Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett’s Cause of Death Confirmed As Suicide

The cause of death for Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, a former quality control manager, has been determined by the Charleston County Coroner’s Office.

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Barnett, a 62-year-old Louisiana resident, died by suicide on March 9 in South Carolina. He was found in his car at the Holiday Inn parking lot on Savannah Highway, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. In a statement, the Charleston Police Department confirmed on May 17 that there was no evidence of a struggle within the vehicle. Investigators also discovered a notebook on the front passenger seat containing a note from Barnett, indicating that he was dealing with severe personal distress.

In March, Barnett’s family said that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, which they connected to a “hostile work environment at Boeing,” PEOPLE reported. They added that Barnett was anticipating his day in court and hoped it would influence Boeing to alter its corporate culture.

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Barnett worked at Boeing for 30 years before retiring in 2017 and was in Charleston to testify in his whistleblower case against Boeing. He raised concerns about the safety of Boeing’s aircraft, alleging that employees were pressured to install substandard parts and that the oxygen systems on the 787 Dreamliners were unreliable, with one in four masks potentially failing in an emergency. His complaint was filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in January 2017, alleging retaliation by Boeing.

However, the agency found no evidence to support his claim. His lawyers, Robert Turketwitz and Brian Knowles, said Barnett was in good spirits and looking foward to move past this phase in his life. They were shocked upong learning abouth his death and called for a thorough investigation by the Charleston police.

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