Feds seize phones, computers in gym mat death investigation

Last year, Bell’s mother told the media her son and husband were the targets of the U.S. Attorney’s investigation into the death of Kendrick Johnson. When Black people die, often it is ruled a suicide or an accident, and the victim is blamed for his or her own death. Many are hoping after these latest moves that answers may finally be on the way.

In addition, Federal agents also brought a warrant to Lowndes County IT office to copy the emails related to the investigation of Johnson’s death from the sheriff’s office.

A federal grand jury is investigating the death, including claims of witness tampering.

The body of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson was discovered in the center of an upright mat propped against the gym wall at Lowndes High School on January 11, 2013.

According to the County Attorney, Jim Elliot, “The Sheriff’s Office and Lowndes County have fully cooperated and provided them with the requested information”.

But Johnson’s family believed otherwise, commissioning a second autopsy that showed the teen died of “unexplained, apparent nonaccidental blunt force trauma”.

Ladson told First Coast News agents also searched the home of another schoolmate of Johnson, whom he also represents. It accuses two of Johnson’s former classmates, who are brothers, and their father, who is local FBI agent, of wrongful death.

Attorney Paul Threlkeld is representing the Bell family as well as Brian Bell’s girlfriend’s family and he indicates that warrants were executed on the Bell home as well as girlfriend Taylor Eakin’s home.

No charges have ever been filed in relation to Kendrick Johnson’s death.

Federal investigators seized emails, cell phones, computers, and other electronics from the family of two brothers in connection to the mysterious death of a Valdosta teen. The Johnson family alleges that the Bell brothers were involved in the teen’s death and that local officials helped cover up what happened.

The Bell family countersued, accusing the Johnsons of using “others as their authorized agents to post messages on various social media, including Facebook, Twitter, blogs, instant messaging, and the like, that were defamatory of the Bells”.

So far U.S. Attorney Michael Moore, who is behind the federal investigation, has not shared specifics about the moves made this week in the investigation.

The search warrants issued in conjunction with the grand jury probe were served earlier this week against the families of at least two students.