Once the investigation was closed, reporter and publisher, Sheila Mathews, investigated the shooting for her newspaper, The Grip. Emergency-responders finally arrive and carry Jessica to a waiting ambulance. The purpose of it, is when you're fighting with somebody to keep the weapon from coming out of your holster, but it's certainly easy to take it out under most cases. ! his girlfriend texts him. Jessica, on a few occasions, hit and slapped him, he tells the GBI. But according to Mathews, that was not the last number dialed, so it could not have just been a redial accidently called through the evidence bag. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. She's still breathing. Family and friends believe, in fact, they were married far too young. But many believe Jessica holds the only key as to what really happened inside that closet. "I can't do this anymore," the message read. However, she was NOT shot. Jessica is also slinging allegations at Matthew's brothers in blue at the Griffin Police Department, and Matthew's grandfather Sheriff Wendell Beam. In fact she claims Jessica was blissfully stockpiling ammunition to get full custody of their two little boys. Aft. And, the first officer on scene, as recorded by body cam footage, was not interviewed by the GBI for months after the incident. Join our naturalist on a short walk and learn about the history of the once-prosperous town of High Falls. They did not swab me or Matthew, nor did they take his clothes," said Jessica. Matthew loved being part of the brotherhood. And that's all I needed, so I was on cloud nine.". That's right. The conversation bounces from officer to officer. Bring the little ones for a story every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. to hear Sam's favorite tales. Matthew Boynton: The evidence and investigation that led to his arrest Tyler, the 8-month-old baby, is the result of a relationship Jessica had with a mechanic while she and Matthew were temporarily separated. Thats what took so long to get it sorted out.. 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. She made a full recovery, but doesn't remember a thing. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. But what started as a mutual, friendly divorce soon turned nasty. EMTs start carrying Jessica down the stairs on a backboard and click her into a gurney and swing open the ambulance doors. In fact he's collected almost every piece of evidence from the case. GRIFFIN, Georgia, April 15, 2016: Police are breathlessly racing to save a life. Does Jessica know whether the cops ever swabbed her hands? 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.. "Recently she did confirm that the second baby is not mine," Matthew tells the GBI investigator. He grabs his police radio from the kitchen counter and runs outside and makes a desperate call. "Matthew," said Jessica. "Police department!" Was the investigation a mess up or a cover up? Matthew Boynton interrogation video with Griffin Police Department. 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. 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. He assigns another officer to standby at the door until the rest of the apartment is cleared. They call in Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam, who happens to be Matthew's grandfather, along with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. If he's willing to cheat on his wife, he's willing to cheat the law., She wanted to file for divorce, says Kshywonis. Shame shame. Chris DeMarco, GBI's assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. 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! 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.". In turn Jessica begins keeping a so-called "dirty divorce diary," a red notebook she kept carefully hidden in a closet. Example video title will go here for this video. She agreed to provide those items to Sanders, who then turned them in to the Griffin Police Department. Police investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessicas limp body. 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? 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. It could have been simply that um, all his, he left his stuff there. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | 11alive.com And would a dad leave his kids inside with a suicidal woman and a loaded gun? His tone changes. A tactical sweep finds an 8-month-old baby screaming. She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. But they have no idea what's waiting for them behind a locked closet door. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates - KSDK 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. She's even fighting with EMS, dude, the fellow officer tells Matthew. "She suspected Matthew was cheating on her and so she dug for information, and we found it," the neighbor said. Did he cause his estranged spouse's injury? With the suicidal text message and Jessica's DNA found on her husband's gun, less than a month after her hospital bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to the chief, and as of June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon on his hip. She made a full recovery, but doesnt remember a thing. Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wbir.com And their "War of the Roses" was about to explode. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. The ceiling fan circles on high speed. But Yates told 11Alive, Matthew was not the shooter and trusts the investigation's outcome. They're saying it was self-inflicted, she said. I mean you can't prove that," DeMarco. She would never have done this. 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. 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. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service. If his wife, Matthew's attorney continued, was capable of attempting to take her own life, there's a chance that she might do something to their children. . Despite Jessica Boynton's fiery allegations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation closed her case, clearing Matthew to return to work. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. Id be afraid to luve in that town until that poluce brotherhood is abolished. Crime Watch Daily's security team tracked the email address, only to find it was from an anonymous server. The GRIP has reported extensively on seeming inconsistencies and irregularities in that GBI investigation. The next action noted in the case occurred nearly two months later. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . 11Alive - BREAKING | Matthew Boynton, who was under - Facebook That is not a reaction that I can relate to.". Jessica was a blushing bride, excited to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved. "I would say broken, distraught, damaged," the neighbor says. After three weeks, she woke up. 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. Does she believe that this was just sloppy work or does she believe that this is a cover-up? [Im] gonna have to kick that door in Jones relays to the other officers standing on the other side of the closet, barreling through it in just two swift and deliberate kicks. (whit his baton I would guess) ..is every person in the police department total idiots? What Happened to Jessica Boynton? Grisly Truth Could Have Been Covered I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. Unfortunately, the only person who may be able to answer that question is Jessica, and she was in a coma. While Jessica believes someone tried taking her life from her, she refuses to allow anyone to take her kids away from her. 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. I attempted to contact Jessica Boynton via telephone to advise her that this is a civil matter. The shooting occurred on the evening of April 14, 2016. she asked. Boynton was released from the Spalding County Jail Friday night on a $4,806 cash bond. I'll be there in about two. Jessica Boynton, 19, was a stay-at-home mom to 8-month-old Tyler and 2-year-year old Tollin. 