Furthermore, the lawsuit has already been withdrawn. Last month, the parents of Kendrick Johnson filed a $100 million lawsuit against 38 defendants, including Bell, his brother and their father, Richard Bell, an FBI agent. What Happened in The Kendrick Johnson Case? "It was probably just a single pressure application.". 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. He and Kendrick Johnson were classmates at Valdosta's Lowndes High School. else if ( document.attachEvent ) { document.attachEvent( 'onreadystatechange', func ); } Johnson's cause of death left many suspicious. There are two reasons Bells name has come up in this case. We pulled the class attendance records, Lowndes County sheriffs deputy Stryde Jones told the AJC. It alleges involvement by the Bell brothers father, Rick Bell, who is an FBI agent. Kendrick found dead on a gym mat at Lowndes High School in January of 2013. [Featured image: Kendrick Johnson/Facebook, contributed], Marshals Searching for Man Suspected of Raping Child for 2 Years, WATCH LIVE: Accused Killer Stepmom Letecia Stauch, Murder Trial Day 17, Masseur Charged With Sexually Assaulting Patron at Wifes Acupuncture Clinic, admitted to producing the fraudulent audiotape, Johnsons family that Brian Bell revealed his role in the teens death, Johnsons family was told the audiotape contains Brian Bells voice, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. The next morning, Jimbo called me that they still were not going to let him give Brian a scholarship.. One of the brothers had checked out prior to Kendrick entering the gym for a state wrestling tournament. Suspecting foul play, the grieving parents filed a $100 million wrongful death suit in 2015 and named their son's former schoolmates Brian Bell, Branden Bell and their father, FBI Special Agent . This is something I should never have done. But the man, whose identity is being withheld due to the ongoing probe, told investigators he didnt act alone. } I am glad to share great news with you all, since we all did this together and stuck by each others side despite the trolls. Brian, who was on the varsity team with Johnson, had fought with the teenager on the school bus the year before. In the end, Credle said, We let them down. Brian Bell and the others were also charged with conspiracy to conceal the homicide. The Sheriff instantly realized the tape was faked after he confessed, identifying him as the source. if ( iframe && '' === iframe.height ) Many speculations were raised on who killed him. According to a report released Monday by WALB News 10, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office has reopened the Johnson case. Kendrick didnt deserve this, manTheyre going to catch me anyways, the person is reportedly heard saying in the tape. Kendrick Johnson's body was discovered inside a mat in his high school's gymnasium eight years ago. In fact, he was nowhere to be found on any of the social media platforms. They blamed the sons of a former FBI agent, and a federal probe was opened. It remains unclear whether he will sign with another FBS program. An investigation revealed that the Bells did not have a second cousin and that the Johnsons had been provided a phony recording. There remains no known evidence linking them to Kendrick Johnsons death. I believe that the canyon of KJ is so deep in the consciousness of Black America. He did not die of asphyxiation.. You bet there are. Bell was charged with Johnsons murder. The investigation includes allegations that then-classmates Brian and Brandon Bell had something to do with Kendrick's death. The three teens were classmates. Kendrick Johnsons parents have filed a $100 million lawsuit against38 persons. There are orange suits in the jail that are eager to be worn. The $100 million suit, filed in January, alleges Brian and Branden Bell -- two brothers who were schoolmates of Johnson -- were encouraged by their father, FBI agent Rick Bell, to "violently . Brian Bell and Branden Bell were classmates of Kendrick Johnson. Quarterback Jameis Winston was allowed to play football and win a national championship, plus a Heisman Trophy while accused, but never charged, of sexual assault. Lowndes County Sheriffs Office said an unidentified man admitted to producing the fraudulent audiotape which he initially claimed contained Brian Bell confessing to Kendrick Johnsons murder. The local sheriffs office has stood by its initial ruling that Johnsons death was accidental. The body of the high school sophomore was discovered rolled up in a gym mat. Authorities ruled he slipped in while retrieving shoes, got stuck and asphyxiated. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. According to several friends and classmates, the . When asked for the primary evidence linking Bell to the death of Johnson, King referred to a "video" but declined to be more specific. And one of the suspects was Brian. The Johnsons hired William Anderson, former deputy chief of the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner's Office in Florida, to conduct an independent autopsy. iframe.contentWindow.postMessage( { "He said it was the president's decision and there was nothing he could do. Jacquelyn Johnson, his mother, told NBC News on Thursday that she and her family have continued to fight for justice. "The week he died was the week he was going to start weight training and get back into it," McPherson says. See our privacy policy. Georgia police revealed on Wednesday that a purported confession tape connected to the 2013 death of a high-schooler found in a rolled-up gym mat is fake. Touchton said the gym mat where Johnson's body was found was picked up by the Department of Justice 14 months after Moore started his inquiry. Brian Bell and Branden Bell were classmates of Kendrick Johnson. Read More: Georgia Republicans want to get rid of Sunday voting. Have you subscribed totheGrios podcastDear Culture? alibis, backed up by witnesses and video surveillance footage, BREAKING: Bond denied for ex-Doraville officer indicted in 16-year-olds killing, Atlanta lawmakers request DOJ probe into shooting death of training center protester, Fulton judge extends deadline for DA to reply to Trump motion to kill probe, YSL case: Lawyer pens court-ordered essay. In 2015, the Johnson family filed a wrongful death suit against brothers Brian and Branden Bell, and another peer, Ryan Hall, who they allege are responsible for Kendrick Johnson's death. State and local officials ruled Johnson suffocated after reaching for a pair of sneakers inside a mat and getting stuck,theGriopreviously reported. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Johnsons family said that they want to conduct their own tests to determine the tapes authenticity. I was young and stupid. Johnsons family believes he wasmurdered by Brian and Branden Bell, the sons of an FBI agent, and the brothers friend Ryan Hall. Johnson, 17, was found . Johnson's lifeless body was. The following month, U.S. Attorney Michael Moore announced a federal probe into the case. Because its the Deep South, there is white silence on one side and a fear of retaliation on the Black side, Pollock said. VALDOSTA An analysis of Lowndes High surveillance footage conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation indicates former student Brian Bell was not near Kendrick Johnson when he was. We are not supposed to let families down.. But Rose, 76, no longer thinks Kendrick Johnson was murdered. The following day at 9AM, his body was discovered inside a rolled up wrestling mat in the gym of his Valdosta, Georgia high school. The Johnsons never accepted this explanation and began campaigning for a more thorough investigation almost immediately after hisbody had beenfound. Local and state investigators determined the death was an accident, while a three-year federal probe ended with no definitive conclusions about how KJ, as he was known, died. They then hired a private coroner who determined the cause of death to be a result of blunt force trauma to the upper neck on the right. Because the lawsuits against the 38 individuals were later withdrawn, the Johnsons and their attorney were ordered to pay the defendants more than $292,000 in legal fees. Since then, Johnson's family and their attorneys have zeroed in on Brian and Branden Bell, ages 18 and 20, who are sons of FBI agent Rick Bell. Further, the FBI made note of their proximity to each other in its report: Kendrick Johnson is observed in a covered walkway moving towards the camera. But the purported revelations in the film are significant. Following an investigation, officials discovered that the Bells did not have a second cousin and that the Johnsons were given a false recording. But his parents never accepted that his death was an accident. I was young and naive. } Johnsons parents accused Brian Bell, Branden Bell, and a friend of murdering their son in a wrongful death case. Neither me or my family had anything to do with his (Johnsons) death.. SOURCE: WSB-TV Atlanta, CBS NEWS | VIDEO CREDIT: NDN, Feds Seize Emails, Phones In Kendrick Johnsons Gym Mat DeathInvestigation, Kendrick Johnsons Parents Wont ServeJailTime. He has been convicted of giving false statements before, so were not going to go on his statements completely or trust him completely, said Paulk, who called the ordeal a cruel and terrible hoax., We identified him within 15 minutes because weve dealt with him before.. Despite keeping a low profile, avoiding the spotlight, and avoiding the media, glimpses of Brian Bell in public have been made. He says Valdosta is 51% black but that the politics are unfairly controlled by whites. The two had been disciplined for a fight that took place on abus coming home from an away football game in 2011, when both were Lowndes High football players. Brian Bells father is a retired FBI agent, according to his family. Before the Kendrick Jackson lawsuit, Brian was an athletic student. Kendrick didnt deserve this, man., After a brief silence, the voice, sounding as if he was crying, repeats, Theyre going to catch me anyways.. 