Kendrick Johnson (17) Dies after getting trapped in gym mats

[TupeloHoney]

I came upon this thread trying to understand better what the circumstances were. Based on other sites, media, etc I was leaning strongly towards foul play. After reading this thread to this point, I'm leaning more towards accident.

Teens do really "dumb" things, and think they are invincible. KJ may have assumed he could reach down and get the shoe. It wasn't necessarily on the floor. The matts were horizontal when he put the shoe in before the holidays, upright after. Maybe he didn't fall, but intentionally went in, hooking his feet, with shoes on, at the top. Maybe even grabbed the black shoe with the other hand, brought it up to his chest, started to back up... Realized he was stuck... lost his toe hold, etc, etc

The picture of the shoe in the bloody spot almost points to no cover-up, in my mind. As for who would benefit most from a cover up... The school. Someone knew the kids walked on and sat on these matts.

My 2 cents - A noob to mds and this thread :-)

Welcome, noob!

I disagree with nothing you've said

Local gossip and people posting on a Topix forum is far from being on CNN and national newspapers and other media outlets talking about a murderer. From the sounds of it, from what I'm gathering from your post, is he has named several people?

I didn't see your post regarding the difference between "post-mortem staining/lividity & peri-mortem bruising," but I would like to read it. I mentioned how difficult it is to differentiate several pages back. There is only a handful of forensic pathologists, in the U.S., that are considered experts in determining the difference. The findings are in the tissue under the skin. (not saying you said otherwise, just expanding on your comment)

One thing I have kept in mind is the scene was compromised from the get go. When KJ was found. We don't know what the students and teaching staff touched or moved. We don't have pictures of where things were when he was found, before people started touching things.

The shoe could have been by his body the whole time and fell when he was moved. I'm not saying that is what happened, I'm saying it is a possibility. He reached down for the shoe and placed it between his body and the mat. I don't know.

I can't remember what the placement was of both his arms. Were both arms found above his head?

There are things about the case that I question, but none of the things that have me scratching my head make me question whether it is murder vs. cover up vs. accident.

ITA that, with all the wriggling around KJ must have done, we don't know where that shoe was when Kendrick died, and I don't think it HAD to be UNDER him, even if that's where is was at first.

The body placement: I am becoming confused about this. I'm pretty sure both arms were found above his head. (I think it says something about that in the long-ass article I posted last night. Maybe? I'll go back and look when I get a chance.) I'm also under the impression that he was crammed down into the floor with his head/neck bent at an awkward angle when he died.

However, the Valdosta Daily Times article that includes a detailed interview with Sheriff Prine (I know I posted it here not terribly long ago, will have to find it) gave me the impression that KJ had, perhaps, actually worked himself OUT of the bottom of the mat a bit by the time he lost consciousness. I believe the sheriff said that when KJ was discovered and the mat turned over, MOST of his torso was hanging out the bottom. Now, I'm sure gravity and the turning over of the mat had something to do with that, but it still left me thinking that he had, POSSIBLY, worked his arms down out the bottom ... which could mean the shoe also worked its way out, away from the spilling of his body fluids, and then was knocked into the blood during all the chaos.

But I also still think it's *possible* that the shoe WAS in the mat when he died, just no longer underneath him.

[TupeloHoney]

While looking for that older interview with the sheriff, I found a new one:

http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/...-investigation

Sheriff Prine answers questions about KJ investigation

(Oct. 31, 2013) VALDOSTA -- The Times conducted an email interview this week with Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine regarding the Kendrick Johnson case.

While the sheriff openly discussed this case with The Times in May following the release of the state's autopsy that showed the Lowndes County student's death to be accidental, Prine agreed to the following Q&A session.



THE TIMES: Have you considered requesting the Department of Justice to come in to have a look at the Kendrick Johnson case? Why or why not?

PRINE: "No. A complete copy of the investigative case file was forwarded to United States Attorney Michael Moore immediately after the case was closed. That investigative file is a complete accounting of the work effort that was conducted during this investigation. I would welcome an independent review of this case by the Department of Justice."



THE TIMES: What was your thinking behind ruling the death as accidental the day the body was found? If not, what was your reason?

