Nationwide — The household of Kendrick Johnson, who died in a highschool fitness center in Valdosta, Georgia, again in 2013, has had their $1 billion lawsuit towards regulation enforcement and native businesses dismissed. The case raised long-standing questions on how Kendrick died and whether or not authorities mishandled the investigation.
Kendrick was 17 when he was discovered lifeless inside a rolled-up fitness center mat at Lowndes Excessive Faculty. Officers dominated his demise an accident, saying he suffocated whereas reaching for footwear contained in the mat. The household, nonetheless, has lengthy claimed foul play, accusing native authorities, together with the GBI and the college district, of masking up the reality.
Based on 11Alive, the lawsuit centered on key proof, together with college surveillance footage. An impartial analyst mentioned the video appeared altered, with lacking clips. The decide famous the household filed their lawsuit practically ten years after the footage grew to become public, exceeding the two-year statute of limitations.
Different issues targeted on the preliminary investigation. The native coroner mentioned regulation enforcement provided poor cooperation, and Kendrick’s physique had been moved and opened earlier than he might look at it. A sheriff’s report later prompt the mat opening was smaller than Kendrick’s shoulders, supporting the unintentional demise ruling. Outdoors autopsies pointed to blunt drive trauma, and lately found images hinted at a attainable cranium fracture.
The decide dismissed the go well with towards 4 defendants, together with the GBI, Lowndes County, and two media shops. The GBI is protected by sovereign immunity, the county wasn’t correctly served, and the information corporations succeeded on procedural grounds. The household has already filed an attraction and plans additional authorized motion.
In a press release, Kendrick’s father, Kenneth Johnson, warned others concerned within the case, saying, “Anybody, no matter who you’re, what place of energy and affect it’s possible you’ll maintain, when you select to hitch the homicide cover-up scandal of my son Kendrick, you accomplish that at your personal peril.” The decide concluded that regardless of lingering issues, the claims couldn’t transfer ahead.
