Those officers should be punished for possible obstruction of justice and not complying with orders by a judge to test the blood and urine of the bouncer. For updates on the case, please FOLLOW US on Twitter and Facebook with #justiceforellen A massive cover-up to protect the killers ensued, the suit alleges. div_id: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-1', He didn't play in 2012 as a sophomore but came to McPherson after that season and said he wanted to play again. But according to Eakin, she didnt start dating Brian Bell until three months after Johnsons death. } According to the Valdosta Daily Times, Rick Bell and his sons were issued target letters last year to appear before Moore's grand jury, but refused. Please sign our petition and please reach out to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to ask him to re-open the case. If the facts led to some conclusion, we need to know that.. I had no idea what was going on, she said. Randell Meyers was not his first victim. tag: 'mandc,racism', In a letter dated August 10, 2020, from Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Wine, he wrote "it is our opinion that the one blow will not meet the elements of either extreme indifference to human life or conduct which creates a grave risk of death or serious physical injury." No other questioning happened after that. Cohn drove the bouncer back to his car at Nowhere Bar after the questioning at the police station; in that car ride, the bouncer then tells Cohn he can't remember if he hit Christopher once or more than once. 2015 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "We thought we were making progress," says Leigh Touchton, a former president of the Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP. "You won't find a person of any reputation in this town who says that boy was murdered," he tells USA TODAY Sports. I am creating this petition to urge the current DA, Clint Wellborn, to reopen this case and to bring charges against the person responsible for this heinous crime and bring him to justice. Wine did not review the evidence, clearly. }); EVENTS Paulk said information about the case will not be disclosed until it is closed again. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 28.7k members in the CrimeJunkiePodcast community. August 25, 2015 / 2:10 PM It was something so stupid we thought everyone would laugh it off, Branden Bell said. 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. Colombia wants to deport "cocaine hippos" to stop them from multiplying, Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murders of wife and son, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, a federal investigation initiated in October 2013 by U.S. Attorney Michael Moore is ongoing, at least one of the Bell brothers - Branden - was not on campus, contend both Bell brothers were on campus, The Bell family earlier this year filed a countersuit. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. What Involvement Did a FBI Agent and His Sons Have in the Death of targeting: { Facebook: @JoshShapiroPA and @PAAttorneyGen Government agents search homes in Kendrick Johnson Georgia "gym mat Black Men XCEL subcat: '', Myselfand my team of attorneys and investigators are calling on the FBI, The Attorney General of Michigan, The Governor of Michigan and the US Departmentof Justice to stand up, take charge, do a proper and thorough investigationandbring this case to Justiceonce and for all! Open discussion about the Crime Junkie podcast. 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. And how are (prosecutors and the Johnsons attorneys) all on the same page when its not the truth?. 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. Id. Gary Hilyer met Randell Meyers there with the intent to murder 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 were executed early Tuesday morning at the Bell and Eakin homes, as well as Brian Bell's college dorm room. Subscribe to Newsletter He does not appear to have an Instagram account. Follow us on: Women of Power TECH, PODCASTS How could I have cheated on Brian if we werent dating at the time? Eakin told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Just last month, Moore's office sought access to Lowndes County Sheriff's Office e-mails regarding the case and government agents executed search warrants for evidence of witness tampering or obstruction at the homes of several people named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Johnson's family. Local and state investigators concluded he died of positional asphyxia. They believe Kendrick became trapped in the mat while reaching for a pair of sneakers at the bottom. Sheriff Ashley Paulk told WALB News 10 the officers received 17 boxes of documents along with computer towers and hard drives of data and information that had been collected during previous investigations. The answer to that might be as simple as this: Winston is potentially the No.1 overall pick of the NFL draft, while Bell, according to Rivals.com, is the nation's 47th-best linebacker in his class. Hall said the agents told him, We have more on you than we have on Brian. A Nowhere Bar bartender told police the night of the incident that Officer Bert Delong had reprimanded the bouncer for being too aggressive with patrons before; yet, nowhere in the police files did Bert Delong mention this. "Absent a finding that Johnson's death was a homicide, the continuing and relentless targeting of a dedicated FBI agent and his family sends a disturbing message to the law enforcement community," the letter continues. "a petty crime"? Ex-FBI agents: End investigation into Ga. teen's gym-mat death - CBS News pos: 'right_rail_3', Family member Deriree Werth has fought for justice for her sister Mandi Alexander for over 20 years. