She would never have done this. Those properties obtained during the marriage would be considered community property.. . But she doesn't buy it, especially since her head was perfectly laid on a pillow, she said after watching the bodycam footage. No it wasn't. I'll be back there in about two minutes. She grabs his arm with her left hand, while her other arm falls to the ground. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. 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. They turn her over from her stomach to her back. "He stated that he was too frightened. "He didn't know if her intent was to kill their child, kill him and then commit suicide," said Sheila. "Recently she did confirm that the second baby is not mine," Matthew tells the GBI investigator. While GPD Chief Mike Yates said he is unable to release specific information due to the criminal nature of the case, he did confirm information The GRIP provided during a July 31 interview. Its so obvious a coverup. He enters, checking the master bedroom. The first bullet went upward at 54-degree angle. Less than a month after her hospital-bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to his chief. 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. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. Keyword: Admitted. GBI didn't report finding any blood spatter on the closet wall. 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. No bullet entered her body anywhere. He drove back to the apartment, he tells Jones, but it was too late. Police investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessicas limp body. They call in Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, who happens to be Matthew's grandfather, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . That phone never got back into the officer's hand. '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, calls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. Furthermore, she said, there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent a text like that. "Happy," said the neighbor. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that she's never handled a gun, nor shot one. The subsequent investigation was short-lived, with it having been deemed a "civil matter." Hahaha you about have me a heart attack freak!! They hit the top of the stairs knowing somebody's got a gun. Thats what took so long to get it sorted out.. If I just would have left my f**king duty belt in the car.. Griffin, Georgia is the kind of small Southern town where high school sweethearts stay married forever. Just have a soul here please please please. "If he would have just been a regular person he would have been taken to jail," said Jessica. Making his way outside, he calls for assistance over his radio. Matthew's hands were not tested for gunpowder either. Did investigators look for a blunt object? God damn it, man! It's locked. Is that what you're saying?" It's one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. With his gun raised and arms poised, he holds his weapon out in front of him with both hands. And I could have been the next target.. He tells Trammel that he was in the shower, using his cell phone, when Jessica walked into the bathroom, pulled the shower curtain back and snatched his cell phone. Blood pressure.. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. Yes, I didn't have time, you know with everything going on, I didn't think anything about getting any other clothes, so I didn't know if y'all would want these or not. We had to establish a timeline for when that property was possessed before the marriage or after it. But asking those questions resulted in a threat. Example video title will go here for this video. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. Listen. A request is made to notify the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Stay outside.. Her head wound has soaked into the green and white pillow her head is resting onher blood is contained to that one stain and a few nearby drops. We put it on the counter to take a picture of it," he confirmed to Mathews. I finally had the evidence that I needed that Matthew was cheating on me. 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. provided images. He grabs his police radio from the kitchen counter and runs outside and makes a desperate call. He was there to tell the court that he wanted to keep Jessica away from him and their two sons, because he said, he feared for their safetybecause she allegedly fired his gun in the house while their boys were home. Her mouth covered with a breathing apparatus and several machines attached to her, in an effort to monitor her condition. 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. There's little if any visible blood spatter inside the closet. She's moaning.. When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does theGBI remain the last word on the Jessica Boynton case? Two shots had been fired. She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. Aft. The chain of custody on that stuff is messed up. Lt. Curtis Keys is dispatched to the scene. The remaining items such as a hope chest, clothing and other miscellaneous items were returned to Jessica. Her shoulder-length, blonde hair was saturated in crimson. "And I talked to the guy and was like, 'Look man, you know, can you just be honest with me? 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. 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. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. In 2016, something terrible happened to Jessica Boynton, a 19-year-old mother of two. I attempted to contact Jessica Boynton via telephone to advise her that this is a civil matter. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. "I saw a lot of things change after time. He reads another text from his girlfriend, while driving 90 mph. She was hit over the head. "Here's where her head was laying. Immediately following that flip, Mathews said, DeMarco asked if she was recording their conversation. The panicked cop grabs his police radio and runs outside to make the frantic call to dispatch. This chilling police body camera footage shows the moment a cop's wife was found barely alive suffering from a gunshot wound to her head. That was the subject of his charges his statements and writings that we were able to prove were false, Yates said. If I could have been here sooner, maybe I could have stopped her Matthew says, spiraling. This case stinks to hi-heaven of a cover-up..if not, its a group of the most incompetent people ever to wear a Law enforcement uniform. Matthew met Jessica during her sophomore year of high school at open house in 2012. 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.. "You know, you're trying to match up times of where he is getting these text messages or how he's responding to them, that he has to be in the kitchen. Cops do find one bullet. "It's just inconvenient. 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?. According to Sanders, these items were obtained from a woman who contacted him and claimed to be Boyntons girlfriend. Did he cause his estranged spouses injury? Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. 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. 