Media outlets covering the investigation of the Dec. 8 death of a star athlete at George County High today reported that a grand jury in Lucedale found no evidence of wrongdoing.
The findings, which were read in open court Feb. 13 by jury forewoman Regina Graham, said that Billey Joe Johnson Jr. of Benndale died of an accidental shooting at his own hands.
www.gulflive.com
She said that forensic evidence showed the 17-year-old's fingerprints on the barrel of the shotgun, which did not have its safety feature in place. However, testimony of family members, civic leaders and others ruled out the possibility that Johnson would have killed himself.
www.wlox.com
The evidence, including police records and unnamed witnesses also showed that the officer -- Sheriff's deputy Joe Sullivan -- who had pulled over Johnson for running a stop sign and redlight was at his patrol vehicle checking for information about the star running back at the time he heard the gunshot that took Billey's life.
The evidence also showed that Billey Joe Johnson Jr. was not attempting to break into the home of his former girlfriend, Hannah, but was merely attempting to say hello when he tapped on the window of her home before he died minutes later Dec. 8, 2008.
There were discrepancies in the timing of the events of that morning, according to the grand jury forewoman, who said that police headquarters and officers' clocks were not in sync. But apparently the differences in time were not enough to change significant consideration of the overall findings.
www.gulflive.com
Billey Joe's family and many residents in George County were heartbroken and unbelieving of the jury's conclusion. His parents, Billey Joe Sr. and Annette Johnson, have vowed to continue their legal pursuit for "justice" in the death of their son. The father said someone killed his son.
"We are going further and we are going higher," the teenager's mother said.
The family's attorney, Jerome Carter of Mobile, Ala., and Curley Clark, president of the Jackson County NAACP, plan to continue an independent investigation, present evidence to the U.S. Justice Department and ask for a federal probe.
STORY -- www.wlox.com
District Attorney Tony Lawrence assured the family of Billey Joe Johnson Jr. that the investigation into the death of the outstanding student-athlete would be thorough. He met with the family during the investigation and work to stop rumors that spread through the community about the case.
Lawrence said that it would be hard for some to accept the finding of an accidental death, but that is what the facts showed.
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