Sheriff offers $500K reward for information in Kendrick Johnson’s death

LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga. — The sheriff at the center of the Kendrick Johnson death investigation says he is offering his own reward for information that would lead to an arrest and conviction in the case.

Sheriff Ashley Paulk released a letter Monday saying he is offering $500,000 of his own money. This comes a week after Paulk said the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office went through the evidence extensively and found no crime in the wrestler’s death.

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“After the release of my synopsis of the Federal files on the Kendrick Johnson case, his parents have called me a liar and continue to state that Kendrick was murdered. Because of these statements, I am personally – with my own funds – offering a reward of one-half million dollars ($500,000.00) to anyone who comes forward with information that results in the arrest and conviction of a person for the alleged murder of Kendrick Johnson at Lowndes High School,” Paulk wrote in his letter.

“Anyone who provides information will be required to do so in a contact interrogation at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. I also urge anyone – including the family – to add to this reward if they so desire,” Paulk added.

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Channel 2′s Tony Thomas spoke with Paulk and the Johnson family after the sheriff’s office findings were released last week.

Paulk told Thomas that the case is closed again but he would reopen it if someone brings him verified new information. Paulk said his review of the extensive FBI investigation, 17 boxes worth of evidence and his own look at the 2013 death of Johnson has come to the same conclusion.

“You do not believe there was anything criminal?” Thomas asked Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.

“I do not,” Paulk said.

The sheriff released a 16-page summary of his investigation on Wednesday including pictures from the Lowndes County gym.

Video shows Johnson walking into and then through the gym on January 10, 2013.

The next day, a teacher found his body inside one of the rolled-up wrestling mats. The sheriff said evidence shows Johnson climbed into one of these rolled-up wrestling mats to retrieve some shoes, got stuck and died.

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Johnson’s parents’ thoughts were written on their shirts they were wearing Thursday: Kendrick Johnson didn’t roll himself up into no mat.

“It goes to show you the coverup is going on in this town,” father Kenneth Johnson said.

“It’s going to come out, no matter how many layers they put on Kendrick, it’s going to come out,” mother Jaqueline Johnson said.

Johnson’s parents say students at the time of Kendrick’s death have started coming forward, providing new information they hope to use to reignite yet another official investigation.

Parents say they are getting new evidence to prove Kendrick Johnson was killed, claim cover-up A sheriff's investigation determined there was no foul play in Kendrick Johnson's death in 20 13, but his parents believe there's a cover-up.

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