did matthew boynton shoot his wife did matthew boynton shoot his wife

I wouldn't trade those two boys for anything," she said, swiping away tears streaming down both cheeks. But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. And it's assigned to Matthew, her husband, the cop. "He said 'What's wrong? "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. And he said 'Yeah, we did.'". "He tried to kill her.". After establishing her retainer was not community property, Boynton was arrested on two felonies false statements and writings and violation of his oath of office. I'm prior military so to me it sounded like a gunshot, he tells DeMarco. No bullet entered her body anywhere. Especially because of my children. 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. But Griffin Police are treating this as a suicide attempt. "I was with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 33 years," said Tim Miley. 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. "I know what happened," said the unidentified neighbor. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. The ceiling fan circles on high speed. Somewhere in proximity to his arrest. They're my everything. Matthew Boynton is the grandson of Sheriff Beam. 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. He asked her what she thought could've happened. The one seen in the police body-cam is not the same gray sweatshirt he was wearing at Walmart earlier that night. The neighbor says Jessica started documenting all the sordid details of the affair in her secret red "divorce diary." Matthew runs inside to the closet where he keeps his service gun. Does she believe that this was just sloppy work or does she believe that this is a cover-up? Her limp body is on the floor, just behind the door. "Here's where her head was laying. "No they did not because they assumed I was shot, because that's what Matthew said," Jessica said. They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. No it wasn't. To stage a suicide," said the neighbor. "Well I don't know. Ultimately, it came down to orthodontia Lesters retainer. "Nobody ever asked him about why he changed clothes," said Sanders. 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. Jones shouts as he travels deeper insidehis weapon drawn. Jessica's two boys, Tollin, 2, and baby Tyler, are sound asleep in their rooms. HERE IS THE NEWS STORY OF THE SHOOTING.. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/trigger-over-and-out/85-8ab82530-da07-492b-9a3c-c20d5e7f50b3. "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.". Fast forward to May 11, the day numerous items that reportedly belonged to Lester were turned in to the Griffin Police Department. 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. Because she owned the retainer prior to her marriage, it would not be considered community property. Two shots have been fired from her husbands service weapon. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. By the time Jessica was twenty, she'd had enough of Matthew, and their crumbling marriage had driven her to a dark place. "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. "During that time I investigated hundreds of cases with gunshots and many, many suicides.". Her shoulder-length, blonde hair was saturated in crimson. The subsequent investigation was short-lived, with it having been deemed a "civil matter." Hike also includes a rare chance to tour inside the old powerhouse which provides great photo opportunities of the Towaliga River. provided images. Matthew calls another officer and reports Jessica is refusing to leave with him. Take care of Tollin and Tyler, please tell them I love them every day. And I could have been the next target.. She rebukes the text message that came from her phone to Matthew's that night and said she didn't have a lock on her phone, so anyone could've sent it. "I left the location, I'm back en route, I'm on Carver Road right now. GBI director Vernon Keenan wrote a letter indicating the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by Jessica, closing the case. She also says she couldn't have written the text because it said "I love you.". (whit his baton I would guess) ..is every person in the police department total idiots? Theres a lot of speculation and a lot of theory, but evidence is not there to cause me to do that., When told The GRIP had received information that the Griffin Police Department had contact the GBI Friday morning prior to Boyntons arrest, and asked the basis of that call, Yates said, That would be just to let them know what were doing.. Making his way outside, seconds later, he calls for assistance over his radio. What did Matthew do that he needed covering up? "Well, how do you come to that conclusion?" When they finally shove their way in, tragic heartbreak is lying in front of them. He's not a cop or even a private investigator. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds, ending the call just a minute later. He advised that he does not have any of the items listed in this report.. The agent asked her if she had ever held her husbands service weapon. On Dec. 19, 2016, Lester met with GPD Investigator Dexter McCune regarding property she alleged Boynton had stolen. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. Until recently, Matthew's grandfather, Wendell Beam, reigned as Spalding County sheriff. I told him, 'You're going to have to go get it, because I can't get it out of the case. However, this does not surprise me how they covered this up and they wonder why good citizens dont come forward when a crime takes place.HUMMMMM, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/07/what-if-your-abusive-husband-is-a-cop. After getting Matthew's phone records, Sanders discovers during that same time Matthew was making calls to 911, he was texting his mistress. 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. Published: 7/28/2017 6:16:14 PM. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. Her ex-husband and former Griffin police officer Matthew Boynton was investigated in the case, but was only charged with making . The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. It could have a negative effect on them, but those things have to be dealt with on a case by case basis. Matthew makes it home, jumps out of his truck, races through the breezeway of his apartment building and bolts up the stairs. I didnt know if I was dealing with a possible active active scenario where she still had the gun and she had shot Tyler, he replied. Jones removes the gun, which has a tactical flashlight attached to the bottom of its barrel, and places it on the kitchen counter and heads outside. Furthermore, he said, it's his observation that self-inflicted gunshot wounds are very unusual among women. She was hit over the head. But it was used after Matthew had said he left the apartment in fear of his life, and did not return. A message to Matthews phone is received and marked as read, from his girlfriend--from inside the evidence bag. Then he drops a shocker, claiming he wasn't the only one cheating, "She finally told me, she said 'Yeah, I had an affair,'" Matthew Boynton says in the GBI interview. There's no way I could have shot myself in the top of the head and not kill myself. 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. Jessica's hair is so matted with blood no one can find the actual gunshot wound to stop the bleeding. Thats what took so long to get it sorted out.. 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. "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 doctor said the second most striking observation while assessing Jessica was that neither of her hands had any evidence of gunpowder. Show the world how smart you are and uncover what the Wannabe investigative reporters couldn't figure out. Officer Robert Brian Jones shouts, as he travels deeper inside the two-bedroom apartmenthis weapon drawn. That's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. And neither is Will Sanders, the truck driver spearheading the drive to get justice for Jessica. Inside their apartment Matthew Boynton hears crying. They discover two shell casings and two bullet holes in the closet wall. A key piece of evidence was photographed inside the kitchen after officers arrived on the scene. I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. "I have occasional headaches, but other than that everything's good," Jessica Boynton said. Matthew's hands were not tested for gunpowder either. He reads another text from his girlfriend, while driving 90 mph. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. During my stay is when my personal belongings were taken and Matthew Boynton (3842) refuses to give them back, Lester stated. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. "He didn't know if her intent was to kill their child, kill him and then commit suicide," said Sheila. Jones eyes a small child sleeping on a bottom bunk bed in the back bedroom. said Sheila Mathews. When the officers pull Jessica's body out of the closet, they find Matthew's gun right underneath her, a .40-caliber Glock. RELATED: Who shot the officer's wife? That's not what the surveillance tape shows. "It doesn't sound like anything I would say," said Jessica Boynton. "The neighbors [said] somewhere around 11 p.m., and he is the only one who hears the gunshots at 1 a.m., and he calls it in," said Sanders. Cops do find Jessica's DNA on the gun. Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. provided images. Jessica was still in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes stemming from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. After Jessica was shot, Matthew, then-20, was back on duty with his gun on his hip, before key interviews were conducted and the GBI director wrote an official letter about the cases conclusion, stating that the shooting was ruled a suicide.. Matthew sends another text to his girlfriend, a Spalding County dispatcher, Give me a few. There was most likely a struggle with the gun and he assumed she was dead. "He believed that the shots he heard fired were fired from his duty weapon," said Sheila Mathews, publisher of The Grip. The next door neighbor interview was conducted after Matthew returned to full duty. This screams cover up. Furthermore, she said, there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent a text like that. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers, Keys, Jones and Gresham head toward the apartment. That was the subject of his charges his statements and writings that we were able to prove were false, Yates said. He's hoping if the case gets reopened, any possible clues will be preserved. "Nobody would shoot themselves like this," said retired homicide detective Tim Miley. Shame shame. The dining room table along with other items were picked up by Cathy Zellner for Jessica. Officer Adam Trammel reports to a non-emergency call from the Boynton residence at Ashford Place on Ashford Way, in Griffin, Ga. Matthew, 20, quickly called 911 and said he had received an alarming text message from his wife, claiming she was going to commit suicide, cops said. Im not sure if it was slightly before or slightly after. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. Trammel records the 10:53 p.m., incident report from April 14. Collectively, they examine the bullets' trajectory from the closet, into the bedroom wall and ceiling. "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. Jessica Boynton's head is perfectly positioned on a blood-soaked pillow. Just have a soul here please please please. "He told 911 that he was so worried and he was trying to get back to the house as fast as possible. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. Hahaha you about have me a heart attack freak!! This time for a DNA consent. Its one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. He checks the closet where he keeps his police-issued firearm, but the door is locked. Since his bodycam wasn't charged, it doesn't record this call. "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? I dont have the authority under our charter to hire or fire; it has to go to the city manager, so when you move toward a termination, it has to go through a process. Jessica Boynton's husband says he gets a suicidal text from his estranged wife, so he rushes home, only to hear two gunshots. They're forced to kick it in. He grabs his police radio, stationed on top of the white microwave in the kitchen charging, and puts his phone on the counter. "I left the location, I'm back en route, I'm on Carver Road right now. After studying Jessica Boynton's case, Miley sides with Jessica. "Police department!" When asked if Boynton had explained why he allegedly kept his ex-wifes belongings, Yates said, No. ', Do you know how it was that you got shot?, Have you ever had any type of thoughts about hurting yourself?. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. Jessica's alive, but barely. 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. His flashlight's beam reveals a smiling family of four. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Jessica was a blushing bride, excited to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. OR OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. Shortly afterward, Matthew begins texting Jessica about going to Walmart to pick up baby formula. Her neighbor, who asked us to protect her identity, says she knows the motive: Jessica had uncovered Matthew's dark secret. And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. "The second shot that was fired, it entered the back wall of the closet approximately a foot, no more than a foot off the ground. 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. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. EMTs start carrying Jessica down the stairs on a backboard and click her into a gurney and swing open the ambulance doors. But Yates said the holster is designed to have some retention capability. 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. [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. It can be inferred that approximately half or more cops are abusive husbands/wifebeaters. Family and friends believe, in fact, they were married far too young. What! Man that young girl deserves justice, it really smells like the cop snapped and tried to kill her, especially during the night of interview when he starts talking fast and over explaining his actions like I didnt even wash my hands. My understanding of the laws of physics is that one person cannot be in two places at the same time," Mathews said in an interview with 11Alive. You want to start recording me, and started quoting me, you'd better let me know ahead of time, or we're gonna have a problem. Inside the closet they also discover Jessica's red "divorce diary." On May 11, Will Sanders met withYancy and Sgt. Jessica, then-19, had just put her two young sons to bed and was getting her clothes ready in the closet for the next day. Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. Officer Boynton hung up and did not respond to multiple messages, while the GBI refused to talk about the closed case. "He never re-entered the apartment after that point," said Sheila. Domestic violence has always been a precursor to violence in other areas. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. But someone else did. . Did you all have sex?' 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. He's asked me to go get it out before. Example video title will go here for this video. Privacy Policy | No bullet fragments were recovered from her head. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. "I would not have said that to him," said Jessica. Jessica is also slinging allegations at Matthew's brothers in blue at the Griffin Police Department, and Matthew's grandfather Sheriff Wendell Beam. "I would say broken, distraught, damaged," the neighbor says. They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. 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.. 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. Thank God she fought and he was in there with her. 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. However, Yates said, that's not that uncommon. Emergency-responders finally arrive and carry Jessica to a waiting ambulance. Jessica advised me that around 4.15.2016, when she and her ex-husband, Matthew Boynton, separated, he took several things that belongs to her without her permission, McCune reported. That's fine. 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.'". 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. To text back long story I'll tell you later.. Did he cause his estranged spouses injury? RE-open the case Georgia!!!!!! Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. She made a full recovery, but doesnt remember a thing. She thinks he found it before the incident. The chain of custody on that stuff is messed up. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. This all follows a Georgia Bureau of Investigation case that ultimately ruled Lester had attempted suicide in April 2016. What Sanders found most alarming was the time frame Matthew Boynton says he heard those two gunshots. Since the original publication of this story, 11Alive's Brendan Keefe and Jessica Noll have taken another look at the evidence in this story, and talk to one reporter who said she was threatened when she had questions about the investigation. This is who he's sleeping with, points to the Facebook post that she says she was holding for Jessica for her divorce. "I'm guessing Matthew," said Jessica. Jessica and Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. Her head shaved. An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. She's even fighting with EMS, dude, the fellow officer tells Matthew. Boynton: Can you please dispatch a unit out to my location, in reference to my wife? "If he would have just been a regular person he would have been taken to jail," said Jessica. Clearly we touched a nerve in Griffin, but we're not about to be scared off. "I hope she didn't shoot my kids," he says to one officer. He says she started poking him in the chest with her finger, telling him that he had to admit there was another woman. Sanders says there are a few things that really stand out: The red sweatshirt Matthew offered police to test for gunshot residue. As she continues to tinker with clothes, she notices that her red and black composition notebook, which is usually carefully tucked under a pile of clothes inside her closet, has been left on top of the clothes. 