GA - Kendrick Johnson, 17, Suspicious Death, Jan. 10/11, 2013, #1

[Karmady]

And do we know for a fact that the gym was completely empty when Kendrick entered, that no other students were already there lying in wait for him???

Well, they probably had no more than 3 minutes between classes and would be shown entering the gym at some point prior to Kendrick entering and the end of their last class and the beginning of the next one. Or they would have been absent from their prior and next class or, at the very least, late to the next one. So if multiple students were seen entering the gym prior to Kendrick and were late or absent for their prior and/or next class and/or showed up sweaty or with blood on themselves, that would have been checked out (like the bloody tissues in the girls locker room).

jmo

 

[LinasK]

IMO, this case is almost impossible to discuss, because those who believe it murder must also believe in an elaborate and wide-ranging conspiracy theory, of which there has been absolutely no evidence. I find it to be bordering on LE bashing. No, I take that back. It's LE bashing, teacher/school bashing, student bashing (as this could not have been committed by one person), coroner bashing, and more. And most of the evidence that does exist/is known, is ignored or dismissed. That's why we've never seen any sort of theory of the murder which can fit within the known facts. The autopsy performed by a rent-a-pathologist that was paid by a lawyer (who clearly intends on launching a lawsuit) is taken as better evidence than that of the coroner.

So very frustrating.

No, I haven't seen any valid theory in which it could be an accidental tragedy. I see more likely a murder by students and coverup. Why were his organs removed prior to autopsy??? That right there is fishy.

 

[Yoda]

Jmo. I believe, from the evidence, and my familiarity with mats like this, that KJ's death was an accident. I understand that the school does not want to release the videos because they are school records, but can they not completely blur/white out the students? Something so simple could end the conspiracy theory and reassure the family and community that LE came to the correct conclusion. Jmo

I do have a question for anyone who has visited sites where they ask for donations. I visited the site made for KJ, and the wording on the donation page was, IMO, strange. They were asking for money to fund their movement for justice for common citizens. ??

 

[Karmady]

No, I haven't seen any valid theory in which it could be an accidental tragedy. I see more likely a murder by students and coverup. Why were his organs removed prior to autopsy??? That right there is fishy.

Where are you reading that his organs were removed prior to the autopsy? Is that what you meant to type?

 

[LinasK]

Where are you reading that his organs were removed prior to the autopsy? Is that what you meant to type?

Yes, earlier in this thread they said that he was found with newspaper stuffed where his organs should be. Posters were theorizing that he was an organ donor, but that wasn't the case.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

IMO, this case is almost impossible to discuss, because those who believe it murder must also believe in an elaborate and wide-ranging conspiracy theory, of which there has been absolutely no evidence. I find it to be bordering on LE bashing. No, I take that back. It's LE bashing, teacher/school bashing, student bashing (as this could not have been committed by one person), coroner bashing, and more. And most of the evidence that does exist/is known, is ignored or dismissed. That's why we've never seen any sort of theory of the murder which can fit within the known facts. The autopsy performed by a rent-a-pathologist that was paid by a lawyer (who clearly intends on launching a lawsuit) is taken as better evidence than that of the coroner.

So very frustrating.

I can't state unequivocally that I believe it was murder. I simply don't know.

I do know, though, that there are many aspects of the official theory of KJ's death that don't make sense to me. I've already mentioned them numerous times so I won't repeat them.

Here is my theory of a murder--no, manslaughter--that I believe fits within the known facts and completely disregards the second autopsy.

KJ enters the gym and encounters the students who school officials acknowledge were in the gym at the time. Some sort of altercation ensues, resulting in the bruising on KJ's face noted by the EMTs. A stunned but still alive KJ is stuffed into the mat--most likely not to kill him, but to teach him a lesson or humiliate him--where he dies of positional asphyxia per the autopsy report.

Such an altercation could easily take place within the 10-minute timeframe between KJ entering the gym and the next class coming in, and a few punches thrown would not result in the perpetrators being noticeably covered in blood, either.

Nor does it require those students lying in wait for KJ. It could have simply been a chance encounter.

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, either. But if it is true what the local poster said upthread, the sheriff had determined within two hours or so of the body being found that it wasn't a result of foul play. That being the case, no conspiracy is required--a lackadaisical investigation that doesn't dig very deep will most certainly not uncover foul play, especially if no foul play is a foregone conclusion already.

Finally, I don't think questioning the actions and statements of a law enforcement official who admits to violating the law requiring prompt notification of the coroner is LE bashing. With that one action he's already damaged his credibility in my eyes and subjected his actions and statements to greater scrutiny than if he hadn't.

