"I would not have said that to him," said Jessica. Emphasis on evidence. 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. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Guthrie calls Matthew and they chat for two minutes. In fact, 68 text messages are exchanged between him and his mistress. While sifting through pages and pages of the report, a GBI evidence photo caught her attention. I told him, 'You're going to have to go get it, because I can't get it out of the case. Jessica Boynton was initially . The devil is in the details. Or was it? He bangs on the locked closet door. "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.". "He said 'What's wrong? I didn't wash may hands, nothing like that either, that way for GSR., There's a possibility that we might collect your clothes, OK. This activity on his cell phone had to have taken place inside the kitchen inside his apartment," Mathews said to DeMarco in a recorded phone conversation. This couldn't happen man. "During that time I investigated hundreds of cases with gunshots and many, many suicides.". 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. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. Sanders wants to know how Matthew was texting his mistress from this very phone if he never reentered the apartment. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. "Well I don't know. Published: 7/28/2017 6:16:14 PM. ", "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. 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. Jessica was a blushing bride, excited to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. No one may have ever done anything to question this case again if not for Will Sanders. 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. 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. December 20022 so heartless to show this right before Xmas. 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. That's right. She's even fighting with EMS, dude, the fellow officer tells Matthew. Chris DeMarco, GBIs assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. What! The good old boys and his grandfather police chief should also get some time for covering up this crime. The officer says he left it in the kitchen and ran outside. The GRIP has reported extensively on seeming inconsistencies and irregularities in that GBI investigation. The way our charter is structured, termination takes two or three days. A lot, she said, doesnt add up, especially since, she said, she had reason to live. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. That phone never got back into the officer's hand. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. "It doesn't sound like anything I would say," said Jessica Boynton. And the second bullet went up at 25-degree upward angle 1'10 off the floor. Matt shouldnt be allowed to ever be a cop anywhere else. The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. And their "War of the Roses" was about to explode. She alleged that many of Lesters belongings remained in Boyntons residence. Having previously learned of the new evidence that was turned in to the Griffin Police Department May 11 and the Internal Affairs investigation that resulted, The GRIP on July 7 submitted an Open Records request for information in the case. Jones approaches Matthew to find out what happened. It can be inferred that approximately half or more cops are abusive husbands/wifebeaters. And Sanders was beyond fascinated by this one. 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. Join our naturalist on a short walk and learn about the history of the once-prosperous town of High Falls. OR OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. The conversation bounces from officer to officer. After just six months of marriage, the Boyntons' one-time neighbor says she saw their young love grow toxic. Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. "That's the way we're gonna play this game, Sheila. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. "If he would have just been a regular person he would have been taken to jail," said Jessica. Cops do find one bullet. If that's what you want to do. She's moaning.. And its assigned to Matthew. That piece of evidence was a photo showing Matthew's cell phone next to the microwave inside the apartment. Bring the little ones for a story every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to hear Sam's favorite tales. Barely clinging to life, Jessica spent three weeks in a coma before waking up, according to 11alive. I don't see anything that looks like high-velocity blood splatter or mist," said Miley. There's so many useless words thrown in there, then there's so many words left out, she said. According to Sanders, these items were obtained from a woman who contacted him and claimed to be Boyntons girlfriend. "He didn't know if her intent was to kill their child, kill him and then commit suicide," said Sheila. Did she try to kill herself or shoot herself in the head? She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. Is that what you're saying?" Lester recovered from the shooting but doesn't remember any of it. "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. He reads another text from mistress, while driving home at nearly 90 mph. Less than a month after her hospital-bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to his chief. As he drove he received a text message from Jessica's phone. Its one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. The gun then landed underneath," said Tim Miley. Despite Jessica Boynton's fiery allegations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation closed her case, clearing Matthew to return to work. GRIFFIN, Georgia, April 15, 2016: Police are breathlessly racing to save a life. "I think what happened after they come home from Walmart, Jessica and Matthew got into an argument. Once established as her personal belonging, this one piece of physical evidence contradicted Boyntons January written civil statement in which he denied possessing any of Lesters property. I havent listened to the actual investigation, but I dont believe so, that he gave any explanation that made any sense.. Absolutely, Matthew assures the agent. 