Government agents early Tuesday morning searched and seized property, including cell phones, computers, and other electronics, from the Jacksonville, Fla. area home of FBI agent Rick Bell, whose two sons went to school with Johnson. Although it has been reopened, lets pray that the Johnson family nor us are let down again because there is still A LOT of work to be done. #KendrickJohnson" subcat: '', Last month, federal authorities raided several college dorm rooms and homes, including those of Bell and his parents, as the probe took a turn into witness tampering and obstruction. Ellen Greenberg was murdered by way of 20 stab wounds, with 10 alone to the back of Ellens neck. Bell was in. It worked. Taylor Eakin lied and claimed to have starting dating three months after the murder in hopes of legitimizing the Bell's alibi. In fact, he was missing from all of the social media platforms. CNN reported that federal marshals, warrant in hand, seized emails from the Lowndes County sheriffs office on July 21 and 22 related to the federal grand jury investigation into the teens death. Rose says it is not easy for him to be aligned against an African-American family that is challenging white authorities in south Georgia. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. "a petty crime"? And his name remains sullied to this day, linked to the tragic death of Kendrick Johnson, 17, whose body was found in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes High in Valdosta in 2013. Off Duty Officer Bert Delong (employee of Nowhere), also did not have his body camera turned on when he went to go find the bouncer in the back parking lot of Nowhere; we have no idea what was said during that conversation. }).render('3811c1c9bba941ecb6c4a456cf0ac0f7'); Johnsons parents, who also filed a lawsuit against the Lowndes County Board of Education and the board members, have been fighting for over two years to establish the truth and seek justice for their son. This investigation has been going on for two years, and there is no indictment, said South Georgia Circuit Superior Court Judge J. Richard Porter, ruling against the federal government. One has to wonder how a young man is found dead, rolled up in a gym mat, and no one is responsible. It was something so stupid we thought everyone would laugh it off, Branden Bell said. }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; tude.cmd.push(function() { An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation agreed, citing asphyxiation as the cause of death. But Brian told WSB-TV that the school bus fight was "so small," he "can't even remember" what it was about. Brian Bell, now a football player for University of Akron, in a recent portrait Kendrick Johnson's body found in rolled up gym mat January 11, 2013 The body of Kendrick Johnson, a 17-year-old. Randell Meyers service was held on January 8th, 2022. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a34452069/joann-romain-theories-disppearance-death-unsolved-mysteries/. Eakin allegedly liked Johnson. "Mr. Moore's review began more than twenty-one months ago, and it has taken a huge personal and professional toll on Special Agent Bell and his family. In a hearing in Lowndes Superior Court in November, Tim Tanner, legal counsel for the city of Valdosta, a defendant in the wrongful death suit, presented sworn testimony from Kenneth Johnson acknowledging that he had no evidence that his son was murdered. But the line of questioning was intense and deeply personal, Eakin recalls. Download our newest episodes now! Please check your email for confirmation from us. We bring news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and entertained. The Bells countersued and also filed libel and defamation suits against Ebony magazine and a freelance journalist for portraying their sons as murderers. Brain Bell And Taylor Eakin took part in murdering KENDRICK JOHNSON. The Commonwealth's Attorney's office knows grave mistakes were made. To please assign a new prosecutor to look into all the evidence, or this is his statement. Florida State University withdrew a football scholarship offer to Bell in January, one year after FSU had offered it and two years after the death of Kendrick Johnson, Bell's former teammate at Lowndes High School who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at their school in January 2013. VALDOSTA, Ga. - Government agents this week executed search warrants at the home of two brothers accused in a civil suit of killing Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teen found dead inside a rolled-up gym mat in his high school more than two years ago. "I have players who have gone on to Division I and play in the NFL, and Brian is right there with the others as far as talent," McPherson says. Gary Hilyer met Randell Meyers there with the intent to murder him. He was just 17 years old. Ladson said he was worried those communications would be made public in court. First published on July 23, 2015 / 12:59 PM. rally in memory of Kendrick Johnson, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013, in Atlanta. Release of any evidence might compromise the federal investigation of Kendricks death, the government argued. I find it hard to believe that murdering a baby would have a statute of limitations. Privacy Policy env: 'prod', The bouncer stated Christopher wasn't much trouble; that he couldn't walk straight and he was visibly intoxicated; HE WAS A VULNERABLE PATRON that was taken advantage of by a power-hungry under the influence bouncer. It states that Taylor Eakin, Brian Bell's girlfriend, confessed to sleeping with Kendrick Johnson. After initially ruling Ellens death to be a homicide, the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Officer, at the insistence of the Philadelphia Police, suspiciously reversed itself weeks later and declared Ellens death to be a suicide. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Randell Meyers was a good man. Florida State has been accused in recent years of allowing its football program to act as a sort of private fiefdom. A spokesperson for Moore, U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Georgia, said he had no comment. Jacquelyn Johnson, center left, with her husband, Kenneth, right, at a "Who Killed K.J." Kendrick Johnson, not unlike other young Black people, ended up dead and the authorities claim there was no foul play. Twitter:http://bit.ly/justice4ellentw 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. Sign Up. The investigation was led by multiple officers including ones who were working off duty at Nowhere Bar the night of the incident; they were employees of the bar. Id. They are hurt and heartbroken over the loss of their loved one. Gary Hilyer requested Randell Meyers come to his place of business, Wheels, on a day the business was closed. And the matter has since been transferred, without explanation, to the U.S. attorneys office in the Northern District of Ohio. BE 100s tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { Entrepreneurs Summit The man who pushed for that probe, U.S. Attorney Michael Moore, resigned in November to join an Atlanta law firm. So is Valdosta, which has become bitterly divided by the case, largely along racial lines. His rights were violated by LMPD and the Commonwealth's Attorney's office. Earlier this year, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Johnsons parents, Jacquelyn and Kenneth Johnson, filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit. 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 assault" Johnson, leading to his death. Since that time, the family has been on a crusade for answers and Justice. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. https://t.co/PwR3CUja2Q" / Twitter. cat: 'news', / CBS News. https://t.co/BlYQlKVzKl https://t.co/16yxY9cL8y, Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 6, 2020. window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; Upon arrival, it was determined that there were two females dead inside the business. This petition starter stood up and took action. One day on a school bus during football season, both Kendrick Johnson and Brian Bell constantly argued with each other (WSB-TV, 2015). subcat: '', "He said it was the president's decision and there was nothing he could do. } Yet, he did not consult with any of Christopher's neurosurgeons from that night. A year earlier, Brian Bell signed a letter of intent to play football at Florida State University. pos: 'right_rail_1', The bouncer said that after he pushed Christopher out the door of the bar, it made Christopher drop his phone, and upon Christopher picking up his phone, it annoyed Christopher so much that the bouncer's perception is that Christopher swung at him first, yet he said Chistopher never made contact. at 9-10, 16. GoFundMe: GoFundMe Link Hall since has retained an attorney, Byron Watson, who did not return a phone call asking for a comment. "We thought we were making progress," says Leigh Touchton, a former president of the Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP. He has not been cleared by the U.S. Department of Justice, Coleman said. . Have you subscribed totheGrios podcastDear Culture? Yet, what he told police is that Christopher wasn't much trouble, that he was very intoxicated and couldn't stand up straight. There are orange suits in the jail that are eager to be worn. Hall, 19, told The Valdosta Daily Times he was at his residence when agents knocked on his door, pushed their way inside and handcuffed him. The case is built solely on suspicion, innuendo and rumor, not evidence," Threlkeld said in a statement. See Photos. "Taylor Eakin lied and claimed to have starting dating three months after the murder in hopes of legitimizing the Bell's alibi. They were VERY matter-of-fact statements. A few months before Moore opened his review of the case, the U.S. Justice Department declined a request to open a civil rights investigation into Johnsons death, saying it had reviewed the case file and did not see sufficient indication of a civil rights violation.. In October 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice began a federal investigation. "It was probably just a single pressure application.". ..Murder is not petty. His ORGANS were STOLEN too. agent would make sure that he would pay for it, the petition stated. Taylor Eakin. These women were murdered with a knife in the most horrific way possible. Log In. This bouncer was under the influence (admitted to police), had no formal training to be a bouncer, has a history of domestic violence and has gotten into other altercations at bars he's worked at. The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office completed its report on Johnson almost four months after his death and called it accidental. The residence of 18-year-old Taylor Eakin, Brian Bell's girlfriend, was also searched, according to Paul Threlkeld, an attorney representing the Bell and Eakin families, and, according to the Valdosta Times, the home of 19-year-old Ryan Hall was searched as well. Top forensic pathologists all agree the case is highly suspicious of murder. Brian enrolled in a work-study program his senior year, spending only half a day on campus, where he became a pariah. The Johnsons hired their own pathologist who said Kendrick Johnson died of blunt force trauma. targeting: { This case is so intriguingthat it has caught national and international attention on forums such as being featured on Netflix Unsolved Mysteriesalong with Crime Junkie Podcastand many other nationaland international outlets;reaching the audience of millionsand raising the eyebrows of many along the way. See Photos. at 2. Brian and Branden Bell, ages 18 and 20 respectively, have remained tight-lipped throughout the course of the investigation, but just last week, they spoke out publicly for the first time.