PRINE: "On Jan. 11, 2013, it was explained to the Johnson family that based on the investigative findings known at that point, his death 'appeared to be accidental' but the investigation would continue and investigators would know more after the completion of an autopsy. I felt it was important for the Johnson family and the public to be assured that although a tragedy had occurred, nothing so far had been found to indicate that any other student was in danger. This in no way was an indication the case was being closed or that an investigation would not be conducted.

"Investigators immediately began conducting interviews and examining physical evidence in an attempt to learn what exactly had taken place. This investigation continued until May when the case was closed. Much of what was learned was not released to the public, as with any other investigation, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation and be able to provide a complete and thorough accounting of what took place."



THE TIMES: Is there anything you would have done differently in handling the Kendrick Johnson case or presenting information to the public?

PRINE: "Certainly the coroner would be contacted immediately after the first deputies arrived at the school. This investigation was handled like all others in the past. The coroner was contacted once investigators had worked the surrounding scene and were prepared to make an examination of the deceased. The body of Kendrick Johnson was not touched or moved until the coroner arrived. Although not contacted by the Sheriff?s Office until investigators were prepared to examine the body, the coroner had knowledge that investigators were investigating a death at the high school."



THE TIMES: Not counting CNN, have Kendrick Johnson?s family or their lawyers, especially in the last two months, contacted the Sheriff's Office directly to request information?

PRINE: "During the investigation, investigators and I met with the Johnsons and provided them with the preliminary findings of the autopsy. Prior to the closing of the case, the Johnsons and their attorney met with investigators and requested a copy of the school surveillance video. Since the closing of the investigation, Kenneth Johnson has met with investigators and obtained items such as the shoes and the gray hooded sweatshirt, all of which were claimed as Kendrick Johnson?s personal property."



THE TIMES: Georgia's Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Kris Sperry said in an interview over the weekend that he stakes his reputation on the accuracy of the findings of Kendrick Johnson's state autopsy (which determined the death was accidental). Do you stand by your department's investigation?

PRINE: "Absolutely I do. I am confident that the investigative staff at the Sheriff's Office, the Valdosta Lowndes Regional Crime Lab, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted a complete and thorough investigation. The determination to close this case was not based on any one factor or bit of information but on a totality of the facts obtained through interviews, forensic testing, the crime scene investigation and the autopsy."



THE TIMES: The GBI was asked by your office to provide assistance. What was the division of labor while the scene was being analyzed and evidence collected?

PRINE: "The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was contacted at their Thomasville office shortly after the discovery of Kendrick Johnson's body. This was done for a number of reasons. This call resulted in a number of GBI personnel, including crime scene investigators and investigative agents, all of which responded from Thomasville, responding. These agents provided assistance with the processing of the scene and the review of video at the school. In part, the decision to contact the GBI was based on the fact that a child had been found deceased at a school. In addition to the physical size of the school and the scene, there were any given number of interviews that may need to be conducted."



THE TIMES: Do you consider the case to be closed?

PRINE: "Based on the information that was learned during the investigation, our investigative file has been closed; however, in the future, should new or additional evidence be discovered, appropriate investigative actions will be taken."



THE TIMES: Do you know what considerations are being given to the case by Attorney Michael Moore's office?

PRINE: "No. Again, I am aware that the investigative file was forwarded to Michael Moore's office and would welcome his review of the file."



THE TIMES: Do you have any family members or godchildren who knew or who were involved with Kendrick Johnson or his family? If so, what was the nature of the relationship(s)?

PRINE: "I have a daughter and two granddaughters, none of whom go to Lowndes High School or knew Kendrick Johnson." The sheriff added later that he also has no godchildren.



THE TIMES: Did you at any point in the investigation have a person of interest or a suspect in the case?

PRINE: "Our investigators have remained objective and explored all avenues that were presented, including rumors. Each time a bit of information was learned, investigators made every possible effort to examine the information and interview the persons named."



THE TIMES: Did you ever have any reason to search for a suspect?

PRINE: "No. Had any information been learned, including the development of a suspect during this investigation, those leads would have been exhausted. Nothing was learned during the investigation."



THE TIMES: Have you ever received any credible information that would point to Kendrick's death as non-accidental?

