@@panushjo Trust me, I’m no libtard or SJW, but it seems super crappy for kids to be renting lockers. Perhaps the school system could trim costs elsewhere. I’ve worked in schools, and I know for a FACT that each school wastes literal tons of food each month because of Michelle Obama’s stupid mandatory program requiring kids to be forced to take foods they don’t want to take.
The family used this as a sad excuse to get money. I'm happy they have to pay 290k$ back to those innocent students they accused. You reap what you sow.
I work with decedents and I once did a viewing where the family insisted their loved one was all beat up in the face. However what they were seeing was lividity. Blood pools in the lowest areas of bodies once it stops flowing. This decedent’s head had not been out in a head block and after awhile the blood pooled back. This decedent was also a big person so that exasperated the lividity.
This also happens to skiers who become trapped in the narrow hole around a tree's trunk when there's many feet of snow. They get imprisoned in the hole upside down, and can't get out of their ski's. The buddy system can save a life.
@@AlphaMom55 The branches around pine and cedar trees will keep snow from setting at the trunk of the tree. So if you have 15 ft of snow on a mountainside right next to the tree near the trunk will still be close to ground level. Creating a small chamber around the tree empty of snow. Most skiers go in head first and if there alone they usually suffocate after awhile.
Yeah Doc I remember hearing about this years ago on TH-cam and wherever I was hearing it they kind of implied it was murder. That's why I always appreciate your unbiased findings.
Dr Grande!! You have given the most clear and concise description of what more than likely happened to this tragic situation and that unfortunate young man! Blessings go out to his family that are grieving him!
Freak accidents happen all the time, case in point, there was a kid who crawled in the back of his SUV into the rear passenger seat causing it to fold over on him making him become trapped. He was able to use Siri to make one phone call before his phone died, he told the 911 operator that he was trapped and that his phone was going to die which it did. The first police officer that responded, didn’t take the matter seriously enough to stop to investigate. He noticed the SUV, but didn’t get out to look inside. The father eventually went to the school looking for his missing son and saw his SUV there, upon further investigation he finally noticed his sons foot sticking out, but by that time it was too late and he had suffocated.
People can't comprehend the mundane and stupid nature of most deaths, hence conspiracy theories surrounding famous deaths. How could a fabulous person die in such mundane circumstances?
I think he was a victim of a prank attempt gone wrong by his teammates. The cover up. The phenomenon that loners turned future serial killers don't normally kill a popular school athlete. The only people with the social power to fool around with a guy like him would be his teammates and friends.
An excellent analysis as always. I can understand why a lot of people might have suspected foul play since the circumstances were so bizarre (especially considering his unexplained missing organs.) Considering all the facts, though, I think an accident is the most likely explanation. Excellent analysis as always.
In this case, I think his family was so convinced of homicide and also thought that they would not expose the truth through usual means that they felt justified to acuse people without evidence, maybe fueled by great emotion
@@drbqqq1433 With respect, I disagree. I think it's on an individual basis. His parents may have loved their son, sure they did, but they wanted money and it blinded them. I don't think it's common among many people.
It cannot be ignored that $100 million lawsuit was a significant factor in the false accusations to support it. That's alot of motivation for anyone. A huge legal settlement for a mysterious tragedy has become a chance for a lottery win for the bereaved and the venal lawyers that promote them. This case is reminiscent of that one in California where the kid's body was found head downward in a chimney of an abandoned house.
As a parent, I understand they can’t accept what happened and need someone to blame so they can direct their loss and anger at a person. Having worked with autopsied bodies…. Everything about the condition of his body says it was an accident. It was positional asphyxia. “But there was blood?” - yes when someone dies there is purge fluid. Blood or black liquid can come from the nose, mouth. His body position shows he was reaching. Some of the “bruising” is lividity where blood pools after death. He dropped his shoe, thought he could get it and was alone in that corner and fell in. It’s absolutely horrific but was an accident. The “neck trauma” was from when he fell in. His body weight came down onto his head/neck when he flipped. Removing organs and keeping them for a while and releasing the body to the family is common when additional testing may be required to make sure accidents weren’t foul play. The newspaper wasn’t optimal, but desaireology employs many methods to get a body ready cosmetically for funerals. A lot of work and “tricks” go into making someone look “natural”. If his body cavity was left void it would be noticeable and traumatized the family visually. Paper/fibers absorb fluid and expand and was probably all they had on hand. There are many things we did to prepare bodies when I worked at a funeral home that ppl wouldn’t understand, but it’s not done to disrespect the body- funerals are for the living so we prepared ppl so their families could see them one last time and did whatever it took to make sure the deceased looked their best… bc that’s honoring them. It’s a very hard job and I wish ppl understood what’s at stake Just like the girl who was drunk and walked into a freezer. She likely opened the door and felt what she thought was cool night air and stepped inside. No light, intoxicated and not finding the handle she just laid down and passed away. She also had purge fluid when thawed and her face/tissue was unsightly because of post mortem changes. She wasn’t assaulted or hurt it was just an accident but I understand why her mom can’t accept that. It’s hard to accept when your young child loses their life, but when it happens unexpectedly and it’s an accident with no witnesses it’s almost like the mind refuses to process it. If your child was shot, there’s someone to blame and you know what happened. In accidents- so many unanswered questions torment the family and they can’t get closure.
Wow what a thorough comment. The whole idea of lividity is interesting to me. It makes sense and is so useful when trying to deduce how someone died, when someone died, even where someone died (ie was killed somewhere else and then moved).
Thank you for explaining this thoroughly. I've always had an interest in the work involved with autopsies and death preparations. I wish I would have actually decided to go that route in college. Death is not easy to deal with and it takes a special individual to work in that field.
I think you make some great points and I agree with you. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of these families. I almost understand their refusal to believe the truth. It’s not a satisfying feeling really not being able to truly understand or explain your loved ones death.
Thank you for your professional efforts. Thanks to someone like you I was able to see my mother one last time, as she looked beautiful. I know it's just a shell but thank you again for all the work you guys do.
I wondered about that too. I thought about asking, but I thought maybe I was aging myself. I mean, I went to a rural high school, it may not have been the best funded, but we got a locker. If you were on a sports team you also got a locker in the gym if your sport was in season.
@@trace9657 I believe this school was similar. A small fee for a semester worth of locker in the main school and a gym locker if you were on a team. Kendrick wasn’t playing any sports when he died so he wouldn’t have had a locker to leave his shoes in to share with other boy who also wore them. Leaving them in the gym would probably have made more sense to both kids vs leaving them in some possibly terribly inconvenient school locker. And since Kendrick was about to rejoin the football team he might have passed on a locker assuming he’d have a gym one again soon.
We got inflated administrator salaries and sweetheart contacts for the mayors cousin to worry about man we can’t go giving everyone free access to lockers!
This reminds me of that terrible Nutty Putty Cave story where John Jones got himself in an awkward upside down position and ended up suffocating. Or that Kyle Plush kid who suffocated after being stuck in his Honda. So tragic!
I commented earlier about reading these things to go along with my hiking/caving. The Nutty Putty cave immediately came to mind. There was also an elderly couple canyoning in Utah, a couple of years before I was in Zion NP. They both ran into problems, but the husband slipped, his ropes kept him from falling to his death but he was suspended upside down. By the time his wife got help, he had died from being in that position.
When it comes down to it I think that the parents wanted a better answer than your son died in an unusual way we're sorry. They wanted to be angry at someone. There had to be someone to blame. Unfortunately in this case it was just their boy who made a poor decision.
@@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826 apart from being a racist I can tell you're also the type of person crying out for attention in the most pathetic way possible. Sorry your parents didn't love you.
@@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826 You’re drowning in rhetoric. Besides considering what 90% of African American history has been it isn’t crazy to assume foul play. But people believe far out conspiracies.
Great analysis as usual. I do feel compassion for the family. Hopefully they accept what happened and the people that they accused find it in their hearts to forgive them. I can only imagine how hard it was for them to be rational right after this incredibly tragic event. Thanks for being an objective voice and shining light on the safety lesson that we all should learn from this tragedy
You people are sick if you really think this was an accident! The coroner was not called until HOURS later! footage tampered with which have been proven! Bryan Bell did an interview stating he never saw KJ that day, he was caught on camera WALKING RIGHT BESIDE HIM! WHY LIE!!!!! Officials said it was no signs of foul play so why was the side of his face so swole and cuts on his hands NOT TO MENTION THE HUGE PUDDLE OF BLOOD BY THE HAD AND SOME BLOOD SPLATTER on the wall also!!!! Why was the body tampered with and repositioned before the pictures were taken?????!!!!! What happened to KJ ORGANS??????!!!! How did first medical examiner conclusion didn’t match the evidence AT ALL????? SO KJ HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THROW SHOES BEHIND THE MAT AND RETRIEVE THEM WHICH SOMETHING STUDENTS DID EVERYDAY, so you telling me this student ATHLETE decide NOT TO PUSH THE MATT OVER AND KNOCK THE SHOE OUT THIS 5’10 student with broad shoulders decide to squeeze in the rolled up Mat get his shoes and the ATHLETE got stuck! He didn’t want to unroll the mat????? Are you serious?????!!!!
Yep, I totally agree that the only conclusion, when all the facts are known, is that it was a tragic accident. One thing I do not understand is that most people (including many TH-cam true crime personalities trying to get a social justice point by continuing to slander some of the 38 innocent people) go "but the organs" as if that means anything. His body was going to the funeral home, where it is prepared for the viewing and service - it's not going to be examined anymore. They had at least two examiners who saw everything they needed. I know it is usual for the organs to be sent, but sometimes they are not - that is just known in the funeral industry, but at this point the organs are only needed to round out the body to make it look more natural. Hence, newspaper. So, while not a "best practice," as Dr. Grande said, it's not illegal. Logically, "but the organs" doesn't mean anything - it doesn't prove a non existent conspiracy - because no one is examining the body at this point - it's simply being prepared for viewing and burial. Please try to use logic and know that "but the organs" is ignorant.
