is "not starting out with it's a murder it's an accident. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. Coleman said he initially sought the release of 2015 grand jury proceedings, after Kentucky's attorney general did so in Breonna Taylor's case. The half-a-million-dollar reward is "one last avenue" for any information the sheriff's office may not be aware of, he said. 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. ", Family Of Ga. Finding Kendrick Johnson was released on digital and VOD platforms last Friday, quickly becoming one of the top documentaries on iTunes. Investigators could not confirm the liquid and did not collect any as evidence. 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. Get our latest storiesin the feed of your favorite networks. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In 2016, federal prosecutors said that to bring a case to trial, they would have to show two things: that Kendrick had been killed, and that the killing had been motivated by racial animus.. 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. Johnson's family said they believe the teen was murdered and that his death was covered-up. That report also ruled the death accidental and caused by asphyxiation but was later amended to say the cause of death was undetermined.. We already knew what team you were on. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing. The film, a Boom Content production, is written, directed, and produced by Pollock and produced by Amy McCampbell, Morgan J. Freeman, and Malcolm D. Lee. So what really happened to KJ?. Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk recently announced there would be no charges in the case of Kendrick Johnson, 17, who was found in 2013 in a rolled-up gym mat. You didnt find nothing in 17 boxes? Crime scene photos previously obtained by the Daily News showed a sneaker and a sweatshirt stained with what seemed like blood, just feet from Johnsons body at the gym. WebKendrick Johnson, who prosecutors call one of Houston's most dangerous gang members, has been found guilty in the 2018 murder of Delindsey Mack. Signup for Breaking News Alerts & Newsletters. But if somebody comes in with a different view were going to listen to them certainly.". 2023 Cox Media Group. Its a weird accident, he said on Thursday, one day after he had released a 16-page report that detailed his findings and echoed the ruling made by a previous sheriff in 2013. 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. The Justice Department closed the case in June 2016, saying it could not meet the high legal threshold needed to file federal criminal charges it would have needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone had killed Johnson, and was motivated by racial animus to do so. Johnson was found dead in a high school gym Investigators concluded he died in a Upon returning to office, he said, he had pledged that if he could get all the files from state and federal agencies, he would go through them and look for discrepancies. WebOn January 11, 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a rolled-up gym mat. 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. They did so through Marcus Coleman, a community activist who has served as their family spokesperson for the last eight years. "I dont really feel like theres anybody out there with knowledge and from what Ive seen I studied all the camera angles and everything else it was a tragic accident. IE 11 is not supported. 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. Investigators ruled his death an The police deemed it an accident, but two autopsies suggested foul "This will be the first time anybody's had everybody's evidence in one place, so I'm planning to go through every bit of it," Paulk said. 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. A sheriffs investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnsons death in 2013, but his parents believe theres a cover-up. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Paulk said his office is currently working to verify the recording and follow the chain of custody to determine its legitimacy. For years, the case has confounded residents in Valdosta, Ga., a city of about 56,000 in southern Georgia. Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson stand next to a banner on their SUV showing their late son Kendrick, in Valdosta, Ga., in December 2013. 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. It took 14 months to go through it, Paulk said. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. Kendrick Johnsons death has been the continued focus of headlines and theories nationwide. 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. Jackie Johnson told Thomas moments after the sheriff released his findings that shell continue to ask the Department of Justice to reopen its investigation. A spokesman in the Ohio office declined to comment. "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.". 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. (According to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Kendricks family, the two students being investigated were sons of a former F.B.I. Paulk said he has not received any viable tips since announcing the reward. Edited by Jason Pollock and Kurt Engfehr, illustrations by Nikkolas Smith, and cinematography by Dennis A. Johnson, a three-sport athlete, was found dead on Jan. 11 in a rolled-up wrestling mat in his high school gym. Johnson's parents have believed from the outset that their son was killed. 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. Coleman said he and Johnson's family felt the number of boxes was symbolic, as it matches the years of Johnson's short life. A photo from the investigation into Kendrick Johnsons 2013 death, Gkids Acquires Toei Animation Title The First Slam Dunk Based On Takehiko Inoue Manga, TheLastMovieStars Director Ethan Hawke On How Paul Newman And Joan Woodward Set High-Water Mark For Hollywood Contenders TV: Docs + Unscripted, Judy Blume Forever Filmmakers Discuss Beloved Author Who Inspires Devotion, And Book Banning Contenders TV: Doc + Unscripted, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me Director On Gomezs Brave Exploration Of Her Mental Health Contenders TV: Docs + Unscripted, Latest News, The Issues, Movies & TV Shows Affected & How Long It Might Last, Gersh Sells 45% Stake To Crestview Partners; Leslie Siebert Upped To Co-President, Are You There God? Didnt Get Its Opening-Weekend Prayers Answered: Heres Why, Sylvester Stallone Set For Cliffhanger Reboot From Director Ric Roman Waugh. WebThe body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found Jan. 11 in South Georgia. The Johnson family and their attorney could not immediately be reached on Tuesday. As you look down the road here, do you guys have other options? Investigators said he died of positional asphyxia, but his parents have continually said he was murdered. We will keep pushing forward, he said. Sheriff Paulk said he had examined 17 boxes of evidence provided by prosecutors and investigators, including grand jury testimony. 