Statements from Jessica Boynton and Matthew Boynton are logged into evidence, said a statement written by Yancy March 13. Who does the neighbor think sent that text message to Matthew's phone from Jessica's? Matthew, a police officer in a small town called Griffin, in Georgia, rushed home. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. Still peering down at his phone, Matthew also sends a text to his girlfriend, a Spalding County dispatcher. Jessica Boynton, once declared dead, is alive and talking. 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. 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. 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. 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. The agent then probes Matthew, asking if he has a girlfriend. He's hoping if the case gets reopened, any possible clues will be preserved. If that's what you want to do. "I don't want to put all the blame on him but he's the only person that could have done it," said Jessica Boynton. According to Sanders, these items were obtained from a woman who contacted him and claimed to be Boyntons girlfriend. Somewhere in proximity to his arrest. She had always kept it hidden, but now, there it is for everyone to see. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. A message to Matthews phone is received and marked as read, from his girlfriend--from inside the evidence bag. And based on the totality of circumstances, all the facts and circumstances, all the forensics, and the conclusion of the case, as well as the GBI's and the district attorney's recommendation, is no, he did not cause her injuries, Yates concluded in an interview with 11Alive for"Trigger: Who shot the officer's wife.". an officer questions the others. A phone that text messages were sent and received to/from following his recollection of hearing,POP-POP! and running out of the apartment. However, she was NOT shot. Warner Bros. Entertainment | Jessica's theory of what happened centers around her "dirty divorce diary." 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. Jessica was still in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes stemming from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. Matthew Boynton along with Lee Boynton, Josh Guthrie and Courtney Callaway moved all of my personal belongings from the residence. Four days later, he appeared in court, wearing his police uniform, and testified that he had been cleared by the GBI in a custody hearing. Her ex-husband and former Griffin police officer Matthew Boynton was investigated in the case, but was only charged with making . He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. "When the GBI concluded their case they gave it back to Jessica, and I got it from Jessica," Sanders said. So if there is no gunshot wound, what really happened inside that closet? nd police notify Jessicas family that she has died. She's moaning.. They hit the top of the stairs knowing somebody's got a gun. And I could have been the next target.. I left a message with the lady that answered for her to call me. That was the subject of his charges his statements and writings that we were able to prove were false, Yates said. So just one?" I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. Stay outside.. GBI begins interviewing neighbors and Matthew interviews with the GBI later that morning. "Matthew," said Jessica. She wants to give her new employers the right impression, since tomorrow is her first day at a chiropractor's office. 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. Once he arrives on the scene, Trammel makes contact with Matthew, who tells him that he and his wife got into an argument. Dispatch notifies Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, who is also Matthew's grandfather and police notify Jessica's family that she has died. This x cop needs to be tried for attempted murder. 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. Reliving his steps inside the apartment after he heard gunshots fired, he says, My whole upper body went numb. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' As part of that case, Lt. Karen Yancy, who leads the GPD Criminal Investigation Division, spoke with Boynton and on Jan. 5, reported, On Dec. 19, 2016, I spoke with Matthew Boynton about these items. But Jessica's trauma surgeon, a 30-year veteran in the field, had a few thoughts of his own about what could have happened and what likely did not happen that night. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. Then, a moment of hope from the 19-year-old mother: She's still breathing. If I just would have left my f**king duty belt in the car.. Keyword: Admitted. Now she lives in terror every day because she can't remember who attacked her. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that she's never handled a gun, nor shot one. They're my everything. He grabs his police radio, stationed on top of the white microwave in the kitchen charging, and puts his phone on the counter. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. 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. "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. He grabs his police radio, stationed and charging on top of the white microwave in the kitchen, and leaves his phone on the counter. 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. 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. "That was when approximately 24 minutes into the conversation, his demeanor changed and everything flipped," she recalled. While sifting through pages and pages of the report, a GBI evidence photo caught her attention. Honestly, I have no idea. Thats what took so long to get it sorted out.. Her head wound soaked into the green and white pillow, where her head rested. 