Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old Black youth was found dead in 2013. Johnson’s death was initially ruled an accidental death by Georgia Justice Department officials that claimed he died of “positional asphyxia,” after slipping into a “folded-up mat while trying to retrieve a shoe.” A murder confession tape surfaced supporting Johnson’s parents theory that he was murdered.
Kendrick Johnson’s parents, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson purchased what they believe is a confession tape of the killer. The Johnson’s have turned the tape over to police. The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department reopened the investigation earlier this month based in part on the confession tape. Ashley Paulk, a retired Lowdnes County Sheriff told CNN “My plan is to see if there are any discrepancies between the reports”. Sheriff Paulk came back to active duty from retirement just so he could lead his Lowdnes County Sheriff’s officers in the investigation. The sheriff’s office is currently attempting to verify the recording and “follow the chain of custody to determine its legitimacy.”
A pathologist hired by Johnson’s family reported that the teenager’s death occurred as a result of “unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt-force trauma,” according to CNN. Jackie Johnson said of the confession tape, “If it’s a hoax, it’s a very, very cruel hoax to do to Mrs. Johnson”. Johnson’s father, Kenneth Johnson Sr. said “We’re not asking for any favors” “We’re not asking for anybody to lie for us”. “We just want the truth to come out”.
The Daily News published photographs of the scene of Kendrick Johnson’s death. The dailynews.com photographs “showed a sneaker and a sweatshirt stained with what seemed like blood, just feet from Johnson’s body at the gym”. The initial Department of Justice investigation could not confirm the liquid and did not collect any as evidence . According to the dailynews.com, a White headmaster called what occurred the ‘African way
NNV News Blog Writer Sister Rose Morris
