Protesters demand answers in mysterious death of Valdosta teen
About 200 protesters joined Atlanta’s civil rights establishment Wednesday demanding that the state intervene in the case of a Valdosta teen found dead at his school.
In January, school officials found Johnson’s body wrapped up in a gym mat. An autopsy supervised by state chief medical examiner Kris Sperry concluded the teen suffocated after getting stuck reaching into the upright mat for a shoe, though Johnson’s parents believe his death was not an accident
A Lowndes County judge recently denied a request from attorneys representing the parents for a coroner’s inquest.
”The governor has the authority to demand a coroner’s inquest,” said Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler (D-93), chairwoman of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. She was among the speakers at Wednesday’s rally, held on the steps of the state capitol. “I’m going to demand we find out what happened.’
The federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Georgia announced in October that he would conduct a formal review of the case.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
