Jones eyes a small child sleeping on a bottom bunk bed in the back bedroom. According to the report, GBI investigators never conducted a re-canvass of the apartment complex, and did not talk with the immediate next door neighbor for four and a half months, despite reports from other residents that they heard a single gunshot hours earlier than the officers call claiming shots had been fired. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. 'We're not going to do this in Georgia anymore' | Prosecutor fighting to stop animal abuse, NASCAR star Chase Elliott hurts leg in snowboarding accident, Forecast | Cooler air moving in for the weekend, Metro Atlanta, north Georgia hit with widespread damage after storms produce powerful winds, Who shot the officer's wife? But Jessica's trauma surgeon, a 30-year veteran in the field, had a few thoughts of his own about what could have happened and what likely did not happen that night. Ironically Jessica first met that man while she was out scouting for a wedding venue to marry Matthew. That's the last thing the 19-year-old remembers. But he's also texting her before he called 911," said Sanders. Her head shaved. And their "War of the Roses" was about to explode. Here recently she did confirm that the second baby's not mine. However, she was NOT shot. A body-cam captures her inconsolable baby boy in the arms of an officer. Everything, he says, led to him wanting out of the marriage. At about 10:45 p.m., he continues, he thought he heard a gunshot while they were lying in bed. "My wound was on the top of my head. Ive seen no evidence to indicate that would be necessary, but that does not preclude the GBI or anybody else from doing it if they choose. I love you and the boys.". She had an appointment Monday.. She also thinks Matthew read her diary and realized she was documenting his extramarital affair and secretly plotting to get full custody of their little boys. [] of this document: BREAKING NEWS: GPD Officer Matthew Boynton arrested, charged with two feloniesM Matthew Boynton: The evidence and investigation that led to his arrest Matthew Boynton criminal []. If someone from the GBI does not reopen this.. well, I have to get my ducks in a row before I open another huge can of worms.. Based on that acknowledgement, The GRIP asked if it would not alleviate legal concerns pertaining to the chain of custody, and furthermore, why Boynton was not also charged with theft. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. No, never. I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. Matthew and Jessica's two sons are still inside. (He resigned) about the time they brought him in. Jessica's theory of what happened centers around her "dirty divorce diary." I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that shes never handled a gun, nor shot one. "He stated that he was too frightened. The agent had that phone, I think DeMarco, Chris DeMarco had the phone and they was [sic] trying to get in the gate, and, uh, he accidentally hit, I guess, the last number dialed, called or whatever. "The only thing that I can tell you is that Matthew Boynton's account of events are not correct.". At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. But Yates told 11Alive, Matthew was not the shooter and trusts the investigation's outcome. The agent who told Mathews, Were gonna have a problem, apologized to the reporter and told her that he was answering questions about a case file that he had not reviewed for months. "He tried to kill her.". They hoist her inside. When the officers pull Jessica's body out of the closet, they find Matthew's gun right underneath her, a .40-caliber Glock. And the doctor in the emergency room didn't find any bullet holes. But she doesn't buy it, especially since her head was perfectly laid on a pillow, she said after watching the bodycam footage. She says there were pages missing. Still peering down at his phone, Matthew also sends a text to his girlfriend, a Spalding County dispatcher. The crying officer tells Jones that he left the apartment and was meeting Guthrie at Waffle House, when he received a text from Jessica that indicated she was going to kill herself. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. "Happy," said the neighbor. in the head..in hospital for a month..just an FYI. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. "I saw a lot of things change after time. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. Boynton in January denied being in possession of any of Lesters personal property. I just came up the stairs, two rounds," Boynton says on the recorded call. For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But they have no idea what's waiting for them behind a locked closet door. They were calling me the miracle child Because what I went through, not a lot of people survive through it, she told 11Alive's Brendan Keefe, nearly six months after the incidenther golden blonde hair now growing back. The officer says he left it in the kitchen and ran outside. McCune also had Lester write a victims statement. Minutes later, just as Matthew pulls into the Waffle House parking lot, he says he receives a chilling message from Jessica, what he calls a "suicide text," that says: "I can't do this anymore. What you have from a close range press contact wound is high-velocity blood spatter, which is very small, and it might not be very visible with the naked eye, or easily visible from photographs. It could have a negative effect on them, but those things have to be dealt with on a case by case basis. And they said yes," the neighbor said. But Yates said the holster is designed to have some retention capability. Am I recording it? Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Armed with body camera attached to their uniforms, the officers burst through the door, quickly passing Matthews phone, a black and grey Verizon LG smartphone, on the kitchen counter. I told him, You're going to have to go get it, because I cant get it out of the case., Do you know how it was that you got shot?, Have you ever had any type of thoughts about hurting yourself?. [I miss] getting to see them every day and getting to watch them grow more and more into the boys and men that they're going to be someday, Jessica said sobbing. SHE WAS NOT SHOT.and do they really think that she would have hit herself hard enough with any object to cause the damage that was done? Jessica Boynton, 19, was found lying in a pool of her own . Its so obvious a coverup. The air is thick with the trepidation, as officers approach the locked closet. Reliving his steps inside the apartment after he heard gunshots fired, he said, My whole upper body went numb. It's just one piece of the brand new beginning the young mother and wife has been putting together for her and her sons. