Particulars surrounding the dying of John Barnett, a company whistleblower who was within the midst of suing aviation large Boeing when he was found dead in a parking lot earlier this 12 months, have lastly been revealed.
Barnett was a former high quality management engineer at Boeing who accused the corporate of great security infractions. His physique was found on March ninth after he failed to point out as much as court docket for his newest deposition. Barnett was present in his truck, which was within the parking zone of the Charleston, South Carolina, motel the place he had been staying throughout court docket proceedings. On Friday, the coroner’s workplace in Charleston launched its last evaluation of his dying.
It was beforehand reported that Barnett died of what seemed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which led to the pure presumption that he had died by suicide. Nevertheless, the odd circumstances of Barnett’s dying—amidst a litigation effort in opposition to the highly effective aviation firm—immediately launched conspiracy theories that blamed Boeing for his dying.
The coroner’s new report does nothing to dispel the notion that Barnett took his personal life. Its verdict is that his “explanation for dying was decided to be: Gunshot Wound of the Head” and that the “method of dying is greatest deemed” as suicide. The report supplies particulars about how Barnett’s physique was discovered and the investigation that came about to evaluate how he died.
One part of the report particulars the surveillance footage that was taken of Barnett’s automobile within the hours earlier than his dying. This video, which was retrieved from safety cameras stationed each contained in the resort and the resort parking zone, exhibits that no person was seen close to Barnett’s automobile aside from him, the report says:
A radical evaluation of the footage revealed Mr. Barnett entered the resort foyer on March 8, 2024, at 1926 hours. He exited the resort at 2037 hours. At 2045 hours, his truck was noticed backing into the parking house the place it was later found. Video surveillance recordings constantly report his automobile. All through the evaluation of surveillance video spanning the night of March eighth via the morning of March ninth, from the time the automobile was backed into the parking house till the Charleston Hearth Division gained entry to the automobile, no different people have been seen getting into or exiting Mr. Barnett’s automobile. At no time did anybody interact or attempt to make contact with Mr. Barnett. The automobile brake lights have been captured blinking on and off at 0720 hours on March 9, 2024.
The report additionally mentions that “a pocket book containing writing resembling a suicide observe” was found contained in the truck with Barnett. On the subject of this observe, the coroner continues:
The writings discovered within the automobile have been examined by the Charleston Police Division and located solely Mr. Barnett’s fingerprints on the pocket book. The writings contained info identified solely to his household.
The coroner’s report blames Barnett’s dying on psychological well being and stress points spurred by the continued lawsuit, in addition to different points:
“A evaluation of medical data and interviews with Mr. Barnett’s household, attorneys, and healthcare professionals, revealed Mr. Barnett was beneath continual stress within the context of the lawsuit, suffered from anxiousness and post-traumatic stress dysfunction, and grieved the dying of his spouse.”
Barnett’s household had claimed that his dying was the results of psychological well being points. The household accused Boeing of getting contributed to the stress that ultimately led him to take his personal life. “He was affected by PTSD and anxiousness assaults because of being subjected to the hostile work surroundings at Boeing which we consider led to his dying,” the family’s statement reads.
In case you or somebody you understand is experiencing suicidal ideas or a disaster, please attain out instantly to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 or textual content HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. These providers are free and confidential.
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