What evidence am I ignoring or dismissing? This is not meant sarcastically--we all have blind spots.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Jmo. I believe, from the evidence, and my familiarity with mats like this, that KJ's death was an accident. I understand that the school does not want to release the videos because they are school records, but can they not completely blur/white out the students? Something so simple could end the conspiracy theory and reassure the family and community that LE came to the correct conclusion. Jmo

I do have a question for anyone who has visited sites where they ask for donations. I visited the site made for KJ, and the wording on the donation page was, IMO, strange. They were asking for money to fund their movement for justice for common citizens. ??

I completely agree with the part BBM. I find this baffling. The students' identities could easily be concealed.

 

[Karmady]

Yes, earlier in this thread they said that he was found with newspaper stuffed where his organs should be. Posters were theorizing that he was an organ donor, but that wasn't the case.

But not prior to the autopsy? Organs are routinely removed DURING the autopsy. I haven't seen anything that says, nor do I believe, that his organs were removed prior to the autopsy. And, as vlpate posted, why is this news now when the report came out months ago and was discussed in the msm? If anything, the fact that his organs weren't returned to the body prior to burial suggests that they were maintained for further testing. I've worked in a hospital before and the morgue is full of removed organs stored in various containers.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Yes, earlier in this thread they said that he was found with newspaper stuffed where his organs should be. Posters were theorizing that he was an organ donor, but that wasn't the case.

This was before the second autopsy though, not the first.

 

[vlpate]

In his report Victor Blackwell interviews a detective who points to a picture of a shoe that appears to be clean in a pool of blood. This was a sticking point for me until Izzy was kind enough to post the crime lab report. Now I'm wondering why the discrepancy between that picture (attached), and what is written in the report (Emph. mine):

one (1) black and wlhite Adidas shoe was located in the southwest area of the old Gymnasium on the con<lrete floor ttear Jotmson's head in the pool of blood (crime scene Item # 7)

and

crime scene ltem #'s 7, 8, and 10 were saturated in blood so they were placed into drying cabinet # 1 and I maintained the keys"]

This means the shoe laying atop the blood should be soaked in blood. Photoshop? See the photo, I've marked the hinky area.

The other thing that bugged me was when the detective in the October 9 Anderson Cooper video made mention of the shoe protectors. Apparently he felt they were important when evidence was being collected. The picture of the unprotected shoes, however, also shows the body of KJ completely OUT of the rolled up mat. By the time his body was removed from the mat by the Coroner, the investigators had collected their evidence, so sort of a moot point...IMO

 

[FrayedKnot]

from the article:

By law, someone from the sheriff’s office should have contacted Lowndes County Coroner Bill Watson when they learned of Johnson’s body so that a declaration of death could be made, and Prine acknowledged that they should have done so. However, fearing a leak to the media and understanding that there was little the coroner could do until investigators secured all of the evidence and reached Johnson’s body, Prine waited to call Watson.

“It’s been kind of an understanding with all of the coroners from the surrounding counties,” said Prine. “Rather than sitting there in the parking lot waiting for us to finish, you just call them when you get to the body. And I swear to you— no law-enforcement officer touched that body until the coroner got there and examined it.”

So they broke the law, but because "that's how we do it down here", it's no biggie?

Oh, but I see that Prine promised nobody touched KJ's body. So there it is. Nothing to see here. :facepalm:

 

[FrayedKnot]

BBM

KJ's body was discovered around 10:00 a.m. LE and medical personnel were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. School was locked down at around 11:00 a.m.

Two students, who entered the building for gym class at around 10 a.m., noticed sock-covered feet just below the top of one of many gym mats that had been rolled and stacked against the wall behind the bleachers during the Christmas break…

Law-enforcement and medical personnel were dispatched at about 10:30 a.m., and school was locked down at approximately 11 a.m. Shortly after, the LCSO requested backup and additional technicians from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

http://valdostadailytimes.com/local/x6223544/Timeline-of-a-tragedy

IMO, LE was focused on conducting a very thorough investigation. To date, I haven't read anything that has convinced me otherwise.

Not even the coroner's statement that the investigation was compromised? Interesting.

 

[flourish]

In his report Victor Blackwell interviews a detective who points to a picture of a shoe that appears to be clean in a pool of blood. This was a sticking point for me until Izzy was kind enough to post the crime lab report. Now I'm wondering why the discrepancy between that picture (attached), and what is written in the report (Emph. mine):



and



This means the shoe laying atop the blood should be soaked in blood. Photoshop? See the photo, I've marked the hinky area.

The other thing that bugged me was when the detective in the October 9 Anderson Cooper video made mention of the shoe protectors. Apparently he felt they were important when evidence was being collected. The picture of the unprotected shoes, however, also shows the body of KJ completely OUT of the rolled up mat. By the time his body was removed from the mat by the Coroner, the investigators had collected their evidence, so sort of a moot point...IMO

That's the side of the tread of the shoe, IMO. Running shoes often look like that on the sides these days.

