Parents say state falsified Kendrick Johnson’s death certificate in new lawsuit
Federal lawsuit claims death certificate falsely lists cause of death as accidental despite new medical evidence
VALDOSTA, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- The parents of Kendrick Johnson, the Georgia teen found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at Lowndes County High School in 2013, have filed an amended federal lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), saying the state agency has refused to correct what they call a false cause of death on their son’s death certificate.
Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson filed the updated complaint July 25, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. The suit accuses the DPH of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1871 and the Fourteenth Amendment by maintaining “erroneous” and “fraudulent” vital records that list Kendrick’s death as accidental positional asphyxia — a finding the Johnsons say has been scientifically disproven.
Parents say evidence supports claim of homicide
The complaint includes new evidence the parents say contradicts official findings and supports their long-held belief that Kendrick was murdered and the case covered up. Among the claims are autopsy photos showing blunt force trauma and a collapsed carotid artery — injuries that forensic pathologist Dr. William Anderson says are consistent with intentional harm.
“All I have to say is pictures don’t lie, people do,” Kenneth Johnson said.
The Johnsons argue that state law requires the DPH to amend death certificates when presented with credible evidence. Despite submitting two formal requests — in September and October 2023 — the department has neither amended the certificate nor issued a formal denial, a move that would allow the family to appeal under Georgia law.
The lawsuit also raises longstanding questions about the handling of Kendrick’s body, including allegations that his internal organs went missing while in state custody. The parents say a biohazard bag containing the organs is visible in autopsy images, but state officials have failed to explain what happened to them. A prior inquiry by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office into the missing organs has not been released, despite open records requests.
The complaint says that Georgia’s chief medical examiner at the time, Dr. Maryanne Kraft, falsified her autopsy findings by omitting visible injuries and conducting what the Johnsons describe as a mutilating posterior autopsy in an effort to conceal evidence of blunt force trauma.
RELATED ARTICLES:
- Sheriff’s review finds no foul play in Valdosta teen’s gym mat death (January 22, 2022)
- Middle Georgia residents to march in ‘Justice for Kendrick Johnson’ event (June 22, 2020)
- No criminal charges in Kendrick Johnson death (June 20, 2016)
- Authorities still investigating gym mat death two years later (January 9, 2015)
- Macon rallies to support Kendrick Johnson; family meets with U.S. Attorney (April 4, 2014)
Family seeks damages and trial
The family seeks $6 million in compensatory damages and another $6 million in punitive damages, along with a jury trial and an official correction of Kendrick’s death certificate.
The DPH has not yet filed a response to the amended complaint, which comes nearly 12 years after Kendrick’s death drew national attention and widespread controversy.
