UPDATE: This story was originally published in November 2016. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. Im not sure about that. Do you know what she used? asks one of the emergency responders in the room. To text back long story I'll tell you later.. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. Griffin police officer wife Jessica Boynton shot | 11alive.com 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. I attempted to contact Jessica Boynton via telephone to advise her that this is a civil matter. I don't see anything that looks like high-velocity blood splatter or mist," said Miley. She's got good pulse. And Sanders was beyond fascinated by this one. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. Then he hits investigators with a jaw-dropper. Jessica and Matthew Boynton got married at an extremely young age. Here's where things get blurry. Id be afraid to luve in that town until that poluce brotherhood is abolished. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. It's locked. It could, but it wont necessarily do it, Yates said. Crime Watch Daily's security team tracked the email address, only to find it was from an anonymous server. the GBI agent posed a return question. Jessica Boynton | GBI changes information about evidence | 11alive.com Jessica was still in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes stemming from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. "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 think what happened after they come home from Walmart, Jessica and Matthew got into an argument. However, she was NOT shot. 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. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates - KHOU "I can't do this anymore," the message read. In April 2016, the wife of a Griffin, Ga. police officer is found inside a locked closet. I'll be back there in about two minutes. 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.. 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. A phone that text messages were sent and received to/from following his recollection of hearing,POP-POP! and running out of the apartment. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was arrested and taken to the Spalding County Jail on multiple charges. Emergency-responders finally arrive and carry Jessica to a waiting ambulance. Griffin Police Capt. Furthermore, she said, there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent a text like that. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' Her shoulder-length, blonde hair was saturated in crimson. Matthew, who's wearing a gray sweatshirt, says he called Lt. Curtis Keys and asked him what he should do. A family of Marines is divided after father shoots ailing wife Unfortunately Matthew Boynton didn't have anything to say. "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. "They did not. Her mouth covered with a breathing apparatus and several machines attached to her monitoring her condition. And, the first officer on scene, as recorded by body cam footage, was not interviewed by the GBI for months after the incident. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. Yes, for an article, just to make sure I get quotes proper.". Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wwltv.com This couldn't happen man. Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. 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. But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. I was at Atlanta Medical Center for a month. "And I talked to the guy and was like, 'Look man, you know, can you just be honest with me? The ceiling fan circles on high speed. She says there were pages missing. ", "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. Example video title will go here for this video. "I hope she didn't shoot my kids," he says to one officer. Especially because of my children. In fact he's collected almost every piece of evidence from the case. She had always kept it hidden, but now, there it is for everyone to see. It was actually from him. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was cleared in his wife's shooting, but his interrogation still cost him his job. Then, a moment of hope from the 19-year-old mother: She's still breathing. Matthew Boynton is clearly hysterical. Matthew Boynton interrogation video with Griffin Police Department. The second bullet hole is more of a mystery. 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? Tyler, the 8-month-old baby, is the result of a relationship Jessica had with a mechanic while she and Matthew were temporarily separated. (whit his baton I would guess) ..is every person in the police department total idiots? If he's willing to cheat on his wife, he's willing to cheat the law., She wanted to file for divorce, says Kshywonis. Emphasis on evidence. It is unknown what effect his arrest may have on Boyntons criminal cases. Matthew claims they returned home just after 11 p.m. His proof? He later tells investigators that he heard Tyler crying, and then, POP-POP!, Jones advises Matthew over the radio, Stay outside. But another heated argument goes down in the baby food aisle. They call in Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, who happens to be Matthew's grandfather, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. Domestic violence has always been a precursor to violence in other areas. She's having suicidal thoughts. "I have occasional headaches, but other than that everything's good," Jessica Boynton said. 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 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 questioned Matthew about once he removed himself from the apartment. Around midnight Matthew says he leaves Jessica and the kids to meet fellow Officer Joshua Guthrie for a late-night snack at Waffle House. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. However, he did not confirm that sequence. If that's what you want to do. He reads another text from his girlfriend, while driving 90 mph. A tactical sweep finds an 8-month-old baby screaming. Join our naturalist on a short walk and learn about the history of the once-prosperous town of High Falls. And neither is Will Sanders, the truck driver spearheading the drive to get justice for Jessica. So Crime Watch Daily went out and got one of the best in the business. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. 