Agreed! I've gotten attacked in comments suggesting that an accident is the only logical conclusion. People just NEED that drama. A horrible, unfortunate accident. I hope all involved can find peace.
Facts! Do you work in funeral service? We did lots of things to make sure when the deceased was presented in the best possible way to the family, this can be very challenging depending on the manner of death.
If nothing else the girl dating one the Bell Brothers, the Bell brothers themselves, and father, should get something for all the hell they were put through and will never live down. They were on the bus or seen in class at the time frame of the event. One of the brothers played at Akron U and everyone thinks he is a murderer that played 4 years of college ball as a free man. I don't rule out homicide but atleast the Bell brothers and the young woman who was in the love triangle can get some relief. I wont rule out homicide but for the past 9 years it was clear if it was a homicide the real killer got a pass by having the Bell Brothers as a scapegoat.
Hi, I left a comment asking about the organs, but not because I think it means he was murdered or foul play was involved at the time he died. I just assumed that there was some kind of law that if a person isn't an organ donor*, that they legally have to be buried with their organs, or atleast the organs that they have once they are found dead, because the reason for many people to not be organ donors is religious. it just seemed strange that they wouldn't send his organs with the body since they were likely intact and easy to send, like it wasn't as if he was in a terrible attack that would have made it incredibly hard or messy to bag them and send them in the body cavity, as I thought they usually do. *i understand that it would have mattered much in this case even if he had been a donor, as he had been dead for about a day, so with my understanding of organ transplantation, his organs wouldn't have been able to be used for living people on the transplant list.
@@Throatzillaaa it's not illegal or anything to not bury someone with their organs, but it's unusual that organs would be discarded without the family's consent. It happens on rare occasion, likely some kind of communication or paperwork mix up.
I remember this a few years back, how the media were complicit with there being some sort of conspiracy. They presented Kendrick's death as a cover up by the school, aided by the father of the accused who was FBI.
I believe protesters used a photo of him from the funeral home as proof of foul play. A death where the person is upside down looks horrible. They do not look like themselves at all. I wonder if anybody explained this to them.
The family took the post-autopsy photo of him at the funeral home and then made a huge copy with it saying he was lynched. They still use the photo to say he was beaten even though three different autopsies have proven that he wasn't.
@@vee9324 thanks for clarifying. I can’t help but wonder what he would think of that. What his legacy has been turned into. The entire situation is so sad.
@skletory there are multiple photos, the one where his head looks caved in is post-autopsy before his face was reconstructed by the funeral home. The first autopsy was very thorough. The second and third autopsy were done by a sketchy pathologist who can't explain how a small dime sized area of trauma would have stopped his heart. Also notice that finding "blunt force trauma" is not the same thing as being beaten.
After listening to the crime weekly podcast with Stephanie Harlow , I really do think it’s an accident, they went super in-depth and have many facts, and research about the case.
@@ganamajin9024 yes very true. Everyone questions about it have all been answered. It was a terrible accident. I just wish more people did more research about it before they spread conspiracies.
@@Naijacatt yes, it is similar to the Elisa Lam case where because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the death it inevitably leads people to reach out for conspiracy theories when the clear evidence shows it was a tragic accident.
In this case we should also hold the “independent investigator” and local media accountable. As they played a huge part in pushing a homicide cover up narrative.
@@Pretty_Mess having a teenager in the house, I can totally agree with this. Idk about this poor kids death but I can say teenagers are dumb, have no common sense yet and think they’re invincible.
We all know it was foul play of some kind. I come from a county or two over...these places still force atheists to attend revivals at their public school at the threat og Violence. Corporal punishment is dished to students prek-12th, you get sent home with a police escort if you talk too loud in the lunchroom. Race wars happen because a white girl consentually hooks up with a black guy. Cops detain teenagers despite doing nothing wrong, officers are allowed to detain people for drunk driving even without any form of sobriety test, and the person isnt allowed to take one to prove their innocence. The roofs of schools fall on students heads causing injury and in one case, death to a student because... "Thats the risk you take going to school, the building has been here for half a century, the proven structural damage doesnt mean anything." You get forced to retire if you stand up for a disabled child being abused by her special needs teacher. The principal says he has the right to take all the money he wants from your parents bank account because he says its his (the law of course doesnt agree and the situation goes quiet) You almost get expelled 3 weeks before graduation because you had a traumatic day and need to see the guidance counselor. The need to see the counselor is expellment territory. Etc. Etc. Etc. Ive personally witnessed most of those things, experienced it, talked with people that have, or its just common knowledge in the community. These towns have s high degree of corruption and have no concern for anyone but their friends because everyone "grew up together". It doesnt matter what they did and how gross it is. In these towns, these things happen often and arent strange..theyre VERY normal.
They even hanged missionaries in these parts.. albeit around 100 years ago, but seriously, someone trying to end kids isnt far fetched especially if ethnicity is involved here. It dont matter how progressive your* town is, the people here arent like you. They arent like the rest of the US. Its like a whole different country and a whole different century.
This is a very interesting case. I do get why people believe he was murdered due to how odd things appear, but it does appear to be an accident. No matter the scenario one thinks this was, accident or murder, it is very sad that he died. Excellent analysis on this Dr. Grande, keep up the great work.
I have worked with teens for years. This sounds typical of a teen. Thinking he’s invincible with all those youthful thoughts. They just don’t think they can ever get seriously injured or worse die. His poor family losing him in so sudden and young. Breaks my heart for them. 💔
Hello Dr. Grande, I remember reading about this incident when it actually happened. I am certainly not an investigator of any kind but I did find this case odd. It is very sad to see such a young man die at this age, such a tragedy. Again thank you for sharing with us and best regards. 👍❤
I saw people do a test to see if a person upside down in a mat surrounded by other mats could be heard yelling. They couldn't. Especially over the sounds of others playing in the gym. My guess is he probably started panicking, couldn't catch his breath, and was out. Nothing to see or hear unfortunately.
Him being so close to safety yet being so seemingly far just far enough to not be heard or seen. I thought thats what i implied bey saying “ he was right there” thats what scared me.
@@chazbarns1410 ah, I see what you mean. It didn’t read like that to me the first time. A great fear of mine, and reoccurring nightmare, is being close to my family and friends but not being able to reach them, especially when they’re in need of help.
I've heard about this case from several true crime youtube channels. Nobody ever mentioned that the students used to use that gym to store their shoes (implying that the victim had no reason whatsoever to be there), or that one of the guys accused of murder actually had an alibi. Thanks for giving all the info.
Yeah the fact all the kids threw their shoes in there, and since kids don’t have common sense to know hey don’t crawl in there by yourself you might not make it out or have someone there to help you… really shines a lot of light on it being a freak accident. So so sad.
@@HeatherHolt Makes zero sense to me and i wouldnt advise looking at the autopsy photos , but...Im no forensic pathologist but i wouldnt say this is some who smothered. Once again my lowly opinion , might really just be freak accident.
BECAUSE YOU WERENT LOOKIN…. Biased people only see one side to a story. It was mentioned on every TH-cam video I came across, including all of the news outlets. When your dad is an FBI AGENT, it’s easy to cover up crimes, especially if you had 8yrs to do so. You people are fuckin sheep.
Let’s say that how he died in the first autopsy is accurate he was found the next day it would be possible for them to have beaten him put him in the mat and then he is asphyxiated while they were in class and on the bus
I feel horrible for those boys that did absolutely nothing. Can you imagine being completely innocent and having a bunch of adults accusing you of being a racist murderer over no facts? Can you imagine the messages that they got over social media? That's awful. That's terrible. That slander was actually criminal and I'm glad the parents have to pay court costs. They tried to manufacture evidence. They are lucky people are giving them grace and not charging them criminally.
I agree it's difficult for loved ones to accept such a truth even when it's proven without a doubt but I dont think a person could eliminate foul play in this case 100 percent .
Honestly this could have been prevented by not charging children money for a place to keep their shoes. That is just crazy to me. I hope they at least changed that policy in light of what happened.
@@eadweard. Not the same. It's your choice if you want the soda. These kids either were required to change or take off their shoes, but were not provided a free place to keep them. Charging kids for a locker in a school is ridiculous. It was obviously enough of an issue that kids storing their shoes in the mats was commonplace.
"Wrestling with a Wrestling Mat": Necrology is a fascinating discipline and Mr. Grande has done much to "resurrect" a fascination with death, his real theme. Dr. Grande claims that he is highlighting significant criminal cases, probing the motives for criminal activity, and rehearsing the many issues around mental health and killing as an activity. But all of this is in the service of the study of death, the one "object" that never reveals itself other than through various effects. Take the case of Kendrick Johnson who found death within a wrestling mat. Then notice the "wrestling" that happened over his corpse: Lowndes County authorities ruled it was accidental, but that did not satisfy the Johnson family. Of course given the emotional strain of losing a beautiful young son would bring questions for anyone, including those closest to him; then an independent autopsy was conducted which suggested blunt force trauma as the cause of this young man's death; then demand for a coroner's inquest and a law suit alleging murder by the Johnson family. What's going on here? It's clearly another "wrestling match" between the aggrieved and those who make judgments on public matters. But that's only the surface phenomenon. What's really going on and has been going on since the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh is man's struggle with death itself. I think you know who will win. Thanks for reading.