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. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. Matthew calls another officer and reports Jessica is refusing to leave with him. When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does theGBI remain the last word on the Jessica Boynton case? To text back long story I'll tell you later.. During my stay is when my personal belongings were taken and Matthew Boynton (3842) refuses to give them back, Lester stated. 'Trigger' Griffin Police officer arrested | 11alive.com Who shot Jessica Boynton? A new podcast investigates | wusa9.com 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.. "I don't really know what happened in the closet, I just know that I did not try to kill myself," said Jessica Boynton. 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. She rebukes the text message that was sent from her phone to Matthews that night and said she didnt have a lock on her phone, so anyone couldve sent it. Matthew begins calling his brothers in blue, telling them Jessica is physically abusing him -- not a standard way of reporting domestic abuse. Ad Choices, Griffin police Lt. Michael Natale said in a statement. Law enforcement was in his genes. GBI director Vernon Keenan wrote a letter indicating the gunshot wound was self-inflicted by Jessica, closing the case. She's having suicidal thoughts," he calmly says about Jessica to the dispatcher. From her hospital bed, she spoke to the GBI. GRIFFIN, Ga. Who shot the officers wife? A previous study found 41% of police admitted to being abusive to their spouses. GBI/Griffin Police Dept. The police officer's wife was found with a bullet to the head, lying in their closet. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best. No, never. ", 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.. He calls out for Jessica, but no answer. Earlier that night Jessica's husband Matthew headed to Waffle House for a late-night bite with a fellow officer, leaving his service weapon . When asked to confirm that a July 26 appointment with Lesters orthodontist was pivotal in the Internal Affairs case, Yates said it was. Photos | Jessica and Matthew Boynton wedding. GRIFFIN, Ga. Standing inside her closet, wearing tan slippers adorned with fur, black yoga pants and a red T-shirt, Jessica Boynton contemplates what to wear. Cops find 8-month-old Tyler visibly upset but thankfully uninjured. If the phone was found by the GBI in the kitchenif the phone is on police body camera footage sitting on the counter by the microwave, and he was outside never returning insidehow is it possible for Matthew to text his girlfriend, while he's calling in shots fired while outside of the apartment? 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. "It's believed that Jessica entered the closet, closed the door, locked it, turned with her back to the door facing the back wall of the closet, that she held the gun to her head, pulled the trigger," said Sheila. 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. But did something else happen that spring night in 2016? Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton has been arrested and charged with two felonies. I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. I just came up the stairs, two rounds be advised I smell gun smoke, and I cant get an answer at the door, he says out of breath and panicked. A lot," said the neighbor. They turn her over from her stomach to her back. Its a question 11Alive investigators asked a few months ago, when Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boyntons wife, Jessica, allegedly shot herself in the head with his service weapon, inside the master bedroom closetlocked from the inside. Absolutely, Matthew assures the agent. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. 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's what they're all assuming, Matthew said. They hoist her inside. Griffin Police Capt. The agent asked her if she had ever held her husband's service weapon. Yes, for an article, just to make sure I get quotes proper.". But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. The good old boys and his grandfather police chief should also get some time for covering up this crime. Stephen Kruspe, 65, appears at his first appearance before a judge after the March 27, 2017, shooting of his wife, Pamela, at a Boynton Beach assisted living facility. I know eventually the chief would eventually like to get his officer back as well as his service weapon back as well, so we're going to try to expedite this as fast as possible, and when I mean expedite you know, within the next few weeks to a month, the agent said. I'll be back there in about two minutes. I don't think he meant to do it, or at least that's what I like to think.". Security camera captures the family walking in around 10:15 p.m. One of her aunts is all over Facebook., GBI agent said, The bullet didn't even enter the skull. 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. The devil is in the details. The dispatch operator notified Matthew on Facebook, Browning says. Cops do find Jessica's DNA on the gun. It appears she's been shot in the head. When facts are wrong, evidence altered to fit theories and threats made, how does the GBI remain the last word on the case? 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. It entered at an upward leftward trajectory angle," said Sheila Mathews. He tells Trammel he left Walmart without Jessica. Listen. 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. And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. A text messages is sent to his phone from Jessica's phone. There's no way I could have shot myself in the top of the head and not kill myself. Take care of Tollin and Tyler, please tell them I love them every day. December 20022 so heartless to show this right before Xmas. Less than a month after her hospital-bed interview, Matthew was verbally cleared by the GBI, according to his chief. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was arrested and taken to the Spalding County Jail on multiple charges. '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? He enters, checking the master bedroom. She found a photo on Snapchat of another woman wearing nothing but a towel, with the caption: Shower time.. '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. 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. Spalding County Sheriff Wendell Beam behind false death notification in This is abuse of power. The agent asked her if she had ever held her husbands service weapon. Matt shouldnt be allowed to ever be a cop anywhere else. "I know for a fact that Jessica was not suicidal," said the neighbor. I love you and the boys.". "To help cover his tracks.". Griffin, Georgia is the kind of small Southern town where high school sweethearts stay married forever. Jessica's two boys, Tollin, 2, and baby Tyler, are sound asleep in their rooms. He lied about the lock then he says he kept his gun in there hmmm. That's not what the surveillance tape shows. 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. 11Alive reached out to the GBI and Officer Matthew Boynton, however, neither returned our phone calls. Two-year-old Tollin is sleeping soundly in his bed as cops try not to wake him in the chaos. Her head wound soaked into the green and white pillow, where her head rested. The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. She says there were pages missing. Because if you go to the photographs that are part of your investigative case file, there's a photograph after the evidence report for his cell phone" she said. No one may have ever done anything to question this case again if not for Will Sanders. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business.