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? [] 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 []. I never wanted to hurt myself before, she said, going on to say that shes never handled a gun, nor shot one. He asked her what she thought could've happened. Matthew begins calling his brothers in blue, telling them Jessica is physically abusing him -- not a standard way of reporting domestic abuse. She says under the helm of Wendell Beam, the sheriff's department had a reputation for protecting its own. With dark, latex gloves on, an officer kneels down and touches her neck with his fingers. He was going to clean his gun and he asked me to go get it for him. Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton tells dispatch he has no idea what's happened to his wife or their two young sons. 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. And its inside that closet, where police found her seemingly shot in the head, laying on top of her husbands service weapon. That's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. What he finds turns this case of a suicide upside down. Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. "She's like, 'This is exactly what I need to get my divorce from him.'". The air is thick with the trepidation, as officers approach the locked closet. 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. I'm prior military so to me it sounded like a gunshot, he tells DeMarco. 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. And I could have been the next target.. Did she try to kill herself or shoot herself in the head? Furthermore, she said, there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent a text like that. said Sheila Mathews. Shortly afterward, Matthew begins texting Jessica about going to Walmart to pick up baby formula. EMTs start carrying Jessica down the stairs on a backboard and click her into a gurney and swing open the ambulance doors. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. It seems both Matthew and Jessica were secretly stockpiling ammunition for a bitter custody fight. The next door neighbor interview was conducted after Matthew returned to full duty. As he drove he received a text message from Jessica's phone. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. 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. There's so many useless words thrown in there, then there's so many words left out, she said. Her complaint, which she checked on, was never filed. 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?" provided images. Moments later Matthew's fellow officers from the Griffin, Georgia Police Department arrive on scene with body-cameras recording. A grandson of the county sheriff, a career in law enforcement was in his genes. Listen. It was actually from him. And their "War of the Roses" was about to explode. She's still breathing. Do you think Matthew did something? he asked her bluntly. Officer Adam Trammel reports to a non-emergency call from the Boynton residence at Ashford Place on Ashford Way, in Griffin, Ga. After getting Matthew's phone records, Sanders discovers during that same time Matthew was making calls to 911, he was texting his mistress. Credit: GBI/Griffin Police Dept. But they have no idea what's waiting for them behind a locked closet door. 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. She told me to take care of the boys, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back home just to make sure nothing is going to happen to them. 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. So Crime Watch Daily went out and got one of the best in the business. Donald Britt, Lt. Darrell Dix, Lt. Keys and Beam are also present. A message to Matthew's phone is received and marked as read, from his mistress. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. Jessica Boynton was initially . "Her hands appeared to be pristine, but also he noted that she had no gunpowder burns.". Those properties obtained during the marriage would be considered community property.. "Nobody would shoot themselves like this," said retired homicide detective Tim Miley. "I'm guessing Matthew," said Jessica. At that time, the city of Griffin reported the investigation was ongoing and was not expected to be completed for another month to six weeks. No. During my stay is when my personal belongings were taken and Matthew Boynton (3842) refuses to give them back, Lester stated. Once the investigation was closed, reporter and publisher, Sheila Mathews, investigated the shooting for her newspaper, The Grip. 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. Officer Robert Brian Jones is also dispatched to the Ashford Way apartment building. Officer Matthew Boynton has never been charged with anything in connection with this case, but the Georgia Bureau of Investigation did question him. This is who he's sleeping with, points to the Facebook post that she says she was holding for Jessica for her divorce. Their neighbor says Jessica wasn't suicidal at all. ", Following that phone call, Mathews, perceiving that she was threatened, called the GBIs director of professional standards to file a formal complaint and to gain clarity about what he meant by, Were gonna have a problem.. The crying officer tells Jones that he left the apartment and was meeting Guthrie at Waffle House, when he received a text from Jessica that indicated she was going to kill herself. "He felt that perhaps it was maybe an anxiety attack. Its so obvious a coverup. So I'm trying to hurry and get back home just to make sure that nothing's going to happen to them.. He checks the closet where he keeps his police-issued firearm, but the door is locked. She agreed to provide those items to Sanders, who then turned them in to the Griffin Police Department. "Well I don't know. 