Crawling headfirst and downward into a confined space is never a good idea. Similar case of a guy dropped his phone down a storm drain and crawled in headfirst to try reach it, slipped and couldn't get back out, died, drowned upside down in 6 inches of sludge.
DG I’m listening to the newest episode of Sword and Scale on Kendrick Johnson, I just had to pause to write you and say I recognized your voice immediately on this episode. You’re my favorite!
I feel deeply for this boy’s family, but I also think it needs to stop. They have ruined the lives of two boys who provably were not within the school when this tragic accident happened. I say this every time, but my mother drown in a bathtub. I understand how she’ll shocked you are left when you are dealing with a bizarre and tragic accident. It can be very difficult to accept an accident which is so senseless and bizarre, but that doesn’t make it any less of an accident. I also think - while stressing that I do not believe his parents have any culpability in this tragic accident, either - that part of their insistence that this wasn’t an accident is rooted in his parents’ feelings of guilt or inadequacy. When they have been told, “If your son were not sharing a pair of shoes with another student, or if you had paid for a locker, your son would not have ended up in that mat.” Of course they could not have foreseen this tragedy, and it is absolutely not their fault; even so, I wonder if they do not struggle with feelings of regret that they did not just rent a locker. It could have changed this outcome. Such a senseless tragedy.
I had read some articles about this death and I cannot believe that none of them mentioned that it's common for the students to store shoes in the mats! They didn't go into the conspiracy theory about the FBI, but the way they were written made it sound possible that he had been attacked by someone. I appreciate you talking about this. I'm relieved that it's clearly an accident and that someone hasn't gotten away with murder or manslaughter. At the same time, it's such a terrifying tragedy. These kind of freak accidents where someone ends up in a position where they can't breath really stick with me.
Really off topic but I will never, ever get Liberty Mutuals insurance because I despise their ads so much. I always seem to get them before Dr. Grande’s videos, too. And those five seconds just really grind my gears 😵💫 thx for the great video tho, Doc.
When I was a boy I was helping my uncle in the hayloft of a barn. I lost my balance and fell head first into a hole in the hay. I was completely upside down and could not gain any traction to get out. Fortunately my uncle saw what happened and pulled me out by my ankles.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
Thank you Dr. Grande, you showed me again how reasonable the thought process can be when we give ourself to logic and common sense. It’s unfortunAte what happened, but these things too are inevitable but which are mitigated by what we decide in the moment. 👍
Why were his organs removed and who removed them? If the funeral home didn't receive them, does the coroner usually remove the organs from the body? Sincere question, I do not know how all this works
Wow, what a story. I can't say I've ever heard of a similar or more bizarre scenario. You are absolutely right about how easily we can go on a blaming rampage when we're hurting and desperate for clarity. We have to suffer wisely, and that can be so difficult! Thank you for your thoughtful thoughts, Dr. G!
People in general over-estimate their ability to get out of such situations - you kind of only realise how helpless you are once you're stuck. If your arms are trapped, even free movement of your legs can't get always you out of trouble. He was a young, strong kid who probably didn't intend to go in headfirst - just reaching in for his shoes with one arm and slipped. If he even considered it, he probably assumed the angle meant his shoulders would prevent him slipping into the mat but unfortunately, they didn't. Incredibly sad case.
Yeah i agree, but then i think about all the not -smart stuff i did when i was in a hurry or just somewhere else in my mind and can totally imagine myself doing something like that. While i think the Investigation wasn't done great and his Familys treatment by all officials was a disgrace, i still lean toward this being a accident. But i have changef my mind on that a few times, so maybe i'll change my mind again if new info comes out.
@Shawna Burt Except what would be a) the logistics and b) the point, even if someone had a motive? "Dead weight" is known as that for a reason and it would be incredibly difficult to drag a body up to the top of the mats then drop him in. And it would be an effort in vain because the body is going to be found quickly - bowels relax when we die so there would be a noticeable smell long before decomposition sets in. A lot of the info out out by the pro-murder side is deliberately skewed, such as the photographs used to "prove" he had been beaten (nothing more than the effects of suffusion.) When looked at in detail there's little doubt to the official verdict and the mechanics of it have been thoroughly dissected. But there is not really anything beyond the most nebulous reasoning to support any foul play, there really isn't. Anomalies and gut feelings don't equal murder and that's all there is on that side of the argument. Well, all I was ever able to find... We don't like tragic accidents, they offend our sense of cause-and-effect. But it really does seem to be just that. Poor kid.
Sad case but trying to sue for $100 million is ludicrous. So many people try to get $ they don't deserve or claim racism when there is none. Great analysis always. Thanks Dr G😊💕💕
What a horrible and tragic way to die, and losing your child whilst they are at school, where you presume they are safe, is terrifying for any parent or loved one. Providing students access to lockers so that their belongings won’t be stolen would have prevented this needless tragedy, but sadly, no forethought or accountability is given to the little details, like a school not looking after the young people they are funded to educate and keep safe. If he’d had a safe, reliable locker…his family would still have their son. Devastating. Great as always Dr Grande
Great video. This case definetly seems to have been an unfortunate accident. I feel terribly for Kendrick's family. Would you consider covering the muder of Beth Barnard and the dissapearance of Vivienne Cameron, at Phillip Island in Australia? It's a very interesting case!
Dr. Grande I have recently come across a psychological anomaly that I had never heard of before. The reason I am bringing it up is because it seems to be unfolding before my very eyes. The phrase is:. "Wendigo Psychosis". It's symptoms are insatiable, intense greed; destruction of the environment; fear of becoming a cannibal or, intense craving for human flesh. I don't about the human flesh thing I don't know what people do in the privacy of their own home, but the greed and the destruction of environment kind of rings a bell. It seems they become greedy consumers of all things. Could you explain this to me, please, many people now seem to be suffering from this psychosis. Thank you.
Every American high school has these rolled up mats in the gym. I’ve climbed on top of them/ hidden in them just like thousands of bored students have over years. Certainly one of these students would unfortunately be positioned in a way that causes asphyxiation
@@kathyclark8274 yes, I know lol. I’m just explaining how a student would end up in a situation like Kendrick, for those who aren’t familiar with schools that do this and think his death is too far fetched to believe
Ok, it could've been homicide, but I get the impression sometimes, in cases like this, that people want it to be murder, and they want the circumstances to be as evil as possible, and they'll fight for this conclusion to be reached till their last dying breath even though they have no idea what actually happened, and evidence suggests an accident. What the hell is up with that?
I’d rather think of my child as being the victim of an injustice than of a completely unnecessary freak accident. Being on a crusade for justice maybe gives them something to focus on rather than imagining KJ slowly dying a horrid death by misadventure, alone. His body looked horrific, too. It makes sense that they’d be on a mission for justice rather than sit grieving, wondering why such a thing had happened to them. Not saying I approve, of course.
His color of skin was first perceived by those who cry about racism the loudest. Detrimental and self defeating, but this is a first time hearing of a "ghetto lottery".
I remember when this story first broke. Super sad, feels like the school should have kept a better eye on their students when they were on school grounds, but that doesn’t amount to murder.
@@jbates725 I totally get that, maybe it’s just because I started school right after Columbine but it was very much a priority from elementary through high school for our teachers, coaches, band directors, etc. to know where we were at all times. They had clipboards with attendance sheets on them that they were required to take everywhere so they knew who was supposed to be with them, and teachers or club advisors or whoever weren’t allowed to leave the school until every last kid was picked up. Not saying there isn’t personal responsibility, that’s just the era I grew up in I guess
Thank you! Kendrick Johnson's death has been on so many people's minds since it happened. To make a tragedy and sudden death of a loved one even worse if that was possible, his internal organs were missing with no answers to the disappearance. 💖 Love and best to Kendrick's family.
Id like to heat your take on that man that went missing in Texas i believe. Forget his name but he was coming home from the bar one night. Called 911 hysterical saying he’s being chased and theyre shooting at him. You kind of hear faint gunshots and he goes quiet. Later they found his abandoned truck and he’s never been found. He had an issue using meth but the theories were he came across cartel members and they were hunting him. Another one was the sheriff or chief from that town was helping the cartels get drugs in and he witnessed something he shouldn’t have. Im sure you’ve heard of it before but i heard about this a few years ago and its always stuck with me.
Dr. Grande: Could you please consider analyzing the situation involving the death of former TV kid star Gary Coleman? Many people believe he was murdered in Utah by his ex wife Shannon Price.
I remember hearing about woman who died after falling head first into a wheelie bin and being unable to get out.. I just did a search and a number of such cases came up. Sadly it it is not as uncommon a way to die as you might think.
@@diane1741 same. I've heard a convincing argument or 3 that it was accidental, but I'm jist not convinced, too many oddities, such as his shoulders being too wide for the mat, the position of his shoes and arms etc. Nah, it's fishy.
@@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425 well to be fair about his shoulders being too wide, his family has been lying for years about that. The shady pathologist they hired to find a murder took pictures of his shoulders with a ruler back in 2013. His shoulders were 16 inches wide, not 19. They just kept saying 19 anyway. And the hole in the mat was recorded by the criminalist at the scene as 14 1/2 inches at one end and 14 3/4 at the other. Also the “murder window” was only the five minutes between when he entered the gym and when fourth period gym started and the mats were recorded again. No where near enough time to murder and hide him. I’m not sure what the possible issue with his arm reaching over his head would be or the shoes that were on his feet ending up next to his feet after a struggle to escape or maybe to signal that he was there? You’d have to explain why those things are suspicious.
