Death of Kendrick Johnson
Johnson c. 2012 | |
| Location | Gymnasium, Lowndes High School, Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Cause | Contested. 1st autopsy: accidental, positional asphyxia. 2nd autopsy: blunt force trauma. |
| Inquiries | U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Federal Bureau of Investigation (concluded – no charges filed) |
| Litigation |
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On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick Johnson (October 10, 1995 – January 11, 2013) was discovered inside a vertical rolled-up gym mat in the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia, United States, where he was a student. After a preliminary investigation and autopsy concluded that Johnson's death was accidental, his family had a private pathologist conduct a second autopsy which concluded that he died from blunt force trauma. On October 31, 2013, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia announced that his office would open a formal review into Johnson's death. On June 20, 2016, the Department of Justice announced that it would not be filing any criminal charges related to Johnson's death.
Johnson's family filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against 38 individuals, stating that his death was a murder and that the respondents were participants in a conspiracy to cover up the homicide, which they claimed involved two sons of an FBI agent. That lawsuit was subsequently withdrawn. Georgia Judge Richard Porter ordered the Johnsons and their attorney to pay more than $292,000 in legal fees to the defendants, accusing them of fabricating evidence to support their claims.