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. The doctor was not contacted by the GBI until July 20. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. BROTHERHOOD does not mean coverup or being above the law. How did his phone get in there and how was there activity on his phone if he was not in the kitchen with his phone?" He grabs his police radio, stationed and charging on top of the white microwave in the kitchen, and leaves his phone on the counter. Are you having trouble breathing?'" A woman who lived across from the couple, who works with law enforcement, agreed to a Crime Watch Daily interview if we protect her identity. "I would want to know how he did it and how does he live with himself every day knowing that he did something like this," said Jessica. She says under the helm of Wendell Beam, the sheriff's department had a reputation for protecting its own. Then-Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was arrested on July 28, 2017 for giving a false statement to his own department about having possession of a gym bag full of clothes, underwear. But what about that 911 call Matthew made just minutes before the shooting, claiming he got a text from Jessica saying she was going to kill herself? The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. The paramedic begins accessing her head wound, but they're having a hard time finding it through her hair and thick blood. They are 50% more likely to commit police brutality. She had a job interview and it was going to be her first step to freedom. But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. After just six months of marriage, the Boyntons' one-time neighbor says she saw their young love grow toxic. "He believed that the shots he heard fired were fired from his duty weapon," said Sheila Mathews, publisher of The Grip. Warner Bros. Entertainment | Uh, just my service weapon, he responds. It could have been simply that um, all his, he left his stuff there. "I would not have said that to him," said Jessica. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. There are a lot of questions that I would love to have answered. She had always kept it hidden, but now, there it is for everyone to see. Blood pressure.. It's like some of my family they hear all these people say, 'Oh I think he did it and it was planned.' "I can't do this anymore," the message read. It appears to be either an assault or maybe something accidental," said Miley. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. There's no way I could have shot myself in the top of the head and not kill myself. 11Alive reached out to the GBI and Officer Matthew Boynton, however, neither returned our phone calls. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. Her ex-husband and former Griffin police officer Matthew Boynton was investigated in the case, but was only charged with making . I didn't bring any other ones with me. "They did not. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. "I was scared to death that she would shoot me and then kill herself," Matthew tells investigators. Just days after running into Officer Boynton, I received a threatening email that reads in part: "Are You An Intelligent Enough Investigative Journalist To Know When You Are Being Conned or Do You Have To Be Spoon Fed? A lot of times, what happens, especially if theyre involved in something very serious, they throw in the towel before it can go through the citys process of termination.. Matthew, grandson of then-sheriff of Spalding County, texts a fellow Griffin Police officer. Matthew's attorney, however, told the court that Jessica was the one who shot the gun and that initially, Matthew believed that she was shooting at him. That phone never got back into the officer's hand. Matthew Boynton along with Lee Boynton, Josh Guthrie and Courtney Callaway moved all of my personal belongings from the residence. ", "There are two theories in this case, the first is that she shot herself and on the way to the ground she accidentally fired the gun a second time. Id be afraid to luve in that town until that poluce brotherhood is abolished. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. How did Jessica react when she saw those messages? But Jessica still can't remember what happened that terrible night in the closet, and she's says there is only one person with the answers. Then-Griffin Police Department officer Matthew Boynton was arrested on July 28, 2017, for giving a false statement to his own department stating he was not i. Stephen Kruspe, 65, appears at his first appearance before a judge after the March 27, 2017, shooting of his wife, Pamela, at a Boynton Beach assisted living facility. 11Alive reached out to Officer Matthew Boynton, however, phone calls were not returned. Still inside, some of the officers look closer and find two bullet holes inside the closet. Haha I'm sorry I didn't think about that lol he sends to her after receiving a text from her--moments following his text from his wife. They did not swab me or Matthew, nor did they take his clothes," said Jessica. But another heated argument goes down in the baby food aisle. For the next three and a half weeks, Jessica remains in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes protruding from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. I told him, 'You're going to have to go get it, because I can't get it out of the case. Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. ", Following that phone call, Mathews, perceiving that she was threatened, called the GBIs director of professional standards to file a formal complaint and to gain clarity about what he meant by, Were gonna have a problem.. She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. It was determined that he knowingly provided a false statement relating to the property in question and his possession of (it), Natale said in a release.l Center. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. I just came up the stairs, two rounds be advised I smell gun smoke, and I cant get an answer at the door, he says out of breath and panicked. Yates said, Yes, but that doesnt overcome the civil side of it whether it was or was not marital property, and even if it was, it would have been a misdemeanor as opposed to the two felonies.. Jessica's alive, but barely. The dining room table along with other items were picked up by Cathy Zellner for Jessica. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. When they finally shove their way in, tragic heartbreak is lying in front of them. And, she said, she wouldn't have told him that she loved him. Dispatcher: Any weapons inside the house? The dispatch operator notified Matthew on Facebook, Browning says. Credit: GBI/Griffin Police Dept. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. It's the journal where she's been keeping detailed notes about divorcing Matthew. Lester recovered from the shooting but doesn't remember any of it. Thats what we had to establish, Yates confirmed. Boyntons statement, dated Jan. 9, said, I was advised to complete a statement on a previous date by Lt. Yancey. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. Their neighbor says Jessica wasn't suicidal at all. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon, Jessica and his sleeping sons at home. "Well listen, if you're going to start quoting, you gonna start recording these things, you need to let me know ahead of time before you do, before I'm starting answering questions," DeMarco ordered the reporter. His flashlight's beam reveals a smiling family of four. How does Jessica explain the "suicide text" sent from her phone less than 10 minutes before her husband Matthew called 911 in a panic? And her lawyer was useless I wrote to her years ago. I have been suffering for a while now and no one has noticed. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. She's like 'I got you where I want you and you're gonna go down for this,' and he pulls his gun out and she runs into the closet to hide, and instead of shooting her, he hits her on the head with a baton," said the neighbor. He said the description of a self-inflicted gunshot wound didn't fit, noting her pristine and unmarked hands and calling it a very unusual direction in which to point the gun at one's self with the intention of committing suicide., First of all, the wound that she suffered was toward the vertex of her skull on the right side of her head; this would imply that she shot herself with a gun pointed downward near the top of her skull., The second most striking observation he said he made while assessing Jessica was neither of her hands had any evidence of any gunpowder stippling from gunpowder blowback.. Clearly we touched a nerve in Griffin, but we're not about to be scared off. We had to establish a timeline for when that property was possessed before the marriage or after it. I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. Boynton: Can you please dispatch a unit out to my location, in reference to my wife? But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. It's locked. In fact, 68 text messages are exchanged between him and his mistress. "The Walmart surveillance camera shows that they did exit the building together, and it does show her re-entering and, it shows her leaving again later," said Sheila Mathews. The next door neighbor interview was conducted after Matthew returned to full duty. A lot, she said, doesnt add up, especially since, she said, she had reason to live. Who does the neighbor think sent that text message to Matthew's phone from Jessica's? The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. Griffin, Georgia is the kind of small Southern town where high school sweethearts stay married forever. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. Who does she think hit her over the head? She told the agent, they were at home when they argued about his mistress and the photo that Jessica found on his phone that night. "It was. Do you think Matthew did something? he asked her bluntly. She's having suicidal thoughts. Unfortunately Matthew Boynton didn't have anything to say. the GBI agent posed a return question. Making his way outside, seconds later, he calls for assistance over his radio. She loved me. Henderson said in the letter, that he did not believe that Jessica's head injury was the result of a gunshot wound, and furthermore, questioned how she got the injury at all. GRIFFIN, Georgia, April 15, 2016: Police are breathlessly racing to save a life. That question lingers--but not for Georgia Bureau of Investigations, who said the case is closed--repeatedly stating that they are satisfied with their findings. The panicked cop grabs his police radio and runs outside to make the frantic call to dispatch. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. "I know for a fact that Jessica was not suicidal," said the neighbor. 478-993-3053. I finally had the evidence that I needed that Matthew was cheating on me. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. They're my everything. Jessica was still in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes stemming from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. "That was when approximately 24 minutes into the conversation, his demeanor changed and everything flipped," she recalled. The only person who truly knows what happened behind that closet door was jessica -- and she's now out of her coma. Dr. Vernon Henderson, chief of Trauma and Critical Care at Atlanta Medical Center was on-call the morning Jessica came in and treated her for the next month while she was in the hospital. A DISGRACE! Take care of Tollin and Tyler, please tell them I love them every day. Shame shame. Moments later Matthew's fellow officers from the Griffin, Georgia Police Department arrive on scene with body-cameras recording. Two shots have been fired from her husbands service weapon. She wants to give her new employers the right impression, since tomorrow is her first day at a chiropractor's office. Her bright blues eyes glisten as they well with emotion. Armed with bodycams attached to their uniforms, the officers burst through the door, quickly passing Matthew's phone, a black and grey Verizon LG smartphone, on the kitchen counter. Statements from Jessica Boynton and Matthew Boynton are logged into evidence, said a statement written by Yancy March 13. Matthew Boynton, 21, had just started work as a Griffin police officer. Did you all have sex?' What he finds turns this case of a suicide upside down. Cops do find one bullet. If you play with it a little bit, it's not hard.. Boynton was released from the Spalding County Jail Friday night on a $4,806 cash bond. I don't see anything that looks like high-velocity blood splatter or mist," said Miley. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. He grabs his police radio, stationed on top of the white microwave in the kitchen charging, and puts his phone on the counter. Matthew makes it back to the apartment before help arrives and hears baby Tyler crying -- and then heartbreak. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best friend, Officer Joshua Guthrie--leaving his service weapon at home, in its holster and in the closet. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. "Another reasonable explanation is that there was a fight over the gun and during the course of that she was injured, Matthew thought she was dead and put the gun underneath.". She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. It could, but it wont necessarily do it, Yates said.