Excellent video. However I get suspicious from the way the sheriff acted when getting questioned initially about evidence that wasn’t included in the case. Also the video camera footage in the gym looked edited which is also bizarre. But I understand there’s no concrete evidence to prove this wasn’t a tragic accident
I think the sheriff was angry because most of the evidence they were questioning him about (namely the gray sweatshirt and blood on the wall) WAS collected as evidence. As for the gym camera footage, any motion activated footage at 1fps is going to look strange. You can move a lot in 1 second.
I'm really glad you reviewed this case. There was so much noise about conspiracy theories, I never understood what happened. What is truly sad is that a child lost his life because (mostly likely) he couldn't afford locker fees.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
A young utility worker was found in an abandoned grocery store in the state of Iowa several years after he went missing..( he fell behind one of the walk-in coolers and the dry air from the evaporator mummified his remains.
Iirc, the alarm was raised that evening and the school was checked, including the old gym which was largely disused. However, nobody even considered he might be in the mats (there was a group of them) and there was no way of seeing him without looking down into them as the top was above eye-level. Unbearably sad case, altho I think it was an accident. We are so vulnerable upside-down but we just don't realise it. Anything that constrains free movement as well....so sad. I could be wrong but I THINK that's the timeline.
Apparently his curfew was 11:00 on weeknights according to his mother. There was a basketball game that night so maybe that factored in too. There’s also a number of people who were involved in the investigation that say he wasn’t actually living with his parents at the time so there could have been a breakdown of communication. The call about him being missing went out around 12:30 in the morning.
The element of self-interest appears to be common in many investigations. I have certainly never heard of anyone dying like that. Very interesting case, thank you for the video.
I have always thought this would be a terrible death. I am a hiker and have done some amateur caving. If you research these things enough you run across positional asphyxiation. It would be horrible, I think it would be about as bad as being buried alive. This poor kid, he was an athlete, he probably thought he was just crawl right in and get his shoes and go home. I even feel bad for thieves who have been found stuck in chimneys after their death.
Dr. Grande, please, please cover the story of Vera Jo Reigel and the Brooks family gang/cult. There’s a documentary about it called “Goodnight Sugar Babe.”
I agree with Dr. Grande's assessment. However, I think the possibility of an unintentional accident at the hands of someone else can't be discounted. Kids horse around sometimes and it could be that someone pushed him inside the mat as a joke and left, thinking he would be able to get himself out. This is not someone trying to kill or even hurt him, but it is a possibility. As I said, I do think it was indeed a very unfortunate and sad accident, but nobody can say for certain there were absolutely zero other possibilities.
Great video Dr. Grande, this case always seemed very unusual. I feel sorry for his family though. Side note: My MSW class just suggested for us to watch your videos on CBT for treating depression and alcohol misuse. I was so happy to see it was YOUR videos. Great material of course. With that being said, can you look into the case of the FSU student Austin Harrouff, the cannibal frat boy. I really would love to hear your take on that case. Thank you!
That's a great question. They should have been put back in the body after the autopsy. And the family should have been told what they did with them. Somebody screwed up.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
Very interesting heartbreaking case. Doctor Grande, could you investigate the case involving the teenager who died in a minivan who was trying to reach for his soccer equipment in the back? He was able to reach 911 and they searched the wrong parking lot. It's such a similar case with heartbreaking results, and the fact that he actually was smart enough to almost save his own life only to have the police fail him.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
I kept up with this case. I agree with you. It was an accident. I think greed on the parent's side was a factor. Always interesting. Thank you. Peace 💕🇺🇲
I just don't understand why somebody would climb Down into a 10-15 foot tightly rolled up mat with literally now way of turning around to get out. Doesn't make any sense.
The mat was 6 feet tall. The best comparison someone has given me was the reach off your bed scenario. You drop something and instead of getting up you lean off the bed to grab it. It's farther away than you thought so you inch further and further to grab it until you go too far and gravity pulls you down.
People cover this case unforgivably poorly most of the time. There are a number of people I’ve stopped following over it because getting so much wrong about this case makes me unable to trust what they say about any other cases.
Paying for a locker? What kind of crappy high school makes kids PAY to use a locker?! Parents’ tax dollars had already BOUGHT those lockers!
You think there is unlimited money?
@@panushjo Trust me, I’m no libtard or SJW, but it seems super crappy for kids to be renting lockers. Perhaps the school system could trim costs elsewhere. I’ve worked in schools, and I know for a FACT that each school wastes literal tons of food each month because of Michelle Obama’s stupid mandatory program requiring kids to be forced to take foods they don’t want to take.
My high-school required payment to rent the locker and we had to use/ pay for locks also(the school owned them(
Very weird. Maybe I've been out of school too long. We never had to rent or pay for our lockers.
I never had to pay for a locker. A combination lock, yes, a locker no.
What a terribly sad case! I can't imagine what his final moments would have been like for him.
Great content as always, Dr. Grande!
No conspiracy, no foul play, next!
Doesn't mean the family can't feel the loss of a loved one. Jesus christ
He wrestled the mat and lost! 😂😂🤣🤣
@@brianalaundrie6192 wow. I hope you are as miserable as you are trying to make others.
@@brianalaundrie6192 indeed he did! 😋
The family accusing random kids based on poorly supported rumors and conspiracy theories is actually pretty scummy.
This case always made me sad and puzzled. Poor boy and family.
Do you think he would analyze prison rape cases?
The family used this as a sad excuse to get money. I'm happy they have to pay 290k$ back to those innocent students they accused. You reap what you sow.
@@emailmailson6089 or? They really couldn’t face that it was an accident and was looking for someone to blame. That’s common.
@@Mama_Bear524 it's not common to randomly accuse 38 people of murder and sue them.
@@Mama_Bear524 you don't publicly accuse ppl nonetheless minors without evidence
I work with decedents and I once did a viewing where the family insisted their loved one was all beat up in the face. However what they were seeing was lividity. Blood pools in the lowest areas of bodies once it stops flowing. This decedent’s head had not been out in a head block and after awhile the blood pooled back. This decedent was also a big person so that exasperated the lividity.
Similar to the way soul crooner Sam Cook looked in his casket after he was shot at hotel -- all beat up.
@@White-Michael935you seem to lack basic humanity in your commentary! U hope you never have to face this situation!
This also happens to skiers who become trapped in the narrow hole around a tree's trunk when there's many feet of snow. They get imprisoned in the hole upside down, and can't get out of their ski's. The buddy system can save a life.
Holes around the trunk?
Youve accomplished nothing
@@AlphaMom55 The branches around pine and cedar trees will keep snow from setting at the trunk of the tree. So if you have 15 ft of snow on a mountainside right next to the tree near the trunk will still be close to ground level. Creating a small chamber around the tree empty of snow.
Most skiers go in head first and if there alone they usually suffocate after awhile.
@@novac1990 omgsh, that sounds horrific!!
@@novac1990 tree wells are my secret fear
Yeah Doc I remember hearing about this years ago on TH-cam and wherever I was hearing it they kind of implied it was murder. That's why I always appreciate your unbiased findings.
Or a police cover up, which I’m sorry but I can’t wrap my mind around any other scenario but an accident.
If he was trying to wrestle the mat then he definitely lost 😂😂😂😂
@@brianalaundrie6192 wow you’re nice
@@brianalaundrie6192 and hilarious 😕
@@brianalaundrie6192 Wtf? Sounds like you’re wrestling with morality and kindness and losing.
Dr Grande!! You have given the most clear and concise description of what more than likely happened to this tragic situation and that unfortunate young man! Blessings go out to his family that are grieving him!
No one but Kendrick Johnson knows what happened so no one can really make a opinion
@@shannoncliff2371except with evidence we can theorize what happened with reasonable accuracy.
@@shannoncliff2371the people who did and covered it up know
Freak accidents happen all the time, case in point, there was a kid who crawled in the back of his SUV into the rear passenger seat causing it to fold over on him making him become trapped. He was able to use Siri to make one phone call before his phone died, he told the 911 operator that he was trapped and that his phone was going to die which it did. The first police officer that responded, didn’t take the matter seriously enough to stop to investigate. He noticed the SUV, but didn’t get out to look inside. The father eventually went to the school looking for his missing son and saw his SUV there, upon further investigation he finally noticed his sons foot sticking out, but by that time it was too late and he had suffocated.
That was the same case I was going to mention but not necessary since you described it so well. Thanks
Its good practice to keep your phone battery topped off. I just plugged mine in even though it's at 86%. Why not?
It was a Honda Odyssey van. Same type I have. I shudder to think of all the times my kids & I leaned over the back seat to grab something.
@watchmejumpstart And if you get stuck upside down in a van you'll be really annoyed if you're at 5%.
@watchmejumpstart probably you because you didn't charge your phone.
People can't comprehend the mundane and stupid nature of most deaths, hence conspiracy theories surrounding famous deaths. How could a fabulous person die in such mundane circumstances?
I think he was a victim of a prank attempt gone wrong by his teammates. The cover up. The phenomenon that loners turned future serial killers don't normally kill a popular school athlete. The only people with the social power to fool around with a guy like him would be his teammates and friends.
Except the timeline, surveillance, and witness statements are clear that he went to the mats alone.
An excellent analysis as always. I can understand why a lot of people might have suspected foul play since the circumstances were so bizarre (especially considering his unexplained missing organs.) Considering all the facts, though, I think an accident is the most likely explanation. Excellent analysis as always.
Great to see you covering this one Doc, it's definitely a strange one.
Deceased kids family ordered to pay $292,000 in court costs to the people they falsely accused of a cover-up.
@@cht2162I hope not.
In this case, I think his family was so convinced of homicide and also thought that they would not expose the truth through usual means that they felt justified to acuse people without evidence, maybe fueled by great emotion
I believe they knew it was an accident.
