KENDRICK JOHNSON: Death of teen at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, GA - 2013 - murder or accidental?

Johnson’s family has long-suspected the teen was killed by classmates and theorized that their parents conspired with school and law enforcement officials to cover up his death. If authentic, the audio may be one of the first significant clues to emerge since the case’s reopening earlier this month by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators declined to comment on what's said in the audio but confirmed they’re now tracking down the individual who allegedly sold the tape to Johnson’s mother.

'A Burden Like Hell': New Audio May Contain Confession In Kendrick Johnson’s Mysterious Death | Oxygen Official Site

A recording that reportedly contains an emotional confession of an individual who may have been involved in the suspicious 2013 death of teenager Kendrick Johnson in Georgia is now being vetted by authorities, police said this week.

www.oxygen.com

 

[Guess Who]

Justice Department Closes Investigation Into The Death Of Kendrick Johnson

The Department of Justice announced today that the independent federal investigation into the 2013 death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson in Valdosta, Georgia, found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.

www.justice.gov

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. Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed without the filing of federal criminal charges.

so they are not necessarily saying this was accidental, just that they didn't think they had enough evidence to get a guilty verdict. BIG difference.

 

[Ranch]

so they are not necessarily saying this was accidental, just that they didn't think they had enough evidence to get a guilty verdict. BIG difference.

I'm not going to read between the lines on this. It said "insufficient evidence to support charges".

 

[Guess Who]

I'm not going to read between the lines on this. It said "insufficient evidence to support charges".

which is not the same as saying it was considered an accidental death and closed because of that. They were very specific in their wording.

 

[Ranch]

which is not the same as saying it was considered an accidental death and closed because of that. They were very specific in their wording.

They also didn't say that it wasn't an accidental death.

 

[GrandmaBear]

So per the US DOJ, and the findings from years ago, they needed proof of racial animus for the federal charges. They couldn't just prove killing but had to prove that as well.

I don't see where this confirms the findings at the local level of accident at all, what it does say there is not sufficient to charge to prove a racial animus. Their words.

This is from 2013 decided in 2016 as well. Many years ago. It doesn't cover why the State of GA didn't charge or investigate further into homicide of some type without needing a racial animus.

I see nothing since the local medical examiner who couldn't even answer or explain anything at all when questioned ruled it an accident, to confirm her findings or say it was an accident. The further look into it confirmed nothing of the sort. Imo.

 

[Guess Who]

So per the US DOJ, and the findings from years ago, they needed proof of racial animus for the federal charges. They couldn't just prove killing but had to prove that as well.

I don't see where this confirms the findings at the local level of accident at all, what it does say there is not sufficient to charge to prove a racial animus. Their words.

This is from 2013 decided in 2016 as well. Many years ago. It doesn't cover why the State of GA didn't charge or investigate further into homicide of some type without needing a racial animus.

I see nothing since the local medical examiner who couldn't even answer or explain anything at all when questioned ruled it an accident, to confirm her findings or say it was an accident. The further look into it confirmed nothing of the sort. Imo.

yes. and when they do find it as accidental, that's what they say it is. They did not in this case, just that there was not enough evidence for a conviction, which to me, says it was NOT an accident, they just can't prove in court exactly who did exactly what.

 

[Regina]

I don't see him somehow going in as you are picturing. If the tube is taller than he was, he could never reach the shoes on the bottom with just one arm, that would be obvious to him I think before even trying...?

First, I'm not sure you understood what I described. I don't think he fell in from the top of the mat; I think he held onto the mat while lowering himself down into it as he reached for the shoe. For all I know, he'd actually accomplished it once before with the other shoe.
Regardless, I don't believe he would have tried if he thought it was impossible.

 

[Guess Who]

First, I'm not sure you understood what I described. I don't think he fell in from the top of the mat; I think he held onto the mat while lowering himself down into it as he reached for the shoe. For all I know, he'd actually accomplished it once before with the other shoe.
Regardless, I don't believe he would have tried if he thought it was impossible.

teens are surprisingly nimble and strong. I can see them doing this and mostly succeeding. Seems a lot easier to move the mats though, but we all know teens are not known for the best decisions.

 

[GrandmaBear]

First, I'm not sure you understood what I described. I don't think he fell in from the top of the mat; I think he held onto the mat while lowering himself down into it as he reached for the shoe. For all I know, he'd actually accomplished it once before with the other shoe.
Regardless, I don't believe he would have tried if he thought it was impossible.

I see what you mean if you are talking feet first, one arm could hold the top edge while he went in and the arm can be extended for some time. If you mean head first, I can't see it, or not for far and then the arm would definitely break with what happened from thereon. I have always understood that he went in head first and either I am missing what you mean or you think he went in feet first?

 

[Guess Who]

I see what you mean if you are talking feet first, one arm could hold the top edge while he went in and the arm can be extended for some time. If you mean head first, I can't see it, or not for far and then the arm would definitely break with what happened from thereon. I have always understood that he went in head first and either I am missing what you mean or you think he went in feet first?

it appears feet first, but I am not seeing that as being uncommon with a teenage brain, but none of the other explanations of this make sense as given and that the way they "closed" the case without saying it was an accident speaks volumes to me.

 

[Regina]

teens are surprisingly nimble and strong. I can see them doing this and mostly succeeding. Seems a lot easier to move the mats though, but we all know teens are not known for the best decisions.

