Authorities close second investigation into death of Kendrick Johnson

A second investigation into the 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson has been closed with no charges filed, according to a report released by Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.

Second investigation into Kendrick Johnson’s death

Paulk told CNN that Johnson’s death was a “weird accident” but there is no evidence to substainate a homicide took place.

Paulk said his review of the extensive FBI investigation, 17 boxes worth of evidence including the audio evidence his office received in 2021 and his own look at the 2013 death of Johnson has come to this conclusion.

The sheriff told local news outlet WSBTV 2 he will reopen the case if someone brings him verified new information.

Kendrick Johnson’s death

The body of 17-year-old Johnson was found by a teacher upside down in a mat in Lowndes High School in Valdosta, GA on January 10, 2013.

Authorities said it appeared he was trying to reach for a shoe he had left inside the mat before winter break, got stuck and died.

An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of Johnson’s death was accidental positional asphyxia.

But inconsistencies in official reports on the condition of Kendrick’s body and other discrepancies led the family and community to question the official cause of his death.

Claims of discrepancies

Johnson’s parents have always maintained they believe their son was murdered.

They hired a pathologist who conducted an independent autopsy and concluded Johnson’s cause of death was “unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt-force trauma” to the neck.

Soon after this revelation, the Justice Department opened an investigation into the case in October 2013. In 2016, they closed the case, saying it had found “insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges.”

A 2021 documentary was released that took an in-depth look at the investigation and discrepancies indicating that foul play may have played a part in Johnson’s death.

Kendrick’s mother, Jaqueline Johnson, told WSBTV 2 she doesn’t trust local authorities and wants federal investigators to take another look at what happened to her son here nine years ago.

The Johnsons have a GoFundMe account open to hire a private investigator to look into what they say is new evidence.

They won’t publicly say what that new info is.