I didn't bring any other ones with me. Jessica's alive, but barely. "He never re-entered the apartment after that point," said Sheila. Yeah, if we've got to get the clothes, obviously we'll bring you back up to the apartment for you to get some clothes obviously, says the agent. Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton has been arrested and charged with two felonies. Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. She was hit over the head. "She's like, 'This is exactly what I need to get my divorce from him.'". I don't know, he said. Thank God she fought and he was in there with her. "In looking at this, this does not have the appearance of a suicide to me. "I don't want to put all the blame on him but he's the only person that could have done it," said Jessica Boynton. "My wound was on the top of my head. 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. Inside the closet they also discover Jessica's red "divorce diary." A Griffin police officer who was investigated in his ex-wife's shooting was charged Friday, July 28, 2017, with making false statements and violating oath after officials say he took her belongings, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. If he's willing to cheat on his wife, he's willing to cheat the law., She wanted to file for divorce, says Kshywonis. So Crime Watch Daily went out and got one of the best in the business. GBI agents, however, have closed her case. He says she started poking him in the chest with her finger, telling him that he had to admit there was another woman. And based on the totality of circumstances, all the facts and circumstances, all the forensics, and the conclusion of the case, as well as the GBI's and the district attorney's recommendation, is no, he did not cause her injuries, Yates concluded in an interview with 11Alive for"Trigger: Who shot the officer's wife.". 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. When asked to confirm that a July 26 appointment with Lesters orthodontist was pivotal in the Internal Affairs case, Yates said it was. She rebukes the text message that was sent from her phone to Matthews that night and said she didnt have a lock on her phone, so anyone couldve sent it. Matthew Boynton along with Lee Boynton, Josh Guthrie and Courtney Callaway moved all of my personal belongings from the residence. Eventually, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded what they believe happened inside that closet; Matthew Boynton was never charged with any connection in harming his wife. She says there were pages missing. Still peering down at his phone, Matthew sends a text to his mistress. It's back in the headlines with the "Mystery in the Closet" story on the HLN network s well as "The Officer's Wife" podcast from Vault Studios.. Woman shot in head says cop husband staged her 'suicide' The agent continues to interview Matthew, who's wearing a red hoodie, asking him if the clothes he was wearing were the ones he was wearing the entire night. She's having suicidal thoughts. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. I don't know if it's just his job or what, but like I said I don't think he would intentionally hurt me.. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. 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. For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. The dispatch operator notified Matthew on Facebook, Browning says. Jessica Boynton | GBI changes information about evidence | 11alive.com The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. He's not a cop or even a private investigator. His flashlight's beam reveals a smiling family of four. Her body is on the floor, just behind the door. Thats what we had to establish, Yates confirmed. But someone else did. Above Jessica, pinned to the wall, is a large black letter B for Boynton. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. Around midnight Matthew says he leaves Jessica and the kids to meet fellow Officer Joshua Guthrie for a late-night snack at Waffle House. In fact, 68 text messages are exchanged between him and his mistress. If I could have been here sooner, maybe I could have stopped her Matthew says, spiraling. "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.". There were two bullets, on different walls inside the closet. She told me to take care of the boys, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back home just to make sure nothing is going to happen to them. Since both sides have their theories of what happened that night, Crime Watch Daily brought in an independent investigator to give us his unbiased opinion. Jessica and Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. And based on the totality of circumstances, all the facts and circumstances, all the forensics, and the conclusion of the case, as well as the GBI's and the district attorney's recommendation, is no, he did not cause her injuries, Yates concluded. God damn it, man! Despite their problems, Matthew tells investigators he still loved Jessica and the boys, and he offers an explanation for why he didn't run in the apartment that terrible night to save them. They hoist her inside. "Next thing I remember was I wake up and I'm in a hospital.". After three weeks, she woke up. Jessica Lester-Boyntons property has already previously been returned to her by my step dad (Charles McDaniel Jr.) shortly after Jessica got out of the hospital. Why did no one ask about the comment Matthew made about the kids being in the closet too? I thought he hadnt gone inside the apartment until backup arrived, so how would he know Jessica was in the closet unless he put her there? She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. It