PRINE: "No. All information learned and documented during this investigation supports the investigative findings that this death was an accident."



THE TIMES: How many interviews were conducted during the investigation?

PRINE: "During the investigation, numerous interviews, including students, coaches, teachers, janitorial staff and parents were conducted. This included every student who was identified as having been in the gym between the time Kendrick Johnson disappeared through the time that he was discovered. This also included members of the basketball team and winter color guard both (of) whom practiced in the gym on Jan. 10."



THE TIMES: Have investigators identified anyone they would like to interview but have not been able to locate?

PRINE: "No. We have followed every lead that was learned including many rumors that were checked into."



THE TIMES: Who initiated (Wednesday's) hearing ... ?

PRINE: "The Johnson family filed a suit in June 2013 seeking a hearing concerning the application of open record laws. In August 2013, County Attorney Jim Elliott filed a motion seeking a hearing on the matter."



THE TIMES: Kendrick's family believe their son was murdered and that there has been a cover up to protect people involved. (It has been) stated that a cover up of that magnitude is implausible and that in a search for answers, an injustice has been perpetrated on those who have investigated the case and who work for the school system by suggesting that they are a part of a cover up. Do you agree?

PRINE: "Yes, I do. I have all the confidence in the world that this investigation was handled with necessary diligence to assure that all leads were examined and exhausted. This investigation included the interviewing of witnesses, the documentation, examination and forensic testing of physical evidence, including over 800 photographs of the scene that were taken, the completion of a new procedure that captured a 360 degree digital scan, that allows for the scene to be later digitally recreated, and completion of an autopsy by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In order to provide additional assurances that all avenues were examined, investigative agents from the GBI were requested at the initial onset of this investigation. Any such cover up would require the collaboration of any number of Sheriff's Office employees, agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, personnel from the Medical Examiner's office and crime scene technicians from the Valdosta Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory."

[bowieluva]

I think it's sad because I think a lot of opportunists have been whispering in these parents' ears, and now no matter what result they get, they're going to be unsatisfied.

[TupeloHoney]

I was mistaken about the position of his arms. This is from the Regional Crime Lab report:

... GBI crime scene specialist Horne and I placed Johnson's body on a sterile white sheet to conduct an additional cursory examination for documentation. It appeared that rigor and livor mortis had already set in, which was consistent with the position of the way the body was found Johnson's right arm was in a position that appeared to cover his face and his left arm was along his body with his forearm bent back towards his head. Johnson's fingers were loosely curled up on both hands. one black wire with white earphones was hooked around Johnson's left hand middle and index finger.

http://kjtheboywhodidntcomehome.file...hnson-case.pdf


And the thing about KJ's torso hanging out of the mat when it was turned over WASN'T from an interview with the sheriff. It appears to be from an EMT report. Trying to find it. I've read WAY too many articles about this case. I'm so confused about where I read what!

[morbidT]

I think it's sad because I think a lot of opportunists have been whispering in these parents' ears, and now no matter what result they get, they're going to be unsatisfied.

Absolutely.

I was mistaken about the position of his arms. This is from the Regional Crime Lab report:


http://kjtheboywhodidntcomehome.file...hnson-case.pdf


And the thing about KJ's torso hanging out of the mat when it was turned over WASN'T from an interview with the sheriff. It appears to be from an EMT report. Trying to find it. I've read WAY too many articles about this case. I'm so confused about where I read what!

Wow, thanks for trying to dig some things up.

So, IMO, from the positioning of his arms, he may have been trying to toss a shoe out and it could have gotten stuck between his body and the mat. It would make him trying to get out of the mat more difficult if he had something in his hands, so tossing the shoes out while he was still upside down makes sense in order to free up his hands so he could back himself up and and of the mat.

[Jsoeur]

I was mistaken about the position of his arms. This is from the Regional Crime Lab report:


http://kjtheboywhodidntcomehome.file...hnson-case.pdf


And the thing about KJ's torso hanging out of the mat when it was turned over WASN'T from an interview with the sheriff. It appears to be from an EMT report. Trying to find it. I've read WAY too many articles about this case. I'm so confused about where I read what!

