Local authorities in Valdosta, Georgia, have officially closed their investigation into the Jan. 2013 death of Kendrick Johnson, CNN reports . The death of Johnson, who was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat upside down at Lowndes High School’s gymnasium, has been deemed a “weird accident,” according to County Sheriff Ashley Paulk. Paulk told CNN that “there is nothing to substantiate a homicide” following a second investigation. "Nothing criminal happened," he added. Following Johnson’s death, investigators initially determined that the 17-year-old got stuck in the center of the mat while trying to retrieve a shoe. Once the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded an autopsy, they ruled that Johnson’s death was “accidental positional asphyxia.” Initial reports by investigators led to discrepancies concerning Johnson’s remains. However, Johnson’s parents believed their son’s death was not an accident but the result of a homicide. Taking matters into their own hands, the family hired...
