No Charges in the Kendrick Johnson Gym Mat Death

[Tricia]

"After extensive investigation into this tragic event, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson’s civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime," a statement from the Justice Department said. "Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed without the filing of federal criminal charges."

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/crime-law/kendrick-johnson-parents-say-gym-mat-death-investi/nrjgt/

There was ZERO evidence in the beginning.

The hell the Justice Department put the family of the boys they accused of killing Kendrick through is obscene.

From the article:

"Witnesses and surveillance footage place Brian and his older brother Branden, also implicated at one time by the Johnsons, away from the old gymnasium at Lowndes High where Kendrick was last seen alive. Branden Bell, according to teammates, his coach and the bus driver, was en route to a wrestling tournament in Macon at the time. School cameras captured Brian in class on the other side of the sprawling campus."

Kendrick's death was a tragic accident.

If anyone posts anything about Kendrick being murdered it will be removed.

The JD investigated for YEARS and found nothing because there was nothing.

Kendrick's death was ruled an accident years ago but that didn't stop the Justice Department from turning the accused family's life upside down.

 

[katydid23]

I hope this can be some kind of closure for aLL sides now. RIP young man :rose:

 

[katydid23]

from link:


The DOJ said investigators interviewed nearly 100 people, reviewed "tens of thousands of emails and text messages," and surveillance video from the school over the course of the investigation.

"After extensive investigation into this tragic event, federal investigators determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson’s civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime. Accordingly, the investigation into this incident has been closed without the filing of federal criminal charges," a release read in part.

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/no-federal-criminal-charges-in-kendrick-johnsons-death/250378746

 

[Shlock Homes]

I followed the case early on, there never seemed to be any evidence to foul play. Sadly the family has spent a lot of money trying to get this proven otherwise, and will never be able to accept that Kendrick just died by misadventure. If he had been with someone else, and they saw him stuck, it would have been a different outcome. I hope the school removed all those matts or at least stored them different afterwards.

 

[bwt42]

http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/gym-mat-death-was-an-accident-feds-investigation-w/nrkdY/

This was a politically inspired witch hunt from the start. Even the results of the investigation were released in a manner to give the Johsons cover to continue their accusations.

 

[katydid23]

http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/gym-mat-death-was-an-accident-feds-investigation-w/nrkdY/

This was a politically inspired witch hunt from the start. Even the results of the investigation were released in a manner to give the Johsons cover to continue their accusations.

According to the Kendrick Johnson FB, the family is going to continue their daily protests:

https://www.facebook.com/RipKendrickJohnson/

 

[x_files]

This case always troubled me.
I feel so bad for his parents.

 

[teedie2]

According to the Kendrick Johnson FB, the family is going to continue their daily protests:

https://www.facebook.com/RipKendrickJohnson/

I feel sorry for Kendrick's family for their loss, but I wonder if WSers will be able to refrain from posting about all the non-news that is going to follow the decision. Sounds like the family is going to try to keep on making "news."

JMO

 

[bwt42]

I feel sorry for Kendrick's family for their loss, but I wonder if WSers will be able to refrain from posting about all the non-news that is going to follow the decision. Sounds like the family is going to try to keep on making "news."

JMO

I lost my compassion for the family because of what their wild accusations did to so many innocent people.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Parents of teen found in gym mat allege time of death manipulated

http://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/...ime-death-manipulated/4cOJvY0ZqPRwZdNKcoRm4M/

 

[flourish]

Oh goodness. This was an accident. A horrible, tragic accident. I keep hoping these parents will be able to find peace within, but they never will as long as they continue this denial and blame. Positional asphyxiation. Pretty obvious.

 

[Hatfield]

Oh goodness. This was an accident. A horrible, tragic accident. I keep hoping these parents will be able to find peace within, but they never will as long as they continue this denial and blame. Positional asphyxiation. Pretty obvious.

I totally agree. Its just a terrible accidental tragedy.