Hmm - And today there is news that additional surveillance video will be released. Also, interview with a student who was in the gym when KJ's body was found: The coach knocked the mats over to get to him and his feet and legs came out... I thought I had read it was the other way around... His legs and feet were photographed *IN* the rolled up mat. Sigh

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/311979/40/More-video-to-be-released-in-Kendrick-Johnsons-death

[Jsoeur]

[QUOTE=TupeloHoney;3514899]Welcome, noob!

I disagree with nothing you've said

Thanks for the welcome! Smart, Smart folks on this thread ;-)

[blighted star]

For what it's worth... (There's so much bullshit in this case it's hard to look at anything from any source without a great deal of scepticism)

In yet another shocking twist in the mysterious death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, a friend of the Georgia teen is revealing some important information that could lead investigators to the truth.

Soloman Arrington, 16, told the Daily Mail that he received Facebook threats just hours after he learned that his best friend was dead.

Moore reported the message to a detective from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, but she said he quickly downplayed any connection.

In fact, Lt. Stryde Jones told the Daily Mail that authorities were aware of the comments made to Soloman and possibly others, insisting they were taken seriously and investigated.

There was a bit more to the article but it was pretty sensationalist & will just annoy most MDS readers si I snipped it to save us the irritation, but if anyone wants to annoy themselves, feel free to read the rest (there's not much)

http://globalgrind.com/2013/11/06/ke...-scene-photos/

[Miller22]

So what you're saying Blighted is, according to this article, teens were on social media talking saying things - potentially connecting themselves to this case?

[blighted star]

I came upon this thread trying to understand better what the circumstances were. Based on other sites, media, etc I was leaning strongly towards foul play. After reading this thread to this point, I'm leaning more towards accident.

Teens do really "dumb" things, and think they are invincible. KJ may have assumed he could reach down and get the shoe. It wasn't necessarily on the floor. The matts were horizontal when he put the shoe in before the holidays, upright after. Maybe he didn't fall, but intentionally went in, hooking his feet, with shoes on, at the top. Maybe even grabbed the black shoe with the other hand, brought it up to his chest, started to back up... Realized he was stuck... lost his toe hold, etc, etc

The picture of the shoe in the bloody spot almost points to no cover-up, in my mind. As for who would benefit most from a cover up... The school. Someone knew the kids walked on and sat on these matts.

My 2 cents - A noob to mds and this thread :-)

Aha! I knew if I kept asking annoying questions, someone would come up with a good explanation. Yeah maybe that could work? It could be argued that it wouldn't remain there as he struggled, but there's no way of recreating what he did without his input so jt's certainly plausible enough as an alternative theory. Ok, I'm back over the fence now & welcome!!

I think tupelo's report said there's 800 scene pix? So there'd have to be shots of the other shoe somewhere - maybe it's covered in mess? If so, it'll answer my shoe questions once & for all (much to everyone's relief).

& mT I'll try & find the links I posted, it's back here somewhere ...(& feel especially free to expand on my answers when I've been too lazy to do it myself!!)

[Jsoeur]

Sounds about right, M22 - and on the other end of the spectrum: the kid who maybe didn't get the memo. Says that she witnessed the finding of the body, and that when the mats were knocked over, KJ's feel and legs came out of the rolled up mat. http://www.11alive.com/news/article/...Johnsons-death

So... Who put them back in for the photo op?? Worst. Cover-up. Ever?

[*crickets*]

Here is what absolutely reeks about this case to me (for starters)--that LE seems to have decided on the "it was an accident" narrative from day 1. Before the autopsy was done. Before their so-called "investigation." Literally from day 1.

From the Lowndes County Sheriff's Incident Report, P. 20, written on 1/11/13, the day KJ's body was discovered:




..."no signs of trauma"...

Really?? A dead kid in a pool of blood, whose face looked like it had been run over by a steamroller, had "no signs of trauma"?
(I won't post the pic of his face again..if you haven't seen it, it's on P. 1 of this thread.)

Here is Sheriff Prine on the local news the next day, doubling down on the "no foul play/move along folks, nothing to see here" story:



Still no autopsy at this point, no COD, nothing but his own wishful thinking to support the 'accident' theory.

