What happened to MS Coast star athlete Billey Joe Johnson? A new podcast takes a look
The 2008 shooting death of a Billey Joe Johnson Jr., a Black star athlete at George County High School, following a traffic stop by a white officer is back in the spotlight.
Johnson’s death has been the subject of scrutiny and cries for justice for over a decade.
His case is now being featured in The Center For Investigative Reporting’s Reveal podcast called “Mississippi Goddam: The Ballad of Billey Joe.”
The Sun Herald first reported on how the 17-year-old running back died of a gunshot wound to the head in the moments after a white George County deputy stopped him on Dec. 8, 2008, for allegedly running a stop sign and traffic light.
Authorities initially ruled his death a suicide, but a grand jury later determined the only plausible explanation for his death was that it was an accidental shooting.
Johnson died shortly after Deputy Joe Sullivan stopped him in a business parking lot near Mississippi 26.
At the time of his death, Johnson was in an on-again, off-again relationship with a white girl. He had often stopped by the home to visit with her after her father had left for work.
The same morning, Johnson had texted a friend about his plans to attend an awards banquet that night to celebrate his scholarship offers from such colleges as Alabama, LSU and Auburn.
Johnson’s parents, Billey Joe Johnson Sr., and his wife, Annette, have long questioned the events surrounding his death. They said he showed no signs of depression and didn’t believe he killed himself.
To this day, Johnson’s siblings attend protests against police brutality and often cry out for justice for Johnson’s death at public rallies.
Read the Sun Herald stories from the time of Johnson’s death:
▪ Grand jury clears deputy involved in death of George County High football player; Feb. 12, 2009
▪ Independent autopsy to be performed on Johnson, Dec. 8, 2008
