VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) -- The parents of Kendrick Johnson are continuing their efforts to get justice for their son after he died in 2013. Johnson was found rolled up in a gym mat at Lowndes High School. Johnson’s parents re-filed a lawsuit on May 21 after dropping it on May 20.
What happened to Kendrick Johnson’s body?
Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat. The police initially ruled it an accident, but his parents suspect a cover-up. On January 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found in the most unusual of circumstances: upside-down and rolled up in a school gym mat.
Who did the Johnsons sue for $100 million?
In 2015, the Johnsons filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 people, including three of their son’s classmates, the school, the local crime lab, state and federal officials, five agents of the GBI, an FBI agent, and more.
Was Kendrick Johnson Black or white?
Kendrick Johnson was black and the Lowndes County Sheriff, Chris Prines, and his investigators were all white. Indeed, in 2013, racism in Valdosta, Georgia, was still very much alive. The family’s attorney, Chevene King, expressed that if Kendrick had been white, the case would have been handled differently.
What was the cause of death for Michael Johnson?
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. Just after 24 hours of being found, the investigators ruled Johnson’s death an accident.
Did Kendrick Johnson's family sue the school?
Johnson's parents filed a $100 million wrongful death suit against the brothers on Jan. 15, 2015, but dropped it on March 2, 2016. Over 40 defendants were named in a second lawsuit filed in August 2016, including Kendrick's classmates and school board members.
Where did Kendrick Johnson's organs go?
Adding to the confusion is the fact that in October 2013, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told CBS that Kendrick's organs were returned to his body following the autopsy, as per protocol. “Those organs were in the body when we sent it back to the funeral home,” an agency spokesperson said.
How many times has Kendrick Johnson been exhumed?
In June 2018, Kendrick Johnson's body was exhumed for a second time and a third autopsy was performed. The findings of the second autopsy, that Johnson's death was not accidental and caused by blunt force trauma likely due to being “struck in the neck with a 45lb dumbbell,” were confirmed.
How long was Kendrick Johnson in the mat?
Eight yearsEight 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.
What is the status of the Kendrick Johnson case?
Kendrick Johnson Case Closed: Second Investigation Finds Death of Georgia Teen Was Accidental. The family of the 17-year-old who was found dead in 2013 rejected the findings, pointing to multiple alleged discrepancies.
What was the cause of Kendrick Johnson death?
The autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded that Johnson's cause of death was positional asphyxia—suffocation as a result of being in a position where one can't breath, either because their nose or mouth are blocked, their chest can't expand, or otherwise.
Was Kendrick Johnson's organs removed?
The funeral home that processed the body following the FBI's autopsy stated that they never received Johnson's internal organs from the coroner; the organs were said to have been "destroyed through natural process" and "discarded by the prosector before the body was sent back to Valdosta," according to the funeral home ...
How did Kendrick Johnson get in the mat?
That initial investigation concluded that Johnson accidentally slipped into the center of the mat while reaching for a shoe and got stuck. An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of Johnson's death was accidental positional asphyxia.
How was Kendrick Johnson's body Found?
Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the Lowndes High School gym in Valdosta, Georgia. State and local law enforcement officials ruled the death an accidental asphyxiation, saying Johnson died after he climbed into a rolled-up mat to retrieve his sneakers.
Where is Kendrick Johnson buried?
Two entities had custody of Kendrick Johnson's body after his death — the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which conducted the first autopsy in January; and the Harrington Funeral Home in Valdosta, which handled the teen's embalming and burial.
How old is Kendrick Johnson?
Anyone in Valdosta, Ga., who knew Kendrick Johnson also knew his love of sports. The 17-year-old Lowndes High School junior played basketball, football and track — and often stayed after school to shoot hoops or catch a game. So when Kendrick didn't return home after school on Jan.
How was Kendrick Johnson's Body Found?
Kendrick Johnson's body was found in a wrestling mat Jan. 11, 2013, in the Lowndes High School gym in Valdosta, Georgia. State and local law enforcement officials ruled the death an accidental asphyxiation, saying Johnson died after he climbed into a rolled-up mat to retrieve his sneakers.
Where is Kendrick Johnson buried?
Two entities had custody of Kendrick Johnson's body after his death — the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which conducted the first autopsy in January; and the Harrington Funeral Home in Valdosta, which handled the teen's embalming and burial.