'Trigger' Griffin Police officer arrested | 11alive.com "I'm guessing Matthew," said Jessica. Sanders says there are a few things that really stand out: The red sweatshirt Matthew offered police to test for gunshot residue. $5 plus $5 parking. "I would say broken, distraught, damaged," the neighbor says. They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. Officer Boynton hung up and did not respond to multiple messages, while the GBI refused to talk about the closed case. To text back long story I'll tell you later.. The quiet is broken when the baby begins to mumble from the other room. There's no way I could have shot myself in the top of the head and not kill myself. 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.'". Before he leaves, Matthew says Jessica makes a bizarre request: She asks him to call an ambulance. Boyntons statement, dated Jan. 9, said, I was advised to complete a statement on a previous date by Lt. Yancey. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. It's just one piece of the brand new beginning the young mother and wife has been putting together for her and her sons. 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 cautiously went into the residence to try to make sure that the children were OK. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. 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. But it was used after Matthew had said he left the apartment in fear of his life, and did not return. They're re slit open while her head flops from side to side on the beige carpet, as one female EMS works on her. Matthew interviews with the GBI early that morning. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. 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.. "Nobody would shoot themselves like this," said retired homicide detective Tim Miley. Jones shouts as he travels deeper insidehis weapon drawn. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. They investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessica's limp body. Minutes later, at around 10:45 p.m., Jessica storms out. "My wound was on the top of my head. Trammel records the 10:53 p.m., incident report from April 14. Jessica and Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. 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. The subsequent investigation was short-lived, with it having been deemed a "civil matter." "She's like, 'This is exactly what I need to get my divorce from him.'". Stay out, Matt, one the officers advises his fellow officer. But what about that 911 call Matthew made just minutes before the shooting, claiming he got a text from Jessica saying she was going to kill herself? 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. No it wasn't. It sounded like a gunshot. Griffin, Georgia is the kind of small Southern town where high school sweethearts stay married forever. The only person who truly knows what happened behind that closet door was jessica -- and she's now out of her coma. He was going to clean his gun and he asked me to go get it for him. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. GBI conducts canvas and begins interviewing neighbors. 11Alive - BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under - Facebook The panicked cop grabs his police radio and runs outside to make the frantic call to dispatch. The one seen in the police body-cam is not the same gray sweatshirt he was wearing at Walmart earlier that night. I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. Until recently, Matthew's grandfather, Wendell Beam, reigned as Spalding County sheriff. 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. She had an appointment Monday.. A lot of times its two or three or more days, Yates said. "He believes that her injuries were consistent with blunt-force trauma," said Sheila Mathews. an officer questions the others. They discover two shell casings and two bullet holes in the closet wall. He advised that he does not have any of the items listed in this report.. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. It appears it was self-inflicted. He drove back to the apartment, he tells Jones, but it was too late. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. "No they did not because they assumed I was shot, because that's what Matthew said," Jessica said. Her neighbor, who asked us to protect her identity, says she knows the motive: Jessica had uncovered Matthew's dark secret. The air is thick with the trepidation, as officers approach the locked closet. "He believed that the shots he heard fired were fired from his duty weapon," said Sheila Mathews, publisher of The Grip. "What you're saying to me, that's not, you know, I don't see anything he did wrong by saying that," Fred Mays told Mathews. "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. Absolutely, Matthew assures the agent. Both Jessica and Matthew reportedly want a divorce. Security camera captures the family walking in around 10:15 p.m. 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. The notification was made following an April 15, 2016, shooting incident - ruled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to be a suicide attempt - at the home of Jessica Boynton and her now-estranged husband, Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton. But this wasn't the end of Jessica's story, rather a new beginningbut not the one she was hoping for. She loved me. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. Everybody clear out, says Jones, who has Keys call for an EMT. That is not a reaction that I can relate to.". "Be advised I smell gunsmoke, and I can't get an answer to the door," Boynton says on the call. 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. Matthew runs inside to the closet where he keeps his service gun. 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. "There was no testing done on his clothing," said Sheila Mathews. If I could have been here sooner, maybe I could have stopped her Matthew says, spiraling. She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. Did investigators look for a blunt object? 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. Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. 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. She also stated that she just wanted her things back, so I informed her that I would do a report on the incident.. She agreed to provide those items to Sanders, who then turned them in to the Griffin Police Department. Law enforcement was in his genes. "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. Please wear sturdy shoes. "I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. After three weeks, she woke up. When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does theGBI remain the last word on the Jessica Boynton case? 