After raising safety concerns about the giant jetliner, Boeing whistleblower John Barnett made dire predictions that he could die and told a family friend, “If something were to happen… “It wasn’t suicide,” he is quoted as saying.
Barnett, 62, was found dead in a pickup truck in a hotel parking lot in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 9. That same day, Mr. Barnett was scheduled to complete his private testimony in a lawsuit against his former employer.
Authorities still investigating Barnett’s death initially said the cause of Barnett’s death was a “self-inflicted gunshot wound” to the head, but his lawyers, family and friends have since said the former Boeing Co. has raised questions about whether the quality control technician actually took Mr Barnett’s life. own life.
“I know he didn’t commit suicide. That’s impossible,” said a family friend, identified only as Jennifer. ABC4.
The friend claimed that Barnett had speculated to her that he might eventually die because he began publicly speaking out about Boeing-related safety concerns after his retirement in 2017.
“He didn’t care about that.” [his own] He’s safe because I asked him to,” Jennifer told the outlet. “I said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m not scared, but if something happens to me, it won’t be suicide.’
It was not immediately clear when the conversation took place.
Jennifer said that during the same conversation, she discussed his upcoming deposition in the Boeing case.
The friend said the last time he saw Barnett was at his father’s funeral in late February, where he was a pallbearer, but someone “didn’t like what he was saying” and “tried to silence him.” He thinks that this may be the case.
“So they made it look like a suicide,” Jennifer claimed in an interview.
Boeing did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on Friends’ claims.
Barnett’s lawyers have also expressed skepticism about the idea that Barnett died by suicide, saying in a statement earlier this week: “John is in the middle of a deposition in a whistleblower retaliation case that has finally come to an end. It was getting closer,” he said.
“He was in great spirits and was really looking forward to putting this stage of his life behind him and moving on. There was no sign that he was going to take his own life. No one would believe it,” the lawyer said. Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles added:
The former Boeing employee’s body was discovered by an employee at the Holiday Inn where he was staying after his lawyers, who could not be reached by phone, requested a welfare check.
Barnett was found lying in his truck with a gunshot wound to the head, still clutching his handgun, according to a police report.
At the time of his death, he was embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Boeing after blowing the whistle on the government over serious safety flaws he discovered.
Mr. Barnett was a quality control engineer at Boeing for more than 30 years before retiring.
Two years later, he began giving numerous media interviews alleging that Boeing cut corners in its rush to roll the 787 Dreamliner jet off the production line.
Boeing employees later told the Post that Barnett had “made a powerful enemy” before his apparent suicide.
The investigation into his death is ongoing.
Following his death, Boeing released a statement saying, “We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Burnett and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or visit the following link: SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