Absolutely not, look at the death of Harley Dilly, God bless him. He thought he could get inside a house through the chimney. How I wish to God he would have chosen to just break a window!
In this instance, all I can say is it that- for some reason- it must have seemed easier than moving the other mats from out of the way.

 

[Regina]

I see what you mean if you are talking feet first, one arm could hold the top edge while he went in and the arm can be extended for some time. If you mean head first, I can't see it, or not for far and then the arm would definitely break with what happened from thereon. I have always understood that he went in head first and either I am missing what you mean or you think he went in feet first?

Don't you think that if he went in feet first, we wouldn't be having this discussion?

 

[GrandmaBear]

it appears feet first, but I am not seeing that as being uncommon with a teenage brain, but none of the other explanations of this make sense as given and that the way they "closed" the case without saying it was an accident speaks volumes to me.

Okay, now I am totally confused. Even in the past on this case, I figured he went in head first (which brings its own questions and it also changes how posts back and forth come across to me on other thoughts of what happened). This brings new questions. How can it be feet first if his goal was to get a shoe a the bottom? You need your arms to reach down to get it when you get there. Positional asphyxia to me was because he was downward onto the floor hands and head first with his body behind and above him weighing on his neck, shoulders, etc. and probably crushing at some point.

He was found in a "standing" mat right? The shoes fell per everyone I guess when he kicked them off or something due to gravity because that "end" was "up".

Are you sure about feet first, I don't understand it that way?

Honestly after reading a few things again, I am convinced he was rolled up in the mat along with his shoes. Once I did refresh on it some, I recall that's what I thought last time I looked at it. And if not that, someone else was still involved in his ending up in the mat and dead. Imo.

 

[Guess Who]

Okay, now I am totally confused. Even in the past on this case, I figured he went in head first (which brings its own questions and it also changes how posts back and forth come across to me on other thoughts of what happened). This brings new questions. How can it be feet first if his goal was to get a shoe a the bottom? You need your arms to reach down to get it when you get there. Positional asphyxia to me was because he was downward onto the floor hands and head first with his body behind and above him weighing on his neck, shoulders, etc. and probably crushing at some point.

He was found in a "standing" mat right? The shoes fell per everyone I guess when he kicked them off or something due to gravity because that "end" was "up".

Are you sure about feet first, I don't understand it that way?

Honestly after reading a few things again, I am convinced he was rolled up in the mat along with his shoes. Once I did refresh on it some, I recall that's what I thought last time I looked at it. And if not that, someone else was still involved in his ending up in the mat and dead. Imo.

I am also bothered a bit by the "lying" against the wall. That also makes me wonder if he was rolled up in it because 'lying" against the wall implies it was horizontal and not upright. IF it was actually upright, then yes, I think he went in head first for what ever reason and positional asphyxia "might" have happened, but it wouldn't have been very quick. How did nobody hear him yell or see him go in?

 

[Ranch]

Investigation into Georgia teen found dead in gym mat is closed without charges

Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the Lowndes High School gym in Valdosta.

www.nbcnews.com

The report addresses a number of what Paulk calls "rumors and accusations," including claims of a cover-up. Paulk wrote that because so many federal and local agencies were involved, “any person who looks at this case objectively would know that it would be impossible to conceal any evidence.”

He said an FBI investigation also found that there was no cover-up or conspiracy.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I am also bothered a bit by the "lying" against the wall. That also makes me wonder if he was rolled up in it because 'lying" against the wall implies it was horizontal and not upright. IF it was actually upright, then yes, I think he went in head first for what ever reason and positional asphyxia "might" have happened, but it wouldn't have been very quick. How did nobody hear him yell or see him go in?

Yeah and it seems to me all of this very info was vague the first time, the last time and still is now. Even in that pretty in depth Crime Online article I think it was, the details of the mat, how it was, was it the only one standing there, how he was found and more are all missing. Do we know if he had broken bones or arms or anything? Here we are still wondering if it was head first (I've always thought it was so now am more confused)... The story has never ever fit from day one.

Was there something nearby he got on to go in from the top? Looking again at my frig, I would need a ladder to go down into it from the top. Now he is a teen and he could have grabbed the top of the mat to haul himself up, like climb up with his feet like a tree climber IF it did not tip. Teens are limber but that really doesn't sound likely either... So we are to believe he got on top of a freestanding rolled up single mat and went in head first, floor on bottom...

Yes, the "lying" phrasing in the article is not the best choice of words and makes one wonder. Leaning would have been the better word. There was another spot in it that some word like that was used. Something like they didn't see him "lying dead" or some such or "as he lie dead"...

 

[Ranch]

‘No cover-up or conspiracy’: Sheriff releases synopsis of Kendrick Johnson’s death investigation

Kendrick Johnson’s body was found on Jan. 11, 2013, in a vertical rolled-up mat in the high school gymnasium in Georgia.

www.wagmtv.com

“All of the evidence, testimony, interviews, grand jury testimony, and even the blatant coercion and intimidation of some persons being questioned does not produce anything to prove any criminal act by anyone that would have resulted in the death of Kendrick Johnson,” Paulk wrote in the synopsis.

 

[Ranch]

 

[Ranch]

The above images are renderings showing the configuration of the mats before they were moved.

 

[Guess Who]

View attachment 13816View attachment 13816

Thank you! That makes that part at least make more sense, but nothing else. Who came up with the wording "lying against the wall"? That person does not need to be stating anything else publicly if this is the kind of info they are giving.