One thing I was very taken aback by, is that classes were not cancelled the day Kendrick's body was found. The school went right on with business as usual, with the police and KJ's body in the gym. "No big deal, move along folks, nothing to see here...just an accident..."

[Jsoeur]

The other shoe, as seen in video taken of crime scene.
From a CNN spot dated Oct 9:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikOTD9Urh0A

3:35 black shoe discussed
4:44 other black shoe
5:20 KJ's body
5:56 other black shoe again

[bowieluva]

OH IT WAS A BLACK SHOE STOP TRYING TO MAKE THIS ABOUT RACE GUIse

[Miller22]

OH IT WAS A BLACK SHOE STOP TRYING TO MAKE THIS ABOUT RACE GUIse

[blighted star]

So what you're saying Blighted is, according to this article, teens were on social media talking saying things - potentially connecting themselves to this case?

Depends which bit of "what I'm saying" that we're talking about. If you mean the bits I snipped out of the last article I posted, it was just hype about the vids & the blood on the wall, making it sound like definite, undeniable proof of murder -when it's not.

If you mean the first post I made when I found a comment about what was being said locally, but not reported? Then possibly, but it's kind of hearsay on top of hearsay on top of hearsay. What I saw was a post either under an article or in a topix thread, from someone (I assumed a mother, but could be wrong) complaining that minors had been named & slandered in discussions that took place on fb pages earlier this year. I think it said the comments were removed but I'm nowhere near certain of it

I haven't been able to find the comment again & it shouldn't have been hard to find because I'd only looked at 3 or 4 pages at the time I first mentioned it, so I'm wondering if it was deleted? It would be nice to find it again to see if I remember it correctly, but it probably doesn't matter so much now that overseas media agencies are running stories that pretty much align with what I recall reading.

If true, it's apparently been discussed locally since the day he died but the media hasn't reported it until now. There's at least one site claiming that local media ignore a lot of stories or certain aspects of stories & so the site runs what they call "the unreported" news - & it's not just this case, there's lots of stuff. (& of course, not being local, I'm not in a position to judge whether he's exaggerating the situation, but if true, the claims that the media chose not to report some aspects of the case might not be as farfetched as it seems).

This is the guy that runs the unreported news. It's been ongoing monthly since at least 2010. Like I said, I'm as far from local as an MDS member can be, so I'm not forming an opinion one way or another on any of the issues he raises. This is just to make the point that there have been claims of certain news stories going unreported before now



He mentions in this vid another unreported school incident involving a girl?? Will see if I can find out what it's about


ETA I think it's this but, I clearly found it in a Valdosta news source, so I'm not so sure about his "mute button" being pressed this time (unless they're another independent news source)

http://valdostatoday.com/2013/07/par...ource-officer/

Valdosta, GA- The parents of a Pine Grove Middle School student are in the process of filing charges against a school resource officer at Pine Grove Middle. Tim and Shanderlin Watkins are filing the charges which stemmed from an incident involving their daughter at the school in May.

Watkins’ 14-year old daughter was accused by the resource officer of instigating a fight and attacking a teacher in the closing days of the school year. On May 24, the SRO allegedly detained and arrested the girl without probable cause and accused her of felony assault. The teacher involved, Derrick Yarbrough, came to the teen’s defense, saying she did not strike him nor start the fight. Pine Grove’s principal, Ken Overman, also echoed the teacher’s statements.

Shanderlin Watkins says the resource officer did not tell her that he had the girl in handcuffs for an hour after she had been arrested, nor did he read the girl her Miranda rights before questioning the 14 year-old. The SRO’s report states that the girl had been tackled to the ground and cuffed, and was left face-down on the floor for nearly an hour before a science teacher helped her off the floor.

The parents say they attempted to file a formal complaint against the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the resource officer involved, only to be told that there were no complaint forms available. A complaint and subsequent pre-warrant hearing were scheduled and filed, charging the SRO with simple assault, cruelty to children, violation of oath of office, false statements and writings, concealment of facts, and fraudulent documents in matters within jurisdiction of state or political subdivisions and false imprisonment of a minor.

