By: Alyssa Wilson

The investigation into the 2013 death of 17-year-old Kendrick Johnson has been reopened, according to CNN. 

Johnson’s body was found rolled in a gym mat in Lowndes County High School and authorities ruled his death an accident. 

In the initial investigation, authorities concluded that the teen accidentally fell into the mat’s center and got stuck. An autopsy determined the cause of death was accidental positional asphyxia. 

Johnson’s parents hired a pathologist to conduct an autopsy and that coroner concluded the cause of death was “unexplained, apparent non-accidental, blunt force trauma” to the neck. 

When the family’s pathologist opened the body, Johnson’s brain, heart, lungs, liver and other organs were missing. 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, who conducted the first autopsy, said the organs were placed back in the body before Johnson was moved to the Harrington Funeral Home. 

The owner of the funeral home said his firm never received the organs. 

In 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia found insufficient evidence to support federal criminal charges in Johnson’s death.  

According to The Hill, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said the investigation would be based on evidence collected by federal investigators. 

Paulk initially requested information on the case in July 2019 but was denied. 

According to WSB-TV, with urging from the Johnson family, a federal judge released the documents and evidence in the case 

With approval finally granted, Paulk’s office received 17 boxes of evidence from the federal investigation, including interviews, text messages, emails and surveillance video.