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. These two witnesses, Ryane Conroy said were too drunk to take their statements seriously. But Michael Moore, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announced a civil rights inquiry in late 2013, and 15 months later the case is still being heard by a grand jury. Please help sign our petition so that we can present to the KBI & FBI to let them know we want justice for Mandi Alexander and Mary Drake. } But the line of questioning was intense and deeply personal, Eakin recalls. The suit accuses school officials, law enforcement and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation of conspiring to protect the brothers. The lawsuit also alleges that the Bell brothers acted on a "command" from their father, who is an FBI agent, and that law enforcement made a "deliberate and malicious effort" to withhold evidence of their son's death from the family. bd_- Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Agreement. The night of the incident, when I was at the hospital, LMPD Detective Michael McLaurine came to speak to my family and I, and he stated he used to work at Nowhere Bar too. He was part of a march of 1,600 people through the streets of Valdosta to support them. Taylor Eakin lied and claimed to have starting dating three months after the murder in hopes of legitimizing the Bell's alibi. Murder allegation sidelines football player's career, divides community The agents arrived simultaneously at the home of Rick and Karen Bell; the college dormitory room of their son, Brian; the Valdosta State dorm room of their other son; Brandon; the home of former Lowndes High student Ryan Hall; the college dorm room of another former Lowndes student and current Valdosta State student, Taylor Eakin, and the Valdosta home of Eakins parents between 4 and 5 a.m. Read More: Georgia GOP leaders who stood up to Trump back voting bills, Lord to have to disturb his resting peace breaks my heart into so many pieces but it has to be done,Jacquelyn Johnsonposted of her son on Facebook at the time. It worked. The family sued him for wrongful death. Furthermore, they say the brothers had motive to harm Johnson since one of the brothers - Brian - had previously been in a fight with him on a school bus about a year before Johnson's death. She says she could find none. But the judge disagreed. Off Duty Officer Bert Delong (employee of Nowhere), was one of the officers who stepped into the investigation. The investigation was also biased as many LMPD officers thwarted the case by being employees of Nowhere Bar. This case was swept to the side from day 1 and I BELIEVE it was a cover-up by LMPD. ", "His death was at his own hands, and we're very sorry for what happened to him because him and Brian were best friends.". Gary Hilyer should have been charged and then he could attempt to defend himself - unlike the chance he gave Randell Meyers. State and local officials ruled Johnson suffocated after reaching for a pair of sneakers inside a mat and getting stuck,theGriopreviously reported. The petition,created byJay Holden, notes how Johnsons popularity as a high school athlete made him a favorite with the ladies. B.E. Instagram: @JoshShapiroPA and @PAAttorneyGen Earlier this year, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Johnsons parents, Jacquelyn and Kenneth Johnson, filed a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit. In our meeting with Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ryane Conroy in March 2020, she said that Christopher's head did not strike the ground; the bouncer said this as well. Management Hd-z-- "There are schools that want to offer him," Lowndes coach Randy McPherson says, "but they're waiting because of what happened with FSU.". 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 were. Randell Meyers was a good man. Jorgensen said Eakin is a lot smarter than his. The case of Kendrick Johnson is being reopened. Relationship between Taylor Eakin and Kendrick Johnson It was rumored that Brian Bell was angry with Kendrick Johnson because he had a relationship with Taylor Eakin. The Republackan Group - Brain Bell And Taylor Eakin took part in Were they sexually active? The Commonwealth's Attorney's office knows grave mistakes were made. "There was a lot of head-nodding, people were asking questions, the facts were going to win. See Photos. Instagram: @JusticeforJoAnn 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. The FBI states in two different documents that there was no basis to this rumor and no evidence to support it. kw: 'mandc,racism', . Gary Hilyer requested Randell Meyers come to his place of business, Wheels, on a day the business was closed. N on Twitter Sheriff Paulk from Lowndes County has reopened the Kendrick Johnson case. https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a34347624/joann-romain-unsolved-mysteries-theories/ Meanwhile, a forensic pathologist hired by the Johnson family concluded the death was a homicide, with evidence of unexplained, nonaccidental blunt force trauma.. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { She was emphatic that was not the case.". Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ryane Conroy stated in a meeting with her in March 2020 that she does not believe being high on cocaine is reckless behavior. They are hurt and heartbroken over the loss of their loved one. An autopsy conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation agreed, citing asphyxiation as the cause of death. And the matter has since been transferred, without explanation, to the U.S. attorneys office in the Northern District of Ohio. What is the federal crime here? Hazard said. tude.cmd.push(function() { kw: 'mandc,racism', Rick Bell, Brians father, is an FBI agent. Please take 30 seconds to sign this petition. Randell Meyers death was the most unexpected crime they never saw coming. The 6-2, 215-pound three-star recruit chose Florida State more than a year ago over other suitors, including Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Louisville, but today has no takers. Please sign this petition & spread the word that federal authorities need to reopen this case, so Kendrick & his family can get the justice they deserve!, Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. "The week he died was the week he was going to start weight training and get back into it," McPherson says. 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. It states that Taylor Eakin, Brian Bell's girlfriend, confessed to sleeping with Kendrick Johnson. They are now comparing the old information to new information learned about the case. 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The familys third autopsy supported the results of the second and that Johnson died of non-accidental trauma to his body,Atlanta Black Starreported. The killer's sentence was commuted to life in prison in March 2005 when the United . Some outside observers find the conduct of the case unusual. Twitter: @MichelleMRomain Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Attorney General, is the only person with the power to re-open Ellens case. They allege that a Jane Doe, later identified as Eakin, lured Kendrick into the gym so the Bells and a classmate could attack him. Article states Kendrick rolled himself in mats behind the bleachers. targeting: { Touchton says Egan mentioned Crump at the meeting. Taylor Eakin Profiles | Facebook masculine culture countries; schuchard elementary staff; azkar al masa; what are swarovski crystals; is black tip ammo legal; biosafe anemia meter australia. The bouncer even admitted he was under the influence and they still didnt test him for anything. Voulez-vous changer quelque chose ? Is that it?. 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.