8. The scouting magazine documented his hiring as a backline from Valdosta, Georgia. window.addEventListener( 'message', funcSizeResponse, false ); Last month, Bell was listed as a defendant in a wrongful death suit filed by Kenneth and Jackie Johnson, the parents of Kendrick Johnson, whose body was foundrolled up in a gym mat in the Lowndes High gymnasium. He blames Moore, the U.S. attorney, for allowing the case to drag on and says several black leaders in the community have backed away from support of the Johnsons. iframe.onload = function() { The petition goes on to addressRyan Anthony Domek-Hernandez, who said Bell told him that he killed Kendrick Johnson by striking his neck with a 45-pound weight/dumbbell after they began arguing overTaylon Eakin, a girl Bell allegedly liked. A state autopsy ruled the 17-year-old's death a freak accident. In 2018, they asked for and received permission to exhume their sons body to have athird autopsyconducted. When are the 2023 college graduation ceremonies in Georgia? There was a freakish death at Lowndes County High in Valdosta, Ga., on Jan. 10, 2013. The suit alleges Bell, who is white, held a grudge against Johnson, who was black, after a fight on a team bus in 2011. // Autosize iframe On the evening of January 10, 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson, a sophomore at Lowndes High School did not return home from school. In the wake of Valdosta teen Kendrick Johnson's death, two classmates -- brothers Branden and Brian Bell, both athletes -- and their father would find themselves wrapped up in an expanding. The family filed a $100 million wrongful death suit that names 39 defendants, including Bell and his brother and father, as well as law enforcement and state officials who the family says are covering up a crime. Acrimony has spilled onto the Internet and social media. Kendrick's classmates Brian and Branden Bell, who are white, were considered persons of interest, through an FBI investigation of the case, according to Valdosta Today. I shouldve never done this. According to the funeral home that processed the body after the FBIs autopsy, they never received Johnsons internal organs from the coroner; the organs were destroyed through the natural process. Touchton says Egan made the point that intense pressure on the school related to Winston's transgressions would mean immense scrutiny on Bell. The Kendrick Johnson Case Then & Now ( JCS Inspired )Thank You SO MUCH GUYS For The Support YT MemberShip https://www.youtube.com/c/PrinceCharmingNY/me. The family later had Kendricks body exhumed and they hired an independent coroner, Dr. William R. Anderson, to run more tests. The Bell familyshome in Valdosta was raided by U.S. In March, a local sheriff reopened Kendricks case. Required fields are marked *. The documentary which will release on STARZ this year is supposed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2013 death of high schooler Kendrick Johnson who was found dead within a rolled up gym mat at his high school. Having just turned 17, . Brian Bell, one of the band "Souljahz" members, has been under suspicion since the death of Kendrick Johnson. Johnson, 17, was found dead in Lowndes High School's gymnasium in January 2013. The person on the recording, claiming to be Brain, says, Theyre going to catch me anyway. I should never have done this. Giving false statements, Paulk said. Brandon Bell, who is both a student at Valdosta High School and the brother of Brian Bell, had got drunk at a party on July 4 of 2013 and told people that Brian Bell killed Kendrick Johnson, the petition alleged. The life of an aspiring 17-year-old was cut short, robbing Kenneth and Jacquely Johnson of their child. The Johnsons claimed in their 2015 lawsuit that the Superintendent of Schools and the then-sheriff were acting on Rick Bells behalf. Interesting facts about Michael Jackson's look-alike, What happened to Sam Shelton? Karl Hicks, FSU's deputy athletics director for external affairs, clarified her position. 31 followers. Only Kendrick Johnson.. Where can I get a Documentary about Kendrick Johnson? Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights/Children's Online Privacy Policy are applicable to you. Filed Under: College Football, Kendrick Johnson, Valdosta, Georgia, High School Football, Florida State Seminoles, National Signing Day, Recruiting. According to WTXL, the man told Johnsons family that Brian Bell revealed his role in the teens death during a birthday party. And when they see the truth, a wave is going to be unlike anything weve seen., So, his story represents so much more than just the horrendous facts of the case. However, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said their investigation revealed that the Bells do not have a second cousin. The Johnsons hired their own pathologist who said Kendrick . Floyd Rose, who is black, is president of a local civil rights organization and originally backed the Johnson family. VALDOSTA, Ga. Brian Bell is a linebacker without a team, just the latest twist in a complicated tale in which race and class intersect with a mysterious death that authorities call accidental but that an aggrieved and grieving family allege was murder. The second autopsywas complicated by the fact that by the time the pathologist received Johnsonsbody, all of its organs had gone missing. Brian Bell is between the ages of 23 and 28. