Teen boy's family still searching for answers after his body was found rolled-up in high school gym mat
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: FOX/Family Handout
The family of a teenage boy who was found dead upside down in a gym mat have said they'll never give up hope that they'll find out what happened.
Back on January 11 2013, 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was found dead at his high school gym in South Georgia.
Insider reported at the time that the gym mat was found leant against the back wall of the at Lowndes High School's sport facilities.
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It only took investigators 24 hours after Johnson's body was discovered to rule his tragic death as an accident.
However, Johnson's family have continued to search for answers, refusing to accept the teen's death was accidental.
And in May 2022, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined the cause of death was due to asphyxia.
Last year, Johnson's parents filed a lawsuit against several law enforcement agencies, with his father Kenneth saying at a news conference last September: "We should not have to be the grievers and investigators."
Meanwhile, mother Jacquelyn added: "It's painful. It's hurtful. It's a shame that we have been having to fight for 10 and a half long years.”
In 2022 Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk released a synopsis of the case file, stating: “Any person who looks at this case objectively would know that it would be impossible to conceal any evidence due to the involvement of so many agencies and investigators.
“The FBI states unequivocally in its investigation that there was no cover-up or conspiracy.”
Paulk added: "I am quite sure that there will still be a contingent that will believe there was foul play. I encourage everyone to study ALL the evidence in this file before forming an opinion."
In 2018, Johnson's body was exhumed for a second autopsy, with the findings showing the cause of death was ‘apparent non-accidental, blunt force trauma’.
That wasn't the end of it however, as the case was reopened once more in 2021.
However, Johnson’s death was again ruled accidental, despite the fact his family believe he was murdered and that the real cause of death has been subject to a huge ‘cover up’.
Once the suit was filed last year, Johnson’s dad said one example of what the family claim is false information was law enforcement's statement that there was no trauma or major bruising on his son's body.
"One retired surgeon declared they had not seen anything remotely resembling the body of Kendrick in more than 43 years from their experience with autopsies," the family stated at the time.