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.. 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 found a photo on Snapchat of another woman wearing nothing but a towel, with the caption: Shower time.. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers head toward the apartment. It is unknown what effect his arrest may have on Boyntons criminal cases. No. Jessica has given Will every piece of evidence in her case, including that divorce diary. 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. He was going to clean his gun and he asked me to go get it for him. The GBI is a joke as well RELATED: Who shot the officer's wife? 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. She's like a sister to me, Browning says, her voice quivering. In any case GPD/GBI are an absolute embarrassment to the state of GA! Is there a loaded pistol with a hair-trigger on the other side? Strangely, they never test her hands for gunshot residue. Hike also includes a rare chance to tour inside the old powerhouse which provides great photo opportunities of the Towaliga River. It seems both Matthew and Jessica were secretly stockpiling ammunition for a bitter custody fight. I attempted to contact Jessica Boynton via telephone to advise her that this is a civil matter. That stuff apparently, from what we were able to discover through our investigation, went through several different peoples hands, which taints our chain of custody, Yates said. I'll be there in about two. 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. Jessica's two boys, Tollin, 2, and baby Tyler, are sound asleep in their rooms. Jessica and Matthew Boynton got married at an extremely young age. "They did not. She thinks he found it before the incident. His flashlights beam reveals a smiling family of four. Two shots had been fired. "The only thing that I can tell you is that Matthew Boynton's account of events are not correct.". Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . GBI/Griffin Police Dept. Two-year-old Tollin is sleeping soundly in his bed as cops try not to wake him in the chaos. The odd thing is a few pages have been ripped out. The quiet is broken when the baby begins to mumble from the other room. Mass shooters. If I could have been here sooner, maybe I could have stopped her Matthew says, spiraling. This x cop needs to be tried for attempted murder. "I didn't know if I was dealing with a possible active scenario where she still had the gun, and she had shot Tyler, and then I could have been the next target," Matthew says in the interview. "I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. So if there is no gunshot wound, what really happened inside that closet? Officer Robert Brian Jones is also dispatched to the Ashford Way apartment building. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. Of course the Grandfather could not be reached for a comment, he had it covered up. 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.. 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. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. "He does report an incident that would be considered domestic violence, that she was poking him in the chest with her finger," said Sheila Mathews. I would have said, 'I can't do this anymore, comma, take care of Tolin and Tyler, period.' A phone that text messages were sent and received to/from following his recollection of hearing,POP-POP! and running out of the apartment. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. On Dec. 19, 2016, Lester met with GPD Investigator Dexter McCune regarding property she alleged Boynton had stolen. A lot," said the neighbor. But another heated argument goes down in the baby food aisle. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. Her ex-husband and former Griffin police officer Matthew Boynton was investigated in the case, but was only charged with making . Trammel records the 10:53 p.m., incident report from April 14. Listen. When asked if Boynton had explained why he allegedly kept his ex-wifes belongings, Yates said, No. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. [] 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 []. The neighbor says Jessica came over to her apartment with the kids, clearly upset about the fight. 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.. Her husband, Matthew Boynton, was at a nearby restaurant when he got a text from Jessica that read like a suicide note. Matthew immediately calls a friend at dispatch. Boyntons statement, dated Jan. 9, said, I was advised to complete a statement on a previous date by Lt. Yancey. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. 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? 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. He cautiously went into the residence to try to make sure that the children were OK. The panicked cop grabs his police radio and runs outside to make the frantic call to dispatch. 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. Matthew's mistress worked as a dispatch officer, reporting to Sheriff Wendell Beam, who just happens to be Matthew Boynton's grandfather. The second bullet hole is more of a mystery. Her neighbor, who asked us to protect her identity, says she knows the motive: Jessica had uncovered Matthew's dark secret. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' Jessica, on a few occasions, hit and slapped him, he tells the GBI. Both Jessica and Matthew reportedly want a divorce. Especially because of my children. "My wound was on the top of my head. He says, he got out of the shower and asked her for his phone back several times, but she refused, he says, until he admitted to her that he was cheating on her. "Matthew," said Jessica. We had to establish a timeline for when that property was possessed before the marriage or after it. 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. 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. "It was. Inside the closet they also discover Jessica's red "divorce diary." And they said yes," the neighbor said. Here's where things get blurry. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. 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.. He advised that he does not have any of the items listed in this report.. With his gun raised and arms poised, he holds his weapon out in front of him with both hands. 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. Her head shaved. An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. 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. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. "Police department!" The only person who truly knows what happened behind that closet door was jessica -- and she's now out of her coma. The police department should be ashamed of themselves for trying to cover this up!!! Above Jessica, pinned to the wall, is a large black letter B for Boynton. If America is really a first-world country, it will enact legislation that takes this issue seriously, and fund more studies and programs to preventing domestic violence and identifying and protecting victims. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". A DISGRACE! Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . 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. Jessica's alive, but barely. 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. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Still lodged in Jessica's skull? 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. And Jessicas trauma surgeon was not interviewed by the GBI until July 20. 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. I mean he might have grabbed my arm before, but I don't think he would intentionally do anything to hurt mebut like I said, he's changed so much here, lately, she said. Tyler, the 8-month-old baby, is the result of a relationship Jessica had with a mechanic while she and Matthew were temporarily separated. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon . He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. Matthew, a police officer in a small town called Griffin, in Georgia, rushed home. Fast forward to May 11, the day numerous items that reportedly belonged to Lester were turned in to the Griffin Police Department. EMTs start carrying Jessica down the stairs on a backboard and click her into a gurney and swing open the ambulance doors. Matthew admits to having an affair. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. 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. He says she started poking him in the chest with her finger, telling him that he had to admit there was another woman. Listen. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers, Keys, Jones and Gresham head toward the apartment. She would never have done this. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. "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.". (whit his baton I would guess) ..is every person in the police department total idiots? The ambulance pulls away with Jessica in critical condition, to the fire station located on Carver Road, where the medical helicopter picks her up and takes her to an Atlanta hospital. The ceiling fan circles on high speed. But it's what those body cameras don't record that's raising eyebrows. Her head shaved. "Nobody ever asked him about why he changed clothes," said Sanders. I didn't, I didn't, I didn't try to brush off anything. He grabs his police radio, stationed on top of the white microwave in the kitchen charging, and puts his phone on the counter. And I could have been the next target.. Please wear sturdy shoes. 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. "I think I was hit over the head with something.". Moments later Matthew's fellow officers from the Griffin, Georgia Police Department arrive on scene with body-cameras recording. "There was no testing done on his clothing," said Sheila Mathews. If you play with it a little bit, it's not hard.. 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. "Be advised I smell gunsmoke, and I can't get an answer to the door," Boynton says on the call. 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?" That bastard is so guilty every time they show the door knob and any badge that doesnt know that shouldnt have one. At about 10:45 p.m., he continues, he thought he heard a gunshot while they were lying in bed. 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. Matthew and Jessica's two sons are still inside. 478-993-3053. Still inside, some of the officers look closer and find two bullet holes inside the closet. This is abuse of power. The doctor believes Jessica's injuries may have been caused by blunt-force trauma. Donald Britt, Lt. Darrell Dix, Lt. Keys and Beam are also present. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? "Really somebody just needs to look at it, somebody of great knowledge of things like this, and then let them tell me what they think," said Jessica Boynton. 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.