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. December 20022 so heartless to show this right before Xmas. To stage a suicide," said the neighbor. I f***ing love her. '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? It's one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. Her shoulder-length, blonde hair is saturated in red. 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. While Jessica believes someone tried taking her life from her, she refuses to allow anyone to take her kids away from her. Inside their apartment Matthew Boynton hears crying. "To help cover his tracks.". An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. Jessica Boynton is found unconscious, her body on top of her husband's service revolver. I wouldn't trade them for anything no matter the situation. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . It can be inferred that approximately half or more cops are abusive husbands/wifebeaters. Woman shot in head says cop husband staged her 'suicide' Matthew Boynton arrested | 11alive.com Running across the parking lot and up the stairs, responding officers head toward the apartment. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. Get him downstairs, one of the officers whispers to another. When the officers pull Jessica's body out of the closet, they find Matthew's gun right underneath her, a .40-caliber Glock. 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. Listen. The July 29 arrest of former Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton stemmed from a theft report filed Dec. 19, 2016, by his former wife, Jessica Lester. RE-open the case Georgia!!!!!! Her head shaved. It could have a negative effect on them, but those things have to be dealt with on a case by case basis. She's moaning.. When asked to confirm that a July 26 appointment with Lesters orthodontist was pivotal in the Internal Affairs case, Yates said it was. 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. His phone is pretty active tonight. The way our charter is structured, termination takes two or three days. Interrogation - Matthew Boynton - Regarding The Shooting Of His Wife 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. Matthew's mistress worked as a dispatch officer, reporting to Sheriff Wendell Beam, who just happens to be Matthew Boynton's grandfather. His phone was left inside their apt, yet he says he never entered it.. so many lies the grandfather called Jessicas family and informed them she was DEAD! The air is thick with mystery, as the officers approach the locked closet. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. Griffin cop cleared in wife's shooting charged with making false Who does she think hit her over the head? Jessica believes her suicide attempt was staged. She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. I was, he says to the GBI agent. Matthew Boynton is the grandson of Sheriff Beam. Did Someone Try to Kill Jessica Boynton? - Active Fugitives Six months later, everything would changefor everyone. Crime Watch Daily investigates what really happened to Jessica Boynton, something even Jessica herself wants to know. The neighbor claims she had been with Jessica just hours beforehand, and says her friend would never have tried to take her own life. Her body is on the floor, just behind the door. Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. At about 10:45 p.m., he continues, he thought he heard a gunshot while they were lying in bed. After studying Jessica Boynton's case, Miley sides with Jessica. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. Above Jessica, pinned to the wall, is a large black letter B for Boynton. Her head wound soaked into the green and white pillow, where her head rested. 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.. Moments later Matthew's fellow officers from the Griffin, Georgia Police Department arrive on scene with body-cameras recording. The report states Matthew left Walmart without Jessica. DeMarco pressed Mathews. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. And its inside that closet, where police found her seemingly shot in the head, laying on top of her husbands service weapon. But she doesn't buy it, especially since her head was perfectly laid on a pillow, she said after watching the bodycam footage. Did she try to kill herself or shoot herself in the head? Her bright blues eyes glisten as they well with emotion. The ceiling fan's light shines down on Jessica's eyes. provided images. 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. 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. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that she's never handled a gun, nor shot one. "Well, how do you come to that conclusion?" Updated: 11:14 PM EDT July 28, 2017. provided images. Maybe Jessica would remember why and when the door knob was swapped because it happened before that night. That's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. Video shot outside in the parking lot shows Jessica getting in a black truck with Matthew and the kids, then leaving. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds. She was hit over the head. Her head shaved. Agent DeMarco approaches Meagan Browning, who's joined by Eric Kshywonis, at 61 Ashford Waythe apartment just downstairs from Jessica and Matthew. VIDEO: Did a police officer stage his wife's suicide attempt? 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. This time for a DNA consent. The July 29 arrest of former Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton stemmed from a theft report filed Dec. 19, 2016, by his former wife, Jessica Lester. Since his bodycam wasn't charged, it doesn't record this call. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. That's right. HLN's 'Real Life Nightmare' episode focuses on Georgia cop, ex-wife He grabs his police radio, stationed and charging on top of the white microwave in the kitchen, and leaves his phone on the counter. Still peering down at his phone, Matthew sends a text to his mistress. The good old boys and his grandfather police chief should also get some time for covering up this crime. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. 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. Did you all have sex?' 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.