What is organ harvesting trafficking?
Trafficking in Persons for the Removal of Organs (TPRO) includes the removal of organs as an end purpose of trafficking. TPRO occurs across the globe and may be stepped up with the increase of transplant practices and poor regulation on these practices.
What is forced organ harvesting?
China is the only country in the world to have an industrial-scale organ trafficking practice that harvests organs from executed prisoners of conscience. This practice is known as forced organ harvesting.
Why did the Johnson family want Kendrick's death investigated?
After 23 weeks of standing on Valdosta street corners holding signs and demanding answers, the Johnson family wanted Kendrick's death to be investigated as a homicide. The Florida pathologist the Johnson family hired to conduct a second autopsy said a homicide investigation needs to be opened because Johnson's injuries appear to be inflicted by another.
Where was Kendrick Johnson found?
Kendrick Johnson, 17, was found dead in a mat at Lowndes High School in 2013. The circumstances of his death have been a source of conjecture, gossip, allegations and lawsuits ever since. WALB has compiled a timeline of events since Johnson's reported death.
How many signatures did Kim Kardashian get for the Johnson case?
The goal of the petition was 1.5 million signatures.
How many defendants were named in the Johnson family lawsuit?
The Johnson family filed another lawsuit, which named many of the same claims from the previous suit. A total of 41 defendants were named. The suit claimed Johnson was murdered and was covered up.
How long was the $10,000 reward in the case?
The $10,000 reward in the case was rescinded. The reward was good for only 90 days after the reward was first offered in October 2013. The Reverend Floyd Rose was in charge of making the public aware of the reward. He says it's time for closure.
What happened to the Johnson family?
Johnson's parents withdrew a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit.The family filed the wrongful death lawsuit on January 15, 2015, which accused two brothers of killing their son. The Lowndes County school issued a statement in response. The school board also was named in the suit.
Who filed a motion to dismiss in Lowndes County?
Lawyers for Lowndes County School Superintendent Wesley Taylor and the county school district filed a “motion to dismiss.” They asked the Middle District of Georgia to drop them from the new lawsuit Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson filed over the death of their son.
Story highlights
The family of Kendrick Johnson, who was found dead at a Georgia high school three years ago, has temporarily withdrawn a wrongful death lawsuit that includes two former schoolmates as defendants.
An accident or a homicide?
Johnson, 17, disappeared between classes at Lowndes High School on January 10, 2013. His body was found in a rolled gym mat the next day.
How old was Kendrick Johnson when he died?
Officials ruled his death accidental, but his family said since day one that the 17-year-old student was murdered. The Department of Justice announced in June 2016 that they were ending their investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson.
When was the Johnson v. Johnson lawsuit dropped?
That lawsuit was dropped in March of 2016.
Did the DOJ find evidence to support federal criminal charges?
The DOJ said they found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges. A new lawsuit with the same claim was filed in August of 2016. A judge dismissed the suit in June of this year after multiple deadlines were missed. Last month, the parents filed a third lawsuit claiming the defendants worked together to "cover up" Johnson's death.
What happened to Kendrick Johnson?
Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat. The police initially ruled it an accident, but his parents suspect a cover-up. On January 11, 2013, the body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found in the most unusual of circumstances: upside-down and rolled up in a school gym mat.
Why did Johnson's parents not take his death seriously?
But Johnson’s 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.
Why did Kendrick scrunch his shoulders?
It seemed possible that if Kendrick was trying to squeeze into the center of the mat, he could have scrunched his shoulders together to make himself narrower. But his parents would later maintain that his size versus the size of the mat alone was enough to debunk the investigators’ case.
How old was Kendrick Johnson when he was found upside down?
Wikimedia Commons Seventeen-year-old Kendrick Johnson’s body was inexplicably found upside-down in a rolled-up gym mat in 2013.
How many people did the Johnsons sue?
In 2015, the Johnsons filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 people, including three of their son’s classmates, the school, the local crime lab, state and federal officials, five agents of the GBI, an FBI agent, and more.
Where was Kendrick's body rolled up?
NY Daily News/Valdosta/Lowndes Regional Crime Labratory via CNN Kendrick’s body rolled up inside the gym mat with his shoes behind his knees.
Why were the organs not sent to 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.
