VALDOSTA, GA (WALB) - New developments continue to surface in a years-long investigation into the death of a former Lowndes County High School student.
Kendrick Johnson's body is set to be exhumed for a second time on Friday.
His mother made that announcement on social media Tuesday evening, writing that having to disturb his resting place breaks her heart, but "it has to be done."
Valdosta City Manager Mark Barber says the family of Kendrick Johnson has applied for him to exhumed and the city has signed off on it. They’ve applied for the permit to do so, with another affidavit left to sign. It’s expected to take place Friday at 5 p.m. but the family could still change their mind.
This would be the third autopsy done on Johnson's body since he was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at the school in January of 2013.
The GBI conducted the first autopsy and determined Johnson's death was "accidental positional asphyxia."
His family later paid for a second autopsy that found the cause of death was "blunt force trauma."
Over the past five years, the Johnson family sued many people claiming the school, city and county law enforcement, and the other officials worked together to 'cover up' Johnson's death.
Most recently, a judge denied their request to have two witnesses questioned while their attorneys claimed key evidence was lost.
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