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. Courthouse Annex, Solomon Street, Griffin, Six-year-old fire victim will give life to others through organ donation, Cause of fatal Saturday morning fire determined, https://the-grip.net/2016/10/18/gbi-completes-boynton-investigation-requested-by-gpd/, https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/trigger-over-and-out/85-8ab82530-da07-492b-9a3c-c20d5e7f50b3, GPD Chief fabricated, released record identifying Will Sanders as Matthew Boyntons father The Grip. I figured out what happened. 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. That phone never got back into the officer's hand. A previous study found 41% of police admitted to being abusive to their spouses. A lot," said the neighbor. In partnership with Jessica was a blushing bride, excited to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. An officer tries to console his grieving coworker. The shocking discovery comes when he shaves her head looking for bullet holes. She found a photo on Snapchat of another woman wearing nothing but a towel, with the caption: Shower time.. 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. "They did not. Officer Boynton was responding to an accident, and when he returned to his cruiser, we were waiting, armed with questions. Cops now know what was behind that closet door -- but the true mystery is just about to begin. Her mouth covered with a breathing apparatus and several machines attached to her, in an effort to monitor her condition. The babys muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter. December 20022 so heartless to show this right before Xmas. "To help cover his tracks.". There are a lot of questions that I would love to have answered. I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. 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. Do you know what she used? asks one of the emergency responders in the room. Matthew Boynton is the grandson of Sheriff Beam. And now Jessica is telling a completely different story. And Sanders was beyond fascinated by this one. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Yancy also requested that Boynton write a statement pertaining to the allegation. While Trammel's body cam is out of juice tonight, Jones's bodycam spots Trammel as the other officers enter the apartment. 11Alive reached out to the GBI and Officer Matthew Boynton, however, neither returned our phone calls. The neighbor claims she had been with Jessica just hours beforehand, and says her friend would never have tried to take her own life. 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. It's the second infidelity in their relationshipJessica admitted to cheating on him before they were married. "No they did not because they assumed I was shot, because that's what Matthew said," Jessica said. Matthew interviews with the GBI early that morning. Im not sure about that. Tyler, the 8-month-old baby, is the result of a relationship Jessica had with a mechanic while she and Matthew were temporarily separated. Jones checks on a locked closet door between the master bedroom and hallway, across from the bathroom. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. With his gun raised, holding it out and in front of him with both hands, Jones passes by a framed portrait hung on the wall. I was scared to death, because I couldnt find [Tyler]that she would shoot me, I mean shoot him, shoot me, and then kill herself.. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. Terms of Use | Griffin, Georgia is the kind of small Southern town where high school sweethearts stay married forever. "He tried to kill her.". She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. His flashlights beam reveals a smiling family of four. Emergency-responders finally arrive and carry Jessica to a waiting ambulance. That's fine. The ceiling fan circles on high speed. Jessica's hair is so matted with blood no one can find the actual gunshot wound to stop the bleeding. The next action noted in the case occurred nearly two months later. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. It could, but it wont necessarily do it, Yates said. And the second bullet went up at 25-degree upward angle 1'10 off the floor. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does theGBI remain the last word on the Jessica Boynton case? "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. When asked if Boyntons arrest has led him to believe that case should be reopened, Yates said, No. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. "He never re-entered the apartment after that point," said Sheila. Furthermore, he said, it's his observation that self-inflicted gunshot wounds are very unusual among women. He later tells investigators that he heard Tyler crying, and then, POP-POP!, Jones advises Matthew over the radio, Stay outside. Its one of their owna police-issued .40-caliber Glock. Matthew reads a text from Lt. Curtis Keys, look for police car.. Matthew makes it back to the apartment before help arrives and hears baby Tyler crying -- and then heartbreak. This couldn't happen man. A body-cam captures her inconsolable baby boy in the arms of an officer. Jessica has given Will every piece of evidence in her case, including that divorce diary. Just minutes after Jessica is airlifted to an Atlanta trauma center, Sheriff Beam asks deputies to deliver the devastating news to Jessica's family that she's dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The police department should be ashamed of themselves for trying to cover this up!!! And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. Jessica Boynton is found unconscious, her body on top of her husband's service revolver. He advised that he does not have any of the items listed in this report.. RE-open the case Georgia!!!!!! In any case GPD/GBI are an absolute embarrassment to the state of GA! When asked to confirm that a July 26 appointment with Lesters orthodontist was pivotal in the Internal Affairs case, Yates said it was. 