Not homicide, he tried to wrestle the mat and he lost, sadly! 😂😂😂
@@brianalaundrie6192 uuuhh. are you ok?
@@drbqqq1433 With respect, I disagree. I think it's on an individual basis. His parents may have loved their son, sure they did, but they wanted money and it blinded them. I don't think it's common among many people.
@@drbqqq1433 This case reminds me of the Kyle Plush story. It's a similar strange death, but definitely an accident
It cannot be ignored that $100 million lawsuit was a significant factor in the false accusations to support it. That's alot of motivation for anyone. A huge legal settlement for a mysterious tragedy has become a chance for a lottery win for the bereaved and the venal lawyers that promote them.
This case is reminiscent of that one in California where the kid's body was found head downward in a chimney of an abandoned house.
Hi. If you sued for justice for your child what price would you place on your child'd head?
@@SB-vf7vq Justice isn't in question for an accidental death. So your hypothetical is a non-sequitur.
@Jay Browne naw mang dem mats wuz maed by wypipo and dey rayces yo
@@trooblave6173 where’s the justice then
@@uk2215 You guys do know what "accidental" means? Might as well sue the clouds for lightning strikes.
As a parent, I understand they can’t accept what happened and need someone to blame so they can direct their loss and anger at a person.
Having worked with autopsied bodies…. Everything about the condition of his body says it was an accident. It was positional asphyxia.
“But there was blood?” - yes when someone dies there is purge fluid. Blood or black liquid can come from the nose, mouth. His body position shows he was reaching. Some of the “bruising” is lividity where blood pools after death. He dropped his shoe, thought he could get it and was alone in that corner and fell in. It’s absolutely horrific but was an accident. The “neck trauma” was from when he fell in. His body weight came down onto his head/neck when he flipped.
Removing organs and keeping them for a while and releasing the body to the family is common when additional testing may be required to make sure accidents weren’t foul play.
The newspaper wasn’t optimal, but desaireology employs many methods to get a body ready cosmetically for funerals. A lot of work and “tricks” go into making someone look “natural”. If his body cavity was left void it would be noticeable and traumatized the family visually. Paper/fibers absorb fluid and expand and was probably all they had on hand. There are many things we did to prepare bodies when I worked at a funeral home that ppl wouldn’t understand, but it’s not done to disrespect the body- funerals are for the living so we prepared ppl so their families could see them one last time and did whatever it took to make sure the deceased looked their best… bc that’s honoring them. It’s a very hard job and I wish ppl understood what’s at stake
Just like the girl who was drunk and walked into a freezer. She likely opened the door and felt what she thought was cool night air and stepped inside. No light, intoxicated and not finding the handle she just laid down and passed away. She also had purge fluid when thawed and her face/tissue was unsightly because of post mortem changes. She wasn’t assaulted or hurt it was just an accident but I understand why her mom can’t accept that.
It’s hard to accept when your young child loses their life, but when it happens unexpectedly and it’s an accident with no witnesses it’s almost like the mind refuses to process it. If your child was shot, there’s someone to blame and you know what happened. In accidents- so many unanswered questions torment the family and they can’t get closure.
Wow what a thorough comment. The whole idea of lividity is interesting to me. It makes sense and is so useful when trying to deduce how someone died, when someone died, even where someone died (ie was killed somewhere else and then moved).
Thank you for explaining this thoroughly. I've always had an interest in the work involved with autopsies and death preparations. I wish I would have actually decided to go that route in college. Death is not easy to deal with and it takes a special individual to work in that field.
I think you make some great points and I agree with you. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of these families. I almost understand their refusal to believe the truth. It’s not a satisfying feeling really not being able to truly understand or explain your loved ones death.
Great and intelligent comment. A rare thing to read on TH-cam
Thank you for your professional efforts. Thanks to someone like you I was able to see my mother one last time, as she looked beautiful. I know it's just a shell but thank you again for all the work you guys do.
Dr.Grande, please discuss the Phillip Markoff (Craigslist Killer/medical student) case from around 2009. A lot to analyze.
Hell yeah, especially the interrogations
Yeah that’s a weird one. He was seriously living a double life
Already been done
I’m pretty sure he has?
@@scottricci5063 I checked. No. You might be thinking "Long Island killer"
The most amazing part to me of this whole thing is “paying for a locker”
I wondered about that too. I thought about asking, but I thought maybe I was aging myself. I mean, I went to a rural high school, it may not have been the best funded, but we got a locker. If you were on a sports team you also got a locker in the gym if your sport was in season.
@@trace9657 I believe this school was similar. A small fee for a semester worth of locker in the main school and a gym locker if you were on a team. Kendrick wasn’t playing any sports when he died so he wouldn’t have had a locker to leave his shoes in to share with other boy who also wore them. Leaving them in the gym would probably have made more sense to both kids vs leaving them in some possibly terribly inconvenient school locker. And since Kendrick was about to rejoin the football team he might have passed on a locker assuming he’d have a gym one again soon.
We got inflated administrator salaries and sweetheart contacts for the mayors cousin to worry about man we can’t go giving everyone free access to lockers!
@@The_10th_Man lol true true
This reminds me of that terrible Nutty Putty Cave story where John Jones got himself in an awkward upside down position and ended up suffocating. Or that Kyle Plush kid who suffocated after being stuck in his Honda. So tragic!
I commented earlier about reading these things to go along with my hiking/caving. The Nutty Putty cave immediately came to mind. There was also an elderly couple canyoning in Utah, a couple of years before I was in Zion NP. They both ran into problems, but the husband slipped, his ropes kept him from falling to his death but he was suspended upside down. By the time his wife got help, he had died from being in that position.
When it comes down to it I think that the parents wanted a better answer than your son died in an unusual way we're sorry. They wanted to be angry at someone. There had to be someone to blame. Unfortunately in this case it was just their boy who made a poor decision.
No, they wanted money and to enter the lucrative world of black victinhood.
@@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826 apart from being a racist I can tell you're also the type of person crying out for attention in the most pathetic way possible. Sorry your parents didn't love you.
@@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826 *rolls eyes*
@@nunceccemortiferiscultu7826 You’re drowning in rhetoric. Besides considering what 90% of African American history has been it isn’t crazy to assume foul play. But people believe far out conspiracies.
Yes, I am convinced it was a tragic accident. These days conspiracy theories have taken over too many people's minds. It is crazy..!😑
Great analysis as usual. I do feel compassion for the family. Hopefully they accept what happened and the people that they accused find it in their hearts to forgive them. I can only imagine how hard it was for them to be rational right after this incredibly tragic event. Thanks for being an objective voice and shining light on the safety lesson that we all should learn from this tragedy
You people are sick if you really think this was an accident! The coroner was not called until HOURS later! footage tampered with which have been proven! Bryan Bell did an interview stating he never saw KJ that day, he was caught on camera WALKING RIGHT BESIDE HIM! WHY LIE!!!!! Officials said it was no signs of foul play so why was the side of his face so swole and cuts on his hands NOT TO MENTION THE HUGE PUDDLE OF BLOOD BY THE HAD AND SOME BLOOD SPLATTER on the wall also!!!! Why was the body tampered with and repositioned before the pictures were taken?????!!!!! What happened to KJ ORGANS??????!!!! How did first medical examiner conclusion didn’t match the evidence AT ALL????? SO KJ HAS BEEN KNOWN TO THROW SHOES BEHIND THE MAT AND RETRIEVE THEM WHICH SOMETHING STUDENTS DID EVERYDAY, so you telling me this student ATHLETE decide NOT TO PUSH THE MATT OVER AND KNOCK THE SHOE OUT THIS 5’10 student with broad shoulders decide to squeeze in the rolled up Mat get his shoes and the ATHLETE got stuck! He didn’t want to unroll the mat????? Are you serious?????!!!!
Yep, I totally agree that the only conclusion, when all the facts are known, is that it was a tragic accident. One thing I do not understand is that most people (including many TH-cam true crime personalities trying to get a social justice point by continuing to slander some of the 38 innocent people) go "but the organs" as if that means anything. His body was going to the funeral home, where it is prepared for the viewing and service - it's not going to be examined anymore. They had at least two examiners who saw everything they needed. I know it is usual for the organs to be sent, but sometimes they are not - that is just known in the funeral industry, but at this point the organs are only needed to round out the body to make it look more natural. Hence, newspaper.
So, while not a "best practice," as Dr. Grande said, it's not illegal. Logically, "but the organs" doesn't mean anything - it doesn't prove a non existent conspiracy - because no one is examining the body at this point - it's simply being prepared for viewing and burial. Please try to use logic and know that "but the organs" is ignorant.
Agreed! I've gotten attacked in comments suggesting that an accident is the only logical conclusion. People just NEED that drama. A horrible, unfortunate accident. I hope all involved can find peace.
Facts! Do you work in funeral service? We did lots of things to make sure when the deceased was presented in the best possible way to the family, this can be very challenging depending on the manner of death.
If nothing else the girl dating one the Bell Brothers, the Bell brothers themselves, and father, should get something for all the hell they were put through and will never live down. They were on the bus or seen in class at the time frame of the event. One of the brothers played at Akron U and everyone thinks he is a murderer that played 4 years of college ball as a free man. I don't rule out homicide but atleast the Bell brothers and the young woman who was in the love triangle can get some relief. I wont rule out homicide but for the past 9 years it was clear if it was a homicide the real killer got a pass by having the Bell Brothers as a scapegoat.
Hi, I left a comment asking about the organs, but not because I think it means he was murdered or foul play was involved at the time he died. I just assumed that there was some kind of law that if a person isn't an organ donor*, that they legally have to be buried with their organs, or atleast the organs that they have once they are found dead, because the reason for many people to not be organ donors is religious. it just seemed strange that they wouldn't send his organs with the body since they were likely intact and easy to send, like it wasn't as if he was in a terrible attack that would have made it incredibly hard or messy to bag them and send them in the body cavity, as I thought they usually do.