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Johnsons family was told the audiotape contains Brian Bells voice, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Parents say they are getting new evidence to prove Kendrick Johnson was killed, claim cover-up A sheriff's investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnson's death in 20 13, but . For a much more detailed look at the initial investigation, read Grantlands 2013 story. Keep in mind that Brian Bell was apprehended for Kendrick Johnson's murder after police recovered his fingerprints on a gym mat on which the body had lain. His death was initially ruled an accident. They elected to show images of his battered face on posters and flyers they distributed as they sought witnesses, as Emmett Tills mother did in the infamous 1955 case in Mississippi, to illuminate the violence that befell him. On Tuesday at 3.30am, U.S. marshals served a search warrant at the homes of Brian and Branden Bell as well as their parents' The Bell brothers were classmates of Kendrick Johnson, who was. Rose, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council for Valdosta-Lowndes, originally helped raise money for the Johnsons. var func = function() { Brian Bells present whereabouts are unknown. The more eyes the better, said Coleman. Since then, many have been questioning the whereabouts of Brian Bell. Brian and Branden said they tried to grieve like the rest of their classmates, but were shocked to find out they were being accused of his death. . Current members: Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell, Scott Shriner, Patrick Wilson. He eventually confessed that the recording was a fake, Paulk said. Brian Bell's present whereabouts are unknown. Marshals, who tookphones and emails to assist with the investigation into Johnsons death. Adding to the intrigue - their father, Randy Bell, was an FBI agent. One day on a school bus during football season, both Kendrick Johnson and Brian Bell constantly argued with each other (WSB-TV, 2015). var iframe = document.getElementById( e.data._request.frame_id ); Brian and Branden Bell have been targets of suspicion in Johnson's death since shortly after his body was found upside down in a vertically stored gym mat at Lowndes High School on January. WE HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS BUT WE DEMAND JUSTICE!! The suit alleges that a female student lured Johnson to an unnamed location, whereupon he was fatally beaten by the Bell brothers and at least one more student. In the documents, it states that the plaintiffs, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, Kendrick's parents, along with their attorney, failed to serve the defendants, Brian Bell, Brandon Bell, Richard . According to several friends and classmates, the . In March, the Lowndes County Sheriffs Office announced they were reopening the case to ensure the initial investigation was conducted properly. As a Senior (2018): Invited to play in the 2019 SPIRAL Tropical Bowl .Third-team All-MAC started 10 games at Mike linebacker had 63 tackles, a team-best seven break-ups, 3.5 TFL, two forced fumbles, a sack, and a hurry on the season . Its unclear when the U.S. attorneys office will complete its investigation, but the case will likely hang over Valdosta and the Bell and Johnson families until then, and perhaps for long after. . Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. According to the AJC, which cites the U.S.Attorneys manual, such letters must be sent whenever a prosecutor believes he or she has substantial evidence linking (the recipient) to a commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the prosecutor, is a putative defendant., Johnson and Brian Bell had a history. It has not been turned over to authorities. ( function() { Jim is a Hollywood actor who became a popular entertainment figure in the 1980s after starring in the sitcom Too Close for Comfort. Kendrick Johnson was born on October 10, 1995. The articles chronicled the events surrounding the death of LCHS sophomore Kendrick Johnson ("KJ"), who was found dead inside of a rolled-up gym mat in the school's old gym on January 10, 2013. Kendrick Johnsons body was discovered on a wrestling mat in the Lowndes High School gym in Valdosta, Georgia, on January 11, 2013. The actor Jenifer Lewis is an executive producer and narrates the film, which features news footage, historical video, in-depth interviews with parents, family, friends and investigators and animation that bring to life the vibrancy those close to Kendrick said he possessed. However, video footage shows Brian Bell and Hall elsewhere in the school when Johnson is believed to have died; Branden Bell was at a wrestling tournament in Macon at the time, according to the Journal-Consitution. On Saturday, June 27, community members protested in front of the Valdosta courthouse in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the reopening of Kendrick Johnson's case. Kendrick Johnsons parents have sued 38 people for $100 million. a federal