I can understand how it got out of hand at first because it was such a bizarre accident. But now with all the investigations mainly over and the alibis that the accused have its just sad that the parents cannot accept what happened and try to heal themselves and the community.

Grief is a horrible thing to have to go through and one easy scapegoat to handle grief is anger. Its so much easier to get angry and blame others as a person tries to handle grief. I suspect that is what contributed to this getting way out of hand.

Ive seen examples of this when I had an extended relative on their deathbed and there was arguments among family members whether it was time to pull life support. The anger and arguments was incredible. It was such a learning experience for me because I did not have the close emotional attachment as others in the room so I got to observe what was happening. I concluded that people used the anger to help themselves grieve with the situation. It was just much easier to get angry and stay angry than to face what was actually happening.

The other thing that contributed to this getting out of hand is the bizarre nature of the accident. Especially in this case where it was so bizarre it really is a little hard to believe someone could make that mistake and get themselves into a deadly situation like that. But all it takes is to watch a cable show called (1000 ways to die) and you begin to realize that things happen like this way more often than anyone realizes.

The problem now is the train has left the station and its probably hard on the family to get it moving in any other direction. They probably have too many people like laywers and other friends and relatives that are so hard set fast on the initial thoughts that its difficult to reverse the path they headed down.

And once a person publicly accuses someone and the case goes national then its so hard to ever change the direction. Especially if they started to get support groups calling for peoples heads to roll.

But that is exactly what needs to happen. Someone needs to accept that they were wrong and begin to turn around the steaming locomotive. I dont know if that will ever happen in this case because they may have not gotten to the point themselves where they believe anything else. They may have convinced themselves of one way and even when evidence to the contrary is clearly shown it becomes impossible for them to accept.

The real tragedy of this case IMO is instead of one innocent accident victim we now have many victims in this case. Many hard feelings and relationships destroyed and people in the community taking sides and lots of hard feelings. So much irreparable damage now.

For the sake of the community I wish things could change for the better so people can begin to heal from this tragedy. We may never get that from the adults but maybe there is a chance the schoolkids can get together and make some positive change out of this. That may go a long way to helping people heal.

 

[al66pine]

Hatfield,
Thx for ^ especially insightful 2 points:
--- Grief morphing into anger & directed outward.
--- Compounded by bizarre nature of the death, maybe exacerbated by not knowing specific facts leading to death, only speculation going wild.

 

[al66pine]

Another one of these unusual accidents happened Wed or Th in St. Charles County MO (metro StLouis). Fortunately the man survived.

"A man was critically injured when he was trapped upside down for about 26 hours in a 20-inch-wide pipe at a home construction site near New Melle, authorities said.
Leo Lyke, 47... was rescued about 2 p.m. Thursday after [ppl heard him yelling] ....
Firefighters pulled him out of the pipe and he was taken by helicopter to [hospital].... remained in critical condition Friday.

".... Lyke, who is about six feet tall, was roughly four feet into the pipe to install an aerator as part of putting in a septic tank.
"He had gotten too far in; he could not push himself back out".... bbm

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...cle_2ee6a5e0-ba3e-5d92-b3e7-1e35c07d0edc.html Jan 13

 

[HMSHood]

No parent should ever bury their children. I cannot imagine their grief.

That being said, this was an accident, a bizarre accident.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Judge orders the parents of teen found dead rolled up in gym mat to pay $300,000 in legal fees to the people they unsuccessfully sued for his death

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...00-suit-sons-gym-mat-death.html#ixzz4pLss3gnD

 

[Tricia]

Dear Everyone,

This case is CLOSED. The Bell family has been through enough hell with these FALSE and completely disproven ridiculous accusations.

I will not allow Websleuths to be any part of the witch hunt against the Bell family.

The only time it will reopen is if we report on the Bell's court case against Ebony.

Let me make this perfectly clear: The Bell boys WERE NOT IN THE GYM. It has been proven by security cameras that both boys were nowhere near the gym when this accident happened.

Kendrick Johnson's death has been proven to be a very tragic and awful accident.


Tricia