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. Jessica Boynton, 19, was a stay-at-home mom to 8-month-old Tyler and 2-year-year old Tollin. And they said yes. The doctor believes Jessica's injuries may have been caused by blunt-force trauma. It's like I tell them, they make it twice as bad because I'm a cop, Matthew said. "He believed that the shots he heard fired were fired from his duty weapon," said Sheila Mathews, publisher of The Grip. That's not what the surveillance tape shows. 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. But the report and follow-up interviews with the lead investigator make the case as clear as mud to one reporter in the small town where it happened. OMG this is a total disgrace to the Uniform.I have looked over several different articles and maybe im missing something here but, in all that i had seen it states that he was questioned in his wifes shooting what the hell folks.SHE WAS NOT SHOT!!!!! He cautiously went into the residence to try to make sure that the children were OK. "I would not have said that to him," said Jessica. This screams cover up. Aft. Ad Choices, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. She's having suicidal thoughts. 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. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. And they said yes," the neighbor said. He enters, checking the master bedroom. Cops do find Jessica's DNA on the gun. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. It entered at an upward leftward trajectory angle," said Sheila Mathews. 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! A bunch of CLOWNS!! 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. A paramedic frantically fights to save Jessica's life. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. Meet at the Visitor Center. Matthew says that he told Jessica, I'm not happy anymore and I can't. 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. 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. "I saw a lot of things change after time. Less than a month after her hospital-bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to his chief. His tone changes. 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. provided images. And he called the girlfriend, so Mays said to Mathews. They did not swab me or Matthew, nor did they take his clothes," said Jessica. And, she said, she wouldn't have told him that she loved him. Jessica Boynton, 19, was found lying in a pool of her own . "Recently she did confirm that the second baby is not mine," Matthew tells the GBI investigator. The neighbor says Jessica came over to her apartment with the kids, clearly upset about the fight. Matthew met Jessica during her sophomore year of high school at open house in 2012. "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. she asked. 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. "It's just inconvenient. Two shots have been fired from her husbands service weapon. And he said 'Yeah, we did.'". She just said that she's been experiencing suicidal thoughts right now, she told me to take care of the boys. 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. A woman who lived across from the couple, who works with law enforcement, agreed to a Crime Watch Daily interview if we protect her identity. But Yates told 11Alive, Matthew was not the shooter and trusts the investigation's outcome. 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. After studying Jessica Boynton's case, Miley sides with Jessica. In fact, 68 text messages are exchanged between him and his mistress. 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. What did Matthew do that he needed covering up? Because she owned the retainer prior to her marriage, it would not be considered community property. Clearly we touched a nerve in Griffin, but we're not about to be scared off. When they finally shove their way in, tragic heartbreak is lying in front of them. One of those bullets went through the roof, the other lodged into the baby's bedroom wall. 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. By the time Jessica was twenty, she'd had enough of Matthew, and their crumbling marriage had driven her to a dark place. While she places a blood pressure sleeve around her arm, an officer stands over her, shining a flashlight on Jessica's face, revealing that it's covered in blood. Maybe Jessica would remember why and when the door knob was swapped because it happened before that night. It was sitting out in the open, caught on police body-camera when cops kicked in the closet door. Matthew admits to having an affair. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. Since both sides have their theories of what happened that night, Crime Watch Daily brought in an independent investigator to give us his unbiased opinion. 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.