could have been simply that um, all his, he left his stuff there. Matthew, a police officer in a small town called Griffin, in Georgia, rushed home. The dining room table along with other items were picked up by Cathy Zellner for Jessica. I love you and the boys.". Excessive force. Here recently she did confirm that the second baby's not mine. Cops do find one bullet. "They did not. "Recently she did confirm that the second baby is not mine," Matthew tells the GBI investigator. Ultimately, it came down to orthodontia Lesters retainer. Matthew Boynton allegedly deprived ex-wife Jessica Lester of her belongings and lied to the authorities about doing so, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. Unfortunately, the only person who may be able to answer that question is Jessica, and she was in a coma. She says under the helm of Wendell Beam, the sheriff's department had a reputation for protecting its own. Chris DeMarco, GBI's assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. Hewrote a letter to Jessica's attorneyJune 10, in which he questioned the finding that Jessica's head injury was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, saying there was no investigation at the hospital. Matt shouldnt be allowed to ever be a cop anywhere else. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". He's hoping if the case gets reopened, any possible clues will be preserved. BROTHERHOOD does not mean coverup or being above the law. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. A Griffin Police Officer's wife herself, the reporter called DeMarco, on Sept. 28, the investigator who was in charge of the investigation for the GBI, to question him about the case and the photo that nagged her, and that for her, called into question how anything they investigated was trustworthy. Around 9 o'clock on the night of Thursday, April 14, 2016, Matthew Boynton calls a lieutenant on duty and reports Jessica is hitting him again. Four days later, he appeared in court, wearing his police uniform, and testified that he had been cleared by the GBI in a custody hearing. It's the journal where she's been keeping detailed notes about divorcing Matthew. What Sanders found most alarming was the time frame Matthew Boynton says he heard those two gunshots. One of those bullets went through the roof, the other lodged into the baby's bedroom wall. A text messages is sent to his phone from Jessica's phone. Crime Watch Daily reached out to Officer Matthew Boynton and got no response. I mean you can't prove that," DeMarco. If I just would have left my f**king duty belt in the car.. Two shots had been fired. He then said the GBI has not indicated to him that the investigation will be reopened. He checks the closet where he keeps his police-issued firearm, but the door is locked. "The Officer's Wife" is a new podcast that will examine the evidence in the 2016 shooting of a 19-year-old mother and ask: Who pulled the trigger? 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. His tone changes. 11Alive - BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under - Facebook But Yates said the holster is designed to have some retention capability. Are you having trouble breathing?'" Bring the little ones for a story every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to hear Sam's favorite tales. [I'm] gonna have to kick that door in Jones relays to the other officers standing on the other side of the closet, barreling through it in just two swift and deliberate kicks. There's so many useless words thrown in there, then there's so many words left out, she said. Get him downstairs, one of the officers whispers to another. A Griffin cop finally arrives to take Matthew's formal domestic violence complaint. When he's not driving a truck, Sanders studies police records looking for things investigators missed -- or possibly covered up. We had to establish a timeline for when that property was possessed before the marriage or after it. Barely clinging to life, Jessica spent three weeks in a coma before waking up, according to 11alive. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. Matthew Boynton arrested | 11alive.com Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. Jessica and Matthew Boynton got married at an extremely young age. Jessica's hair is so matted with blood no one can find the actual gunshot wound to stop the bleeding. Haha I'm sorry I didn't think about that lol, he sends to her after receiving a text from her after his text from Jessica. "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. Once the investigation was closed, reporter and publisher, Sheila Mathews, investigated the shooting for her newspaper, The Grip. She wants to give her new employers the right impression, since tomorrow is her first day at a chiropractor's office. His flashlights beam reveals a smiling family of four. He enters, checking the master bedroom. Her shoulder-length, blonde hair is saturated in red. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Jessica Boynton is found unconscious, her body on top of her husband's service revolver. Matthew claims they returned home just after 11 p.m. His proof? Listen. Her blond hair is now red from what cops assume is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ", "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. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that she's never handled a gun, nor shot one. giving him custody, and granting Jessica once-weekly. And they said yes. Matthew Boynton allegedly deprived ex-wife Jessica Lester of her belongings and lied to the authorities about doing so, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. | Examine the evidence yourself. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wusa9.com In fact she claims Jessica was blissfully stockpiling ammunition to get full custody of their two little boys. Just minutes after Jessica is airlifted to an Atlanta trauma center, Sheriff Beam asks deputies to deliver the devastating news to Jessica's family that she's dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. I would have said, I can't do this anymore, comma, take care of Tolin and Tyler, period. I would have said, suicidal not suicide thoughts.. "According to my interview with Griffin police chief, that second shot had to have been fired while the gun was either on the floor or almost on the floor very close to that wall.". Ad Choices, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. But they have no idea what's waiting for them behind a locked closet door. She loved me. (He resigned) about the time they brought him in. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. "She logged on to his Facebook, we got his Facebook messages and printed them out and started reading the messages between him and the lady from the dispatch," said the unidentified neighbor. Domestic violence has always been a precursor to violence in other areas. Griffin police officer wife Jessica Boynton shot | 9news.com What he finds turns this case of a suicide upside down. A message to Matthews phone is received and marked as read, from his girlfriend--from inside the evidence bag. 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.. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. She alleged that many of Lesters belongings remained in Boyntons residence. GRIFFIN, Georgia, April 15, 2016: Police are breathlessly racing to save a life. "Her hands appeared to be pristine, but also he noted that she had no gunpowder burns.". 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. Chris DeMarco, GBIs assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. Their neighbor says Jessica wasn't suicidal at all. Sanders says there are a few things that really stand out: The red sweatshirt Matthew offered police to test for gunshot residue. Hike also includes a rare chance to tour inside the old powerhouse which provides great photo opportunities of the Towaliga River. "Matthew," said Jessica. It's locked. He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. That was the subject of his charges his statements and writings that we were able to prove were false, Yates said. The baby's muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter. The air is thick with mystery, as the officers approach the locked closet. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. Still lodged in Jessica's skull? An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. Crime Watch Daily investigates what really happened to Jessica Boynton, something even Jessica herself wants to know. A DISGRACE! "Police department!" Then, a moment of hope from the 19-year-old mother: She's still breathing. I mean, I'm sure there's a plausible explanation to it without trying to come up with some sort of, you know, theory that, 'Oh, he has to be here in the kitchen answering these text messages.'". He reads another text from mistress, while driving home at nearly 90 mph. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. While Jessica believes someone tried taking her life from her, she refuses to allow anyone to take her kids away from her. The ceiling fan's light shines down on Jessica's eyes. No, never. 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. But here's the thing that has everyone shaking their heads: In the bureau's final report, dated months after Jessica was released from the hospital, they still declare Jessica dead. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . No. Matthew Boynton interrogation video with Griffin Police Department. Even though doctors were able to save her life, they couldn't save her from what was about to happen to her familylosing custody of her children. In response to 11Alives questions about the case, the GBI said, We are confident in the investigation that was conducted., RELATED: Jessica Boynton says she's free as a bird', MORE | Watch the Facebook Live with Brendan Keefe. Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. No, never. Somewhere in proximity to his arrest. Show the world how smart you are and uncover what the Wannabe investigative reporters couldn't figure out. Since his bodycam wasn't charged, it doesn't record this call. No bullet entered her body anywhere. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. Dispatch notifies Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, who is also Matthew's grandfather and police notify Jessica's family that she has died. He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers head toward the apartment. They'd met in high school when Jessica was 15 and Matthew was 16. I hadn't really put much thought into it, Jessica told him. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. Officer Robert Brian Jones is also dispatched to the Ashford Way apartment building. "To help cover his tracks.". Police Interrogation and Confession of Matthew Boynton, Wife - YouTube What! Jessica Boynton says she's free as a bird'. Click here for "Trigger: The Last Word" | And we talk to Jessica Boynton again here: "Trigger: Free as a Bird" | Anda story when the officer was arrested and kicked offthe force (but not for shooting his wife ). Matthew makes it home and races to the breezeway of his apartment and enters, checks the master bedroom and bangs on the locked closet door. With his gun raised, holding it out and in front of him with both hands, Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. And now Jessica is telling a completely different story. I think it just kind of happened. RELATED: Who shot the officer's wife? They had Tollin soon after, and were married on Oct. 24, 2015. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. There's little if any visible blood spatter inside the closet. The remaining items such as a hope chest, clothing and other miscellaneous items were returned to Jessica. I have been suffering for a while now and no one has noticed. He changed clothes yet lied and said he did not. I figured out what happened. He's asked me to go get it out before. Body cam shows moment cop's wife was found shot in head The neighbor claims she had been with Jessica just hours beforehand, and says her friend would never have tried to take her own life. I don't know if it's just his job or what, but like I said I don't think he would intentionally hurt me.. That's the bottom line for me. I just came up the stairs, two rounds be advised I smell gun smoke, and I can't get an answer at the door, he says out of breath and panicked. And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | kcentv.com I attempted to contact Jessica Boynton via telephone to advise her that this is a civil matter. "It's believed that Jessica entered the closet, closed the door, locked it, turned with her back to the door facing the back wall of the closet, that she held the gun to her head, pulled the trigger," said Sheila. The neighbor believes Matthew Boynton discovered the divorce diary and simply snapped. The doctor was not contacted by the GBI until July 20. It was sitting out in the open, caught on police body-camera when cops kicked in the closet door. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. Once the scene is secure, investigator Misty Gresham checks on Tollin, who's sleeping, and Tyler, who is awake and still crying in his cribboth unharmed. Like, how hours after the shooting, the phone was put into an evidence bag, sealed and logged into GBI evidence, it was still calling Matthew's girlfriend. "Well, how do you come to that conclusion?" "I was with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 33 years," said Tim Miley. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. And, unfortunately it appears those questions will never be answered," Mathews said. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. Meet at the Visitor Center. But it's what those body cameras don't record that's raising eyebrows. Making his way outside, seconds later, he calls for assistance over his radio. As he drove he received a text message from Jessica's phone. Minutes later, at around 10:45 p.m., Jessica storms out. She's even fighting with EMS, dude, the fellow officer tells Matthew. 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.. She had always kept it hidden, but now, there it is for everyone to see. It appears it was self-inflicted. In partnership with Updated: 11:14 PM EDT July 28, 2017. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. Matthew calls another officer and reports Jessica is refusing to leave with him. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wwltv.com I'm prior military so to me it sounded like a gunshot, he tells DeMarco. "He didn't know if her intent was to kill their child, kill him and then commit suicide," said Sheila. Join our naturalist on a short walk and learn about the history of the once-prosperous town of High Falls. "He believes that her injuries were consistent with blunt-force trauma," said Sheila Mathews. As part of that case, Lt. Karen Yancy, who leads the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, spoke with Boynton and on Jan. 5, reported, On Dec. 19, 2016, I spoke with Matthew Boynton about these items. And would a dad leave his kids inside with a suicidal woman and a loaded gun? Man, look, she's still breathing. 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 felt that perhaps it was maybe an anxiety attack. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. The subsequent investigation was short-lived, with it having been deemed a "civil matter." Did he cause his estranged spouses injury? The GBI is a joke as well Her head shaved. nd police notify Jessica's family that she has died. It's the second infidelity in their relationshipJessica admitted to cheating on him before they were married. Officer Boynton was responding to an accident, and when he returned to his cruiser, we were waiting, armed with questions. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. The subsequent investigation was short-lived, with it having been deemed a civil matter. However, with the later discovery of previously-unknown evidence, it evolved into an Internal Affairs investigation resulting in two felony charges against the former law enforcement officer. I was at Atlanta Medical Center for a month. And it's assigned to Matthew, her husband, the cop. . "Most people would not view it as such, I don't believe," said Sheila Mathews. I know that we got into an argument, but that's about all," she said, not remembering much of what had happened on April 15. 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. Do you think Matthew did something? he asked her bluntly. Jessica has given Will every piece of evidence in her case, including that divorce diary. That's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. A lot of times its two or three or more days, Yates said. Matthew loved being part of the brotherhood. That's not what the surveillance tape shows. The specific items Lester alleged Boynton had stolen included a Toshiba laptop valued at $500; clothes valued at $300; jewelry valued at $50; kitchen items valued at $500; and a retainer valued at $150.