'No One Can Believe It': Boeing Whistleblower's Lawyers Question His Mysterious Death, Demand Answers From Cops
March 12 2024, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
John Barnett, the former quality control manager for Boeing until 2017, was in the "midst of" the whistleblowing case when he allegedly took his own life — but his attorneys are demanding answers from police, seemingly calling his sudden passing suspicious, considering the timing and Barnett's positive outlook on the future, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Barnett was found dead in the parking lot of a hotel in South Carolina over the weekend.
The former Boeing employee was allegedly in good spirits and looking forward to putting the retaliation lawsuit against Boeing behind him. Barnett's legal team, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, who were repping him in the legal battle, said their client was "in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case, which finally was nearing the end," making his alleged suicide that more mysterious.
Police said he died from an apparent "self-inflicted" gunshot wound.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the 62-year-old was found dead in the parking lot of a hotel in South Carolina over the weekend. The Charleston County Coroner's Office said Barnett died from an apparent “self-inflicted” gunshot wound; however, not everyone believes it's an open-and-shut case.
"We didn't see any indication he would take his own life. No one can believe it," Turkewitz and Knowles told TMZ, adding that Barnett was excited about moving on from the legal battle with the airline giant.
They also revealed they're looking for more answers from law enforcement.
Barnett filed the lawsuit because he believed that Boeing retaliated against him after his several attempts at sounding the alarm on safety issues.
"We are all devastated. We need more information about what happened to John," his attorneys stated. "The Charleston police need to investigate this fully and accurately and tell the public what they find out. No detail can be left unturned."
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Barnett's death came after he gave his formal deposition and was questioned by Boeing's attorneys last week and was allegedly scheduled to undergo additional questioning on Saturday, according to the BBC.
His legal team said Barnett filed the lawsuit because he believed that Boeing retaliated against him after his several attempts at sounding the alarm on safety issues he thought the bosses were turning a blind eye to.
Barnett's lawyers said he was in good spirits before his shocking death, adding there were no indications he would allegedly take his own life.
Barnett alleged that Boeing had allowed “sub-standard” parts to be fitted onto Boeing 787 Dreamliners — reportedly knowing the safety risks. He also took issues with Boeing 737 Max planes, which, ironically, was the model where an emergency exit door blew off after takeoff in January.
There have since been several scary incidents with the Boeings that Barnett took issue with, including this week's flight from Australia to New Zealand, in which the plan began to drop from the sky over apparent massive equipment failure.
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Boeing released a statement about Barnett's shocking death. "We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends," the company said.
Barnett's family revealed he allegedly had post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety after working 35 years at Boeing.
“John told us that every day was a battle to get management to do the right thing,” the family statement read. “He was looking forward to having his day in court and hoped that it would force Boeing to change its culture.”
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