Police Treating Boeing Whistleblower’s Death As Potential Homicide

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.