Kendrick Johnson’s Death Was ‘An Accident’ – So Says Sheriff As Second Investigation Closes

Who, or what killed Kendrick Johnson? After a second investigation, the question still hangs in the air because no answer has come forth. The Lowndes County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office reopened the case in March. However, the case is now closed.

The 17-year-old boy’s body was discovered inside a wrestling mat at Lowndes County High School on Jan. 11, 2013. The federal investigation that started in 2016 has concluded there is ‘insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges’ according to a CNN report.

It has now been ruled an accident by the office of Lowndes County Sherriff. The sheriff, Ashley Paulk, has said in a report there was nothing relating the found body to criminal activity.

“Evidence and other information do not produce anything to prove any criminal act by anyone that would have resulted in the death of Kendrick Johnson,” he stated.

However, the family of Johnson believes it is all a murder cover-up by the police department because a report by a pathologist hired by the family to conduct an independent autopsy revealed that the death was caused by blunt force to the neck. Moreover, some organs were missing.

On Thursday afternoon, after the sheriff’s report was out, the family came out to reiterate its earlier position that he was killed.

“I will fight as long as I have to uncover what exactly happened to Kendrick Johnson,” cried his father, Kenneth Johnson. He wore a T-shirt with the statement: “Kendrick Johnson didn’t roll himself up into no mat.”

The first investigation had concluded that Johnson accidentally slipped into the center of the mat and got stuck while trying to retrieve a shoe. Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted an autopsy that concluded accidental asphyxiation had caused the death.

These inconsistencies in the autopsy reports led the family and friends to doubt the official report explaining the cause of death. The boy’s parents still think their son was murdered.

Johnson’s mother, Jacquelyn, posted an image of Johnson’s bloated and mutilated body on social media, and it went viral. She later clarified via The Guardian all she wanted was to remind the public about what happened to her child otherwise she would have never posted.

The sheriff says the case is closed again but will reopen it should someone bring him verified new information.