I didn't try to wash my hands, anything, because I knew GSR and all that would be involved.. Man, look, she's still breathing. EMTs start carrying Jessica down the stairs on a backboard and click her into a gurney and swing open the ambulance doors. "I think I was hit over the head with something.". In fact he's collected almost every piece of evidence from the case. But the story is far from over: Jessica now claims the April 15 incident was a staged suicideconstructed by her husband. Especially because of my children. Dr. Vernon Henderson, chief of Trauma and Critical Care at Atlanta Medical Center was on-call the morning Jessica came in and treated her for the next month while she was in the hospital. But Jessica still can't remember what happened that terrible night in the closet, and she's says there is only one person with the answers. "There was no testing done on his clothing," said Sheila Mathews. John Hayesto turn in many articles of womens clothing and other personal property including an orthodontic retainer. 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. That bastard is so guilty every time they show the door knob and any badge that doesnt know that shouldnt have one. There was most likely a struggle with the gun and he assumed she was dead. She tells the Georgia Bureau of Investigation the Matthew Boynton is cheating on Jessica with another woman. "He stated that he heard two shots fired, 'pop pop,' rapid succession," said Sheila Mathews. Emergency-responders finally arrive and carry Jessica to a waiting ambulance. (whit his baton I would guess) ..is every person in the police department total idiots? And, unfortunately it appears those questions will never be answered," Mathews said. The only person who truly knows what happened behind that closet door was jessica -- and she's now out of her coma. But he's also texting her before he called 911," said Sanders. It's a question 11Alive investigators asked a few months ago, when Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton's wife, Jessica, allegedly shot herself in the head with his service weapon,. Officer Boynton was responding to an accident, and when he returned to his cruiser, we were waiting, armed with questions. Matthew, who's wearing a gray sweatshirt, says he called Lt. Curtis Keys and asked him what he should do. GSW, possible to the head. The report states Matthew left Walmart without Jessica. And, she said, she wouldn't have told him that she loved him. His phone is pretty active tonight. 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. Griffin Police officer Matthew Boynton was arrested and taken to the Spalding County Jail on multiple charges. This activity on his cell phone had to have taken place inside the kitchen inside his apartment," Mathews said to DeMarco in a recorded phone conversation. Dispatcher: Any weapons inside the house? Matthew makes it back to the apartment before help arrives and hears baby Tyler crying -- and then heartbreak. The 20-year-old says he's heading to Waffle House for a late night food run with on-duty cop and best friend, Officer Joshua Guthrie--leaving his service weapon at home, in its holster and in the closet. Or was it? Which I knew that.. Thank God she fought and he was in there with her. A key piece of evidence was photographed inside the kitchen after officers arrived on the scene. 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. No. OR OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. I mean that just doesn't happen," said Jessica. "He believed that the shots he heard fired were fired from his duty weapon," said Sheila Mathews, publisher of The Grip. GRIFFIN, Georgia, April 15, 2016: Police are breathlessly racing to save a life. I do not have any other items of Jessicas.. This x cop needs to be tried for attempted murder. 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? I would have said, 'suicidal' not 'suicide thoughts.'. I wouldn't trade them for anything no matter the situation. But another heated argument goes down in the baby food aisle. Matthew makes it home and races to the breezeway of his apartment and enters, checks the master bedroom and bangs on the locked closet door. 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. She's breathing, but unresponsive. Two shots have been fired from her husbands service weapon. This screams cover up. Because she owned the retainer prior to her marriage, it would not be considered community property. "I said 'It's Jessica isn't it?' "Happy," said the neighbor. Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton tells dispatch he has no idea what's happened to his wife or their two young sons. "Being in the closet," said Jessica. Fast forward to May 11, the day numerous items that reportedly belonged to Lester were turned in to the Griffin Police Department. Here recently she did confirm that the second baby's not mine. The next action noted in the case occurred nearly two months later. I was looking for a job and I finally found one. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. I just came up the stairs, two rounds," Boynton says on the recorded call. I don't see anything that looks like high-velocity blood splatter or mist," said Miley. Uh, just my service weapon, he responds, ending the call just a minute later. It doesn't sound like anything I would say. 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. A lot," said the neighbor. Nearly four years later, questions persist about what happened to the young. And with that Matthew Boyton's questioning was over. DeMarco pressed Mathews. GRIFFIN, Ga. Who shot the officers wife? She told the agent, they were at home when they argued about his girlfriend and the photo that Jessica found on his phone that night. He advised that he does not have any of the items listed in this report.. Matthew claims they returned home just after 11 p.m. His proof? Shame shame. After just six months of marriage, the Boyntons' one-time neighbor says she saw their young love grow toxic. 