investigation initiated in October 2013 by U.S. Attorney Michael Moore is ongoing. Maryanne Gaffney-Kraft, regional medical examiner for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said findings from the crime scene, investigator reports, forensic testing, witness statements, scene photographs and coroner's findings all pointed to accidental death. She says she could find none. Im grateful that the case was reopened, Johnson said, but dont feel like anything will be done. FollowNBCBLKonFacebook,TwitterandInstagram. Bell is a three-star linebacker from Lowndes andwas committed to Florida State for nearlya year. "Jimbo was upset about it," McPherson says. }, "https:\/\/embeds.go.ione.nyc" ); I will be making a quick video either today or tomorrow on my Youtube channel about this magnificent victory. A (copy of one such article). Marshals, who took. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Camera footage on that date verified this fact. When the body of 17 year old Kendrick Johnson was found inside a gym mat, authorities claimed he got stuck, reaching for a shoe. "We thought we were making progress," says Leigh Touchton, a former president of the Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP. if ( 'object' !== typeof e.data || undefined === e.data.msg_type ) There remains no known evidence linking the Bells to Kendrick Johnsons death. In an interview with the Valdosta Daily Times, Karen Bell, the mother of Brian and Brandon Bell, described the lawsuit as frivolous and without merit., While the Bell brothers are defendants in the civil suit brought by the Johnsons, no law enforcement official has named either of the Bellsas criminal suspects. It also is a mirror into America right now.. But when that occurs, fluid builds up in the lungs and the lungs end up weighing up to 10 times more than they normally do, Anderson said. McPherson, whose Valdosta teams have won multiple state championships, says Bell is among the best to play for him. iframe.height = parseInt( e.data.height ); James Elliott, an attorney representing 18 sheriff's office employees, said in court papers that the Johnsons and their attorney "cannot reasonably believe a court will accept these asserted claims," which he called frivolous and groundless. TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. After three years, the U.S. Department of Justice closed the case, citing insufficient evidence. Listen to the latest episode: Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most your children. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. They dont. Brian Bell and Kendrick (who were friends for years) got into a scuffle while they were being bussed to a football game. The petition reportedly mentioned how Brian Bell lured Johnson into the gym with another female student. var iframe = document.getElementById('wpcom-iframe-dca1e42edbf1c8102f71dd2e12bc23a8-32316340-48424500') Benjamin Crump, a co-counsel to the Johnsons and a noted civil rights attorney, has an office in Tallahassee and is frequently on the Florida State campus. Thereafter the two brothers fatally beat him and placed him on a mat. In terms of Brian Bells family, his father is a retired FBI agent. var origin = document.createElement( 'a' ); The Tao of Dabo: How to Appreciate Clemsons Coach, Miamis Man: Building the Ultimate Coach for The U, College Football Week 8 Wrap: A Giddy, Glorious Highlight Reel, Meet the Undefeated Mid-Majors That Could Bust the College Football Playoff, College Football Preview, Week 8: Between the Thing to Be Made and Its Maker, We Went There: Clippers-Mavs and DeAndre Jordan Night in Los Angeles, No Messi, No Problem: Neymar Becomes a Superstar, World Series Weekend: Five Questions for Three (or Two) Royals-Mets Games, Worried About College Basketballs Lack of Scoring? Johnson played football as a freshman at Lowndes in 2011. Their account, Pollock and the Johnsons said, has been the prevailing narrative in Valdosta. And then their chief counsel poured a bucket of cold water on us.". var funcSizeResponse = function( e ) { Paulk said he told the Johnsons they had most likely been duped. Johnson was found dead on January 11, 2013, on a rolled-up gym mat at his Georgia school. However, CCTV footage showed that Bell was on his way to another building when Johnson entered the gym. The countersuit denies allegations the Bells were involved in the death in any way. Illness, career, net worth, Jack Ma takes up visiting professor post in Japan, Nyeri: 4 Including Wife of Notorious Criminal Wanted for Vandalising KPLC Transformers Nabbed, Francis Atwoli Asks William Ruto to Find Job for Raila Odinga: "Asisikumwe Sana", Taita Taveta UDA Senatorial Candidate Carries Placard on Streets to Plead for Job from Ruto, Lady Rents Fine Room, Packs In Without Furniture, Dances to Celebrate: I Just Buy Curtain Rod. The three teens were classmates. "Brian Bell has also stated that he killed Kendrick Johnson multiple times over the phone. Brian . - Akron Where is Jason Worley now? Kendrick Johnson's body was found upside down in a vertically stored gym mat at Lowndes High School in January of 2013.