The parents of Kendrick Johnson filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit against 38 people, accusing them of a vast conspiracy to cover-up the murder of their son. The 17-year-old high school student was found upside-down, rolled up in a wrestling mat two years ago in Valdosta, Georgia.
The medical examiner ruled the death an accident, but as Johnson’s mother, Jacquelyn Johnson, explained to CNN , “We know who killed him. We just have to prove it.”
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office conducted a four-month investigation, interviewing 100 people, before concluding that the death was accidental. Likewise, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation released an autopsy report claiming that Johnson died from accidental positional asphyxia. The sheriff closed the case, although a federal investigation remains open.
According to the $100 million lawsuit, there is much more to the story.
“Defendants from the various law enforcement agencies deliberately and maliciously mishandled the subject investigation in such a way that anyone who might ever be charged with Kendrick’s death would never be convicted.”
On June 2013, Johnson’s parents hired Florida-based forensic pathologist Dr. William Anderson, who discovered an “unexplained, apparent non-accidental blunt force trauma” on the young man’s neck.
Likewise, reporters discovered that surveillance cameras were missing footage, and seemed to be highly suspicious, as if they were tampered with.
The lawsuit alleges that a female student “induced” Johnson to enter the old gym at the local high school. Then, an FBI agent ordered his two sons to violently assault Johnson. The beating went too far, and Kendrick was killed. What happened for the four months afterward was a calculated effort by a man familiar with the criminal justice system and local authorities to cover up all evidence of wrong-doing.
CNN reported the official story from authorities is Kendrick Johnson got caught in the rolled up mat upside down while reaching for a shoe. It was an explanation that never satisfied the parents.
According to NBC News , the $100 million lawsuit is the second one filed by the family.
In July 2013, local judges recused themselves from hearing the family’s lawsuit, claiming that it was not right for the local judges, who are well-connected to community authorities, to hear the case. Unfortunately, that meant the legal action couldn’t go forward.
Brice Ladson, attorney for the FBI agents family, released a statement to CNN .
“This is yet another frivolous lawsuit filed by [the Johnson’s attorney] Chevene King in connection with the death of Kendrick Johnson. It contains allegations against [my clients] that he and his clients know are untrue and defamatory.”
If the family wins the case, it will be crippling to local law officials and tarnish the reputation of the entire town, not to mention cost a lot of money. The lawsuit is reportedly “at least” $100 million.
[Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