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. The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found upside down in a mat in Lowndes County High School in January 2013. We want to hear from you! Questions over Kendrick's death began on Jan. 11, 2013, the moment he was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat, which was standing upright in a corner of the gym. "Im willing to put up those funds to see if anybody comes forward with anything viable that might have been missed," Paulk told NBC News on Tuesday. Family hopes new audio clip could lead to Kendrick Johnsons killer The truth is the truth, Paulk said. All Rights Reserved. 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 Thats the craziest lie you could have told. After the release of my synopsis of the Federal files on the Kendrick Johnson case, his parents have called me a liar and continue to state that Kendrick was murdered," Lowndes County SheriffAshley Paulk said in a statement on Monday. A family spokesperson told NPR they are "cautiously optimistic" after the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office reopened its investigation last week. A Georgia sheriff who recently closed the case ofKendrick Johnson, the 17-year-old who was found dead and rolled up in a gym mat in 2013, is offering $500,000 for any information that leads to an arrest or conviction in the case. Looking to hire a writer? Now, his mom, Jackie, believes she has the confession tape and has turned it over to police. 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. Mr. Johnson said Kendricks family remained committed to proving that Kendrick had been murdered. Investigators ruled his death an accident. Federal prosecutors began reviewing the case in 2013 after the family requested a separate investigation. 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. 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. HOUSTON Kendrick Johnson was found guilty by a jury for the murder of a Lamar High School student in 2018. The exclusive clip above, featuring Lewiss voice, details some of the explosive findings in the documentary. Mills. WebKendrick was found dead in the gymnasium at 10:30 a.m. on January 11, roughly 10 hours after his family reported him missing. His family says despite the setback, they are not giving up hope. Kendrick Johnson, then 17, was found in January 2013 at Lowndes County High School, stuck upside down in an upright mat behind the bleachers. But still an accident? Thomas asked Paulk. Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, falling headfirst into an 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. WebEight years ago, classmates at Lowndes High School in Valdosta found 17-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body inside an upright mat. Johnson was found dead on Jan. 11, 2013 inside of a tightly rolled gym mat by classmates atLowndes High School in Valdosta,Georgia. His initial request was denied, but the Johnson family continued their pursuit. He said the process appeared to be underway, albeit slowed by the holiday season and the pandemic. Channel 2s Tony Thomas was in Valdosta Thursday as Johnsons parents called the sheriff a liar and part of a much bigger cover-up. Anyone can read what you share. 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. 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. If theres something else that somebody knows and doesnt feel like we looked at or studied, come sit down with us," the sheriff said. 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. Paulktold Inside Edition Digitalthat there remains no evidence of foul play in the case. The sheriff says case closed again but he will reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. EPs include Hill Harper, Elizabeth Hurwitz, Dia Sokol Savage, Kurt Engfehr, Lenny Beckerman, and Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), who also narrates the film. He described their investigation as a witch hunt and said email correspondence between prosecutors showed they had been feeling pressure to get results. The father was short on specifics but very vocal about continuing to push for answers in his sons death. Eight years after Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found upside-down in a large mat in his high school gym, the Lowndes County sheriff decided to reopen the case. He said that on the campaign trail, he had been approached several times by Black voters who wanted him to look at the case again. 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. 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. 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, The evidence does not produce anything to prove any criminal act by anyone that would have resulted in the death of Kendrick Johnson, Sheriff Paulks report said. Sheriff Paulk said on Thursday that there was no evidence to show that anyone else was responsible for Kendricks death. WebThe body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found upside-down in a large mat in his high school gym in 2013. 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. WebMr. (Russ Bynum/AP). Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Russ Bynum/AP 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. WebSheriff reopens investigation into death of Kendrick Johnson, found dead inside gym mat; Family of Kendrick Johnson continues to seek answers to questions that surround his Investigators claim that in the findings of the initial autopsy, Johnson's cause of 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. He owns several businesses outside of his job as a sheriff, he said. He reiterated he is not accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but wants to examine all the evidence together to make sure nothing was missed. Michael J. Moore, the former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia who agreed to review the case in 2013, said on Thursday that there was never pressure to find results one way or the other., The only instruction that we got was to look at the evidence and follow where it leads you, he said. We got many options. You do not believe there was anything criminal? Thomas asked Paulk. We're starting out with this is a case we have to look at.". 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.
