Kendrick Johnson: New autopsy finds Georgia teen’s death was not accidental says family

Kendrick Johnson was found dead, rolled up in his high school’s wrestling mat in January in what authorities say was accidental.

Authorities allege that Johnson was trying to recover a shoe that fell in between the wrestling mat. While trying to recover the shoe, he slipped and was lounged into the gym mat causing his death. But after seeing photos of the blunt trauma to his face and many inconsistencies in the story, his family wasn’t buying it. They believe it was no accident.

A new autopsy, arranged by the family, contradicts the autopsy done by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation found that Johnson’s death was the result of positional asphyxia. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office determined that his death was accidental. However, in the new report obtained by CNN,  it states Johnson died as the result of “unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt force trauma,”.

Johnson, a 17-year-old athlete was found headfirst in a rolled wrestling mat. Inconsistencies in the official report prompted his family and community members to move into action, questioning how he really died.

According to CNN, Johnson’s family attorney Chevene King, has sent the independent autopsy report to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the U.S . Attorney for Georgia’s Middle District and Lowndes County Coroner for review.

A spokesperson for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the agency stands by its report after reviewing the findings of the independent autopsy.

U.S. Attorney Michael Moore is reviewing the case but has not launched a formal investigation.

Source : CNN