Death Of Kendrick Johnson Once Again Ruled An Accident, Family Vows To Keep Fighting

The family of Kendrick Johnson, the teenager found dead in his high school gym in 2013, has vowed to continue to fight for justice after another law enforcement agency has ruled his death an accident.

A new investigation into Johnson’s death was opened in March of last year, after the office of Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk received 17 boxes of evidence from the Department of Justice. In the time since, documentary filmmaker Jason Pollock worked with Johnson’s family and actress Jennifer Lewis to shed light on what the family’s personal investigator had uncovered.

This included indications that Johnson had been the victim of non-accidental blunt force trauma.

However, ten months since reopening the case, Paulk has once again brought the investigation to an end,  concluding that there has been no crime.

According to 11Alive, Paulk released his findings in a 16-page summary of the investigation on Jan 26. The summary covers evidence gathered by nine different law enforcement agencies, grand jury testimonies and autopsies.

Paulk’s report points to testimony by several witness, supporting the theory that Johnson had left his shoes in a gym matt; and that the boy’s body showed no signs of suffocation. Additionally, the report points to an audio tape of an alleged confession in Kendrick’s death, which was determined to be a hoax.

In separate interviews, both Kendrick’s parents vowed to continue fighting for their son.

“We will prove that this sheriff’s department once again lied,” said Kenneth Johnson in a press conference.  “We’re talking about a child who was murdered in their schools. And they’re treating us like we are the ones who are causing all kinds of chaos and problems.”

Jackie Johnson, Kendrick’s mother, added that she was not surprised by the outcome of this latest investigation.

“We already knew that nothing was going to be done on your watch. This is how you roll in Valdosta,” Jackie Johnson said. “You didn’t find nothing in 17 boxes? That’s the craziest lie you could have told. We already knew what team you were on. You are not on the team of righteousness.”

The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign and are looking to hire a private investigator to look into new evidence that recently came up.