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. Crime Watch Daily investigates what really happened to Jessica Boynton, something even Jessica herself wants to know. He grabs his police radio, stationed and charging on top of the white microwave in the kitchen, and leaves his phone on the counter. said Sheila Mathews. Police investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessicas limp body. This couldn't happen man. Will Sanders also has questions about a crime scene photo showing Matthew's cellphone. Once the scene is secure, investigator Misty Gresham checks on Tollin, who's sleeping, and Tyler, who is awake and still crying in his cribboth unharmed. 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. He's meeting his buddy at the local Waffle House. The agent then probes Matthew, asking if he has a girlfriend. Jessica Boynton was just 19 years old when she was found inside a locked closet with a gunshot wound to her head. After three weeks, she woke up. Matthew calls another officer and reports Jessica is refusing to leave with him. Her bright blues eyes glisten as they well with emotion. She was leaving her husband of just six months. Reliving his steps inside the apartment after he heard gunshots fired, he said, My whole upper body went numb. I f***ing love her. Having previously learned of the new evidence that was turned in to the Griffin Police Department May 11 and the Internal Affairs investigation that resulted, The GRIP on July 7 submitted an Open Records request for information in the case. If not, get on a plane and go HOME.". She's having suicidal thoughts," he says calmly to the dispatcher. 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. "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. A lot, she said, doesn't add up. No one may have ever done anything to question this case again if not for Will Sanders. Sheila Mathews publishes The Grip, an independent newspaper in Griffin. 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. Donald Britt, Lt. Darrell Dix, Lt. Keys and Beam are also present. Matthew runs inside to the closet where he keeps his service gun. "She's like, 'This is exactly what I need to get my divorce from him.'". 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 Matthew's neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous for her own safety, sees the lights from her apartment and runs outside. Security camera captures the family walking in around 10:15 p.m. They discover two shell casings and two bullet holes in the closet wall. The remaining items such as a hope chest, clothing and other miscellaneous items were returned to Jessica. He tells Trammel he left Walmart without Jessica. Her marriage had been crumbling, and she and her husband of six months Matthew Boynton, 20 . But asking those questions resulted in a threat. 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. I had a friend who was a girl, or is a girl, he answers, further admitting that the relationship had become sexual. Her complaint, which she checked on, was never filed. And neither is Will Sanders, the truck driver spearheading the drive to get justice for Jessica. Video shot outside in the parking lot shows Jessica getting in a black truck with Matthew and the kids, then leaving. Well I couldn't get it for him because I couldn't get it out of his gun holster, she said. For the wife of a Georgia police officer, answering that question is unfortunately turning out not to be so simple. Chris DeMarco, GBIs assistant special agent in charge, arrives on the scene and meets with Griffin Police Chief Michael Yates for a briefing. It could have been simply that um, all his, he left his stuff there. "The only thing that I can tell you is that Matthew Boynton's account of events are not correct.". Griffin Police Department Officer Matthew Boynton has been arrested and charged with two felonies. He hears a baby crying as he carefully steps into the bedroom where a dark brown crib is situated. 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. I just came up the stairs, two rounds be advised I smell gun smoke, and I can't get an answer at the door, he says out of breath and panicked. The odd thing is a few pages have been ripped out. Her head wound has soaked into the green and white pillow her head is resting onher blood is contained to that one stain and a few nearby drops. The ambulance pulls away with Jessica in critical condition, to the fire station located on Carver Road, where the medical helicopter picks her up and takes her to an Atlanta hospital. Around midnight Matthew says he leaves Jessica and the kids to meet fellow Officer Joshua Guthrie for a late-night snack at Waffle House. Get him downstairs, one of the officers whispers to another. provided images. They investigate further and find a gun underneath Jessica's limp body. She said there were too many errors and discrepancies for her to have sent it. Meet at the Visitor Center. She remembered an instance when Matthew asked her grab his gun. 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. 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.'". "I believe I just heard a shot fired coming from my residence. Matthew's fellow officers try to shield him from the sight of his gravely injured wife. He was able to confirm that they were all right.. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE FOR YOURSELF, CLICK HERE. They wanted me to come back Friday for orientation for the job, she said. 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. She spoke to the GBI, from her hospital bed. The police officer's wife was found with a bullet to the head, lying in their closet. | Examine the evidence yourself, calls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. 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. No it wasn't. He asked her what she thought could've happened. This is abuse of power. 