The pre-warrant hearing will be heard by probate Judge Terri Adams-McDowell, who must determine if the case against the SRO will go to trial. No date has been set for that hearing.

[bowieluva]

My guess is that this was a tragic accident, poorly handled. Because the parents' theories are being fueled by lawyers and internet speculators. It's gone from 'you guys were negligent' to 'this was a secret ultra bullying crime (ZING BUZZ WORD) done by racists (zing buzz word part deux)

[Live2Love]

I need to find the article but they finally released the video and it seriously looks as though it's been tampered with. We'll probably never know why but it looks like part of the video is missing.

[Miller22]

I need to find the article but they finally released the video and it seriously looks as though it's been tampered with. We'll probably never know why but it looks like part of the video is missing.

Which video?

[TessD]

My guess is that this was a tragic accident, poorly handled. Because the parents' theories are being fueled by lawyers and internet speculators. It's gone from 'you guys were negligent' to 'this was a secret ultra bullying crime (ZING BUZZ WORD) done by racists (zing buzz word part deux)

I agree, Bowieluva. One can just read what's posted in this thread to see how this has esculated from complaints of a botched investigation to a racist bully crime. And just because it wasn't covered in the media, I can't imagine there's not a lot of talk, rumors and speculation floating around amongst the students and the community, adding fuel to the fire. I hope this new investigation will bring at least a little bit of peace to Kendrick's parents. I believe they have other children and this has to be so hard for all of them.

[queenaevadamthng]

Lol at "finally". Your complaint is the complete opposite of the Valdosta local's complaints I've been reading far too many Valdosta Topix threads for the last few days The most common gripe from those using such words as "knee grow" is that Kendrick's Dad has been naming names & making accusations of murder from day one & he should SHUT THE FUCK UP (to put it more politely than the racially affronted posters).

I notice it's a UK publication running the first mention of the bullying in the media?? We don't really think Mr Johnson went all this time, & sat in the heat through all that protesting without ever attempting to share these details with local media? If anyone does think that? Don't. The story in that article is pretty much what I read on topix & have been fruitlessly searching for over the last few days. It's been circulating for a long time & according to locals it's repeated at every opportunity - they know because they're near the rallies or know someone who was & it gets around town on the grapevine. We don't hear it til someone finds it on topix or it's published by the media. For some reason, in this case, that didn't happen until overseas media picked up the story.


& before I'm mistaken for someone who's firmly in the "all the evidence points to murder" camp, the red stuff on those grey/brown?? sneakers really looks like paint to me (- although there's also a finer spray/mark that looks iffier, which is exactly why they should've bagged everything, it's not like they found him in a squat with 4ft of garbage on the floors)



But then again ...


Ignore the autopsies, ignore the stupid stories about the sheriff'son etcetc, ignore all of it & focus on this -

We still haven't had an explanation for the non-saturated shoe. That one detail, far more than any autopsy finding, is going to be the biggest problem LE has. The pathology sites I posted earlier (who had extensive experience with darker skin pigment) made it pretty clear that differentiating between post-mortem staining/lividity & peri-mortem bruising is difficult in all patients, but moreso in those with darker skin. In some instances it's not possible to tell the difference. There is research into previously unknown changes that are present only in bruising, but it's possible there'll never be a real answer in this case.

The shoes are a different matter though.

If there was no body fluid-saturated shoe at the scene, the scenario LE propose is impossible - you guys do get that don't you?


Even if Kendrick had the tiny feet of an exceptionally delicate little girl, his shoes could not have been beneath him in a space with a 14.5 inch diameter without being saturated by blood, body fluids & vomit. Even if the shoe/s magically remained pristine within the confined space beneath Kendrick & the 14.5 inch diameter floor inside the mat, (& they couldn't, so this is hypothetical,), they should've had splashes of fluids hit them when the mat was moved & "blood, vomit & dreadlocks splashed out".

Given the description of what happened when the mat was moved, we could even expect to see "wipe marks" if his saturated dreadlocks came into contact with the shoe/s as everything fell out. It beggars belief that the shoe in the pic came through unscathed not once, but twice (1.sitting under KJ for hours 2. when the mat was moved & everything splashed) & it destoys the entire scenario.



