(Update) Police in South Carolina are treating the mysterious and sudden death of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett as suspicious, after his attorney declared that his client was not suicidal.
According to a Charleston Police Department incident report, a “note” was discovered near Barnett’s body “with what appeared to be a silver handgun in his right hand, resting on his lap, and his right pointer finger still remaining on the trigger.”
“The male had what appeared to be a gunshot wound near his right temple, and showed no signs of life,” the report obtained declared, adding, “Laying in plain view on the passenger seat was a white piece of paper that closely resembled a note.”
Infowars.com reports: Police have not yet disclosed the substance of the note.
News of the note comes as Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, attorneys for Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager embroiled in a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit with the company, told TMZ something’s not adding up.
Via TMZ on Tuesday:
The Boeing whistleblower’s attorneys say he didn’t appear suicidal before he died — which is why they think his death is incredibly suspicious … and are calling for answers immediately.
Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles — who were repping John Barnett in a retaliation lawsuit against Boeing, which was well underway — tell TMZ … Barnett was in the middle of depositions last week in his civil case, a process they say was nearing an end soon.
We’re told Barnett was in good spirits and very much so looking forward to putting this whole saga behind him, ready to move on. They add, “We didn’t see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it.”
The lawyers urged the Charleston police department to fully investigate the incident and inform the public of their findings.
“We are all devastated. We need more information about what happened to John. The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned,” stated the attorneys.
In a public statement from Charleston PD, officials reiterated a medical examiner’s initial conclusion that Barnett’s death appeared to be from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“The Charleston County Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the deceased as John Barnett (62, from Louisiana) and reports that his death appears to result from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” police wrote.
“Detectives are actively investigating this case and are awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that might shed further light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Barnett.”
“We understand the global attention this case has garnered, and it is our priority to ensure that the investigation is not influenced by speculation but is led by facts and evidence,” the department added.
Barnett’s death follows a slew of recent negative headlines for Boeing, with its planes being involved in several terrifying incidents in recent weeks.
Barnett had joined TMZ in January to discuss a door plug blowing off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane upon take-off.
In 2019, Barnett raised concerns about problems he observed at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, telling the BBC the company’s 787 Dreamliner fleet had numerous safety issues as a result of hasty mass production, including some planes being improperly retrofitted with “sub-standard” salvaged parts, in addition to issues with emergency oxygen systems.
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A former Boeing employee who had raised concerns about the firm’s production standards was found dead in an apparent suicide over the weekend.
Just days before his death, John Barnett, had worked for Boeing for 32 years prior to his retirement, had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.
The 62-year-old, who was found in his truck, died from a “self-inflicted” gun shot wound on 9 March. His lawyers however have insisted that Barnett was not suicidal and have demanded answers. The Charleston police department are now investigating.
InfoWars reports: On Saturday, police in Charleston, South Carolina, discovered the body of former Boeing quality control manager John Barnett, 62, in his vehicle dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the BBC, Barnett was in Charleston last week testifying in depositions surrounding his ongoing litigation with Boeing, accusing the company of “denigrating his character and hampering his career.”
“He had been due to undergo further questioning on Saturday. When he did not appear, enquiries were made at his hotel,” reports the BBC.
“He was subsequently found dead in his truck in the hotel car park.”
For years, Barnett had been raising concerns about problems he observed while working at Boeing’s North Charleston plant, warning the BBC in 2019 that, as a result of hasty mass production, the company’s 787 Dreamliner fleet had numerous safety issues, including that some planes had been improperly retrofitted with “sub-standard” salvaged parts.
Barnett had additionally called attention to issues with the company’s emergency oxygen systems.
The faulty systems meant if there was a sudden cabin decompression issue mid-flight, up to one in four oxygen supply masks deployed to passengers may not work.
Barnett said he raised the concerns to supervisors to no avail.
“A 2017 review by the FAA upheld some of his concerns, requiring Boeing to take action,” notes the Daily Mail.
Barnett had also been speaking up in regards to other problems at Boeing, including the reported removal of inspection operations which he claimed led to cascading issues.
“We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said in a statement.
Skeptical social media users questioned whether Mr. Barnett could be a victim of corporate murder.
“Totally normal,” remarked Colin Rugg on X, with commentator Elijah Schaeffer also writing, “Totally NOT suspicious.”
The whistleblower’s death comes as Boeing’s planes have been at the center of numerous negative headlines over the past few months, including at least 5 incidents last week which included a tire falling off mid-takeoff, a plane that suffered landing gear failure, and a horrific mid-air engine fire.
(Article by Sean Adl-Tabatabai republished from ThePeoplesVoice.tv)
