The parents of Kendrick Johnson remain on the hook for nearly $300,000 after a judge dismissed their appeal of a ruling ordering them to the pay the attorney fees of those they allege participated in their son's death and subsequent cover-up.
Lowndes County Superior Court Senior Judge Richard Porter's ruling stems from a 2015 wrongful death lawsuit, withdrawn and refiled a year later, alleging brothers Brian and Branden Bell murdered 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson. The Lowndes High sophomore's body was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat more than five years ago.
State and local investigators concluded he died from positional asphyxia after he got stuck inside the rolled-up mat, presumably reaching for a pair of sneakers. In 2016, After a three-year investigation, the U.S. Justice Department stated there was "insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that someone or some group of people willfully violated Kendrick Johnson's civil rights or committed any other prosecutable federal crime."
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