Kendrick Johnson, the gym mat death, becoming bizarre with new investigation

I don't know how many of you have followed the case of Kendrick Johnson, the 17 year old athlete found dead rolled up in a mat in the high school gym but the case is becoming bizarre and looks very much like a cover up.

A second autopsy found his body stuffed with old newspaper and all organs removed.

CNN

New evidence in Kendrick Johnson's death Dead teen's parents speak out New autopsy finds teen death not accident During an autopsy, internal organs are removed and examined before being returned for burial. But when Dr. Bill Anderson, the private pathologist who conducted the second autopsy, opened up the teen's remains, the brain, heart, lungs, liver and other viscera were missing. Every organ from the pelvis to the skull was gone.

"I'm not sure at this point who did not return the organs to the body," Anderson said. "But I know when we got the body, the organs were not there."

Two entities had custody of Kendrick Johnson's body after his death -- the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which conducted the first autopsy in January; and the Harrington Funeral Home in Valdosta, which handled the teen's embalming and burial. GBI spokeswoman Sherry Lang told CNN that after the autopsy, "the organs were placed in Johnson's body, the body was closed, then the body was released to the funeral home." That's normal practice, Lang said.

The funeral home would not comment to CNN. But in a letter to the Johnsons' attorney, funeral home owner Antonio Harrington said his firm never received the teen's organs. Harrington wrote that the organs "were destroyed through natural process" due to the position of Kendrick Johnson's body when he died, and "discarded by the prosector before the body was sent back to Valdosta." A prosector dissects the body for pathological examination.

From a later CNN repot

"There is one eyewitness that we know is available -- it is the video recordings made from surveillance cameras there in the gymnasium where the body was found," attorney Chevene B. King Jr. told reporters in Valdosta, Georgia.

"For some unknown reason, this tape has been withheld," he added.

Just wondering...(guess the bizarre circumstances have caused a more bizarre thought) how many times have there been 2nd autopsy's in this small town? Could this be routine? Or is there just something about this boy.

The statement that the organs were destroyed through a natural process is not correct. It is my understanding that certain organs can not be destroyed by cremation. Here they would have to dissentigrate within a few days. And the Funeral home is not exactly covering the Coroner's back.

I remember reading about this case last winter. Call me crazy but you don't need to be Batman to see that foul play was obviously at hand here. Bloody Sneakers, Blood splattered walls and a body that was obviously hidden. How the investigator's got away with such a shoty investigation is beyond me.

This 2nd autopsy only add's to my suspicions. I'll be keeping a close eye on this case now.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT !!!!

You can go over the crime scene yourself here: www.dailymail.co.uk...

After reading through a few sources and seeing the pictures a thought popped into my head.

What if he was indeed reaching for the shoe, and another student stomped on the mat with him inside? Either as a joke, on accident or to hurt him. Perhaps an officials child, or a star player on the team and the cops didn't want what they deemed an accident to ruin another young person's life?

Probably far fetched and dumb. I just don't see getting stuck inside the mat unless he was already injured/dead. Which is of course highly probable.

The missing organs seems especially odd, stranger still that a second investigation was still able to determine cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Why remove them if they don't hide the fact that a crime happened?

I somehow failed to realize the mat was standing on end when he was found. The gym teacher apparently pulled it over, trying to free him. Then why is there an autopsy photo of him inside the rolled up mat still? That alone seems questionable.

I suppose it's possible he was trying to reach the shoe while the mat was standing, slipped down and injured his neck knocking him unconscious and then suffocated. The students apparently seen entering the gym minutes later could have been oblivious if he was unconscious in a rolled up mat.

Really weird case OP. Interested to hear what others come up with too.

reply to post by Domo1


His face was beaten so badly that he was almost unidentifiable. It would still take more than a stomp to do that much damage. you'd also have to stomp pretty hard to have blood splatter on a wall that's across the room.

reply to post by TheMainEvent

His face was beaten so badly that he was almost unidentifiable.

I thought was pooled blood from him being in the position so long. The second autopsy seemed to indicate death was caused by damage to his neck.

Good point on the wall splatters. My reading/visual comprehension is off tonight. I thought that was the inside of the mat while I was scrolling. I suppose I should read captions.

reply to post by Domo1


This link shows him inside the mat with the mat upside down both shoes beside his feet near the end of the mat. He didn't go head first from the top so if the mat was horizontal and the shoes are near the end of the mat it would mean he went feet first from the far end of the mat. And frankly, that does not look like a mat an athlete could not get out of.

No way this happened. Wonder who's son is in the video that hasn't been released?

Weird as., does any one have any theories to what happened?

reply to post by liveandlearn


I thought they were claiming the mat was still on end when he was found feet facing up, and that the teacher pulled it over. I still think it odd that the teacher either didn't unroll the mat, or the crime scene guys rolled him back in...

I agree, the only way I see him getting stuck is if he were dead or unconscious. The official story is incredibly far fetched, but stranger things have happened.

After realizing the bloodstains were on a wall, and not the mat's interior I'm inclined to agree someone is being protected.

That's a disgracefully lazy practice of not returning organs, something to hide? Or more conspiracy wise...

Odd death that is likely murder, organs possibly stolen. I'd be looking for suspects who needed an organ for someone or someone who needed money and or came into money around then.

Before I retire for the night, I want to say there are two problems here.

1. There seems to be an obvious coverup.
A. he had blunt force to the neck.
B. his shoes were shown by his feet.
C. the city has not given the attorney's the video from the gym.

2. Organ's were removed from the body and not replaced.
A. the pathologist who did the autopsy says they were replaced.
B. Funeral home director says that is the way he was received and the organs weren't replaced because
they had disintegrated. This info had to come from the Pathologist but he says they were replaced.

Forensic patholigist seems to have lied about the cause of death. Why?

Not able to document but I don't believe internal organs disintegrate that fast

Who removed/kept the organs and why? There is no mention that I am aware that says he had abdominal trauma. If a cover up to a brain injury I might understand.

Odd story all around but I have no doubt the police botched the investigation. I only pray that the family gets the answers they are seeking and admire them for continuing to fight for what they believe is the true story.


Peace

There was 40 cameras in the gym alone. Somebody knows what happened.

there were 3 others in the Gym,,,he lets go hit the showers,,would be the natural, thing after b-ball,,,anyone check the shower drains for blood?

u know the logical place too take someone's organs,,shower stall,,,??? but how much time does it take???? dont know,,,

and yes there is a market for organs.