The familys attorney, Chevene King, expressed thatif Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently. U.S. Attorney Michael Moore in Macon has been monitoring the case but has yet to announce whether he'll take any further action. Kendrick Johnson In Savannah, Georgia 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was uncovered January 11, 2013, inside of a rolled up wrestling mat . They saw that report in 2014, they saw that photograph of the boys standing next to each other and they let the Bells go television and say they hadnt seen KJ, Pollock told CrimeOnline. Emmitt Till alongside his mother, Mamie Till Mobley [Image: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis]An all-white jury acquitted Bryants husband and brother-in-law within an hour. Till was found in the river with a cotton gin fan tied to his neck with barbed wire. 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. 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. 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. Kendrick Johnson was last seen 1:30pm Thursday 1/10. This 2018 autopsy concludes that the cause of death was "apparent non . His family and friends described him as a sweet and quiet boy. 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. [26] All local Superior Court judges recused themselves from presiding over the case, preventing the lawsuit from being filed and heard in Lowndes County, citing their close proximity to the accused. His sneakers were shoved behind his knees. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiner concluded that he died from positional asphyxia, his body stuck in a position in which he couldn't breathe. Nonetheless, the investigation cleared the funeral home of any wrongdoing. GBI spokeswoman Sherry Lang told CNN that after the autopsy, "the organs were placed in Johnson's . Months later, the pair admitted to mutilating and killing Till in a magazine interview they were paid $3,000 for. Kendrick Johnson case: What happened to him and when did he die? That's what happened in Johnson's case, she said. He also said standard embalming practice is to fill empty space in body cavities with material such as sawdust or cotton. "There may not be any law that prohibits it. Despite his death being ruled accidental, Lowndes County police initially said they did not immediately test some blood splatter located 40 feet from Kendricks body. More from CNN at http://www.cnn.comTo lice. I think it was just a look into it just to quiet down the family, quiet down some of the media, Credle told CrimeOnline. Kendrick Johnson Death: Missing organs are reason to suspect foul play 9 Mysterious Details About Kendrick Johnson's Death Georgia funeral home replaced teen's organs with newspaper, and that's On May 8, 2013, a judge granted Kendrick Johnson's body be exhumed. The teen's father, Kenneth Johnson, spoke about the missing organs during the rally. The funeral home said that it received the body without organs which it replaced with paper or sawdust as is common practice while embalming. School officials found Johnson's body in the gym after his parents reported him missing the night before. 'Law & Order: SVU': True Story Inspired 'Dare' Case - TV Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnsons body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013. 1. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. However, his family believes he was murdered by schoolmates and . Adding to the confusion is the fact that in October 2013, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told CBS that Kendricks organs were returned to his body following the autopsy, as per protocol. This time, the autopsy revealed that Kendrick Johnson had suffered hemorrhaging on the right side of his neck, which meant that he likely died from blunt force trauma. But a judge agreed in May to exhume the body, and Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson hired Dr. William R. Anderson to provide a second opinion. The attorney who helped push for a criminal prosecution in Trayvon Martin's shooting said Thursday that he's joining the fight to reopen an investigation into the death of a Georgia teenager whose body was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at school. [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. "[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. "I'm terribly sorry for the family," Watson said. When organs are missing, such as in cases involving organ donors, space inside the body cavity often is filled with an absorbent, preservative powder, Fountain said. "The brain. Just after 24 hours of being found, the investigators ruled Johnsons death an accident. But during a second autopsy, a private pathologist discovered Johnson's organs were missing and newspaper was used to replace them. ", Neither had the founder of a national embalming academy, who said it's "not consistent with the standards of care" in the industry. Meanwhile, Johnson's parents are preparing to file a lawsuit asking a judge to order a coroner's inquest in their son's death, said Chevene King, an attorney working with the family. CrimeOnline has chosen not to publish the most graphic of those images. Kendricks father was shocked by his sons disfigured body. Sheriff Chris Prine has said he suspected Johnson became trapped trying to retrieve a shoe that fell into the center of the large, rolled mat. [12][16] Johnson's family filed a complaint with a regulatory body against the funeral home operator. In a letter to the Johnsons' attorney, Harrington Funeral Home owner Antonio Harrington denies