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. He later tells investigators that he heard Tyler crying, and then, POP-POP!, Jones advises Matthew over the radio, Stay outside. For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. "When the GBI concluded their case they gave it back to Jessica, and I got it from Jessica," Sanders said. I hadn't really put much thought into it, Jessica told him. Matthew Boynton is clearly hysterical. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. It seems both Matthew and Jessica were secretly stockpiling ammunition for a bitter custody fight. Chris DeMarco, GBI's assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. Warner Bros. Entertainment | Before he leaves, Matthew says Jessica makes a bizarre request: She asks him to call an ambulance. She wants to give her new employers the right impression, since tomorrow is her first day at a chiropractor's office. It was retrieved from the kitchen counter in front of the microwave oven," she probed further. Ironically Jessica first met that man while she was out scouting for a wedding venue to marry Matthew. Jones approaches Matthew to find out what happened. "Matthew. However, he did not confirm that sequence. After three weeks, she woke up. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't try to brush off anything. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. The conversation bounces from officer to officer. I don't know why. In any case GPD/GBI are an absolute embarrassment to the state of GA! Well I couldn't get it for him because I couldn't get it out of his gun holster, she said. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? BROTHERHOOD does not mean coverup or being above the law. "Next thing I remember was I wake up and I'm in a hospital.". When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does the GBI remain the last word on the case? And, she said, she wouldn't have told him that she loved him. Cops finally reach that locked closet door. Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton has been arrested and charged with two felonies. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. He tells Trammel he left Walmart without Jessica. And Jessicas trauma surgeon was not interviewed by the GBI until July 20. GBI conducts canvas and begins interviewing neighbors. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. The only person who truly knows what happened behind that closet door was jessica -- and she's now out of her coma. "And I talked to the guy and was like, 'Look man, you know, can you just be honest with me? Hewrote a letter to Jessicas attorneyon June 10, in which he questioned the finding that Jessicas head injury was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, indicating that there was no investigation conducted by authorities at the hospital. The glowing yellow and black, blocked letter sign illuminates his truck driving past. According to a press release issued by the Griffin Police Department, Boynton was on Friday arrested without incident and transported to the Spalding County Jail. It's one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. He bangs on the locked closet door. 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. It's just one piece of the brand new beginning the young mother and wife has been putting together for her and her sons. Two-year-old Tollin is sleeping soundly in his bed as cops try not to wake him in the chaos. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. 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? He also reported hearing two gunshots and. But, Jessica said regardless of her knowledge of guns, she had every reason to live. Six months later, everything would changefor everyone. an officer questions the others. 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?. "Very explicit conversation," said the neighbor. Less than a month after her hospital-bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to his chief. After you got on the radio and you were outside communicating on the radio, you never went back in to actually check, check on the kids, the agent questions Matthew about once he's out of the apartment. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. She grabs his arm with her left hand, while her other arm falls to the ground. '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? 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. And they said yes. A text message is sent to his phone from Jessicas phone. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds. She says there were pages missing. "Be advised I smell gunsmoke, and I can't get an answer to the door," Boynton says on the call. There was a question of what was and was not community marital property, so that took some doing to sort that out, also, Yates said, adding that many of the items reported as stolen including the clothing, computer and household items had been cited as community property during the couples divorce. Officer Boynton was responding to an accident, and when he returned to his cruiser, we were waiting, armed with questions. The neighbor believes Matthew Boynton discovered the divorce diary and simply snapped. No, never. 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 was scared to death, because I couldn't find [Tyler]that she would shoot me, I mean shoot him, shoot me, and then kill herself..