Sent from my Event using Tapatalk 2

 

[Karmady]

In his report Victor Blackwell interviews a detective who points to a picture of a shoe that appears to be clean in a pool of blood. This was a sticking point for me until Izzy was kind enough to post the crime lab report. Now I'm wondering why the discrepancy between that picture (attached), and what is written in the report (Emph. mine):



and



This means the shoe laying atop the blood should be soaked in blood. Photoshop? See the photo, I've marked the hinky area.

The other thing that bugged me was when the detective in the October 9 Anderson Cooper video made mention of the shoe protectors. Apparently he felt they were important when evidence was being collected. The picture of the unprotected shoes, however, also shows the body of KJ completely OUT of the rolled up mat. By the time his body was removed from the mat by the Coroner, the investigators had collected their evidence, so sort of a moot point...IMO

by "hinky areas" are you talking about the sole identions marked "what are these?" If so, that's what they are, imo. There's another closer to the toe at the viewer's right of the photo that isn't marked.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

But not prior to the autopsy? Organs are routinely removed DURING the autopsy. I haven't seen anything that says, nor do I believe, that his organs were removed prior to the autopsy. And, as vlpate posted, why is this news now when the report came out months ago and was discussed in the msm? If anything, the fact that his organs weren't returned to the body prior to burial suggests that they were maintained for further testing. I've worked in a hospital before and the morgue is full of removed organs stored in various containers.

BBM. This is a good point--I had the opportunity to tour the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office a few years back and I remember the jars and jars of specimens that each held samples of a different dead person's organs. Sorry to be graphic, but it looked like jars of some particularly nasty soup.

If this some standard crime lab protocol, then such samples of KJ's organs must be stored somewhere as well. Although I'm not sure what the relevance would be.

 

[Karmady]

So they broke the law, but because "that's how we do it down here", it's no biggie?

Oh, but I see that Prine promised nobody touched KJ's body. So there it is. Nothing to see here. :facepalm:

You asked why, I gave you the proferred why. It is what it is. Good enough for some under all the circumstances, not good enough for others. It sounds like something likely and practical to me. It's stupid and costly for the coroner to sit around waiting for hours to collect a body. To me, the explanation is far more likely than a murder coverup by about a million miles based on all the rest of the facts. jmo

 

[IzzyBlanche]

The shoes were tested and they were found not to be potential evidence. If they seemed out of place in a gym it might be different. Not everything at a crime scene is bagged and labeled as potential evidence.

I gave this some more thought.

If the report is correct and they didn't bag it, then they must have decided on the scene that it wasn't potential evidence.

I am very curious as to what led them to this determination.

 

[vlpate]

This was before the second autopsy though, not the first.

The newspaper was something no one mentioned until October. The 2nd autopsy, which is when the newspaper was allegedly discovered, was done in June and the attorney had the results in July.

I find it odd no one has mentioned the newspaper since the story broke in the news. Even Anderson Cooper, 2nd autopsy in hand, didn't mention newspaper or missing organs. The story jump started the case, it's purpose was served, IMO

His organs would have been far from fit to donate according to most sources - he'd been deceased too long and they would have deteriorated badly.

UGH - This case seriously breaks my heart. I can read a lot of grizzly stuff when it comes to these cases, but it's really hard to read the details and imagine how scared JK was. I wonder if it's easier to think someone killed your child quickly than to have to deal with imagining his terror trying to get out of that mat with no one around to help him.

 

[Karmady]

BBM. This is a good point--I had the opportunity to tour the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office a few years back and I remember the jars and jars of specimens that each held samples of a different dead person's organs. Sorry to be graphic, but it looked like jars of some particularly nasty soup.

If this some standard crime lab protocol, then such samples of KJ's organs must be stored somewhere as well. Although I'm not sure what the relevance would be.

Yes, it's jarring (no pun intended) if you're not expecting it. Or even if you are. The morgue I was in had a whole room of metal shelving with what looked like tupperwarish containers full or various organs. And I worked the "graveyard" shift! lol

 

[FrayedKnot]

You asked why, I gave you the proferred why. It is what it is. Good enough for some under all the circumstances, not good enough for others. It sounds like something likely and practical to me. It's stupid and costly for the coroner to sit around waiting for hours to collect a body. To me, the explanation is far more likely than a murder coverup by about a million miles based on all the rest of the facts. jmo

Likely and practical, perhaps. Breaking protocol and the law, definitely. And the coroner did not feel he was helped out by this breach. He said it hindered his investigation.

And just because you find the law "stupid" does not mean it's okay to ignore that law.

MOO