The county medical examiner concluded Johnson died of positional asphyxia and deemed his death accidental. Surveillance footage showed his younger brother Brian (left) in class, Brandon and Brian Bell werecleared by local and state investigators after it was concluded that Johnson had died accidentally, But Johnson's parents believes that Brian (pictured) and Branden Bell beat their son to death, Final moments: Video from inside the school's gym was released during the investigation showing Johnson going into the gym and never coming out. Since then, many have been questioning the whereabouts of Brian Bell. It wasnt like I did anything nefarious to find it. Floyd Rose, president of the Lowndes County chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said federal authorities need to end their investigation if there's no evidence of a crime. In June 2013, Johnsons parents won a bid to have their son exhumed for a second autopsy and reportedly discovered thatevery organ from his pelvis to skull, including his brain, heart, lungs, and liver, was gone and replaced with newspaper. No findings of that investigation have been released. More from Spin: Weezer Touring With Modest Mouse, Spoon, White Reaper and . Brian maintains he was in class at the time that Johnson died and that he has proof. Harrington Police have arrested two brothers on drug charges. U.S. Attorney Michael Moore of the Middle District of Georgia announced a federal investigation into Johnson's death in October 2013. Those organs were in the body when we sent it back to the funeral home, an agency spokesperson said. When doctors are not sure how someone died, they tell us, Detective, find me something that can help me lead towards a direction. 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 Atlanta Journal-Consitution. In March, the Bells countersued Kendrick's parents, Kenneth and Jackie Johnson, who filed a wrongful death suit earlier in the year alleging a vast cover-up implicating the GBI, local law enforcement and school officials. Many speculations were raised on who killed him. Local newspaper Valdosta Today reported that those children claimed, when questioned by police, that theynever saw or heard Kendrick in the gym. Bell is a three-star linebacker from Lowndes and was committed to Florida State for nearly a year. Kendricks father was shocked by his sons disfigured body. They have made similar statements to other colleges offering Brian Bell a scholarship, including the University of Louisville and Clemson University, the counterclaim states. Brian and Branden Bell have been targets of suspicion in Johnsons death since shortly after his body was found upside down in a vertically stored gym mat at Lowndes High School on January 10, 2013. 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. Brian and Branden Bell produced alibis, backed up by witnesses and video surveillance footage, showing they were nowhere near the gym where KJ was last seen Jan. 10, 2013. Discover short videos related to brandon bell and brian bell on TikTok. A shoe found on top of a pool of blood near Kendricks body [Image: Lowndes Regional Crime Laboratory]Finding Kendrick Johnson presents police documents that state that Kendrick is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and his shoulders measured 19 inches. In comparison, the mat he was found in is 6 feet long and the opening was 14 inches. The two suspected parties were found innocent, and subsequent lawsuit charges against them were dropped. Georgia police announced on Tuesday that they are reopening the investigation into the 2013 death of a teen boy whose body was found in his high school gymnasium. They say it gets easier, but it dont., Finding Kendrick Johnson is available to rent now in the US with a UK date to be announced, What does this say about where were at?: how America deals with school shootings, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Finding Kendrick Johnson: We cant even really begin to grieve or mourn because of the fight weve had to endure., mericas recent focus on 22-year-old Gabby Petito, whose body was found last month in a remote part of Wyoming, revived criticism of. While the FBI concluded in 2016 that the Bells were in different areas of the school when Kendrick entered the gym, Pollock claimed the agencys own 2014 analysis report cites surveillance stills that show Brian in the hallway with Kendrick before he died. The show focused primarily on light-hearted hilarious situations between a principal and some high school friends. Bell is observed in the same location at this time.. Pollock told CrimeOnline that the lungs of someone who asphyxiates are heavier because the lungs fill with fluid, causing death. Both brothers say they did not see Johnson on the day that he died. He was just like the funniest person ever. The Bell brothers were named in a $100 million civil suit filed by Johnsons parents that was later voluntarily dismissed. He was located in the left corner of the gym, in a rolled-up mat that was lying against a wall. 05:58 18 Aug 2015, updated 16:09 18 Aug 2015. He said the shot of him in a white sweater, which lead many to speculate that it appeared to have blood on it, was actually just a logo that said 'RLX'. Brian Bell had been living under the radar until his arrest. I think it was just a look into it just to quiet down the family, quiet down some of the media, Credle told CrimeOnline. Both independent autopsy reports determined the 17-year-old died of non-accidental blunt force trauma inconsistent with the positional asphyxia determination made by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Dr. William R. Anderson wrote in his June 2013 report that Kendrick suffered blunt force trauma, right neck, involving right mandible, and soft tissues, including the area of the carotid body, consistent with inflicted injury. The second independent autopsy, that Dr. Anderson also performed, yielded the same findings with the report explicitly stating that their findings were not consistent with positional asphyxia, which was Georgia officials final determination. He loved football. Kendrick vanished at Lowndes High School around 1:20 p.m. on January 10, 2013. Kendricks father, Kenneth Johnson, worked as a truck driver and was on the