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. No bullet fragments were recovered from her head. The air is thick with mystery, as the officers approach the locked closet. While sifting through pages and pages of the report, a GBI evidence photo caught her attention. in the head..in hospital for a month..just an FYI. Crime Watch Daily's security team tracked the email address, only to find it was from an anonymous server. And it's assigned to Matthew, her husband, the cop. Her husband is cheating on her with another woman, reveals Browning, who said, they called dispatch a few nights earlier because he took the kids. "Nobody would shoot themselves like this," said retired homicide detective Tim Miley. I'm prior military so to me it sounded like a gunshot, he tells DeMarco. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. Yes, for an article, just to make sure I get quotes proper.". But someone else did. One, investigators said penetrated Jessica's head and the other the wall. It appears it was self-inflicted. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. In fact, 68 text messages are exchanged between him and his mistress. "If they put out a report I spend a lot of time fact-checking it and making sure what they're telling is the truth," said Sanders. When he's not driving a truck, Sanders studies police records looking for things investigators missed -- or possibly covered up. The report states Matthew left Walmart without Jessica. 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.. 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. "I'm guessing Matthew," said Jessica. But where's the second round? And I could have been the next target.. 11Alive reached out to Officer Matthew Boynton, however, phone calls were not returned. "Next thing I remember was I wake up and I'm in a hospital.". There's so many useless words thrown in there, then there's so many words left out, she said. And would a dad leave his kids inside with a suicidal woman and a loaded gun? Still peering down at his phone, Matthew also sends a text to his girlfriend, a Spalding County dispatcher. Cops do find Jessica's DNA on the gun. He's hoping if the case gets reopened, any possible clues will be preserved. One of about 70 messages they exchange throughout the night. WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE FBI???????? 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. 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.. Five days after his wife was shot, Matthew talked with the GBI again. Warner Bros. Entertainment | "I hope she didn't shoot my kids," he says to one officer. 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.. I think it just kind of happened. So if there is no gunshot wound, what really happened inside that closet? "Her hands appeared to be pristine, but also he noted that she had no gunpowder burns.". It seems both Matthew and Jessica were secretly stockpiling ammunition for a bitter custody fight. The police officer's wife was found with a bullet to the head, lying in their closet. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. GBI director Vernon Keenan wrote a letter indicating the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by Jessica, closing the case. Especially because of my children. It was actually from him. Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers head toward the apartment. "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. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. 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. No, never. This, Matthew says to Trammel, is the precursor to an argument the couple also had at Walmart later that night, just after 10 p.m. Once outside, he tells Trammel Jessica refuses to get into the car to go hometelling him she would find another way home and walked back into Walmart. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. A DISGRACE! Cops finally reach that locked closet door. He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. She tells the Georgia Bureau of Investigation the Matthew Boynton is cheating on Jessica with another woman. Her husband, Matthew Boynton, was at a nearby restaurant when he got a text from Jessica that read like a suicide note. 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. Until recently, Matthew's grandfather, Wendell Beam, reigned as Spalding County sheriff. 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. We're going to be doing that to do touch DNA on the gun, and um, and why we're doing that is obviously one to corroborate everything that's what believed happened, and that way it also, it also eliminates the possibility of her family saying, you had something involved in this, or whatever, the GBI agent said to him. Her bright blues eyes glisten as they well with emotion. Thats what we had to establish, Yates confirmed. 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. Her body is on the floor, just behind the door. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. Matthew admits to having an affair. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. Reliving his steps inside the apartment after he heard gunshots fired, he said, My whole upper body went numb. Im not sure if it was slightly before or slightly after. The other problem: she said she didn't know how to get his gun out of his holsternor has she ever held or shot a gun. It entered at an upward leftward trajectory angle," said Sheila Mathews. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. And the doctor in the emergency room didn't find any bullet holes. Dispatch notifies Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, Matthews grandfather,and police notify Jessicas family that she has died. He bangs on the locked closet door. Officer Matthew Boynton has never been charged with anything in connection with this case, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation did question him. They'd met in high school when Jessica was 15 and Matthew was 16. Officer Robert Brian Jones is also dispatched to the Ashford Way apartment building. Jessica's hair is so matted with blood no one can find the actual gunshot wound to stop the bleeding. She was leaving her husband of just six months. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. Most of the cases that he would have made or would be involved in would also have, or should have, body worn camera video, car video, things of that nature, so the fact that his statement to us was compromised would not necessarily taint everything else. The next door neighbor interview was conducted after Matthew returned to full duty. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. He then said the GBI has not indicated to him that the investigation will be reopened. Boynton in January denied being in possession of any of Lesters personal property. GRIFFIN, Ga. Who shot the officers wife? 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. Photos | Jessica and Matthew Boynton wedding. "I left the location, I'm back en route, I'm on Carver Road right now. Boynton was placed on administrative leave Thursday, July 28, and the Chief said his intent was to terminate the officer, but Boynton resigned before that process could be completed. Her limp body is on the floor, just behind the door. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' The second bullet hole is more of a mystery. And, unfortunately it appears those questions will never be answered," Mathews said. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. "He believes that her injuries were consistent with blunt-force trauma," said Sheila Mathews. A previous study found 41% of police admitted to being abusive to their spouses. 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. Womens clothing items and an orthodontic retainer turned in to the Griffin Police Department by Will Sanders has been established to have belonged to Jessica Lester, the former wife of Matthew Boynton. In any case GPD/GBI are an absolute embarrassment to the state of GA! "I have occasional headaches, but other than that everything's good," Jessica Boynton said. I would have said, 'suicidal' not 'suicide thoughts.'. This is abuse of power. "That's the way we're gonna play this game, Sheila. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? Jessica Boynton, 19, was found lying in a pool of her own . "He said 'What's wrong? I don't see anything that looks like high-velocity blood splatter or mist," said Miley. Yancy also requested that Boynton write a statement pertaining to the allegation. And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. "I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. 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. He asked her what she thought could've happened. At that exact point the interviewing officer detected something fishy, forced him to stop giving himself away and ended the interview and therefore night of investigation. In fact she claims Jessica was blissfully stockpiling ammunition to get full custody of their two little boys. 11Alive reached out to the GBI and Officer Matthew Boynton, however, neither returned our phone calls. 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. BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under investigation and cleared by the GBI last year for his wife's shooting, was charged with one felony count of false statements and writings, and one felony count of violation of oath of office. Security camera captures the family walking in around 10:15 p.m. But they have no idea what's waiting for them behind a locked closet door. "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. When asked if Boyntons arrest has led him to believe that case should be reopened, Yates said, No. Geez, im no cop , no investigator and know absolutely nothing on how investigations are even done but if the doctors say she wasnt shot what more do they need..that little punk got away with it.please tell me im missing a story and he has been arrested for the attempted murder of his wife.please.and please tell me that every stupid ass cop that had any involvement with this case is no longer a cop..oh and his Grandpa, well i think he needs a little jail rehabilitation as well..i could go on and on, but obviously they wouldnt understand anyway..what a disgrace to all REAL POLICE OFFICERS, https://the-grip.net/2016/10/18/gbi-completes-boynton-investigation-requested-by-gpd/ this says she was SHOT!!! [] 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 []. She loved me. 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. 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. Furthermore, he said, it's his observation that self-inflicted gunshot wounds are very unusual among women. 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.. 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. "Well I don't know. Barely clinging to life, Jessica spent three weeks in a coma before waking up, according to 11alive. "I think what happened after they come home from Walmart, Jessica and Matthew got into an argument. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. "I was scared to death that she would shoot me and then kill herself," Matthew tells investigators. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. Who does she think hit her over the head? But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. Here's where things get blurry. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. The good old boys and his grandfather police chief should also get some time for covering up this crime. 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. Matthew Boynton, 20, discovered his wife Jessica, 19, lying in a pool of blood in a closet. "Very explicit conversation," said the neighbor. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. Jessica Boynton's head is perfectly positioned on a blood-soaked pillow. 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? For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. However, Yates said, that's not that uncommon. Once the investigation was closed, reporter and publisher, Sheila Mathews, investigated the shooting for her newspaper, The Grip. Here recently she did confirm that the second baby's not mine. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. 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. Lester recovered from the shooting but doesn't remember any of it. Jessica Boynton, 19, was a stay-at-home mom to 8-month-old Tyler and 2-year-year old Tollin. The conversation bounces from officer to officer. It appears to be either an assault or maybe something accidental," said Miley. Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. I'll be there in about two. "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. Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton has been arrested and charged with two felonies. Matthew makes it home, jumps out of his truck, races through the breezeway of his apartment building and bolts up the stairs. The gun then landed underneath," said Tim Miley. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. 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. | Examine the evidence yourself. Listen. I wouldn't trade those two boys for anything," she said, swiping away tears streaming down both cheeks. 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. If I could have been there 10 minutes earlier I could have jumped in front of the gun and try to get it from her man., Where did she shoot herself at? Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. Jessica's theory of what happened centers around her "dirty divorce diary." His tone changes. The ceiling fan's light shines down on Jessica's eyes. 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. Jessica and Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. Man, look, she's still breathing. If that's what you want to do. By the time Jessica was twenty, she'd had enough of Matthew, and their crumbling marriage had driven her to a dark place. This stinks, and the fact remains, it appears he tried to kill his wife, so what are you guys going to do?? Well I couldn't get it for him because I couldn't get it out of his gun holster, she said. I finally had the evidence that I needed that Matthew was cheating on me. They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. Around midnight Matthew says he leaves Jessica and the kids to meet fellow Officer Joshua Guthrie for a late-night snack at Waffle House.