*i understand that it would have mattered much in this case even if he had been a donor, as he had been dead for about a day, so with my understanding of organ transplantation, his organs wouldn't have been able to be used for living people on the transplant list.
@@Throatzillaaa it's not illegal or anything to not bury someone with their organs, but it's unusual that organs would be discarded without the family's consent. It happens on rare occasion, likely some kind of communication or paperwork mix up.
I remember this a few years back, how the media were complicit with there being some sort of conspiracy. They presented Kendrick's death as a cover up by the school, aided by the father of the accused who was FBI.
I believe protesters used a photo of him from the funeral home as proof of foul play. A death where the person is upside down looks horrible. They do not look like themselves at all. I wonder if anybody explained this to them.
The family took the post-autopsy photo of him at the funeral home and then made a huge copy with it saying he was lynched. They still use the photo to say he was beaten even though three different autopsies have proven that he wasn't.
@@vee9324 thanks for clarifying. I can’t help but wonder what he would think of that. What his legacy has been turned into. The entire situation is so sad.
Positional asphyxiation is a HORRIBLE way to die.
@@vee9324 false those were pictures when they found him the mat 2 autopsy say he died from blunt force only the first one say he from suffocating
@skletory there are multiple photos, the one where his head looks caved in is post-autopsy before his face was reconstructed by the funeral home.
The first autopsy was very thorough. The second and third autopsy were done by a sketchy pathologist who can't explain how a small dime sized area of trauma would have stopped his heart.
Also notice that finding "blunt force trauma" is not the same thing as being beaten.
After listening to the crime weekly podcast with Stephanie Harlow , I really do think it’s an accident, they went super in-depth and have many facts, and research about the case.
Yes. Sad as it may be, all evidence points to this being a horrible accident.
@@ganamajin9024 yes very true. Everyone questions about it have all been answered. It was a terrible accident. I just wish more people did more research about it before they spread conspiracies.
@@Naijacatt yes, it is similar to the Elisa Lam case where because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding the death it inevitably leads people to reach out for conspiracy theories when the clear evidence shows it was a tragic accident.
agreed
Same 💔
In this case we should also hold the “independent investigator” and local media accountable. As they played a huge part in pushing a homicide cover up narrative.
Oh cause Kendrick being the “idiot” that he is jumped into a Mat the size of him expecting to squeeze back out 😂 it was a homicide!!! Wake up!
@@nonamesweetie Hey you said it not me. But yeah kids do dumb stuff and sometimes it results in their deaths.
@@Pretty_Mess having a teenager in the house, I can totally agree with this. Idk about this poor kids death but I can say teenagers are dumb, have no common sense yet and think they’re invincible.
We all know it was foul play of some kind.
I come from a county or two over...these places still force atheists to attend revivals at their public school at the threat og Violence. Corporal punishment is dished to students prek-12th, you get sent home with a police escort if you talk too loud in the lunchroom. Race wars happen because a white girl consentually hooks up with a black guy.
Cops detain teenagers despite doing nothing wrong, officers are allowed to detain people for drunk driving even without any form of sobriety test, and the person isnt allowed to take one to prove their innocence. The roofs of schools fall on students heads causing injury and in one case, death to a student because... "Thats the risk you take going to school, the building has been here for half a century, the proven structural damage doesnt mean anything." You get forced to retire if you stand up for a disabled child being abused by her special needs teacher.
The principal says he has the right to take all the money he wants from your parents bank account because he says its his (the law of course doesnt agree and the situation goes quiet)
You almost get expelled 3 weeks before graduation because you had a traumatic day and need to see the guidance counselor. The need to see the counselor is expellment territory.
Etc. Etc. Etc.
Ive personally witnessed most of those things, experienced it, talked with people that have, or its just common knowledge in the community.
These towns have s high degree of corruption and have no concern for anyone but their friends because everyone "grew up together". It doesnt matter what they did and how gross it is. In these towns, these things happen often and arent strange..theyre VERY normal.
They even hanged missionaries in these parts.. albeit around 100 years ago, but seriously, someone trying to end kids isnt far fetched especially if ethnicity is involved here. It dont matter how progressive your* town is, the people here arent like you. They arent like the rest of the US.
Its like a whole different country and a whole different century.
Glas I saw this. Thank you because after seeing others I thought foul Play..
This is a very interesting case. I do get why people believe he was murdered due to how odd things appear, but it does appear to be an accident. No matter the scenario one thinks this was, accident or murder, it is very sad that he died. Excellent analysis on this Dr. Grande, keep up the great work.
I was one of the folks who requested this-- thank you so so much for covering it!!
Whatever it may be it's a sad case all around.
I have worked with teens for years. This sounds typical of a teen. Thinking he’s invincible with all those youthful thoughts. They just don’t think they can ever get seriously injured or worse die. His poor family losing him in so sudden and young. Breaks my heart for them. 💔
And organs missing ? Cmon man this man literally didn’t even read the case. Camera footage missing
@@skletoryorgans were taken out at the funeral home. And the cameras were motion sensor so they cut on and off.
Hello Dr. Grande, I remember reading about this incident when it actually happened. I am certainly not an investigator of any kind but I did find this case odd. It is very sad to see such a young man die at this age, such a tragedy. Again thank you for sharing with us and best regards. 👍❤
As a child this scared me of school more than anything else even a school shooter, how can someone be right there for so long and not go noticed?
What scared you? Gym mats? Or a possible dead body near you while you’re learning and playing?
I saw people do a test to see if a person upside down in a mat surrounded by other mats could be heard yelling. They couldn't. Especially over the sounds of others playing in the gym. My guess is he probably started panicking, couldn't catch his breath, and was out. Nothing to see or hear unfortunately.
Him being so close to safety yet being so seemingly far just far enough to not be heard or seen. I thought thats what i implied bey saying “ he was right there” thats what scared me.
@@chazbarns1410 ah, I see what you mean. It didn’t read like that to me the first time. A great fear of mine, and reoccurring nightmare, is being close to my family and friends but not being able to reach them, especially when they’re in need of help.
I've heard about this case from several true crime youtube channels. Nobody ever mentioned that the students used to use that gym to store their shoes (implying that the victim had no reason whatsoever to be there), or that one of the guys accused of murder actually had an alibi. Thanks for giving all the info.
Yeah the fact all the kids threw their shoes in there, and since kids don’t have common sense to know hey don’t crawl in there by yourself you might not make it out or have someone there to help you… really shines a lot of light on it being a freak accident. So so sad.
@@HeatherHolt Makes zero sense to me and i wouldnt advise looking at the autopsy photos , but...Im no forensic pathologist but i wouldnt say this is some who smothered. Once again my lowly opinion , might really just be freak accident.
@@sbstnpofadder that’s how you look when you die of positional asphyxia…it’s awful the blood pools to your head.
BECAUSE YOU WERENT LOOKIN…. Biased people only see one side to a story. It was mentioned on every TH-cam video I came across, including all of the news outlets. When your dad is an FBI AGENT, it’s easy to cover up crimes, especially if you had 8yrs to do so. You people are fuckin sheep.
Let’s say that how he died in the first autopsy is accurate he was found the next day it would be possible for them to have beaten him put him in the mat and then he is asphyxiated while they were in class and on the bus
Doc you are brillant thats why i keep watching on cases I care about! Cheers🍻
I get that it's difficult to accept that your loved one died because of their own actions but, damn, to publicly accuse other kids? That's messed up.
I feel horrible for those boys that did absolutely nothing. Can you imagine being completely innocent and having a bunch of adults accusing you of being a racist murderer over no facts? Can you imagine the messages that they got over social media? That's awful. That's terrible. That slander was actually criminal and I'm glad the parents have to pay court costs. They tried to manufacture evidence. They are lucky people are giving them grace and not charging them criminally.
This is clearly Trump and white people's fault. I don't know how but that doesn't mean it's not their fault somehow.
It wasn’t an accident go watch the documentary and get a life. He did not die or no fucking accident
I agree it's difficult for loved ones to accept such a truth even when it's proven without a doubt but I dont think a person could eliminate foul play in this case 100 percent .
@@pamelastevens1609 😂😂 they crossed paths it’s in documentary get YOUR facts straight
Honestly this could have been prevented by not charging children money for a place to keep their shoes. That is just crazy to me. I hope they at least changed that policy in light of what happened.
If someone crushes themselves trying to tip a soda machine, should we criticize the soda people for changing for drinks? Doesn't seem sensible.
@@eadweard. Not the same. It's your choice if you want the soda. These kids either were required to change or take off their shoes, but were not provided a free place to keep them. Charging kids for a locker in a school is ridiculous. It was obviously enough of an issue that kids storing their shoes in the mats was commonplace.
@@shroomyk True. But no one required them to crawl into airless, vertical space if they didn't opt for a locker.
$100 million? Yeah okay. They couldn't accept that their kid died of an accident, and wanted to get rich off of it.
