A simulation has explored a theory on the tragic death of a 17-year-old high school student who police say accidentally became stuck in a rolled-up gym mat.
On January 11, 2013, the body of Kendrick “KJ” Johnson was found inside of a rolled-up wrestling gym mat at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia.
Per Insider, the gym mat was leaning against the back wall of the school gymnasium, and – within just 24 hours – Kendrick’s death was ruled an accident by the local authorities.
Investigators claimed that the teenager became stuck inside the mat while trying to retrieve his sneakers – which were initially stuck on top of the mat.
Students at the school said it was common for teens to keep their shoes on top of the mats to avoid paying for a locker.
However, as the video below explores, it is believed by some that Kendrick accidentally fell into the mat while trying to retrieve his sneakers… a theory that his family denies to this day. Check out the video below:
As previously reported, the initial autopsy stated that Kendrick died as a result of “positional asphyxia” – meaning that he had suffocated as a result of being stuck upside-down in an enclosed space for a prolonged period of time.
But, from the moment their son was found, Kendrick’s parents – Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson – felt that his death was not being taken seriously due to the fact he was Black.
They also have argued that the additional circumstances regarding how Kendrick’s body was found failed to point to an “accidental” death.
Last year, the parents submitted a lawsuit, suing the Georgia authorities and accusing them of a cover-up and peddling a “false narrative” about an accidental death.
Their lawsuit stated, per Insider, that their son’s body was found in a pool of blood on the floor, and that his body had a number of visible injuries – including facial bruises; and lacerations to his ear, lip, and knuckles.
This lawsuit was dismissed. But it certainly has not been the first time they have filed a lawsuit in the hopes of justice.
In 2013, a judge granted permission for Kendrick’s body to be exhumed and re-examined. Private pathologist Dr. William R. Anderson stated in his report that he detected hemorrhaging on the right side of Johnson’s neck and concluded that Kendrick died from blunt force trauma near his carotid artery and that the fatal blow appeared to be non-accidental, CBS News reported at the time.
Anderson later told USA TODAY that Kendrick suffered a single blow or pressure to the head or neck and that he did not find the typical signs of positional asphyxia, including fluid accumulating in the lungs, in his autopsy.
However, the pathologist added: “There is no evidence he was beaten. It was probably just a single pressure application.”