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. Still lodged in Jessica's skull? ", "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. The babys muffled cry echoes, getting louder as the officers sweep their guns back and forth, searching for the shooter. It's the journal where she's been keeping detailed notes about divorcing Matthew. 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. That's right. And I could have been the next target.. If that's what you want to do. Inside the closet they also discover Jessica's red "divorce diary." I can't even get it out of its case, she replied. Jessica Boynton says she's free as a bird'. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. That's the bottom line for me. giving him custody, and granting Jessica once-weekly. It appears she's been shot in the head. I'm sure as you've heard, I'm getting a divorce. Statements from Jessica Boynton and Matthew Boynton are logged into evidence, said a statement written by Yancy March 13. It's back in the headlines with the "Mystery in the Closet" story on the HLN network s well as "The Officer's Wife" podcast from Vault Studios.. "Nobody would shoot themselves like this," said retired homicide detective Tim Miley. At the time of the shooting Jessica was looking to make a new start for herself and two young sons. "Police department!" They're forced to kick it in. It appears to be either an assault or maybe something accidental," said Miley. But as luck would have it, suddenly he's right across the street on police business. The chain of custody on that stuff is messed up. "Well I don't know. Just one minute later, Matthewcalls 911, reaching Spalding County dispatch. "If they put out a report I spend a lot of time fact-checking it and making sure what they're telling is the truth," said Sanders. I love you and the boys.". "That's the way we're gonna play this game, Sheila. Updated: 11:14 PM EDT July 28, 2017. Griffin Police Capt. Hewrote a letter to Jessica's attorneyJune 10, in which he questioned the finding that Jessica's head injury was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, saying there was no investigation at the hospital. Boynton: Can you please dispatch a unit out to my location, in reference to my wife? 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.". After Jones pushes the gun away from underneath Jessica's bodyplacing it inside the bedroom, he and Officer Josh Howell move Jessica from the closet to the bedroom floor next to the foot of her bed so that EMS can begin working on her. If America is really a first-world country, it will enact legislation that takes this issue seriously, and fund more studies and programs to preventing domestic violence and identifying and protecting victims. This time for a DNA consent. 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. Jessica's husband and high school sweetheart is Griffin Police Officer Matthew Boynton. A Griffin police officer who was investigated in his ex-wife's shooting was charged Friday, July 28, 2017, with making false statements and violating oath after officials say he took her belongings, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. But long hours on the force took its toll on his marriage. And it's assigned to Matthew, her husband, the cop. And he said 'Yeah, we did.'". Who does she think hit her over the head? Did she try to kill herself or shoot herself in the head? I mean you can't prove that," DeMarco. By June 6, Matthew returned to full duty with a new service weapon in his holster. Haha I'm sorry I didn't think about that lol he sends to her after receiving a text from her--moments following his text from his wife. Thats what took so long to get it sorted out.. In it, she logs Matthew Boynton's every move, including his unexplained disappearances with their two boys. 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. I told him, You're going to have to go get it, because I cant get it out of the case., Do you know how it was that you got shot?, Have you ever had any type of thoughts about hurting yourself?. There's little if any visible blood spatter inside the closet. Jessica is also slinging allegations at Matthew's brothers in blue at the Griffin Police Department, and Matthew's grandfather Sheriff Wendell Beam. The glowing yellow and black, blocked-letter Waffle House sign illuminates his truck as he drives by, turning around to head back home. And Jessicas trauma surgeon was not interviewed by the GBI until July 20. Any weapons inside the house? the dispatcher inquires. While Trammel's body cam is out of juice tonight, Jones's bodycam spots Trammel as the other officers enter the apartment. My kids are at home with her, so I'm trying to hurry up and get back there., I'm driving. Domestic violence has always been a precursor to violence in other areas. It's possible, but I mean it's very doubtful, because he's never hurt me before. There are a lot of questions that I would love to have answered. Matthew begins calling his brothers in blue, telling them Jessica is physically abusing him -- not a standard way of reporting domestic abuse. Excessive force. It's the second infidelity in their relationshipJessica admitted to cheating on him before they were married. One, investigators said penetrated Jessica's head and the other the wall. "The Walmart surveillance camera shows that they did exit the building together, and it does show her re-entering and, it shows her leaving again later," said Sheila Mathews. For the next three and a half weeks, Jessica remains in a coma with a traumatic brain injurytubes protruding from her brain to alleviate pressure and fluid. Matthew, a police officer in a small town called Griffin, in Georgia, rushed home. But DeMarco insisted to Mathews during their phone conversation, that the timeline was not relevant. 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.. Jessica Boynton was found shot in the closet with her. Both Jessica and Matthew reportedly want a divorce.