Everything seemed to have a price. Very twisted
"Wrestling with a Wrestling Mat": Necrology is a fascinating discipline and Mr. Grande has done much to "resurrect" a fascination with death, his real theme. Dr. Grande claims that he is highlighting significant criminal cases, probing the motives for criminal activity, and rehearsing the many issues around mental health and killing as an activity. But all of this is in the service of the study of death, the one "object" that never reveals itself other than through various effects. Take the case of Kendrick Johnson who found death within a wrestling mat. Then notice the "wrestling" that happened over his corpse: Lowndes County authorities ruled it was accidental, but that did not satisfy the Johnson family. Of course given the emotional strain of losing a beautiful young son would bring questions for anyone, including those closest to him; then an independent autopsy was conducted which suggested blunt force trauma as the cause of this young man's death; then demand for a coroner's inquest and a law suit alleging murder by the Johnson family. What's going on here? It's clearly another "wrestling match" between the aggrieved and those who make judgments on public matters. But that's only the surface phenomenon. What's really going on and has been going on since the ancient Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh is man's struggle with death itself. I think you know who will win. Thanks for reading.
Crawling headfirst and downward into a confined space is never a good idea. Similar case of a guy dropped his phone down a storm drain and crawled in headfirst to try reach it, slipped and couldn't get back out, died, drowned upside down in 6 inches of sludge.
It doesn’t matter what you know…it’s what you can prove.
Which is unfortunate
@@kimalonzo3363 most definitely.
We know it was an accident because we can prove it was.
@@vee9324 you know it AND can prove it, but you can also know things that you can't prove.
Being from Georgia myself, I followed this case closely. So very sad. Thank you so much for the video 🌵🌿🌵🌿🌵
DG I’m listening to the newest episode of Sword and Scale on Kendrick Johnson, I just had to pause to write you and say I recognized your voice immediately on this episode. You’re my favorite!
I'm glad that I listened to this podcast bc the other videos I've seen made this case sound horrifically racist
Hate has to be manufactured these day because the demand outweighs the true supply.
I feel deeply for this boy’s family, but I also think it needs to stop. They have ruined the lives of two boys who provably were not within the school when this tragic accident happened.
I say this every time, but my mother drown in a bathtub. I understand how she’ll shocked you are left when you are dealing with a bizarre and tragic accident. It can be very difficult to accept an accident which is so senseless and bizarre, but that doesn’t make it any less of an accident.
I also think - while stressing that I do not believe his parents have any culpability in this tragic accident, either - that part of their insistence that this wasn’t an accident is rooted in his parents’ feelings of guilt or inadequacy. When they have been told, “If your son were not sharing a pair of shoes with another student, or if you had paid for a locker, your son would not have ended up in that mat.” Of course they could not have foreseen this tragedy, and it is absolutely not their fault; even so, I wonder if they do not struggle with feelings of regret that they did not just rent a locker. It could have changed this outcome.
Such a senseless tragedy.
Wow, that is tragic about your mom. ❤
So sorry for your loss. ❤❤❤
People like you genuinely disgust me, how could you say that
I had read some articles about this death and I cannot believe that none of them mentioned that it's common for the students to store shoes in the mats! They didn't go into the conspiracy theory about the FBI, but the way they were written made it sound possible that he had been attacked by someone.
I appreciate you talking about this. I'm relieved that it's clearly an accident and that someone hasn't gotten away with murder or manslaughter. At the same time, it's such a terrifying tragedy. These kind of freak accidents where someone ends up in a position where they can't breath really stick with me.
Really off topic but I will never, ever get Liberty Mutuals insurance because I despise their ads so much. I always seem to get them before Dr. Grande’s videos, too. And those five seconds just really grind my gears 😵💫 thx for the great video tho, Doc.
When I was a boy I was helping my uncle in the hayloft of a barn. I lost my balance and fell head first into a hole in the hay. I was completely upside down and could not gain any traction to get out. Fortunately my uncle saw what happened and pulled me out by my ankles.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
Thank you Dr. Grande, you showed me again how reasonable the thought process can be when we give ourself to logic and common sense. It’s unfortunAte what happened, but these things too are inevitable but which are mitigated by what we decide in the moment. 👍
Why were his organs removed and who removed them? If the funeral home didn't receive them, does the coroner usually remove the organs from the body? Sincere question, I do not know how all this works
Not the coroner, you likely mean the ME (medical examiner) or pathologist who performs the post mortem exam.
They usually remove the organs examine them then put them back in the body
Wow, what a story. I can't say I've ever heard of a similar or more bizarre scenario. You are absolutely right about how easily we can go on a blaming rampage when we're hurting and desperate for clarity. We have to suffer wisely, and that can be so difficult! Thank you for your thoughtful thoughts, Dr. G!
This case is so heart breaking , hope they find peace and or justice 💘
I'm am so addicted to your videos, I started from your first video, like 7 month ago. Awesome
Thank you for explaining the newspaper filled cavity. I was always under the impression that he was found like that.
I believe it was an accident, but, I don't understand why anyone would crawl head first, downward, into anything unless it was an extreme emergency.
People in general over-estimate their ability to get out of such situations - you kind of only realise how helpless you are once you're stuck. If your arms are trapped, even free movement of your legs can't get always you out of trouble.
He was a young, strong kid who probably didn't intend to go in headfirst - just reaching in for his shoes with one arm and slipped. If he even considered it, he probably assumed the angle meant his shoulders would prevent him slipping into the mat but unfortunately, they didn't. Incredibly sad case.
Darwin has already explained all this.
@@wmdkitty Trump did it
Yeah i agree, but then i think about all the not -smart stuff i did when i was in a hurry or just somewhere else in my mind and can totally imagine myself doing something like that. While i think the Investigation wasn't done great and his Familys treatment by all officials was a disgrace, i still lean toward this being a accident. But i have changef my mind on that a few times, so maybe i'll change my mind again if new info comes out.
@Shawna Burt
Except what would be a) the logistics and b) the point, even if someone had a motive?
"Dead weight" is known as that for a reason and it would be incredibly difficult to drag a body up to the top of the mats then drop him in. And it would be an effort in vain because the body is going to be found quickly - bowels relax when we die so there would be a noticeable smell long before decomposition sets in.
A lot of the info out out by the pro-murder side is deliberately skewed, such as the photographs used to "prove" he had been beaten (nothing more than the effects of suffusion.) When looked at in detail there's little doubt to the official verdict and the mechanics of it have been thoroughly dissected. But there is not really anything beyond the most nebulous reasoning to support any foul play, there really isn't. Anomalies and gut feelings don't equal murder and that's all there is on that side of the argument. Well, all I was ever able to find...
We don't like tragic accidents, they offend our sense of cause-and-effect. But it really does seem to be just that. Poor kid.
If the races were flipped this explanation would never stick. The family and government would demand heads to roll.
Sad case but trying to sue for $100 million is ludicrous. So many people try to get $ they don't deserve or claim racism when there is none. Great analysis always. Thanks Dr G😊💕💕
Hello, my beautiful friend, we lost our Family Doctor of 19 years , she lost her second battle with cancer .😢😢♥♥♥
@@cottontails9003 Oh friend am so 😞sorry. Thanks for sharing. 😪💕🙏Life is so unpredictable, not fair. Big hug your way!!❤👐❤💜💜🌷🌻🌿
Thank you so much. We're all devastated.
@@zenawarrior7442
You say that but if you were in the same situation you'd be suing the school and everyone else too. Let's keep it real here.
@@MyAb111 No I would not so don't speak for me. Keep it real yeah.
YES! This case is gaining traction again. Ty Doc for covering it!🌵🌵
What a horrible and tragic way to die, and losing your child whilst they are at school, where you presume they are safe, is terrifying for any parent or loved one.
Providing students access to lockers so that their belongings won’t be stolen would have prevented this needless tragedy, but sadly, no forethought or accountability is given to the little details, like a school not looking after the young people they are funded to educate and keep safe. If he’d had a safe, reliable locker…his family would still have their son. Devastating.
Great as always Dr Grande
Great video. This case definetly seems to have been an unfortunate accident. I feel terribly for Kendrick's family.
Would you consider covering the muder of Beth Barnard and the dissapearance of Vivienne Cameron, at Phillip Island in Australia? It's a very interesting case!
Dr. Grande I have recently come across a psychological anomaly that I had never heard of before. The reason I am bringing it up is because it seems to be unfolding before my very eyes. The phrase is:. "Wendigo Psychosis". It's symptoms are insatiable, intense greed; destruction of the environment; fear of becoming a cannibal or, intense craving for human flesh. I don't about the human flesh thing I don't know what people do in the privacy of their own home, but the greed and the destruction of environment kind of rings a bell. It seems they become greedy consumers of all things. Could you explain this to me, please, many people now seem to be suffering from this psychosis. Thank you.
Every American high school has these rolled up mats in the gym. I’ve climbed on top of them/ hidden in them just like thousands of bored students have over years. Certainly one of these students would unfortunately be positioned in a way that causes asphyxiation
That's why it's called positional asphyxia.
@@kathyclark8274 yes, I know lol. I’m just explaining how a student would end up in a situation like Kendrick, for those who aren’t familiar with schools that do this and think his death is too far fetched to believe
The mats we had folded and did not roll up. Your school cut corners.
I’m so glad you did an analysis on this case. Such a haunting story.
It wasn't an accident..it was a murder as he doesn't fall into the hole of the mate ..the diameter smaller than the width of his shoulder
Ok, it could've been homicide, but I get the impression sometimes, in cases like this, that people want it to be murder, and they want the circumstances to be as evil as possible, and they'll fight for this conclusion to be reached till their last dying breath even though they have no idea what actually happened, and evidence suggests an accident.
What the hell is up with that?
"ghetto lottery" no racist
I’d rather think of my child as being the victim of an injustice than of a completely unnecessary freak accident. Being on a crusade for justice maybe gives them something to focus on rather than imagining KJ slowly dying a horrid death by misadventure, alone. His body looked horrific, too. It makes sense that they’d be on a mission for justice rather than sit grieving, wondering why such a thing had happened to them.
Not saying I approve, of course.
His color of skin was first perceived by those who cry about racism the loudest.