he received Kendrick's organs. SAVANNAH, Ga. The parents of a Georgia teenager whose body was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at school said Thursday that they have a new reason to suspect signs of foul play were covered by investigators -- their son was buried without his internal organs. Im feeling hopeful.. Kendrick Johnson case: What happened to him and when did he die? The public was horrified by the photo and began to rally around the Johnsons in their quest for the truth. [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." Kendrick Johnsons parents released a photo to the media of their sons face as he lay in the funeral home. However, the coroner said these organs were not sent to the funeral home because they were too decomposed and were instead disposed of beforehand. On top of this, the second autopsy revealed that some of Johnsons organs were missing and in their place, his body had been stuffed with newspaper. In addition to revisiting some of the more troubling aspects of the investigation into Kendricks suspicious death including the teens missing organs and unidentified blood splatter found near his body the documentary presents a damning piece of evidence that was never before made public: Surveillance stills showing the primary person of interest standing next to Kendrick before he vanished contradicting claims that he did not see Kendrick the day he vanished on campus. 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 swift determination drew skepticism from many, including Johnsons family, Credle, and Pollock. (AP) SAVANNAH, Ga. - The parents of a Georgia teenager whose body was found inside a rolled-up wrestling mat at school . I don't know. 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. Then without parent consent, a surgeon at the hospital harvested her organs . Nor had the president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, who said he's "never heard of this practice.". The lawsuit alleged that the defendants were negligent and violated Johnson's constitutional right to equal protection based on race. 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. Credle was called in after several local authorities recused themselves from the case which many believe was due to the primary persons of interest being the sons of an FBI agent. [2] That left a void, which the funeral home filled. Johnson's family asked the Justice Department to get involved, arguing that authorities failed to investigate Johnson's death thoroughly because he's black. [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. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit told a story about a tragic death and unapproved organ harvesting on Wednesday night, and we think we found the real life story that inspired the case. "[35][36], On March 10, 2021, the case was officially reopened. "We have an excellent team of medical examiners, and we stand by them 100 percent," Lang said. 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 mat and becoming trapped. ", Complete coverage of Kendrick Johnson on Crimesider, First published on October 11, 2013 / 11:31 AM. Watson said he reviewed the second autopsy report on Johnson, but found it vague and lacking the specifics of the GBI's findings. Why The Accidental Death Of Kendrick Johnson Remains Suspicious To This Day. Found in a rolled-up gym mat, officials at Lowndes County High School in south Georgia concluded the athlete had been reaching for his sneaker when he fell headfirst into the mats. "[11] Johnson's family questioned this hypothesis. Now, the sheriffs have enough evidence in hand to perhaps allow them to solve this mystery once and for all. 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. In place of the organs were crumpled pieces of newspaper. Asked how he planned to do that, Crump said, "We're going to have to look at getting the courts involved." Harrington Funeral Home in Valdosta, which handled Johnson's body, referred calls to attorney Roy Copeland. ", Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. In 2007, Bryant allegedly revealed to. They said they later tested the blood and it was not a match for Kendrick, but it remains unclear who it belongs to. What made me think that everything was a cover-upwas that first meeting with the medical examiner, Mitch Credle said. 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 a three-sport athlete and dreamed of playing professional football. All rights reserved. [23] It alleged that Johnson was attacked on a bus trip 14 months prior to his death. But the teen's parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, hired Dr. William R. Anderson to provide a second opinion after a judge agreed in May to exhume the body. Moore did not immediately return a phone message Thursday. "We just can't allow this to happen again and again and again.". But his parents would later maintain that his size versus the size of the mat alone was enough to debunk the investigators case. But Johnson's family believes he was killed and has been pressuring authorities into taking a second look at the case. [30] After the Justice Department's motion was denied, Johnson's parents dismissed their own wrongful death lawsuit, saying that they hoped to refile it after the conclusion of the federal investigation. "Is newspaper necessarily more indicting that sawdust or cotton?" [17], Johnson's family requested that his body be exhumed for a second time and was granted permission by Valdosta city officials. For the American professional basketball player, see, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, "Lowdes