road when the teen vanished and was found dead. However Johnson's family are convinced he was murdered and have filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit naming brothers Brian and Branden Bell as the ones responsible for violently assaulting Johnson. Narrated by: Joshua Saxon. Credle is also shown the report and says he also has never been seen this footage despite being the federal investigator reviewing Kendricks case. The news outlet reported that evidence released in Johnsons case includes 17 boxes of documents, computer towers, and computer drives. Subsequent testimony placed Branden Bell on a school bus headed to a wrestling tournament in Macon at the time Johnson was last seen alive, while surveillance cameras showed his younger brother Brian was in class, across campus. Johnson was found dead on January 11, 2013, on a rolled-up gym mat at his Georgia school. Briefs: 11Alives news director goes to Gray; Honey Boo Boos boyfriend arrested; Marlon South metro Atlanta leaders to talk development on Wednesday, Atlanta mayor looks to cultivate citys future while outsiders threaten to pull it apart, Clayton County Commission to meet Thursday in special-called meeting, Atlantas Carter Center preps for future without founder, Photography club captures hope during pandemic, March food and drink events to check out in metro Atlanta. They fingered Bell and his brother, Branden, both of whom had airtight alibis. Fellow students found Kendricks body in the gymnasium at Lowndes high school in Valdosta a town in the deep south where Confederate monuments still stand - at around 10.30am on 11 January 2013. Who would want Kendrick dead? He says by phone: I hope the film will wake up law enforcement as far as wanting to look at it again. Check your inbox to be the first to know the hottest news. No. Brian Bell and Branden Bell were classmates of Kendrick Johnson. The family secured a judges order to exhume the body so that a second autopsy could be performed. 2023 The Talk of Delmarva. He also said Brian Bell had struck Johnson in the neck with a 45-pound dumbbell during a roid rage episode and that someone who witnessed the murder was threatened with violence if they told. In April, the Rev. After becoming Facebook friends with Jacquelyn, Pollock noticed graphic pictures of Kendricks mutilated face cropping up daily in his feed. Brian and Branden Bell were cleared by local and state investigators after it was concluded that Johnson had died accidentally. Their father, Rick. Kendrick Johnson's parents filed a $100 million lawsuit against 38 people. 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. How and why he lost his life remains a mystery that has never been solved. She could. Rose said the inquiry has 'cost taxpayers too much money and the families too much grief and caused the community too much confusion.'. Ladson said the items that were seized contain privileged communications between himself and the family, including conversations that focused on defamation suits filed against Ebony Magazine, its publishers and members of Johnsons family. But so is the manner of his death. Ladson said the computers and phones contained privileged communications between himself and the Bells, including conversations revolving around their defamation suits filed against Ebony Magazine, its publishers and members of Johnsons family. Brian Bell and the others were also accused of conspiring to cover up the homicide. Moore declined to comment on the warrants or other aspects of the case when reached by phone Thursday. Kendricks arm was nestled over his head, suggesting officials did not bother to lay his arms straight, the father said. Federal agents on Tuesday seized computers and cell phones belonging to an FBI agent, his wife and their two sons as part of an ongoing investigation into the 2013 death of a Valdosta teen whose body was discovered in a rolled-up gym mat. The director, who started his career working for the documentarian Michael Moore, has become a fierce advocate for the family. Police smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and conducted a search. James A Clark, 72 of Brandon, MS passed away Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at the Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, MS. His career spans decades, as he has been part of the entertainment industry since the 1980s. The Bells denied the allegations in their counterclaim, accusing the Johnsons of using others as their authorized agents to post messages on various social media, including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, instant messaging, and the like, that were defamatory of the Bells.. He is undertaking his university studies and was acquitted of the murder charges. By: Brian Lumley. They saw that report in 2014, they saw that photograph of the boys standing next to each other and they let the Bells go television and say they hadnt seen KJ, Pollock told CrimeOnline. because the lungs fill with fluid, causing death. As Kendrick lay dead in the gym, the basketball and color guard teams held their night practices. I would never have shared no photo of him looking the way he looked as a mother, it hurts me that you would see that picture but I began to share that and remind the people this is what they did to my child.. brian bell and branden bellwaterrower footboard upgrade. The analysis concluded the victim (Kendrick Johnson) and both persons of interest were in different areas of the LHS campus during the time in question and the two persons of interest were not in the general vicinity of the old gym where Johnson was last seen, the report stated. Join Facebook to connect with Brian Bell and others you may know. Name Brian Bell. Paulk said the reopened investigation will involve reinterviews in addition to consulting with other law enforcement agencies to ensure nothing was missed or incorrectly reported during the initial probe. Ladson has filed a countersuit on behalf of the family saying Johnson's parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, defamed them by falsely accusing them of murder. For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. July 17, 1950 - March 1, 2023. They said they later tested the blood and it was not a match for Kendrick, but it