- if it's clean, it wasn't beneath him.
- if it wasn't beneath him, he can't have been reaching for it.
- if he wasn't reaching for it he had no reason to be in the mat voluntarily.


The rest of the story doesn't swing me either way, but this has got me stuck. I know there's quite a few people who are adamant LE got it right & I'm happy to join you if this clean shoe can be explained. So far, as far as I can see, the only way that shoe doesn't destroy the LE scenario is if there's a photo of the other shoe from that pair & it is saturated??

That's where I am with all this...

[blighted star]

My guess is that this was a tragic accident, poorly handled. Because the parents' theories are being fueled by lawyers and internet speculators. It's gone from 'you guys were negligent' to 'this was a secret ultra bullying crime (ZING BUZZ WORD) done by racists (zing buzz word part deux)

Yeah, unless they turn up some real "buried" evidence I'd probably lean towards that assessment. At worst I was thinking prank gone wrong. Something like - he allowed himself to be tackled & rolled up because he thought they'd let him out. They left him as a joke because they thought he could get out himself with minimal effort (a lot of people still seem to be under the impression he could simply tip it over& unroll himself) - but he & "they" were all wrong. Under those circumstances I could see some adults saying one teen wth great potential has just had their life destroyed, why make it more than one when no-one intended to hurt anyone.



George Boston Rhynes might have a point about unreported news though. I can find reports in this source http://valdostadailytimes.com/top-lo...mobRedir=false when the case against the sheriff was dismissed, making the complainants claims in the article appear unfounded.

ie -

Crews, Bennett and Keene are former employees of the sheriff’s office and, in the lawsuit filed in 2009, they allege Prine wrongfully terminated their employment because they supported the sheriff’s opponent during the 2008 campaign for sheriff, an earlier report stated. The allegations made by the trio included wrongful termination based on sex, pregnancy, disability, age, former complaints of discrimination and for requesting time off from work.

Chris Prine ran for the Democratic nomination for the office of Lowndes County sheriff in 2008 (snipped)

In the case pertaining to Leanne Bennett, she campaigned for her brother in the 2008 election and expressed her views many times that Yeager was better qualified than Prine to assume the office of sheriff. Prior to the election run-off, she campaigned at the 100 Black Men barbecue. It was at that event that Prine and Bennett spoke, and the — less than amicable— conversation led Prine to his decision to terminate Bennett if he was in fact elected as sheriff. Prine felt that she was loud and boisterous during the conversation, and he did not like that she accused him of spreading rumors about her family.

but when the appeal went against him this year they don't seem to have run the story that did run elsewhere? At least if they did, it's not coming up on searches run from Australia -maybe someone else might have more luck.

http://tallahasseeo.com/2013/02/12/l...ation-lawsuit/





Also, just when you think there couldn't possibly be more suss shit in one case, the weird little screw ups & discrepancies are still coming in Kendrick's. You aren't the only one who thought the vid footage was a little odd Live2Love

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/07/ju...gym-mat-death/

Also Thursday, lawyers for Johnson's family raised questions about apparent discrepancies in newly released surveillance images, including missing time codes, gaps and a mysteriously blurry and out-of-position camera that should have been pointed right at the spot where authorities found Johnson's body some 10 months ago.

The surveillance images were provided by authorities after a judge ruled they must be released.

For instance, in one image, a man seen walking away from the gym in what appears to be an image captured late at night suddenly disappears from a series of images shot by a motion-activated camera. Other images shot at other times capture people walking in that same location, attorney Chevene King said.

New footage release in the case of Kendrick Johnson

In another example, King showed reporters images from a camera that he said should have shown the place where authorities say Johnson fell into a gym mat and suffocated. The image was blurry and out of position, he said.

While stopping short of directly accusing authorities of deliberately tampering with the evidence, King said problems with the surveillance are only the latest in a series of oddities that have drawn national attention to Johnson's death

.
It's been asked why they needed a judge to make the order when footage of other school & school bus incidents - showing the faces of uninvolved minors, seems to be released without all this drama


& also discussed in that article, a little more weirdness

The coroner's death investigation report was obtained by CNN through an open records request directed at the coroner's office.