Detrimental and self defeating, but this is a first time hearing of a "ghetto lottery".
@@MrYelly if he was white the whole video would been putt but just cuts . They don’t even have him jumping in the mat but the camera are motion sensor
@@MrYelly of corse the dude who call himself yellow which isn’t a race think race has no part . You never hear a white boy get footage cut
I remember when this story first broke. Super sad, feels like the school should have kept a better eye on their students when they were on school grounds, but that doesn’t amount to murder.
@@jbates725 I totally get that, maybe it’s just because I started school right after Columbine but it was very much a priority from elementary through high school for our teachers, coaches, band directors, etc. to know where we were at all times. They had clipboards with attendance sheets on them that they were required to take everywhere so they knew who was supposed to be with them, and teachers or club advisors or whoever weren’t allowed to leave the school until every last kid was picked up. Not saying there isn’t personal responsibility, that’s just the era I grew up in I guess
Thank you! Kendrick Johnson's death has been on so many people's minds since it happened. To make a tragedy and sudden death of a loved one even worse if that was possible, his internal organs were missing with no answers to the disappearance. 💖 Love and best to Kendrick's family.
Your voice is so chill and calming
Makes the difference in stressful conversations
Imagine if the school didn’t make their students PAY FOR THEIR LOCKER.
Your videos are always Informative, Dr. Grande! And much appreciated!!
Why do kids have to pay for a locker? If Kendrick had free access to a locker for his shoes might his accidental death have been avoided?
It wasn't an accident..it was a murder as he doesn't fall into the hole of the mate ..the diameter smaller than the width of his shoulder
Good Day, Dr. Grande. Just taking my morning walk. What great company. I've missed a few Analyses this week. Time to make up. 👌
Id like to heat your take on that man that went missing in Texas i believe. Forget his name but he was coming home from the bar one night. Called 911 hysterical saying he’s being chased and theyre shooting at him. You kind of hear faint gunshots and he goes quiet. Later they found his abandoned truck and he’s never been found. He had an issue using meth but the theories were he came across cartel members and they were hunting him. Another one was the sheriff or chief from that town was helping the cartels get drugs in and he witnessed something he shouldn’t have. Im sure you’ve heard of it before but i heard about this a few years ago and its always stuck with me.
I'd love to see Dr Grande cover this case, too.
That poor child died in such a horrible way. May his soul rest in peace
I watch you every day, thank you sir.
Dr. Grande: Could you please consider analyzing the situation involving the death of former TV kid star Gary Coleman? Many people believe he was murdered in Utah by his ex wife Shannon Price.
I remember hearing about woman who died after falling head first into a wheelie bin and being unable to get out.. I just did a search and a number of such cases came up. Sadly it it is not as uncommon a way to die as you might think.
Apparently he was too big to fit in to begin with.. unless he was forced in.
@@diane1741 I think he was rolled in, then set upright and left there to get out of it himself but he couldn't. A bully prank gone too far.
@@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425 that i thought of too, my main point being that it doesn‘t seem like much of an accident to me
@@diane1741 same. I've heard a convincing argument or 3 that it was accidental, but I'm jist not convinced, too many oddities, such as his shoulders being too wide for the mat, the position of his shoes and arms etc. Nah, it's fishy.
@@teaspoonsofpeanutbutter6425 well to be fair about his shoulders being too wide, his family has been lying for years about that. The shady pathologist they hired to find a murder took pictures of his shoulders with a ruler back in 2013. His shoulders were 16 inches wide, not 19. They just kept saying 19 anyway. And the hole in the mat was recorded by the criminalist at the scene as 14 1/2 inches at one end and 14 3/4 at the other.
Also the “murder window” was only the five minutes between when he entered the gym and when fourth period gym started and the mats were recorded again. No where near enough time to murder and hide him.
I’m not sure what the possible issue with his arm reaching over his head would be or the shoes that were on his feet ending up next to his feet after a struggle to escape or maybe to signal that he was there? You’d have to explain why those things are suspicious.
He was cousins with my friend from middle school. May he RIP.
Excellent video. However I get suspicious from the way the sheriff acted when getting questioned initially about evidence that wasn’t included in the case. Also the video camera footage in the gym looked edited which is also bizarre. But I understand there’s no concrete evidence to prove this wasn’t a tragic accident
I think the sheriff was angry because most of the evidence they were questioning him about (namely the gray sweatshirt and blood on the wall) WAS collected as evidence.
As for the gym camera footage, any motion activated footage at 1fps is going to look strange. You can move a lot in 1 second.
Yesssss
I'm really glad you reviewed this case. There was so much noise about conspiracy theories, I never understood what happened. What is truly sad is that a child lost his life because (mostly likely) he couldn't afford locker fees.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
That was a brilliant analysis as always . Thank you so much Dr Grande .
A young utility worker was found in an abandoned grocery store in the state of Iowa several years after he went missing..( he fell behind one of the walk-in coolers and the dry air from the evaporator mummified his remains.
Yikes!
My first time learning about this case. I’m curious about when people started to look for him. He obviously didn’t come home that day. Anyone know?
Iirc, the alarm was raised that evening and the school was checked, including the old gym which was largely disused. However, nobody even considered he might be in the mats (there was a group of them) and there was no way of seeing him without looking down into them as the top was above eye-level.
Unbearably sad case, altho I think it was an accident. We are so vulnerable upside-down but we just don't realise it. Anything that constrains free movement as well....so sad.
I could be wrong but I THINK that's the timeline.
@@randomhumanoidblob4506 Thank you. Very sad indeed.
Apparently his curfew was 11:00 on weeknights according to his mother. There was a basketball game that night so maybe that factored in too. There’s also a number of people who were involved in the investigation that say he wasn’t actually living with his parents at the time so there could have been a breakdown of communication.
The call about him being missing went out around 12:30 in the morning.
The element of self-interest appears to be common in many investigations.
I have certainly never heard of anyone dying like that.
Very interesting case, thank you for the video.
There are many ways to get stuck in things and die of positional asphyxiation.
@@derstoffausdemderjoghurtis That is the first time I have ever heard of in a wrestling mat.
It wasn't an accident..it was a murder as he doesn't fall into the hole of the mate ..the diameter smaller than the width of his shoulder
I have always thought this would be a terrible death. I am a hiker and have done some amateur caving. If you research these things enough you run across positional asphyxiation. It would be horrible, I think it would be about as bad as being buried alive. This poor kid, he was an athlete, he probably thought he was just crawl right in and get his shoes and go home. I even feel bad for thieves who have been found stuck in chimneys after their death.
This was a very interesting case. Thanks for covering it today.
So none of this would have happened if students didn't have to pay to securely store their belongings. America is a dystopian nightmare.
What a bizarre remark. Even if you don't have a locker, no one's forcing you to crawl headfirst down a narrow, suffocating, vertical space.
Dr. Grande, please, please cover the story of Vera Jo Reigel and the Brooks family gang/cult. There’s a documentary about it called “Goodnight Sugar Babe.”
I agree with Dr. Grande's assessment. However, I think the possibility of an unintentional accident at the hands of someone else can't be discounted. Kids horse around sometimes and it could be that someone pushed him inside the mat as a joke and left, thinking he would be able to get himself out. This is not someone trying to kill or even hurt him, but it is a possibility. As I said, I do think it was indeed a very unfortunate and sad accident, but nobody can say for certain there were absolutely zero other possibilities.
Great video Dr. Grande, this case always seemed very unusual. I feel sorry for his family though.
Side note: My MSW class just suggested for us to watch your videos on CBT for treating depression and alcohol misuse. I was so happy to see it was YOUR videos. Great material of course. With that being said, can you look into the case of the FSU student Austin Harrouff, the cannibal frat boy. I really would love to hear your take on that case. Thank you!
But what happened to his organs? Why didn't the funeral home recieve his organs?
That's a great question. They should have been put back in the body after the autopsy. And the family should have been told what they did with them. Somebody screwed up.
Ty for clearing this one up! The story got VERY cloudy, and it was hard to tell what was factual or not.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
Oh i remember this story, so sad
Very interesting heartbreaking case. Doctor Grande, could you investigate the case involving the teenager who died in a minivan who was trying to reach for his soccer equipment in the back? He was able to reach 911 and they searched the wrong parking lot. It's such a similar case with heartbreaking results, and the fact that he actually was smart enough to almost save his own life only to have the police fail him.
Reminds me of a similar case of Harley Dilley of Port Clinton Ohio
I remember this case. Thank you for the concise and complete explanation.
Why was his body stuffed with news paper with blunt trauma? Also not signs of suffocation in the lungs? Why assume a black boy doesn’t have common sense to tilt a mat? Lol this video sounds bias altogether along with the comments. The cameras in the gym perfectly at specific times missing video footage alone is staggering. Sad how incompetent and unprofessional people can be.
I kept up with this case.
I agree with you. It was an accident.
I think greed on the parent's side was a factor.
Always interesting.
Thank you.
Peace 💕🇺🇲
I just don't understand why somebody would climb Down into a 10-15 foot tightly rolled up mat with literally now way of turning around to get out. Doesn't make any sense.
The mat was 6 feet tall.
The best comparison someone has given me was the reach off your bed scenario. You drop something and instead of getting up you lean off the bed to grab it. It's farther away than you thought so you inch further and further to grab it until you go too far and gravity pulls you down.
I hadn't heard most of the follow-up facts, and I've heard this through 3 or 4 very big true crime TH-camrs
People cover this case unforgivably poorly most of the time. There are a number of people I’ve stopped following over it because getting so much wrong about this case makes me unable to trust what they say about any other cases.
finally an actual intelligent human that doesent take everything at face value covering this case