remains unclear who it belongs to. I hope this piece of art puts a human face on the trauma., reportedly considered persons of interest. A private pathologist found haemorrhaging beneath the skin of Johnsons jaw and neck and concluded he suffered a fatal blow near his carotid artery that appeared to be non-accidental. Facebook gives people the power to share. Despite Lowndes County sheriff's investigators concluding the death was a freak accident, his parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn, filed a wrongful death lawsuit naming two brothers targeted by federal search warrants this week. As Kendrick lay dead in the gym, the basketball and color guard teams held their night practices. And one of the suspects was Brian. The films producer, Jason Pollock, told CrimeOnline that he spent six years examining Kendricks case; an independent investigation he said authorities did not know about. The killers were never brought to justice but the searing image was galvanising for the civil rights movement. Pollock believed the evidence was so crucial that he flew to Georgia to show Kendricks parents. By Photographs included with the report include adjusted time stamps to make up for discrepancies between the schools multiple video surveillance systems. 1 title per month from Audible's entire catalog of best sellers, and new releases. Kendrick was 5ft 10in; the rolled up mat is 6ft tall. Similar warrants were served on the brothers, who have both graduated and no longer live with their parents, and the girlfriend of Brian Bell. Credle, a veteran homicide detective from Washington, D.C., is referring to his work investigating the death of Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old boy who was found dead in a rolled-up wrestling mat at his Valdosta, Georgia, high school on January 11, 2013. As a result, the Bells allege, Florida State University rescinded its scholarship offer to Brian, a highly touted linebacker. The case is built solely on suspicion, innuendo and rumor, not evidence, said Ladson, adding that his clients will take every legal step available to protect their constitutional rights and their ability to work and pursue litigation necessary to restore their good names. Although the local law enforcement offered a different ruling, his parent was unconvinced by the results. The person of interest whose identity remains redacted in the FBI video analysis was observed in the LHS parking lot headed towards J-Wing at the time Kendrick is last seen, according to the FBI report. Here's everything you need to know, Veronica Montelongo: Everything to know about Armando Montelongo's ex-wife, 20 celebrities who weigh 140 lbs and their heights in 2023, Where is Brandon from Married At First Sight today? Sheriffs investigators closed the case four months later, concluding that Kendrick died in a bizarre accident while reaching for a shoe inside one of the mats. However, Pollock said Kendricks lungs post mortem were a normal weight for a boy his age and size. Jacqueline, 49, recalls: He was the baby of our family. Inside Prince Harry's finances from when he met Meghan Markle to landing 100M with Netflix and book A 14-year-old autistic boy's naive prank. Ill never let them forget, Jacquelyn told filmmakers. Johnson's family believes he was murdered by Brian and Branden Bell, the sons of an FBI agent, and the brothers' friend Ryan Hall. Finding Kendrick Johnson is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play. Bryants husband and brother-in-law were charged with ripping Till from his home, and fatally beating and shooting him. Paul Threlkeld, an attorney representing the Bell family, as well as the family of 18-year-old Taylor Eakin - Brian Bell's girlfriend - told 48 Hours' Crimesider on Thursday that warrants. A still from Finding Kendrick Johnson. Nobody called a US marshal or the FBI for him. Current relationship and dating history, Kim Kardashian Looking for Love Again, Wants to Date Someone Who Isn't Famous, Nyce Wanjeri Shiros Rise from Auntie Boss Actress on NTV to Content Creator, Pastor Ng'ang'a, Wife Loise Pay Tribute to Home He Grew up In, Joseph Gatiba: Meet Upcoming Kenyan Musician Who Works as Driver for Super Metro, George Wajackoyah Offers to Reconcile Diamond Platnumz with His Abandoned Dad: "Kaburi Ni Tajiri Kukuliko". Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023, from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in 114 Burney . A scuffed copy of the Koran. During an interview with WSB-TV 2, the boys say they were friends with Johnson and had nothing to do with his death. Finding Kendrick Johnson makes the claim that the 17-year-olds killer has been in plain sight all these years with an alibi that had already been refuted by federal investigators. In 2007, Bryant allegedly revealed to The Blood of Emmett Till author Timothy Tyson that she lied about the sexual harassment that prompted Tills murder. The brothers' father, Rick Bell, was an FBI special agent who ultimately resigned after his home was raided and searched for evidence, according to NBC. Sheriff's investigators long ago concluded Johnson died in a freak accident, getting stuck upside down inside the mat and unable to breathe. My dad is always like ''It's going to get worse before it gets better'' and it just keeps getting worse.'. Dagon's Bell and Other Discords. Brandon is free on bond however Brian is being held at SCI in default of a secured bond for a violation of probation. The Johnsons' attorney filed a. Branden Bell said he was preparing to go to Macon with the wrestling team. 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. 'We have nothing to hide. If closure, whatever that means, is even possible, it still eludes her. Similar warrants were served on the brothers, who have both graduated and no longer live with their parents, and the girlfriend of Brian Bell. The Bells countersued Johnsons parents in March. Older kids looked up to him because he would say, Yeah, one day Im going to make it in football. The case was closed after Brian Bell's statement on Kendrick Johnson refuting the murder claims. Credle was called in after several local authorities recused themselves from the case which many believe was due to the primary persons of interest being the sons of an FBI agent.