A second coroner's death investigation report was provided by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office.

The second report, which is not signed nor dated, is not nearly as critical as the first.

"I was not called by investigating officers regarding this death until the afore listed time of notification," it read.

It was not immediately clear why there were two coroner's reports. The inconsistencies between them were also not clear.

[blighted star]

This article gives detail I've never seen before. It's the sort of detail we're usually debating early on in a case here on MDS - because it's usually mentioned somewhere in the media early on. For whatever reason, this time it was only mentioned on fb, topix etc & if you weren't local & didn't literally hear it mentioned, you had no idea it was happening unless you chanced upon some obscure article comment.

If this stuff is accurate, it backs up some of the rumours on topix & shows it wasn't only being discussed in anonymous forums - & there was some substance to the stories. People were concerned enough to report it to LE & sign their names to it within days of Kendrick's death & before a single protest took place. Whether any of it actually means something significant in relation to his death is another matter


http://www.ebony.com/news-views/who-...son-part-4-304

"When you start messing, the goons bodies start showing up"

It was mere hours since Kendrick "KJ" Johnson's body had been discovered on 11th January, 2013 in the old gym at Lowndes County High School, when classmate Lana Langtry* saw the FaceBook post from Frank Kramer*, another student from the school. Shortly after the post, Kramer inexplicably deactivated his account, so the post was no longer visible.

Langtry was concerned, so she went to the sheriff's office.

He (Kramer)made (other) posts on Facebook that he was going to start killing them off, one by one", she told the detective who took her written statement.

Langtry claimed that Kendrick & several of his friends were part of a group who called themselves CVC, which stands for the Clyattville Click. Kramer had been feuding with the Clyattville Click. It seemed like a CVC member, Tony Thompkins* was making overtures to Kramer's girlfriend Elizabeth. Kramer was jealous.

Police wondered, could Kramer have acted on that jealousy. Langtry didn't know.

(snipped)

While Kendrick lay nearby as a silent, unknown witness to the proceedings, the school's Colour Guard went through it's routines. More than one person who was there that night claimed that at about 7PM, a teaching assistant who worked with the Colour Guard let a Black male teenager into the gym.

This individual was approximately 5'10" and 165 pounds, short black hair, wearing glasses & carrying a bookbag he walked up the ramp past the old gym, toward the main office of the high school. That was the last anyone saw of him.

The practice broke up at 8PM, with the only ones remaining Kendrick and the teenager that had been let into the gym and disappeared.

(snipped)

On 17th January, 2013, Detectives Jack Winningham & Sergeant Mike Adams were interviewing students at the high school when they heard an interesting story.

Months before, on a school bus travelling to a school football game, Kendrck got into a fight with fellow student Sean Marshall. What the fight was about was unclear.

Following up on January 31st, Winningham interviewed Marshall at his home with his parent's permission. During that conversation, Marshall said he was in gym with KJ the previous semester. It was during their gym class that he saw Kendrick & other students throwing their shoes "... over mats in the corner, then go retrieve them the next day to play basketball".

He mentioned nothing about their alleged fight on the bus to the football game.

ETA I thought the story about the gym being pulled down soon after KJ's death was more bullshit - like the "sheriff's soon/daughter is involved" stories. But has anyone else noticed the words "old gym" & "new gym" popping up in articles? Was it pulled down?

More "interesting" than "Marshall's" story about the shoes being thrown over the mats, could be whether anyone besides him made the same claim, & if anyone did, were they friendly or unfriendly with the CVC?

[TupeloHoney]

There are two gyms. The "old gym" and the "new gym."

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowndes_High_School

In 2007, a new $8 million 49,549-square-foot (4,603.3 m2) gymnasium was completed. The former gym, built in 1966, seated approximately 1,600, while the new facility seats approximately 3,056. The building also contains five classrooms, locker rooms, and coaches offices.[10] The project was funded through SPLOST II and Manley Spangler Smith Architects was the firm that designed the gym.

[blighted star]

There are two gyms. The "old gym" and the "new gym."

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowndes_High_School

Thankyou. I figured you'd be able to answer that better than the rest of us, but it looks like I'd have been able to do it myself if I'd bothered doing a minimal search