County Incident Report K. Johnson", "Gym mat death: Attorneys call for surveillance video", "Kendrick Johnson Lowndes County High School gym mat death: Lawyers ask for surveillance video", "Gym Mat Death Shocker: Body Stuffed With Newspaper", "Federal prosecutor will look into Kendrick Johnson case", "FBI agent, sons countersue parents of Ga. teen found dead in gym mat", "Defendants Seek Attorney Fees in Dismissed Kendrick Johnson Case", "Kendrick Johnson suit: Feds want to stop evidence collection", "Third autopsy claims foul play in Valdosta gym mat death case", "Kendrick Johnson's parents still searching for answers to their son's death", "Parents of Georgia teen found dead in gym mat rally for inquiry", "Kendrick Johnson investigation: Feds will not file charges", "Who Killed K.J.?! Every organ from the pelvis to the skull was gone." cnn.com Gym mat death shocker: Body stuffed with newspaper | CNN 'Finding Kendrick Johnson' Documentary Shows Facts, Not - People Images from the scene show Johnson lying in a pool of blood. State investigators say it's their normal practice, but what happened after his body arrived at the funeral home was anything but normal. . Credle, a veteran homicide detective from Washington, D.C., is referring to his work investigating the death of Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old boy who was found dead in a rolled-up wrestling mat at his Valdosta, Georgia, high school on January 11, 2013. Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluded that he died in a freak accident, falling headfirst into an upright mat. Johnson was captured, killed, castrated and his body dragged for miles. He was discovered rolled up in a gym mat on Friday 1/11. Credle, a veteran homicide detective from Washington, D.C., is referring to his work investigating the death of Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old boy who was found dead in a rolled-up wrestling mat at his Valdosta, Georgia, high school on January 11, 2013. 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. Crump said the Johnson family's legal team plans to focus on getting the official manner of death in the case changed from accidental to homicide. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "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. Anderson's report said he detected hemorrhaging on the right side of Johnson's neck. "I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who told me they've used old newspapers," Fountain said. "I feel outraged about them stuffing my son's body with newspaper," Jaquelyn Johnson said. Kendrick vanished at Lowndes High School around 1:20 p.m. on January 10, 2013. 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. 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. The episode, entitled "Dare," sees a young girl tragically dying in a gymnasium. Best known as the lawyer who helped focus national attention on the February 2012 shooting death of Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, Crump has pursued several civil rights cases against law enforcement agencies. Kendrick missed his fourth-period class and did not come home from school, prompting his family to file a missing persons report that night. Despite this, the Department of Justice closed the investigation in June 2016, citing insufficient evidence. The Johnsons hired Doctor Bill Anderson to conduct an independent second autopsy. [21] Other missing footage was the result of the camera's motion-activated function not being triggered. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. School officials found Johnson's body in the gym after his parents reported him missing the night before. He also said standard embalming practice is to fill empty space in body cavities with material such as sawdust or cotton. Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead and rolled up inside a high school gym mat back in 2013. [15], Johnson's family filed a legal action to open a coroner's inquest into his death. "I feel outraged about them stuffing my son's body with newspaper," Jaquelyn Johnson said. During the film, Jacquelyn becomes so overwhelmed seeing the footage that she has to excuse herself, as Kenneth wipes tears from his eyes. 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. Local newspaper Valdosta Today reported that those children claimed, when questioned by police, that theynever saw or heard Kendrick in the gym. 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. Horrified by what those photos depicted, they decided to post them on social media. Johnson's family asked the Justice Department to get involved, arguing that authorities failed to investigate Johnson's death thoroughly because he's black. Both independent autopsy reports determined the 17-year-old died of non-accidental blunt force trauma inconsistent with the positional asphyxia determination made by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. because the lungs fill with fluid, causing death. . They were all absent.". He said Johnson's organs were missing when the body arrived at Harrington. The 17-year-old was a well-liked honor roll student, an athlete, and his parents said he always helped out at home. 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. The body of Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found Jan. 11 in South Georgia. [1][2][3][4] After a preliminary investigation and autopsy concluded that Johnson's death was accidental, his family had a private pathologist conduct a second autopsy which concluded that he died from blunt force trauma.