A few days ago, I wrote about how a former Boeing employee tragically died in an apparent suicide, and the timing of this sure is… kind of chilling? As more details emerge about what happened, you can’t help but wonder what exactly went down.
Whistleblower dies during legal trial with Boeing
62-year-old John Barnett worked at Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017. In recent years, he has become known for being a whistleblower, raising concerns about the company’s production standards.
Barnett had been pursuing legal action against Boeing, accusing the company of denigrating his character and hampering his career due to what he exposed about the company.
Roughly a week ago, Barnett had been in Charleston for legal interviews linked to this case. He gave a formal deposition in which he was questioned by Boeing lawyers, before being cross-examined. During this, he had been providing evidence in his lawsuit against the company, related to Boeing’s quality defects.
Barnett was supposed to undergo more questioning on Saturday, March 9, 2024. However, he didn’t show up in court. Questions about his whereabouts were raised, and the Holiday Inn Charleston (where he was staying) was contacted. He was subsequently found dead in his truck in the hotel parking lot.
The Charleston County coroner confirmed the death on Monday, and stated the cause of death was a “self-inflicted” wound. Boeing issued a statement that “we are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
The strange circumstances surrounding this
As more details emerge about what happened, you can’t help but wonder.
For one, Barnett was found with a pistol in his hand, and the cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head. It’s worth noting that according to studies, only in about 25% of cases would a gun stay in someone’s hand if they shot themselves. So that’s not impossible, but it’s unlikely.
I’m curious what the coroner knew regarding the gunshot wound being “self-inflicted,” since it seems like that’s quite a conclusion to jump to, especially in something as suspicious as this.
Barnett ate dinner at the hotel the night before he was found, and a staff member who observed him said he appeared to be acting normal. Not that this necessarily means anything, but…
Meanwhile a friend of Barnett has come forward and stated that Barnett had predicted that he might be killed, and that it might be framed as suicide. According to this friend:
“He wasn’t concerned about safety because I asked him. I said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ And he said, ‘No, I ain’t scared, but if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.’ I know that he did not commit suicide. There’s no way. He loved life too much. He loved his family too much. He loved his brothers too much to put them through what they’re going through right now.”
The Boeing issues that Barnett brought up
Starting in 2010, Barnett worked as a quality manager at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner plant in Charleston, and he worked there until 2017, when he retired. During this time, he became concerned that Boeing’s priority was building new aircraft as quickly as possible, even if it meant compromising safety, a philosophy directly at odds with what he was supposed to oversee.
In recent years, the details he has shared have played a part in the case against Boeing. Among other things, Barnett had claimed that:
- Workers had been deliberately fitting sub-standards parts to aircraft on the production line
- There were problems with oxygen systems, which could mean one in four breathing masks would not work in an emergency
- Workers failed to follow procedures intended to track components through the factories, allowing defective components to go missing
- Sub-standard parts had been removed from scrap bins and fitted to planes that were being built, to prevent delays on the production line
When Barnett alerted managers of what he observed, no action was taken. Of course it’s worth stating that Boeing denies these allegations. However, a review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found merit to some of Barnett’s concerns. And I think at this point, the whole world has seen how Boeing’s priority is profit over safety.
Bottom line
A Boeing whistleblower who was in the middle of a court case with the aircraft manufacturer died in an apparent suicide, on the same day he was supposed to be in court. Barnett had worked at Boeing for 32 years, and did a lot to expose the company’s shortcomings.
Friends of Barnett are claiming that there’s no way this was a suicide, and that he even warned that he might be killed, and that it would be framed that way.
No matter the cause, this is tragic, and my thoughts are with Barnett’s family…
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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